The other are on the balcony, waiting for me to lead them down. Aden, Mark, Kalvin and Tobias are waiting for us at the table but get up, changing chairs as they had been sitting around the head of the table talking to each other. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. Have you had a good morning?" I greet them. They all nod affirmative.

Most of us take our seats, Emi and Helen set the table then return to the kitchen, soon returning, following Tilly with the meal. They place the assorted bowls and plates around the table, with the covered platter of meat in from of me. When they sit, I lift the cover revealing slices of ham. The steam rising from the platter smells divine. "Pass your plates, please."

After the plates converge on me, I place a slice of ham on each, returning them to their owners. The contents of bowls is transferred to the plates as they pass, soon everyone has their plate in front of them, covered in food. As we begin to eat we start chatting, introducing Tobias to everyone and everyone to Tobias.

"Mark did you find what you needed?"

"Yes, your majesty, I did. Your tip was a good one."

"Good. Emi what have you been doing this morning?"

"My duties, your majesty. The household upkeep is a never ending task."

"Do you get enough help from the maids?"

"Yes, your majesty. They are a great help keeping most of the palace clean and orderly."

"Very good. Tilly is it all good in the kitchen? Have you found a use for the cooler yet?"

"Oh, yes your majesty, I keep the butter in it and the cream. When will you show me how to make Mayonnaise?"

"We can do that this afternoon if you wish. Does anyone else want to learn how to make Mayonnaise?" Emi, Helen and Eliza indicate that they do. "We will need vinegar, oil and an egg. Also a jar or covered bowl to store it in."

"I have one available."

"Helen, would you consider moving your shop? If there is a store front available you can move your work shop here to the palace. I will be having a need for a building like yours to house one of the craftsmen I want to hire. Aden, are there any empty storefronts available?"

"I will have to look. Just a store, no workshop?"

"Yes, one a little bigger than Helen's current one."

"We also need one for Mark to rent when he returns. Or would an office be better, Mark?"

"A large office would work, your majesty. I could sell out of the front with my office the rear."

"So a two largish storefronts. Near the town hall?"

"Yes please." and "Yes." from them.

"I will check out the availability after dinner this afternoon."

"Eliza, how are the card faces coming along?"

"I have though the tens done. I have a few sketches of the face cards done. You can check them later."

"Thank you."

"Kalvin is your training going well? Have you been able to practice enough lately?"

"I get a few hours in most day, I feel I am getting enough practice time in."

"Tobias, how is the bathhouse progressing?"

"I have checked the wall, it will be possible to place the pipe though it. Alton is searching for the posts and beams. Some of my friends are collecting sticks for the walls and stones for the footings. We will start digging the footings soon."

"Very good. Let me know when you are ready to breach the wall, so I can lay out the reed bed outside the wall. You mentioned you can make mortise and tenon joints, I have two joints I need done."

"I can do simple ones, your majesty. Where are these joints?"

"They are on the coast, at the place we are building the salt drying ponds. We will be going there the day after tomorrow in the late morning so ready the tools you'll need."

"Aden, I would like a meeting with the craftsmen to discuss the apprentice program with them. I'll write a letter if you would take it around to all of them to read and sign. How many are there? Where would be a good place to hold such a meeting?"

"There are over fifty craftsmen in Haven alone, I don't know where we could all meet. Town hall isn't big enough. There isn't a large space in the palace we could use."

"If we invited just the master craftsmen how many would there be?"

"Fifteen or sixteen, which is workable. But there are no master seamstresses or weavers, they are all journeymen level so if we invite just masters their crafts will not be represented."

"Do the seamstresses and weavers talk to each other? Do you know Helen?"

"I haven't talked to any of the other weavers or seamstresses in years, sorry."

"Could you go visit each group asking them to choose representatives to attend the meeting. I'll write a letter explaining the purpose of the meeting, like the one for the masters, one for each group. I know, visit Clara first, enlist her help if you can, she probably knows all the seamstresses and weavers."

I am the last one with food on their plate as I have been talking the most so I shut up and eat. The others start clearing the table, taking things back to the kitchen. When Emi takes a tray of things away, Mark shows me what he bought, a pair of heavy gold ear rings. They are mostly unadorned, fifteen mm across by about five mm wide. He says he will get semiprecious stones when he is back at headquarters to have mounted on them. Then he shows the temporary set he will use at the wedding, they are gold wire braided together in a loop. As Emi comes out of the kitchen he slips them back into his pocket, asking what the meeting is about.

"I want the craftsmen to train apprentices, I will offer to help support the apprentices for a few years and pay the fee if there is one. But I will have rules for them. The meeting is to tell the masters about the plan and the rules."

"You were there that night, when she talked about it Mark." Emi told him, "Did you forget?"

"This the first I have heard of a meeting though." was his reply.

She lean down and kissed him, whispering something to him. He nodded and she went back to clearing the table. I finished my meal, pickup my place setting and took it to the kitchen. Helen was washing the dishes so I helped dry.

As we worked Helen asked, "How long before you need an answer on the shop?"

"Depends on when the craftsmen get here, could be as early as next month or four months from now. I think you would need a larger workshop when you get your new loom anyway. And you will be training a apprentice, too, you know. So you'll need the room."

"Could I rent my shop out instead? Harold bought that building when we first arrived, I don't want to lose it."

"Oh, it's your building. I thought I owned it and you were renting it from me. Sure you can rent it out, I'll have to ask Aden what rents are. We will have to negotiate this."

When we finished washing the dishes, I asked her to go bring Emi and Eliza so we can make mayonnaise. "Tilly, do you have the ingredients ready?"

"Right here, Rufina. What tools do we need?"

"A whisk, a bowl and a spoon is all. And a cup to measure oil."

The others enter the kitchen with a tag along, Mark, "Alright gather around. Tilly break the egg in the bowl, add salt, a nice big pinch, a dab of mustard and a teaspoon of vinegar. Then whisk them together. Where's the oil? Alright, keep whisking, starting with a teacup of oil, dribble oil in to the mixture until it thickens, then slowly add more oil, whisking continuously. Ah, it separated, add a bit more mustard and keep whisking. See, it reformed. Now you can put garlic and or other herbs or spices. I will be good for two or three days if kept in the cooler after that it need to be thrown away."

"What can you do with it?" Helen asks.

"Spread it on sandwiches. Make egg salad, chopped hard boiled eggs, pickles and onion mixed with enough mayonnaise to moisten, then used to make a sandwich or put on a leaf of lettuce as a salad. Mixed with even amounts of dill pickles and a tablespoon or two of finely chopped onion, to make a sauce for fried fish. Add some sugar to make a sweet dressing for a fruit salad. Add some more vinegar and little sugar to use as a dressing for finely chopped cabbage salad, called coleslaw. There are things call potatoes, that we are going to grow next year, that are made into a salad with onions, boiled eggs and pickles that use mayonnaise as a dressing."

I asked Tilly if she had a carrot. She did. I cut a piece off then cut it into sticks, handing one to each of them. I dipped my carrot in the mayo, then took a bite. "That's another use, a dip for veggies, it's better with herbs added."

Tilly pickup the bowl before we could dip anymore out and put it in the cooler, which I notice was damp on the outside. So she was making sure it stayed well watered. "Scat with you, out of my kitchen, I have things to do." She got grumpy and chased us out. She caught me before I got out the door and hugged me, whispering, "Thank you, Rufina." then with a swat to my bottom she pushed me out the door.

When I step out of the kitchen, Mark had Emi sitting at the table, pen in hand asking her to repeat the recipes for mayonnaise. "If you sell that I get a cut of the profits." I tell him.

"Of course, your majesty. You should write down all the recipes you can remember in a book. Some thing like that would most definitely sell well."

"Yes, 'Recipes of the Other World'. If I wanted to announce my presence to the world that would do it. Though..." Tilly could author a cook book, slipping some of the recipes I had suggested in it. She would know the correct wording for measurements and ingredients. "Try talking Tilly in to writing a recipe book. It could the one of the first books published by our publishing house."

"What publishing house? And what is publishing? What are you think of now?"

"Publishing is the act of creating books. A publishing house is a company to publish books. They edit the book, print it, bind it then distribute it to the sellers, pay the author and pay for advertising. It will take money to get started but what doesn't. We have three of the departments already, editing, illustrations and distribution, need the printing and binding departments to go. Cookbooks, school primers, tales of daring do and adventure, sappy romances and tomes of wisdom, all printed and sold by us, Haven Publishing House."

"And who is going to read all these books, most people can't read or don't have time to read."

"We will have to grow our audience then, teach the people to read, give them easily read tales to fulfill their fantasies, to transport them to different places and times. Advise pamphlets, how to do something and instruction sheets for games. A series of books, to sell to parents to assist in teaching their children to read, write and do math. Motivational works to urge the ones that can read to teach those that can't. Knowledge must be spread, the barbarians can't be allowed to win."

I shuddered, he had pushed a button, gotten me on a rant. I noticed Sophia sitting at the table across from Eliza, who was working on the card faces, with a hugh grin on her face. She rose, coming to me, pulling me into a hug,"So true, love, so true. The barbarians must be defeated. Take up the pen of knowledge and slay the way of the ignorant, pull the barbarians out of the dark into the light. I bless this work and those who do it." She started glowing, then a pulse of light went out from her causing those in the area to glow also. I learned later that several people that I associated with also took on a glow at that time.

"What does your blessing bestow on us?" Mark asks.

"It increases your ability to recall what you have seen or heard."

I stare in to Sophia's eyes, 'Recall? Is this what you to me the other night?'

'No, love, but it's related , yours was much stronger with adjustments to your brain.' Her eyes glowed sightly, I could feel her touch my memories, a feeling of peace descended on me. New memories of Rufina's life flicked though my mind, one of a pretty woman, smiling at me, then kissing my cheek. Mama. My eyes started to tear up. Sophia pulled my head to her shoulder, "Sorry love, I should have let that one rest awhile longer."

"It's alright, I wondered why I couldn't remember her mama. Rufina is pretty messed up, losing her mother so early, her father being a bastard toward her, her brothers being assholes most of the time. Having the ones you love not care and the ones that do care not be able to show it to her."

Emi had come up behind me, hugging me, she had notice I was crying. "Take heart love, those that caused your pain are no more, you are free to love and be loved in return." She turned me, wiping my eyes. "Now go do what you need to do, write those letters, draw plans, think of things to make money so we can slay the ignorant." Leaning in she kissed me on the cheek, while her hand squeezed my bottom. "I love you." was her parting whisper.

I smiled at them all, then retreated to the study. I did have letters to write and I had ideas to put on paper. I wrote a draft letter explaining the apprentice program I envisioned, the rules that would apply to both the master and the apprentice and the reasons for it. I called Sophia in to read it, to make sure I covered all the needed points. While she is reading it I go talk to Eliza. I want her to draw a fancy border around the outer edge of sheet of paper, in ink, explaining there will be writing in the space in the center. I sketch an example for her. She is drawing a test page as I go back to the study.

"This looks good, would you like me to copy it?" Sophia says as I sit behind the desk.

"Two copies please, your hand is much neater than mine, though I should do more so I improve. But not today." I write a draft letter to the masters, asking them to sign the back of the letter after reading the enclosed sheet. Then asking them to attend a meeting to be held in the town hall at 1100 the day after the ship departs. I then write a similar letter to the seamstresses and weavers, asking them to select representatives for the meeting. Sophia hands me the copies of the first letter. I hand her the two drafts, for her to proofread. She says they are fine, do I want them copied? Yes, please.

While she is doing that I start a plan for a tilt back chair, to be used when washing hair. Once I finish that I sketch a low narrow table for Emi to use when giving us massages. I start plans for a sauna, sizing it for twelve. This will have to be built of wood, as I don't think wattle and daub will hold up to the steam, not to mention burn you if your touched the walls.

I am interrupted by Eliza bringing the certificate form to me, "Here it is your majesty. What is it for?"

"That is a secret at the moment, you will find out in a couple of days though, so patience. It does look very pretty, doesn't it.? Thank you, Eliza. You can return to the card faces. Love you." She smiles and returns to her work.

Sophia brings in the copied letters, which I check, then nod. "Eliza just finished the certificate border, I will write what I want on it then you can copy that to the certificate." I sketch what I want on the certificate then hand it to Sophia, who reads it, nodding, "That will do, it looks very official. You want a large space below for names?"

"Humm, might as well, there are only seven that don't already have their name on it, and I will be signing twice, once as witness and once in my official capacity. Try not to let Eliza see it. Would you like to do it here, I can move."

I put away the sketches, clearing the desk for Sophia to work. I sit in one of the chairs by the fireplace, enjoying the gloom, closing my eyes, thinking of what else I can make. Pencils pop into my mind, there are several ways to make pencils, graphite and clay or just graphite. There were charcoal pencils too, powdered charcoal mixed in clay then baked. I will have to get some clay from Harry to experiment with. Pencils would be nice, a finer line than a charcoal stick, different shades of line and less smudging.

What else? Machines to work wood or metal; band saws, circular saws, drill presses, power planers and sanders. Saw mill, spinning mill and flour mill. Power hammers and grinders for the blacksmiths. A clothes washing machine with spinner or wringer. Sewing machines, personal and industrial. Pumps, piping, water tanks, sewers and waste water treatment, water closets, no not those, composting toilets, compost piles, shower heads, gods I miss showers. Improved soaps, shampoo, oh I need to have Helen make some of the improved straps and pads, some of the others would appreciate them. I should do that now.

I open my eye intending to go to up stairs to talk to Helen but she is sitting in the other chair looking at me. "Hello Helen, I was just coming to see you. What's up?"

"I was thinking about your offer to move my workshop to the palace. Where would it be located? How much space am I allowed?"

"Looms make a bit of noise when in operation don't they? So not in this part of the palace that leaves the new section. You could have one of the suites in the new section. Lets go look at one of the rooms there." I stand, pulling her to her feet. I notice that Sophia is not at the desk, I wonder where she placed the certificate. As we are passing the desk I notice a corner of fancy border sticking out from under a sheet of paper.

Helen follows me to the new section of the palace. I lead her to the courtyard there, then waving a hand, "All the rooms are empty at the moment take your pick. You'll probably want one on this side though, seeing as you like lots of light when you weave." I point to the south side. We goto the first room on the lower level, the one next to the garden door. Opening the door, we check the light level, it is well lit but not nearly as well as Helen's workshop with its hugh window. I examine the wall, maybe the window could be enlarged, though it may be easier to do the upper level. "Let's check the room above, thinking about it this wall should be load bearing, so it can't be altered to much."

"What's load bearing?" she asks as we climb the stairs to the upper level.

"Some interior walls are below other walls or hold up the floor or roof structure above. Those are called load bearing walls. See these posts, they support the beams that support the rafters that hold up the roof, so they are load bearing while this wall," we are now in the room and I am pointing to the bed chamber wall, "is probably not load bearing. And this wall is only holding up the ceiling over the balcony, so it could be altered with a larger window by placing a beam above the windows to hold the ceiling. The wall below has a heavier load on it so posts would need to be closer together to support that load. If done incorrectly the walls and roof could collapse. Any way, is this room alright?"

"Would I need to live in here too?"

"No, you can stay where your are. This is just your work space."

"Lets see, loom here, work table here, storage in the bed chamber. That's a lot of room."

"Don't forget you are getting a larger loom, that will take a lot of room. And there will be a spinning wheel or two also. And there will probably be other things to take up space."

"The window is enough light for now, I could take the grill off, that would let in more light. So when can I move in?"

"Any time, you can us the wheel barrow to move the smaller stuff, we can get a cart for the larger things."

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I had the thought that some of the women would appreciate a set of the new straps I made for that time. Did I ever show you those? I don't remember."

"I don't think you did. What are they?"

"A waist band with panels front and back to button the pads to. I got tried of untying knots when I needed to change pads or use the chamber pot. That's what we made first, the panties were an after thought. The first one is not even finished because of not having buttons. You don't bleed every four weeks do you?"

"It's just a human thing, I believe."

"You are lucky, it's a pain, in more ways than the obvious. Lets go back the my rooms and I'll show you what we made."

We went to my rooms, Helen stays in the sitting room slash workroom while I went to find the straps. They were in the drawer with the other straps and pads. Taking the straps and a pad I returned to Helen. I show her what Tilly, Emi and I had made, explaining how they work. She sews buttons on the panels then a piece of cloth to the back of the pad with button holes at the corners. I take the finish straps to my room and put it on, coming back out to show her the fit. When she done checking the fit I let my skirt down and go out on the balcony, calling to Eliza, Sophia, Emi and Tilly to come up.

When they get there, "Ladies, I'm sorry if what I am going to talk about is embarrassing but I need to know. Tilly, do you still bleed? Eliza, when is your time? Sophia, do you know what I am asking?"

"Yes, I still bleed." "It should begin in another five or six days." "Yes, I know. I should begin in a week, though I'm not positive."

"Tilly remember when we made the first pair of under pants, we made some new straps. They are finished." I dropped my skirt showing off the new straps.

"Oh, those look much more comfortable than straps, do they move around?" Eliza wants to know.

"No, they don't move." I squat down, stand back up, lift a leg, they stay where they belong.

"So who wants a set? Two straps and five pads, two light, two heavy and one for night time. Three coppers, two if you help make them." says Helen.

They all want some, and will help make them.

"Tilly, do you think Abbey would like a set? and the maids?" I ask.

"I'll go ask, they probably will."

"Do you have enough cloth, Helen?"

"For the straps, yes. For pads, no. If you bring your old pads, they can be modified to work. Lets see, I have measurements for Tilly, Eliza and Sophia already, so let's cut cloth." She takes out her charcoal stick and starts marking cloth. I call Emi up to help. Tilly has gone to ask the maids and Abbey if they want a set made. She returns with the three maids and Abbey in tow. She asks me to show them the pair I'm wearing, which I do. They say they want a set, so we send them to get their pads. When they return, they get stripped to their under garments then measured, top to bottom. Helen does a sheet of measurements on each of them, explaining that if they need clothes made she wouldn't have to remeasure them unless their body has a big change.

As neither Sophia or I sew, we head down stairs leaving the eight of them chatting and sewing, most of them sitting on the floor. When I get to the study I place the certificate in with the sketches. I pull out the sketch for the seed drill, handing it to Sophia, asking her to check it. She studies it for several minutes before saying the frame looks good as do the hoppers but the furrow maker needs to be closer to the dispenser, it wouldn't be able to turn a corner. She asked if I was having problems with the timing of the seed drop? I said yes and no, I had to know how far apart to plant the seed first, I had gotten that data now I needed to figure out how to execute it. Not knowing what the craftsmen are capable of doing is slowing me down, I will need to quiz them.

"What plans do you have for this evening? A cosplay party?"

"That sounds good. I really have no idea what to do though. I had thought of giving a tour of Earth, showing some of the sights but I don't know if I have enough in my memory to show."

"You could show them these machines and the others you wish to build, then the things you can't build because you lack the materials or the skilled workmen. You know the ship in our harbor is one of the largest in this world at the moment? Yes, it is. Show them what they could build."

"Oh, that is a good idea. More modern ships, a factory of machines, even the simple machines that I can build but have not yet."

"How do you want to do it, I need to touch everyone or someone that is touching them."

"I thought laying us on the floor, holding hands then you could do what you do. If we clear the parlor we could put some mattresses down to lay on. Come help me move the furniture around in the parlor."

We started to move the tables and chairs to one end of the parlor, clearing a space for us to lay down. When finished I lead her upstairs to get some mattresses. Between the two of us we carry her mattress to the head of the stairs, then get the one out of Marks room, then the two from the room between mine and Marks. We can get my mattress later, once the sewing party is finished. Looking at the narrow steep stairs I suggest going the long way and using the stairs in the new section, Sophia agrees. So we carry them down the hall to the new section and down those stairs to the parlor, then repeat three more times. They are lined up down the middle of the floor. We only need space for one more body, so we go get Helen's mattress adding it to the line.

Tilly follows us down, wondering what we are doing. "This is for the after supper adventure in dream space," I tell her. She says supper will be sandwiches tonight, then heads to the kitchen.

Sophia and I go back to my rooms to check on the progress of the sewing party. Christina, the youngest maid, and Abbey are trying on their straps, stripped down to their chemise. "How are they fitting?" I ask.

"Nicely snug." "Fine." are the replies.

"Are you near done?"

"Tilly and these two are done, Molly and Mabel only need the buttons put on, then we are finished."

"How much do I owe you Helen?" Abbey asks.

"Don't worry about it, I'll pay her. That goes for all of you." I say. "Just let your friends know about them."

"Thank you, your majesty." All four reply.

"Your welcome, you all do a fine job. I'm happy I can do it for you. Abbey, go wash up and go help Tilly, you may find she is doing something interesting." She gives me a curious look as she leaves.

I went into my bed chamber to use the pot and wash up, Sophia following. "Are you going to do something about those stinky things?" She is mixing water in the basin as I use the pot.

"Yes, I intend to, I just can't figure out what. Flush toilets are handy but are wasteful plus in this place there is no where to run the pipes and no running water. I have been thinking of composting toilets, I just have to design one."

"Would you like to consult the internet for designs?"

"Yes, I would." as I clean up.

"Come sit here then." She is sitting well back from the edge of the bed, with her legs spread, pointing to bed between her knees. I sit between her legs, she start massaging my neck as I go into dream space.

I am in the library, sitting at one of the computers. I log on, enter 'composting toilet designs' in the search engine and start browsing. Most of them us plastic garbage cans as the waste holder or a twenty liter plastic bucket, of course. But most required a large space below the toilet. What's this 'The dry earth toilet' invent by Henry Moule, humm , interesting. I could work with this I think.

"Have you found something interesting, Rufina."

"Yes, I did, see." I point to the screen, "I could use this mechanism. Change the dirt to chopped straw, leaves or saw dust, then separate the urine so it doesn't make things too wet. It needs a vent though."

"Anyway, time for supper. The others are waiting for us." The library is slowly faded away.