Vonn was still recovering from the glare of the enchanted scroll.

"A power called Scroll Glyph, used for explaining magical things. I've made such things for basic training magic and the easy healing spells. Unfortunately it only works on one person per copy." Zovvah took the scroll back and showed that its glittering design had darkened.

Vonn thought about the complex phantom shape he'd just seen. "That was a training aid? It couldn't have been for the most basic things."

"Right. It's a light-based barrier effect that you might learn quickly, from having seen my glyph. I wouldn't give that to just anyone."

"Thank you, then. I'll practice it."

The spellcaster drummed his claws on the table. "On a different subject, do you know who's going to replace the idiot Baron just south of you?"

"I don't know if he's doing to be replaced."

"It sounds like your Duke is aggressive about sacking low-ranking nobles and willing to appoint commoners, even ones without a military record. That's rare." Zovvah leaned closer. "Would you be willing to put in a good word for me?"

Vonn blinked, still seeing spots from the magic scroll. "You want to be a Baron?"

"I'm a pure Mage right now, no other class, so I can take up Lord. I'm young enough to have a long span ahead, I've proven myself useful in my chosen field, and your Duke is lining up high-talent people who won't challenge him. I could even get the support of Ralator for his teaching project."

There was some sense to that. "What about the military situation there? If that one, Baron Flintarch, does gets kicked out, it'll be for failing to have a fighting force."

"That's one thing the Lord class can help with. And I'd end his policy about peasants' classes. I'm no front-line fighter, but I've fought in dungeons and led civilian groups."

Vonn hadn't expected a campaign pitch. "I can't promise results, but I'll send word along once I return."

Zovvah smiled. "Great! You have some influence already."

#

The next morning, they regretfully packed up. Firefern's son got to them early, asking them to come over for breakfast and airships.

Their team had been busy and many of them looked bleary-eyed, between the festival work and picking Vonn and Tazo's brains. Firefern himself said, "At the Duke's command I kept looking at your ship, but I still don't understand how you made the original 'airplane' fly."

"I'm sorry, but there's a complicated thing going on with certain research, so that I shouldn't blab. I hope to share a different design with you soon. Do you have other questions about the engines and airships?"

"Sounds like that dice game of yours," said the son. Vonn smiled.

Firefern said, "I think I could recreate the your boat now. The problem is that big supply of magicite you need. I can get funding for a few of your jets and propellers but not a fleet."

"Yeah, it's possible your design will end up being more common. But what are you using for the fuel?"

"A type of oily seed they grow down south. Need something better. Your alchemist friend claims there's a way to turn coal into a liquid fuel but isn't sure how yet."

Vonn knew of the process but not the details. "If there's coal underground, there's probably some place where there's natural liquid too."

Firefern shrugged. "No shortage of things to work on, eh? Are we good to keep cooperating?"

Tazo told him, "We're eager to. Glad to hear you've got some anti-explosion powers, what with that engine research. Keep safe, everyone!"

One of the apprentices said, "I almost forgot. I've been working to imitate that sound recording device as a personal project. Can you take a look before you go?"

Vonn spent a few minutes fussing over the thing, a flawed design, and gave advice on rebuilding it. "Maybe soon we'll have regular spoken letters going back and forth."

Tazo said, "Riz warned me that you're in danger of flubbing this one. You might make a design that relies on one exact shape for the recording cylinders, sell people that type, and then get stuck with it because customers don't want to scrap the first-generation machine."

"That's a good point," Vonn said, thinking about "format wars" of different recording media. "We'll all make the most profit if we can agree on a standard design, and it should probably be better than this one or the last one I built. Let's keep in touch about that. Same for moving pictures before long."

#

They packed up and returned to the airship's resting site. The flying boat didn't look harmed from the thorough inspection, and even now the Duke had people peering at it. Vonn said, "I'm a little surprised he didn't want to see it during the flying festival."

A man with a writing slate said, "It would've upstaged the Aves."

Vonn had figured he'd be disrupted whenever he showed up. "Some of our designs are meant to help Aves reach even greater heights. Ask Firefern about the platform model."

The Duke's people looked uneasy about having these outsiders here, but were at least willing to serve as ground crew and learn how that job was done. Tazo had an idea and sent one of them off as a messenger, while Liberty Bell slowly rose.

When the airship hovered above the city outskirts, it had a view of the harbor and all the places Vonn had visited. Which meant that if the messenger had done his job, both Riz and Zovvah were just about now taking a break from work to look up and see the flying boat. Though Vonn could barely make out individuals down there, he waved to anybody who might see.