The table is set, everyone is seated with a pot in the center of the table. Lifting the lid I see a stew; lamb with carrots, celery, turnips and onions, seasoned with herbs. I serve the stew and we begin eating. We tell each other our plans for the afternoon, Eliza will be working on the alphabet book, Tobias on the bath house, Helen and Sophia will be spinning, Kalvin will be training the recruits. Aden and I will be discussing the apprentice program as it needs to be announced soon.

Aden reports that Steven says the food dryer should be done in three weeks. Also all three of the wood shops are working on the additional threshers, there will be two to three weeks until the first one is done but the following ones would be completed one every two days after that. Daniel reports that he has been working on the sorter and the cleaner grill components having a large number ready. Jason has finished the trough at the salt ponds.

After eating we split up, Helen and Sophia washing the dishes, the rest going about their business. Aden and I walk to the Domain Office where he sits behind the desk and I in front of it. "Have you any ideas on the the apprentice program, Aden?"

He takes a page from the desk drawer handing it to me. I start reading. His ideas mesh with mine on this.

"During the meeting I had the idea to have a cafeteria set up to feed the apprentices one meal a day. The meal would be a simple one but nutritious, possibly a meaty stew like the one we just finished, with bread and tea. If the masters were agreeable we could reduce their stipend to offset the costs, as they wouldn't be responsible for that meal."

"Instead of a cafeteria, what ever that is, Scott at the inn could be paid to prepare a meal as you describe."

"That is a good idea. Less up front costs and it spreads the coin around to more people."

"Are you going to write up what you want to tell the apprentices?" He asks.

"Yes, I'll do that. What do we want to know from the applicants? Name, age, birthday, parents names if they are young, parents occupation? Any thing else?"

"Well, the trade or trades they would like to go into would be nice and if they can read, write and do sums. I assume they will need to be nine or ten years old minimum."

"Yes, eight is still to young I believe, nine is pushing it. It all depends on the child, I have met very mature nine year olds and very childish fourteen year olds."

"Shall I ask the masters about the meal?"

"If you would, I'll speak to Scott." I'll have to do that tomorrow afternoon along with writing up the announcement. I write a note so I can remember to do it.

A loud knocking begins at the front door. "That is probably Jeffery and/or Gordon, I'll get it." I go out to the front door, opening it as the knocking begins again. I surprise Gordon by opening the door in mid strike.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." As I open the door wide. "We have been waiting for you. Do you have your rent and tax receipts?" They nod. "Good, come with me then. Which of you wishes to go first?" Gordon indicate that he will go first. "Aden, Gordon is here to see you. Are you ready for him?"

"Yes, bring him in. Good afternoon, Gordon. Please sit." I leave them to it, leading Jeffery away to the parlor. He is carrying a bag, which I assume contains my shoes.

"Sit down, Jeffery, it may take awhile. Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you, your majesty." Handing me the bag, "I have your shoes."

We sit. I open the bag, removing the shoes, which are as I imagined them, Brogues with monk straps. I am barefoot so excused myself, walking swiftly to the stairs, then running up them. I trotted to my rooms, fetching a pair of stocking then trot back down to the parlor. I am barely breathing hard as I return to my seat. After slipping my stockings on, then the shoes, I stand, walking about the parlor, I start smiling. Returning to my seat, I remove one of the shoes, examining it closely. It is well made, the stitching is finely done, the leather smooth.

"A very good job, Jeffery." Slipping the shoe back on my foot, I stand. "Excuse me a moment, I will get the balance I owe you." Going to the study, I find my purse. Removing two silver pieces, I replace the purse in the basket. I search through the receipts, finding the the ones for the shoes.

After returning to Jeffery, "I noticed you at the meeting yesterday, are you going to send a letter in so you can train an apprentice?"

"I have it here." He hands me a folded sheet of paper, sealed with a blob of candle wax. "When are the apprentices going to be assigned?"

"The call for apprentices goes out in a couple of days. So it will be a three days or more before they are assign a master. Are you ready? You will need a training plan before then."

"I have it about half done. I have a place set up for them to sleep so I'm ready, I think."

"Good. Excuse me a moment, I have something I want to show you." I stand going to the study. I find the sketch of the boot tread. Returning to the parlor, I show it to Jeffery.

"I was informed last evening that my boots are inadequate for wet terrain. So I though this up. What is your opinion?"

"I see what you are trying to do. Hobnails are very slippery on stone, tear up wood floors but are good on wet soil, With the raised areas you have something to grab the soil with and the nails don't touch the floor, they may be slippery on wet stone though."

"Darn, I didn't think of that. Do you think they would be as slippery as hobnails though?"

"They wouldn't be that slippery. Would you like me to make you a pair?"

"Ah, could you make a pair of sandals with that tread on them, If they don't work then we don't waste leather on the uppers." Picking up a charcoal stick I sketch a simple strap arrangement for a pair of sandals, a wide strap behind the toes with a buckled strap over the arch and a strap behind the heel. As I sketch I have an idea,"What if we carved wooden lugs about this big around," holding my finger and thumb so they form a circle about 3/4 inch across, "then nail them to the sole, though the heel would need to be higher too. The nails would be below the surface so as not to slide on stone or wood floors."

"I like that. I'll make you a pair sandals with them, too."

I hand him the sketch of the sandal, with the side sketch of the lugs and heel. "If either of these work out, I may order some for the guards to wear, as they would be quieter than hobnailed boots and lighter." I think he likes that idea.

We are chatting when Gordon comes out of the office.

He comes over and sits down, "He is ready for you, Jeffery."

Jeffery stands, "It's a pleasure doing business with you your majesty." He bows his head, then turns and enters the office.

"Did it turn out well, Gordon?"

"Not bad, Minster Lain was a very poor record keeper, none of his figures matched. The receipts showed one number, the tax and rent record show another and his copy of the receipts show a third. Minster Aden got it figured out though. I don't owe any more rent or tax this year, which will help."

"Is mistress Emi about? I have her shoes here."

"If you excuse me I will fetch her." As I had interrupted her cleaning this morning I have an idea where she is. I go up the stairs to the rooms between hers and mine. Molly, Mabel and Emi were finishing the cleaning there. "Emi, Gordon has your new shoes, come down and try them on." I take her hand leading her out the door. When we are in the stairwell I stop and give her a hug and a kiss. She returns it, with passion.

Breaking off the kissing, "If Gordon's work is any thing like Jeffery's your feet are in for a treat. Mine feel lovely." We continue on down, going to where he is sitting. "Here she is Gordon." I sit her down where I had been sitting and watched as she removed her slippers and put on the shoes. She started walking around the parlor, soon she was smiling.

"You are right, your majesty. They do feel lovely, lighter than my boots and more comfortable."

"Do you have your copy of the receipt, Gordon?" He does, after laying both copies down, I add the same line I had to Jeffery's receipts, then we both sign and I hand him his copy and the coin. "Would you like some tea, Gordon?" When he nods that he would, Emi goes to the kitchen, soon returning with a tray.

As she pours, I ask, "Are you going to participate in the apprentice program?"

"No your majesty."

"Why not?"

"I don't wish to," is his answer. Oh well, it's his business. We chat a bit more before I excuse myself, going to the office. I had told Aden I would assist him after all.

They are just finishing up, "Ah, it appears that we owe you a small amount, Jeffery. Would you like me to apply it to next years tax?"

"That would be fine, less I have to come up with at that time."

"Now on to the rent, you have the receipts." He starts cross checking. "Oh, gods, what a mess. Your majesty, Lain has multiple receipts for the same period, his copy and Jeffery's copies are different and neither agree with the official log. No wonder he had what he had."

He worked away, reconciling the receipts with the log, until he finally finished. "Again, we owe you, Jeffery. Do you wish to have it credited to your rent?"

"How much is it?"

"The equivalent of sixteen weeks rent."

"Could it be applied over the coming year. So instead of owing four weeks rent at a time I pay three." Aden looks at me. I nod.

"We can do that. How would you like to do it, your majesty?"

"Write a letter, stating that for each collection period of four weeks one week is already paid and one line below is to be initialed and dated by the collector and Jeffery. Then write sixteen lines for the rent collector and Jeffery to initial. Make a note that more than one line can be signed in lieu of of one weeks payment. Will that be all right, Jeffery?"

"That is suitable, your majesty." Aden had been busy writing, soon handing me a sheet saying what I had described. I note that there is a place for me to sign so I do. I let the ink dry before I hand it to Jeffery. "Thank you, your majesty, minster Aden."

As I show Jeffery and Gordon to the door, there is a knock on it. Opening the door, I find the knocker is Bob, come to make a materials list. Saying farewell to the cobblers, I show Bob to the parlor, "Would you like some tea, Bob?" I ask as I seat him.

"No, thank you, your majesty. Do you have the house plans, I would like to get started?"

"I'll go get them." Entering the study I remove the house plans and the bathhouse plan, Taking them to Bob, I hand them to him. "Bob, would you figure out the quantity of roofing tile needed for both the house and the bathhouse so I can order them from Harry."

"I'll do that, your majesty. Is there any special materials you wish in the house?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. No imported materials, everything should be on the island."

He started making a list of materials, starting with stone for the cellar walls, cement and gravel. As he worked I started sketching the composting chamber for the toilet. Then I started my own list, brick, cement, sand. I sketched the vent pipe, clay pipe like the drain pipe but smaller in diameter. Then the chutes from the seats to the chamber. These are clay, rectangular in cross section, glazed on the inside so the excrement doesn't stick. These are fairly heavy walled, as they will be supporting each other. Then I sketch the floor tile for the bathing areas, both in the bathhouse and the house. These will be just under twenty cm square, smooth on top except for the sand in the glaze, there are finishing pieces included, filleted corner and edge pieces, rolled edge pieces.

"Bob, do you lay tile?"

"I do your majesty. Why do you ask?"

"What is under the tile? Concrete?"

"Yes, a layer of concrete over gravel. Why do you ask?"

"It's imported, isn't it?"

"Not the concrete its self but the cement is. I'll need some cement for the cellar walls so you should order some soon."

"I'll do that. How much?" I write a note, order cement. Have Claude build the mixer barrel.

"Seventeen bushels for the cellar walls, 65 for the cellar floor, fourteen for the bathing room and six for your bathhouse. So 102 bushels, plus ten extra."

Damn, I'll need to find out how to make cement. "All right, 115 bushels minimum." I add the number to the note. "How thick is the concrete?"

He holds up his thumb and forefinger, they are about 4 inches apart.

"All right, thank you." We continue working until Emi comes.