As Sophia, Emi and I enter the palace, Kalvin takes the horses to the stable. "Good afternoon all, I'm sorry we are late." I say as we arrive at the dining room. The others are already seated and are eating.

"We just began, your majesty." Aden stands and holds my chair for me.

"Thank you, Aden. How was your morning?" I sat, starting to fill my plate as the food was passed up the table. Eliza was looking toward the hallway, "Eliza, he'll be here shortly, he's tending the horses. Why not prepare a plate for him." She smiles, liking that suggestion.

"Your majesty, the thresher is amazing, the first six fields are already threshed, at this rate it will only take twelve more days to thresh it all. And I have several sacks of oversized berries for you. The farmers are enthusiastic about the thresher, they all want to have a chance to put foot to the treadle and feed the sheaves into it."

"How many sacks of grain have been threshed?"

"Close to twelve hundred sacks. Which would take thirty workers three days to do by flail and winnow. We need to build some more threshing machines."

"Very well, how many do you think we need?"

"One each for Ashdale, Ashford and Beehill, Iron River and Four Rivers need two each and two more for Haven. So nine all together."

"Would making them wider so two people could load them at the same time help?"

"I think it would, they are crowded with two feeding the machine, now."

"Alright, have the craftsmen make them wider, so two have enough room to work. Oh, have them return the plans for it, so I can change them and I need to make a copy for Mark. I checked on the cleaner today while I was out, it should be done in two days according to Jason."

"Return thresher plans for updating, I'll pick them up this evening."

"Mark, Daniel the woodworker will have four Go boards done by time you leave. Also there will be pots to hold the stones by then. Kalvin, when you go to pickup Helen, take the panniers with you, stop by the potters and retrieve eleven pots from him, he knows which ones. And you will need to pay him, also. Then stop by Jason's shop, I owe him a few silver. Remind me to give you the money."

"When and where are we holding the grain auction? And how much can we sell? Will it need to be cleaned before it's sold or before it's shipped? How is it shipped?"

Aden grins, "I was wondering when you would ask. The auction could be in the garden in four days, as there only three buyers available to attend. I estimate that there will be 39,500 bushels of wheat to sell. Though that could change, it depends on the harvest in the other villages. Normally the wheat is sold as threshed, uncleaned. Ships start arriving about four to six weeks after the merchants leave to pickup the grain they bought. Price includes a bushel sack of course hemp cloth."

"Do we have 40,000 hemp sacks? That's a lot of sacks."

"We do, they were delivered by the The Merry Weather."

"Mark, what price does your company buy a bushel hemp sack for and then what is the selling price?"

"We buy at three per copper and sell at two per copper." he says.

"So fifty gold for sacking. I think we just found a new product. I'm pretty sure we could produce them at five to the copper once we get set up. Mark we are going to need some hemp seed, how much per bushel?"

"I'll check your majesty. When would you want delivery?"

"I will have to talk to Nora about that. I'll do that tomorrow or," I glance to Emi and Mark, "Mark, Emi would you two go visit Nora and find out everything she knows about growing hemp. Write it down so not to forget, please."

"Aden, will there be a couple of serfs available to build the water lift this week? Alton delivered the poles today, so that can be done. If not, all of us could go down and fill the ponds with buckets then have a swim party and picnic."

"The serfs are going to be busy for at least two weeks threshing the grain and storing it. A swim party and picnic sounds like fun even with work to do."

The others think that sounds like something they would like to do. "When?" asks Sophia.

"Mark will be leaving in six day, the auction is in four, the next two are going to be busy with the Go instructions and there are a lot of deliveries due in five, so three days from now. Would we want to spend the day there or half a day?"

"One big meal in the middle of the afternoon? or two smaller ones?" asks Tilly.

"If we have a big breakfast then do what needs to be done here, then leave for the inlet at 850, work on the ponds until they are done then have our picnic followed by swimming and relaxing." I say.

Eliza lets out a big sigh, "I wish we could do it today."

"I do too, Eliza. But there is work to be done. How are the cards coming along?"

"I've finished the nines and tens, I have some ideas for the face cards so will do some preliminary sketches to show you."

"But first I have some illustrations for you to do for the Go instructions. They are simple, mostly lines and circles."

"Alright, your majesty."

"Sitting here, I had an idea, let's rearrange the seating at this table. I want to be able to speak with each of you but sitting like this it hard for the people at the far end to hear and be heard without shouting. So from now on I will sit where Mark is sitting, in the middle, Emi on my right, Mark on her right and Aden on my left. Sophia across from me with Eliza then Kalvin on her right and Helen then Tilly on on her left. Would that suit everyone?"

"Could Mark and I change places? That way I could help Tilly serve." asks Emi.

"Of course you can, good thinking.

Tilly and Emi started removing the remains of dinner, while we finished eating. Aden was getting ready to leave when I stopped him, asking where he had the seed stored? He had placed it in the barn, separate from the other grains. I thanked him and let him continue. Thinking of seed got me thinking of seeding which reminded me of seed drills. I will need to sketch a seed drill, both single and multiple styles. If I remember correctly drills increased yield a substantial amount. What is the spacing on wheat plants?

I am interrupted by knocking on the door which Emi goes to answer. She returns with Alton. I go to the domain office, raiding the petty cash for a handful of coin, mostly copper and a few silver. "Good afternoon Alton. Did the unloading go well?" He nods to the affirmative. "Good, how much do I owe you?"

"Five copper, your majesty. Three for the cutting down of the trees, one for cutting the short piece and one for the cartage."

I hand him five coins, "Thank you, Alton." As I start to turn away, it comes to mind that he could supply the posts for the bathhouse. "Would you wait a moment, please." I hurry to the study, find the plans for the bathhouse, then return to Alton. Turning my face upward I yell, "Yo, guard."

"Yes, your majesty?" comes a reply.

"Is Tobias in the yard at the moment? I yell up to the guard.

"Yes he is, your majesty. Do you wish him to come to you?"

"Yes please, have him meet me in the garden. And thank you."

"My pleasure, your majesty."

"Follow me, Alton." I start for the garden door.

Tobias is waiting for me in the garden when I get there, he must have been in the garden already. "Good afternoon, Tobias. I have the plans for the bathhouse here and someone to cut the posts you will need. Tobias this is Alton. Alton this is my gardener and bathhouse builder, Tobias."

I show them the plans, answering their questions. I ask Tobias if he can do the mortise and tenon joints? He answers that he can. Good, because I have some other joinery that needs to be done. I ask Tobias if there is any material that I can get for him to let me or Aden know. I thanks them and return to the palace, leaving them talking of posts and beams.

When I arrive back in the dinning room, Sophia is entertaining the merchant that we bought the metals from. "Ah, here she is now. Your majesty, this is Henderson, a merchant of metals and metal products. I believe you met him a few days ago. He as brought what you requested at that time."

"Good Afternoon, your majesty. Good to see you again. Here is the item you asked for." He held out a small wooden box, which I took. Opening it, I saw a beautifully crafted straight razor nested in felt. It is beautiful, folded iron, highly polished with gold inlays with a rare wood handle. "Oh my, this is lovely. How much do I owe for this piece of fine art?"

"That piece is 4 gold, your majesty." He seems a bit nervous, I wonder why? I lift it out, examining it closely. 'Sophia, why is he so nervous?' I think at her. She comes behind me, looking over my shoulder, "Oh, that is lovely, but does it hold an edge?" I held it up, looking at the edge, I could see the edge, a bright line of silver. That is not good, it means it's not sharp. "Tilly, would you come out here, please." I raise my voice so she can hear me.

"Yes, your majesty."

"Can you sharpen knives?"

"Of course, your majesty." I hand her the razor. She looks at the edge, make a tsking sound. She goes back the kitchen, returning with a whetstone, which she started to use at the table. Soon she lays the razor down then returns to the kitchen, coming back with a leather strop, which she runs the razor up and down a few times. She looks at the edge again, nodding. She hands it to me. I look at the edge, it has disappeared, I lay it on my arm, slowly dragging it along, shaving the hairs off my arm. After about eight cm I start I feel a tug on my arm. Lifting the razor I look at the edge, there are multiple nicks in the edge. I hand it to Tilly, who gives it a look then glares at Henderson. I take the razor back from Tilly and replace it in its box then hand it back to him. "This is beautiful piece of art but not a razor to shave with. Do you have a proper razor, merchant Henderson?"

"One moment, your majesty." He picks up a bag of goods from where it lays at his feet, digging down into it. Shortly he hands me another box, not as finely finished as the first but still well built. When I open it, there is another razor, not as well polished, a bit rougher in finish, without inlays or a wooden handle. As I look at its edge I barely see the edge. I hand it to Tilly who looks at the edge then runs it up and down the strop. Examining the edge again, then handing it to me. I look at the edge, it can't be seen. I lay the razor on my arm, slowly dragging it along, this time I feel no dragging, going the full length of my arm. I reexamine the edge, it still can't be seen. Handing it to Tilly I ask, "Henderson, that is a much better razor, how much would that one be?"

"One gold, five silver, your majesty. For another silver I have a strop and a Whetstone." He seem confident now.

"I believe I will give you one gold, four silver for the razor, the strop and stone, and I will forget that you tried to defraud me."

"Ah.. yes, I see, very good then your majesty, one gold four for the razor, strop and stone."

I dig in my pocket for coins, I have no gold but have the silver which I hand him. I goto the office and take a gold coin from the sack of coins. On the way back out I goto the study and write a receipt for a razor, strop and whetstone, price one gold four silver, paid to Henderson, in my usual style two copies, one above the other. I sign both, then calling Henderson to me, having him sign both, also. He lays the razor, strop and stone on the desk and I lay the gold coin and half the receipt beside them. "Thank you for coming. The grain auction will been in four days, starting at 1100, please inform your disgraced colleague of the time and place, so he can arrange someone to bid for him. As of now, there are going to be 39,000 bushels of wheat available for sell."

We show him to the door, thanking him for coming. I thank Tilly for her help sharpening the razor. She asks what I need a razor for? I show her an arm pit, and she nods. Going to the study I locate the basket containing the money pouch and transfer some of the coins from my pocket to the pouch, removing one of the gold coins. I take the remainder to the office and place them in the bag of coins.

After returning to the parlor, with Sophia's help I move two of the small tables, with chairs, from the parlor to the edge of the atrium. I arrange the tables in a T shape, so Sophia and Eliza are facing one another, with me to the side. Once they are situated I bring out paper, pen and ink for Sophia and myself. Using a charcoal stick I write an outline, planning the instructions. Eliza is watching me closely, as she has no idea what I am doing, Sophia knows so she is relaxed. When Eliza asks what I am doing, Sophia explains what an outline is and why you would want to do one.

When I have the outline finished, I hand it to Sophia for review. She looks it over, making a suggestion or two, which changes it slightly. Once finished, I fold four sheets of paper in half, nesting them together forming a crude booklet. Using the charcoal stick I number the upper corners of each page. I then hand a clean sheet of paper to Eliza and explain the format of the illustrations I want her to draw. She practices a few times, getting quite good at them.

On a new sheet I write,'The Game of Go by Sophia Sagemore and Rufina Cruz Illustrated by Eliza..' "Eliza what is your family name?"

"Family name?"

"Your last name or your fathers name."

"Papa is what we called him. I don't know his name." she looked sad. I got up, gathered her in my arms, hugging her.

"I'm sorry sweetie." Sophia joined us, hugging both of us. She whispered something in Eliza's ear, which caused her to relax, 'Sorry, Sophia' I thought at her. She gave a sad smile.

"She doesn't need a surname, Eliza will be good enough. Eliza the artist, to be known the world over." Sophia says in a mysterious voice.

Breaking the hug we sit down again. I hand the page to Sophia, along with the leaf page one is on. "There is the title page, you know what to do, correct?" She nods. I start writing and when I get the first two pages done, I show Eliza what I want for illustrations on pages two and three, which she practices on a separate sheet, before getting the pages from Sophia. While they work on their pages I continue writing, working steadily with only one interruption, when Kalvin reminds me he needs some coin. I explain liberties, blocking, groups, how to capture groups, eyes and false eyes and get started on scoring. I sketch the illustrations as I need them, placing them at the corner of the desk next to Eliza. The copy goes on the corner next to Sophia, when she gets the page finished she hand it to Eliza who draws the illustration on it. We work steadily for almost three hours, until Kalvin brings Helen in, followed by Emi, Mark, Aden and Nora.

Tilly come out of the kitchen and announces that supper is minutes from being ready, go get washed up.