Maker of Fire

Emily, in the gods' dreamscape

"It's cold," I said to no one in particular.

"I can fix that," a woman's voice said from nowhere. In half a thought, it was suddenly warm.

"Who's there?" I asked. I couldn't see or feel anything.

"Just me," the woman appeared, dressed in the draped robes that Cosm wore four thousand years ago at the dawn of history. We were both on a dock with a sloop tied up. The boat was about forty hands in length, with a gaff-rigged mainsail and a club-footed jib.

My brain jerked to a halt. How could I know the details of sailboat rigging? I never learned to sail on Earth. Then I realized that the gods had put the knowledge there. I sighed.

"Oh, it can't be all that bad," the woman said, smiling. "This is close to the design I imparted to Twee in his revelation. The boats the Chem will build must be longer and should have a jib-and-royals-only foremast. That will make room amidships for the mortar and the rockets."

"Vassu?" It could only be her in her human aspect. It was so mundane. It reminded me of Aquarius back on Earth. I had a quick, irreverent thought that Vassu's jellyfish aspect was the best. It was so cool how the tentacles had floated in the air during Twee's revelation.

"I am pleased you like the jellyfish aspect," the god smiled. "So few appreciate it, but I confess that I like being a shark the best. I like the way the shark form moves through the water. You are correct, by the way, about my identity as Aquarius on Earth."

"So why the Aquarius aspect today?" I wondered.

"I'd swamp the boat if I were a shark," she hopped into the cockpit. "Let's go sailing. Would you please cast off?"

I undid the painter, which was clove-hitched to a dock piling. Then I undid the stern line from a cleat on the dock and followed Vassu into the boat with the line in my hand. I pushed us away from the dock.

"I have given both you and Twee the knowledge to handle boats of all sizes, Emily. I have also given you and Tom the ability to speak the language of the Chem because you'll need that where you're going. Let's see, play with copper-arsenic compounds to get a nice blue in your fireworks. Last, you should take Danasma of House Urssi home to her mother, who will be in Gangkego, the great port city of Inkalem."

"Wait, Vassu," I shook my head in confusion, "I thought we were going to Sussbesschem, not Inkalem."

"You are. But the only way to enter Sussbesschem is on a boat crewed by the Sea Coyn. Twee, Tom, and you must go to Inkalem to hire a boat. The Chem do not allow Cosm to enter their territory. The only exceptions are the Foskan royal couriers, who can only land at the Sils'chk."

"Sils'chk?" The word was an apparent human pronunciation of a Chem click-and-hiss language name.

"It's the place of worship the Chem built to honor me," Vassu smiled fondly like a grandmother bragging about her grandkids. "The couriers only visit the parts above water when they bring the annual gift of ice-making charm gems from the Shrouded Shrine in Weirgos, a tradition that has persisted for twenty-two hundred years, ever since the Chem shaman Swess'kl't rescued the shipwrecked High Priestess of Vassu Esmos."

"Oh. I read about that," I realized. "That was in one of the history books Lisaykos gave me to read. I didn't know Foskos still sent charm gems to the Chem every year."

"Esmos was my first revelator and the founder of the Shrouded Shrine. Before then, I shared a shrine with Sassoo. The promise that Esmos made Swess'kl't was a sacred oath, one that Foskos and the Shrouded Shrine have always made every effort to keep, on Planting Season midday, give or take a day, depending on the weather. Cosm are serious about their obligations to the gods. Your friend Usruldes was one of the delivery couriers when he was younger. It's why he knows the Chem language better than most Cosm."

"Then why take a boat? Why not have Usruldes take us down on Kadrees to this Sils'chk place? Surely they'd let him land to return a freed Chem to his homeland."

"You need a ship. Well, three ships if I get unlazy and do the math."

"Three ships?" This was getting more complicated quickly.

"You need to bring enough refractory bricks to line the insides of the blast furnace, the open hearth furnace, a calcining kiln, and a charcoal kiln," Vassu remarked. "The Chem do not have the raw materials or the right kind of kilns to make the refractory bricks you need. Giltak said to tell you that you will be dealing with bog iron, so you will need a lot of lime. I've already conveyed the need to calcine large quantities of lime to the authorities at Sils'chk. By the time you arrive, several hundred tons of high-purity calcite in the form of limestone will be waiting for you."

"Who's going to pay for all of this?"

"Why, you are, love," Vassu beamed. "Your friend Lisaykos has been diligent on your behalf. You are one of the wealthiest people in Foskos. Your worth exceeds that of most of the Lord Holders. Next time you feel the urge to harass Imstay King, I suggest you offer to buy one of the vacant Lord Holdings."

"And how much will three ships and bricks set me back?" I was amused at the gods spending the money which Lisaykos made for me. "I need enough left over to build my road across the Great Cracks, three canals, plus at least three chapel shrines for healers and Shrine of Surd social services."

"One hundred twenty stone of gold will cover the cost of the bricks and the ships. It's approximately one percent of your worth," Vassu informed me. I had no idea it was that much money. "Besides, the Chem will help build your canals for free once their people come home from their enslavement. Their gratitude will last centuries."

"How much will it cost me to pay Ud to build a road across the Great Cracks?"

"About 80 stone weight of gold," Vassu estimated. "You have sufficient assets for all the public works you want to fund."

"Wow. Wealth beyond the dreams of avarice," my head was spinning. "Where can I pick up 120 stone weight of gold?" I never needed to carry money before now.

"Every chapel shrine of Sassoo doubles as a savings bank. You can withdraw your funds from any Sassoo chapel shrine. You will want to ask Lisaykos to inform the local chapel shrine of Sassoo to have that amount prepared for travel."

We sank into a companionable silence for a while after that. There's something very relaxing about sailing in a decent-sized boat. I mulled over the gift of ice-making charm gems and the story of High Priestess Esmos. I was somewhat flattened that a tradition that old wasn't better known.

"Vassu, why didn't I know about the ongoing yearly trips to Sils'chk? I would think a tradition over three millennia old would be a big deal," I wondered.

"For the Foskans, it's downplayed because of their vanity as the ruling race. It's similar to how they never mention that the Sea Coyn whipped their butt when Foskos tried to take over the Salt River route to Tuleen. They keep up with the gift because it was a sacred promise, but they don't talk about it because it could be mistaken as a tribute by other nations. Foskos would never admit to paying tribute to anyone," Vassu shook her head and sighed, "especially to another race. But Esmos swore a sacred oath that she would gift the Chem with ice-making charm gems to show her gratitude for the saving of her life. It is a credit to the Cosm of Foskos that they have kept her promise. This is how things were supposed to be when we originally planned Erdos. We wanted the Cosm to develop a benevolent and generous rule, with guidance and largesse provided to the lesser races."

"So, the Coyn with the power to destroy a world are a lesser race?" I asked with a bitter taste in my mouth.

"You have no magic. You are the most limited intelligent race created by the gods, and this is only the second time we've used this variant of human life," Vassu studied my reaction.

She continued when she saw I was listening and considering what she said. "Earth was a grand experiment. Never before, to my knowledge, have deities tried to create a home for an intelligent race with no magic. Some gods, like Galt, thought it was a joke or a waste of time. Given what happened to the Earth at human hands, Galt became interested. Earth humans, which are the same as Erdos Coyn, can exist without magic. You are Tiki's creation. It was his idea.

"As a trickster god, Tiki has always been inventive with the sapient races he has crafted. Galt originally told him the effort would be a waste; however, he changed his mind when Earth humans unlocked the strong and weak nuclear forces and harnessed electromagnetism to power human industry. Earth humans did things that no god anticipated. You surprised the deities by using inventive genius to make up for the lack of magic and, in some cases, to surpass what magic can do."

"I don't get it," I interjected. "There are more Cosm without magic than with magic."

"About half of all Cosm can use the force of magic to some degree," Vassu noted, pulling up the centerboard and letting out the sheet, allowing the boat to run before the wind on an endless ocean. "One in ten Cosm will grow up to be a silverhair. The ones who can't use magic, the so-called nohairs, are still magical because magic is what sustains their physically impossible bodies. Magic is why Cosm can exist as giants without cardiopulmonary failure or skeleton failure. Magic is why roc eagles, griffins, and flying horses can fly, and Chem can live both above and below the water. You're correct, by the way, that airway and voicebox that allows Chem to speak is not biologically-evolved. That was my own design tweak, which also depends on magic."

"You implied that the Cosm are not living up to expectations," I noted. "Why?"

"No race lives up to expectations," Vassu studied me. "It's because of biology. Biology makes things challenging. Young souls require physical existence to evolve and grow. The physical wrapper of a biological body around a soul's intelligence influences behavior. Magic helps to keep an intellect insulated from the demands of the body, but it's not a perfect solution. Most Cosm are well-regulated by the reverence for the gods with which we imbued them; however, the selfishness and small tribal exclusiveness inherent in simian biology is still a touch too strong in the bigger human race. We observe that some silverhairs fall into the traps of greed and power unbalanced by the appropriate care and nurture of the lesser races. The current period of correction should be good enough to fix that."

I mulled over what Vassu said. I don't know how much time passed while I did. It could have been a minute, or it could have been a year. I had no feel for time on this dreamscape ocean. The sound of the waves slapping the bow, the hum of the breeze in the rigging, and the creak of the ropes filled the pause as my mind raced. Sometimes I felt that the more the gods told me, the less I understood their goals.

What bothered me the most was always being under the heel of the Cosm. What good was inventive creativity without the freedom to use it without limitations?

"All the races have their own limitations, Emily," Vassu said, privy to my thoughts. "Even Cosm magic which you envy comes with limitations. Your envy is so great that you are blind to what holds the Cosm back."

"Do I get to be a Cosm in my next life?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, child," Vassu looked at me with sad eyes, "but you are still too young a soul for that much magic."

"And Aylem?"

"Aylem is a very old soul. She is close to evolving to the next plane of existence."

"And Asgotl?"

"He is also an ancient soul, close to being what was called a bodhisattva or angel on Earth. He has turned down moving on several times now. He enjoys helping younger souls grow up."

"Damn." It was almost too much to take in.

"If I'm such a young soul, how did I end up stuck with this prophet gig?" I asked Vassu.

"My answer is no different from what Tiki told you at the Crystal Shrine the night before you left for Black Falls: the experiences of two lives give you all the right knowledge and skills. When paired with Aylem's power, influence, and experience, the two of you have all the tools necessary to correct the course of civilization on Erdos."

"Am I off the hook after the revelation of Landa?"

"No, Emily, it will not end there, but the destruction of the tainted crystal at the White Shrine will begin a more peaceful life for you."

"It won't end with the revelation of Landa?" I scowled.

"Emily, once a prophet, always a prophet. You're luckier than most. Galt moved your reunion with Tom up from where it was originally on Tiki's schedule. He believes that Tiki did not properly account for the strain you've been under while living with Cosm. Your strain will worsen because you are about to go to war. Being with Tom will help you survive what is about to happen."

The knowledge of what they gods wanted next flooded into my brain. Vassu looked so profoundly sorrowful that I felt a fear that filled all of my existence.

Emily, 6 Brewers Row, Is'syal, Cold season, 4th rot., night of the 6th day

The cold ceiling high above me mocked my misery with its unfeeling complacency. Despite my tears, lifting Tom's arm off of me and slipping out of bed did not wake him. I did not trouble him. I did not want to admit this, but his presence, newly thrust into my life, left me uncertain about his intentions. Would he really want to stay with me and all the troubles my wretched life would bring? I knew he found the current me too young and too small.

Even if he did want to stay with me, I did not want to take him to war with me. He died in one war already. I knew I would survive the conflict in Mattamesscontess, but I was without knowledge of what would happen to Tom. Could I bear it if he died in a second war while I watched? The thought of second life spent in the loneliness of the first was unbearable.

I probably wasn't in my right mind when I put on my flying clothes, boots, and coat. I let myself out the back door since there was no foot latch on the front. I climbed the masonry wall between the backyard and the alley. Then I started walking, unable to stay still as my mind raced, trying to make peace with what I had to face.

The prospect of the rest of my life appeared to be without hope. All I could see was prophethood with no end. I could no longer fool myself that this was just a job to be discarded when it was over. I could never escape this fate unless I exited this life. Then an even more profound despair overwhelmed me when I considered that the gods would find a way to keep me from suicide if I tried to kill myself.

I felt like I was the living embodiment of the three laws of thermodynamics: I couldn't win, I couldn't break even, and I was not allowed to quit the game.

I knew Vassu was trying to be truthful and transparent. I appreciated her candor about their intent for me after the foretold revelation of Landa. I found myself in tears as I walked. I felt like screaming, except that would likely get the attention of the city guards. The last thing I wanted was attention.

My thoughts were all over the place. I kept circling back to prophethood for the rest of my life. What was there to do after the revelation and destruction of the crystal at the White Shrine of Landa? Wasn't most of what the gods wanted from me over and done within two years? Would I be able to settle other Coyn in the valleys on the northwest side of the Great Cracks? Was a trip around the world with Asgotl possible? Would I ever get to go home to my valley, build my house, and raise a family with Tom? Or if Tom left me, some other guy? I didn't want some other guy. I wanted Tom. The revised edition of Tom was my idea of eye candy. Why did the gods want to keep me on the prophet gig? It wasn't as if they needed me anymore.

I was also no longer indispensable. I had brought down the bad laws. I had taught this world how to make iron and steel. I had saved Aylem from destroying herself. She could shatter the crystal at the White Shrine of Landa without my help. The third age of miracles and intervention no longer required my unique knowledge of pyrometallurgy. I could walk off this job after helping the Chem without harming the mission the gods wanted accomplished.

I walked south down Brewers Row to where it turned to the east, past the shuttered Cosm pubs and inns on the south side of the dormant basaltic shield volcano the city was built on. I knew I would regret going downhill, but I did anyway when I got to the Southway. The city was quiet. I had no idea what time it was. The south gate to the city was shut, so it was before the quarter before the first day bell. That was when the guards opened the gates for the first deliveries of the day.

I didn't want to get close to the guards at the gate, so I crossed the Southway. Once I reached the alley behind the buildings lining the Southway, I was on the edge of one of the city's Coyn neighborhoods. The streets were wider than in the Coyn section of Aybhas, and the buildings weren't run down. After several passing several residential blocks, I came upon what looked like a new building. I knew it had to be a new bathhouse from the tanks on the roof and the currently-closed towel window.

The shock of Vassu's dream was fading, and I began to feel cold and tired. I turned back and, in the dark, got lost. When I finally found my way back to the Southway, I ran into a city guard in her light blue coat with its red and white facings and accents.

"Stop right there, little person," the guard commanded, sounding bored. "It's closer to dawn than not, and it's certainly well after the curfew for Coyn. I hope your owner has the money to pay the fine for your bad behavior tonight." She studied me for a moment, tilting her head as she looked down at me.

"You're quite small," she put her halberd on the paving stones, dropped to one knee to get a closer look at me, and then pulled down my hood. I could see she was a halfhair once her head was closer to my level.

"You're just a kid. Does your owner know you're out? You're a bit young to be dodging curfew. Are you even old enough to go drinking at the Surd Hall?"

"I'm old enough to go to the Surd Hall," I squeaked, knowing my high-pitched voice made me sound like a kid as well as look like one.

"You're sassy one. Alright, cheeky child, where do you live? And why are you out on the streets?" The guard stood back up. After lifting the visor on her sallet, she crossed her arms and looked down at me. "I will leave it to your owner to discipline you for sneaking out, though you're the first one I've run into this cold season. You kids usually break curfew in the warm half of the year." The look she gave me was friendly, which took the edge off my nervousness.

I estimated that hiding my identity would fail, so I didn't try. "To answer your questions in order, no owner knows I'm out because I have no owner. I am a free Coyn. I am 16, I think, and therefore old enough to go to the Surd Hall. I live in Aybhas, but while in Is'syal, I am staying at 6 Brewers Row. I am up because I couldn't sleep. I decided to take a walk to clear my head. Anything else you would like to know, ma'am?"

"No owner?" She frowned. "May I see the back of your left hand?"

I pulled off my mitten and showed my hand to her. She leaned over and took my hand between her thumb and forefinger. She swore and got down on her knees.

"May the blessings of the eleven gods be upon you, Great One," she made a complete obeisance.

"And also upon you. Please rise and be at your ease."

"Great One, you look tired," the Guard sat back on her heels. "May I offer you a ride home?"

"That won't be necessary, Guard," the amused voice of Usruldes said. He appeared in his usual masked outfit of all black but without his cloak, gloves, or boots. He had left the house in his stocking feet.

"My Lord," the guard bowed her head without getting up.

"Where's my usual shadow, Usruldes?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I gave them three days off."

"Ah," I nodded. That explained the stocking feet. "How did you know I stepped out? Do you even sleep?"

"I was asleep. Tom woke up and couldn't find you. He panicked and got me up."

"Dammit, I didn't want to wake him." I sighed. "He will have worn a path in the floor tiles by the time we get back. He's a pacer when he worries."

"Yes, that describes his reaction. He wanted to follow me. I had to appeal to Asgotl to keep Tom from climbing the wall into the alley." Usruldes got down on one knee and picked me up. He thanked the guard, and we vanished. The view was fantastic as Usruldes took to the air.

All the charm gem lights were on in the backyard, and Asgotl was pacing. I got a disapproving eyeball from a grumpy griffin when we reappeared, which I didn't expect. "Did you even think of stopping for a chat or asking for a ride?" Asgotl chided me. "It is part of my job to look after you and how you're doing upstairs. And poor Tom! I had to pick him off the wall. Do you know how hard it is to pick up a Coyn without hurting one? Hmm?"

"Yes, mother," I grumped back. "I just took a short walk," I mumbled defensively.

"Ah, yes, a short walk," Usruldes chuckled, "a third of the way across town."

"Is'syal isn't that big," I argued, noting he hadn't put me down yet.

"That's true. Aybhas and Surdos are bigger, but still, next time, leave a note." Usruldes sounded frustrated as we walked up to the backdoor, which Oyyuth opened. Tom was right behind her in his new housecoat on top of his new nightshirt and sleeping trews. Usruldes put me down in front of him.

Tom didn't give me time to breathe before he got on his knees and hugged me. He was weeping, which shocked me.

"Emily, love," Tom choked off a sob, "I didn't know what happened to you. I know it isn't rational, but having found you again, I don't think I can stand to lose you. Please tell me if you're going out. I would have gone with you." His arms tightened around me, and he buried his face in my shoulder.

Were my fears about his no longer being attracted to me groundless?

"I'm sorry, Tom," I leaned my head against his, "I had a bad dream. I just needed to clear my head. I didn't want to disturb you. You were deeply asleep."

"Which god this time?" Usruldes asked, the black mask and mantle having disappeared.

"Vassu," I replied. "I got my orders for going to Sussbesschem. There were some surprises. Some of them were not pleasant."

"Like what?" Oyyuth asked, sitting down on the floor in her housecoat to talk.

"Apparently, I'm not done with the prophet gig after the foretold revelation at the White Shrine of Landa," I sighed and leaned against Tom. I felt so weary. "That was the worst of the news. I was so looking forward to getting my life back, only to find out I won't be." I felt a tear escape and run down my cheek.

"Yes, I can see why that would upset you," Oyyuth rested a compassionate hand on my head. "I think you should head back to bed with a charm of deep sleep. Why don't we wake you after the second bell, and we can talk in the morning before we head over to the shrine for Tom's tour?"

"Charm of deep sleep?" Tom looked up.

"It's the best sleep you'll ever get," I told him. "You sleep deeply for a half day or until someone who can lift the charm wakes you, whichever comes first. It's wonderful magic."

He wiped my tears away with his thumb, "Well then, let's go back to bed, and we'll talk in the morning."

Emily, Building Shrine, Omexkel, , Cold season, 4th rot., 9th day

"I made the rubber rings you suggested and redesigned the connections to include the rings," Huhoti got on her knees and unscrewed a coupling to show me one of her o-rings. "These little ring things made all the difference. The difference between a leather gasket and a rubber o-ring is like flour and bread. I'm now using the airflow from the trompe for the small blast furnace instead of the bellows."

"I'm glad you got the trompe to work," I looked at Huhoti's happy face. "It's a logical device to use with all this water falling down the mountain."

"What I really like about the air from the trompe is that it's cold," Huhoti remarked. "Raoleer was thinking of building some more and using the cold air to cool off the insides of the two foundries, especially during the hottest part of the year."

Trompes were old technology on Earth. By letting water fall from a height, air bubbles became entrained through the venturi effect. These bubbles could be separated at the bottom of the drop, and the air became compressed because of an oddity of physics. The compression achieved was impressive if the trompe had enough hydraulic head. In the late Middle Ages, the iron makers in Catalonia and the adjacent Pyrenees used trompes instead of bellows to generate their air blasts. From Spain, the trompes of Catalan furnaces spread through portions of colonial North and South America in the 1700s before being replaced by more modern furnaces of large-scale industrial steel making.

At the Building Shrine, the water from the trompe got used for providing water power for the various research buildings, which was its original use before Huhoti installed the trompe pipe and separator. Installing the trompe merely added the compressed air feature to the already-existing infrastructure.

"Can I take some sheets of the same rubber you used to make the o-rings?" I pleaded.

"Of course you can," Huhoti put the pipe coupling back together and stood up. "If we delay much longer, Twee will start without us."

A tremendous boom rattled the doors and window frames, followed by a second, more distant explosion.

"Sounds like he started without us," I shook my head.

"Emily, you walk too slow," Huhoti grinned at me.

"Must you?" I shook my head at my overgrown artificer friend.

"I must," she scooped me up and ran the length of the idled foundry to one of the exits. I have to admit, Huhoti running was a lot faster than me. She put me down before opening the door so I could at least walk outside on my own two feet with my dignity intact.

Outside, between the foundry and the manufacturing research facility, Twee stood next to his still-smoking mortar. Surrounding Twee were Tom, Raoleer, Usruldes in his courier outfit as Hessakos, Imstay, Aylem, and High Priestess Irralray of Erhonsay.

"See, I told you they'd show up the moment we fired this thing," Tom grinned up at Usruldes. I had gone shopping with Oyyuth after the tour at the Fated Shrine, and we got back, Tom and Usruldes had managed to do that guy-bonding thing. I have no idea what they talked about while Oyyuth and I were out, but whatever it was, they were now best buddies. The only thing wrong with the situation is that Imstay had now wormed his way in, and they had already gone fishing together. I wasn't thrilled about Imstay getting all friendly with Tom, but I could do nothing about it. Tom was the kind of guy who could make a friend out of anyone. He wasn't an introvert like me.

"Well," Hutoti folded her arms, "now that we're here, can we see this tool of destruction in action?"

"Sssyes," Twee nodded. He picked up a short brass cylinder half a hand in diameter. He screwed a pointed tip onto the rounded end. While he held it over the muzzle of the mortar, Tom applied a portable coal pot to the end of a fuse that ran in a shallow groove down the side of the casing. Twee dropped the shell into the mortar as soon as he was sure the fuse was lit. Both Tom and Twee ducked their heads below the level of the muzzle and covered their ears.

The firing of the mortar left my ears ringing. The casing flew in a steep trajectory to impact the outcrop at the toe of the ridge to the east of the Building Shrine grounds. It exploded on impact, leaving a small crater in the rocks.

Imstay whistled in appreciation.

"I assume that's black powder, Emily," Aylem caught my eye.

"No, it's a mix of sugar, saltpeter, and hematite for the propellant," I explained. "The explosive end is sugar and saltpeter with a mercury fulminate contact fuse. A secondary physical fuse will set it off in case the mercury fulminate fuse fails. The secondary fuse gets lit by the hot expanding gasses inside the mortar. We didn't add any shrapnel to these shells, but there's room in the casing for it."

"Sugar?" Irralray expressed the surprise that everyone wore on their faces. "But sugar is precious."

"Holy one," I grinned, "most of the sugar in the world is grown in the land of the Chem. It's both a staple food and their main commodity for trade. For the Chem, sugar is as common as dirt. What isn't common for the Chem is sulfur. They don't have any easy sources of sulfur, and black powder needs sulfur. While sugar and saltpeter are less energetic than blackpowder, it's still good enough to start fires, smash things and propel shrapnel. And the Chem have lots of it. They also have lots of bird poop to use to make saltpeter. The only thing they don't have locally is mercury, but I can bring enough with us to make fulminate."

"A Coyn with no magic creates a device in less than a season that can destroy a major port city," Irralray studied me as if she was seeing me for the first time. "I begin to understand what you said, Great One, at the most recent meeting of the Convocation, that the Coyn may have the potential to destroy a world if there are any more like you."

I couldn't argue with what Irralray said. I found the thought both bitter and depressing. I might be able to destroy a lot of life on the planet just by myself, even without the social power of a prophet. Then I shut down that thought and resolved not to engage in any more negativity for the day, so I changed the subject.

"All the bad things in life carve out hollows in the world into which one can pour happier things, like this," I selected a shell that was deliberately different from the others which I had made earlier that morning.

"One sixty-fourth pi from vertical, please, Twee," I instructed. He straightened the mortar on its pivots and reclamped it.

"Fuse, please," I held the shell over the muzzle. Tom lit the fuse. I dropped the shell down the bore and ducked, clamping my ears. I heard the boom of mortar and quickly looked up to trace the shell's flight. I couldn't stop smiling when it exploded more than a thousand hands above us, the spray of red and orange filling the air and gobsmacking everyone, even Tom and Aylem.

"Emily, you made fireworks!" Aylem's smile was radiant. "Are there more?"

"Not yet," I smiled back.