"Aden, how much of the thick paper do we have on hand? Helen, did you ever get hold of your artist friend? If not, go do it now,please. Kalvin would you take a message to the wood workers, ask them to come see me immediately, I have a job for them. Take the same message to John the blacksmith, please. Mark how much luggage do you have? Doesn't matter, Emi borrow the wheel barrow from Tobias, then take Mark to fetch his luggage from the inn, he can move into the rooms over the study." as they dispersed I addressed Sophia, "Sophia, do you remember what I asked the last time I talked to Benten? Can you do that now?"

"I am not sure this would be a good time to do it, Rufina. There is bound to be some side effects. The best time would be just before bed, so I can help out from dream space."

"All right. How long would the side effects last?"

"Not long I think, shouldn't be longer than 20 hours, but should be less."

"Not tonight then. I have to be sharp tomorrow."

"We only have ten sheets of the heavy paper, your majesty." says Aden, coming from the palace office.

"Is there a source of colored inks? Red, yellow, blue and black?"

"We only have black, your majesty."

"Is there paint?

"What is paint?"

"Paint is like ink but thicker, used to color items and protect them from the elements if they are out side."

"Then no, there is no paint just white wash."

"Sophia, would you know how to make red, yellow and blue inks?"

"Yes, I can recall recipes for those, thought I'm not sure we have access to the ingredients."

"Would you write them down, please. Aden or Mark can check if the ingredients are available."

"Aden, where would be a good place to hold the trial? I should have thought of this earlier."

"The only place I can think of is the town hall. But it's not very good."

"Did father ever talk to large crowds of people? If he did, where did he do it."

"He never addressed the people directly, always though the heralds."

"You know how the inlet is shaped, a flat space surrounded by gently sloping hills. Is there some place like that near by?"

"I don't know, I'll ask the hunters, they would have the best idea where something like that was located."

"Would you do that then? I'll be planning how I'll present the evidence tomorrow. Sophia will you help me with that?" Aden headed to town to speak with the hunters.

"Of course, Rufina. What do you want me to do?"

"We'll go though the evidence, arrange it in the order to present it, then practice the delivery. You can critique me while I do that."

I bring the evidence out, and with Sophia's help separate it into three groups, one for each of the charges. Then I arrange the evidence in each group into what I consider the best order. I have rearranged the furniture in the parlor as a court room, with Sophia sitting behind a table as the judge, the witness in a chair beside her and the jury off to the side. I then practice presenting the jury (Mark) with the evidence. When I need to cross examine a witness I have Emi stand in for them. I stand before them , showing the jury and the judge the evidence. Sophia makes several suggestions as do Emi and Mark. I soon feel that I can do this for real.

Mark makes the observation that it this unlike any of the other two trials he as seen. He also states that if he was on the jury for real, the defendant would be found guilty as charged.

As I had repacked the evidence, Mark asks, "Is the wheelbarrow one of my ideas, also."

"Yes, it is."

"How long does it take to construct one of them? They would sell well and in quantity."

"The first one took ten days, most of that was the designing and perfecting the axle, bearings and wheel hub." I have a thought, "Does your company employee blacksmiths and carpenters, Mark?"

"Yes, your majesty. We have a group of different craftsmen we hire on a per job basis. What are you thinking?"

"Of selling your company rights to manufacture the wheelbarrows, the reflector candle stick, the threshers and grain cleaner, in return for says 5 coppers per item sold or a percentage of the profits. That way there is no or very little transportation costs, and if you do it right no one person can steal the design and start making them for themselves. Though if someone were to buy one then copy it they could."

"Are there laws to protect someone ideas? Like if one of the blacksmiths that work on the wheelbarrow were to start building them on his own and selling them, could I or your company take them to court to stop them or to force them to pay us a percentage."

"Sorry to say no, your majesty. Most of the kingdoms are so full of graft that a law like that is pointless, someone with enough power would just bribe their way clear."

"Well that is too bad. So unless we can do it way cheaper we will have short product life. Playing cards and books appear to be the items with the longest profit potential."

"Books? Books are low profit items, your majesty." Mark protests.

"Not the way I would produce them. I have a way to produce thousands of books in a short time. The most expensive part would be assembling them."

"Really? This I have to see."

"Sorry, not in existence yet, perhaps with your help it won't be long until it is."

"Do you know if ink in colors besides black are available?" I ask Mark.

"Yes, your majesty. Inks of various colors exist. Which do you need?"

"Large bottles of black and red, small bottles of blue and yellow. I also need paper, Emi could you fetch one of the sheets from the palace office, I'm not sure on quantity, that depends on cost. I need an idea what sizes are available also, there could be a better size paper."

"Here is the paper, Rufina." Emi hands me the sheet of paper.

"We got 9 cards from one of these sheet. Twelve cards makes them too short and eight works but uses an extra sheet for per deck. If the sheets were 33 % larger we could get twelve cards per sheet which would be prefect, we could get three decks out of thirteen sheets. Is there a sheet that size?"

"It sounds like I need to send an inquiry to headquarters."

"When Helen gets back there is something you need to see, but she has it. Unless." I take off to my rooms where I search the table, no, not here.

When I return to the parlor, Mark asks,"What was that about?"

"I thought that Helen may have left it in my room last night but she must have it in her pocket yet."

"Did someone say my name?" in walks Helen, leading a young woman by the hand.

"Yes, I was wondering if you had the tape in your pocket? And who is this?"

"Yes, I have the tape. And this is Eliza, the artist. Eliza these are queen Rufina, Sophia, Emi and Mark. The queen has been asking for an artist so here you are."

"Hello, Eliza, welcome to the palace. Come sit down, I don't bite. Emi will you fetch the cards, please."

"So tell me, Eliza, in which medium do you work?"

"Mostly charcoal, your majesty. As that is what I can afford."

"Excuse me a moment then." I get up and go to study, coming back with a couple sheets of paper and a charcoal stick. Taking the charcoal in hand I quickly sketch several boxes about the size of one of the cards. I hand the charcoal and paper to Eliza, "Would you draw in the corner of one of the boxes a circular six petaled flower." She does, but not in the box an first, instead drawing several in the spaces around the boxes, each getting better as she draws, finally drawing one in a box. It's perfect. I hand her the other sheet of paper,"Now in the same box draw a number three, right next to the flower, and the same size. Use the other sheet to practice on if need be." Again she draws threes around the boxes until she is satisfied then draws the number where I want it, perfectly. "Alright , now turning the paper around, draw in the corner opposite the one drawn in, the number three and a flower to match the one already drawn." She quickly draws them. "Now down the middle of the box, in a straight line draw three flowers to match the others." It is done, quickly. "Very good. Can you draw people?"

"Yes, your majesty. Would you like a sketch of yourself?"

"Not right now, thank you, maybe later. What I want you to do though is to draw what I sketch, except better." I take the paper and charcoal from her and do a quick rough outline of a person, from mid chest up, facing to the right. Then I rotate the paper and repeat that, connecting the bodies. So I end up with a person facing right and below them, upside down is one facing left. I show the sketch to Eliza, "Draw this in one of the boxes, with facial details, make it a young male, a prince."

She studies the sketch for a while, then says,"This will take awhile, your majesty."

"No problem, do you need more light?" she nods. "Mark, Emi will you move one of the tables out into the atrium." I have Eliza stand and Helen and I move her chair next the table, "there you go, call out when you are finished." She nods again.

In an aside to Helen, "I believe she will do nicely."