“Me not want you get killed,” Marl said.

  “Listen. I know you really want to look after me, Marl, but I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. I’ve lived on the streets my whole life,” Jayde said.

  The giant rock did not budge. Jayde knew Marl just wanted to keep her safe, but his overbearing parenting irked her to no end.

  “Marie, can you talk sense to him? You know I can handle myself,” said Jayde.

  “Don’t look at me, Jayde,” said Marie. “We still have a few hours till sundown, so Cameron’s not going anywhere for a bit. Why don’t we see what we can learn from the innkeeper? Also keep quiet downstairs. I’m still not sure what is going on here, but there’s an enchantment on this inn that I haven’t figured out yet.”

  The threesome went downstairs and sat at the bar. Only a few patrons occupied the tables. Apparently most of the Happy Smyle’s business occurred at night. The plump innkeeper greeted them, as they walked toward the bar.

  “Well, good morning! Or should I say evening? Can I get you guys some fresh bread and pot roast?”

  The smell from the kitchen washed over Jayde, and she realized she was starving. They ordered three servings of the roast. Marl ate the man-food without complaint; he could survive on just about anything.

  “So what’re you doing in Grandeur?” the innkeeper asked.

  “We’re looking to set up a new business after running away from our last town,” Marie said. Immediately her attention snapped into place. She knew better than to just blurt out information like that. What had just happened?

  “Ah, trouble with the last town, I see. I see. Well, Grandeur is a great place for refugees. It has provided a second, third, or tenth chance to many,” she said with a smile.

  Marie looked right into the innkeeper’s eyes. “What’s going on here?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I know there’s an enchantment here. What game are you playing?” she said.

  “Oh, that. First time in Grandeur? I’m an enchantress. And, yes, I did place some enchantments on my inn. First, only the truth can be told here. Try as they might, people are unable to lie while in my inn. I’m sorry if you already admitted more than you wanted, but that’s part of the benefits of being the innkeeper here,” she said with a smile.

  “Humph,” Marie said. “Well, we really are looking to set up a new business.”

  “You must be. You said so in my inn. Thus, it’s the truth,” Esmeralda countered.

  “Oh, right.”

  “Listen. I can tell you have been burned in the past, but please let me assure you. What you want to do is talk with the DATT,” Esmeralda said.

  “What’s a DATT?”

  “The ‘dictator at the time.’ The DATT is the person who keeps the country in order, but I think just keeping this city from imploding is more than enough work,” she said.

  “A dictator?”

  “We’ve had a few bad ones in the past, though Solomon has been here for a few decades now. Best one we’ve had in centuries, if you want my opinion. He takes a great interest in people setting up new businesses. He met with me before I set up this shop. I told him my idea, and he recommended setting up right here. I thought he was an idiot, but nonetheless I followed his advice.”

  “Why not here?”

  “Well, this is a busy area for thieves, assassins, wizards, and all sorts of shady people. I thought that none of them would want an inn that required honesty. Yet, it seems that it is the perfect meeting place for people who are always suspicious of others. I mean, honest merchants don’t need a place that guarantees honesty. It is the suspicious who needs a place like this. Not to mention the fact that some really shady people just happen to be some of the wealthiest people around. As it turns out, I have really done quite well.”

  “Interesting. How do I schedule a meeting with the DATT?”

  “Splurg him a message,” she said.

  Marie looked at her blankly.

  “Have you seen the mud troughs running along the main road?”

  “Yes.”

  “Those are the Splurgs. The mudmen moved into the city shortly after this DATT came to power. The DATT allowed them in, only if they would get honest jobs and work hard. They suggested setting up the mudways.”

  “Mudways?”

  “Those troughs through the city span all the main roads. A Splurg can go from one area to the next in a blink of an eye. It makes communication over the distance of the city incredibly easy. I don’t know how they got along without the Splurgs before they were here. All you have to do is block the mud flow, and one will appear. For a copper he will bring your message to anyone along the mudways. Just tell the Splurg what you want, and he’ll get the message there in seconds.”

  “Wow. The DATT must get a lot of messages,” Marie asked.

  “He probably has a fleet of servants filtering the messages for him, but he always gets the important ones.”

  “Esmeralda!” a man called out from the door, followed by several sneezes.

  “Excuse me a minute,” she said to Marie, while walking to the other edge of the bar. She faced the man who had just walked in. “What do you want, Waddle?”

  “You seen Mullet?” he asked, sniffing loudly and wiping his nose.

  “No. Last I heard, he was playing chess at Gummy’s. What do you need him for?”

  “There’s some pixie place that’s holding a tournament tonight! They’ll let any two, who want to fight, duel for a huge diamond necklace. They ain’t got no entrance fee! Something about a promotion or guard contest. I don’t know. All I know is that I need a good second, so we can win that necklace. It’s gotta be worth a load of gold, easy!”

  Marie’s ears perked at that. The long trip had drained much of their reserves.

  “Any twosome can enter this tournament?” Marie asked.

  “Sure lady. But it’ll be pretty rough. Your buddy here might be good in a fight, because I think some really tough people will be there,” he said.

  “When is it?”

  “Sundown at the field across from the Black Jack’s Oddities,” he said. “Es, if you see Mullet, tell him that I’m looking for him.”

  “If I see him, I’ll let him know. But you realize, if he fights, it will be with Kevin. Just because Mullet beat you in chess a few times doesn’t mean he’ll want to get pummeled with you in a fight,” she said.

  The man ignored her comments. He grunted a response which was interrupted by sneezing. He then slipped back into the street. They heard the distant sound of someone losing their lunch.

  Marie looked at Marl. “What do you think? You up for some sparring practice?”

  “Me not let you down,” he said.

  Jayde grumbled. “I can’t go out and explore the street, but he gets to fight everyone in sight. Sure, that’s fair.” Marie glared at Jayde, but it was too late.

  Esmeralda let out a gasp. “Oh, my. Oh, my! This isn’t your daughter. This isn’t your daughter at all!”

  Marie eyed the innkeeper. “You work in a place that sees every sort of lowlife imaginable, right? So I’ll have to assume you can keep a secret,” she said.

  “Of course,” Esmeralda said.

  “I’ll assume you can feel what I feel as well.”

  “Of course! Anyone with even a glint of Talent could sense it the second she talked. My goodness, child, have you decided?”

  “She hasn’t decided yet,” Marie said. “And we’re not deciding for her. Jayde is a bright kid. We figured the best way for her to decide is to let her choose for herself.”

  “Anyone want to clue me in as to what the heck you’re talking about?” Jayde said.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “Child, you could go into anything. Well, I suppose you’re right. It should be her choice. Considering I practiced as an enchantress for only a short time before changing careers and becoming an innkeeper, it’s only fair. Yes, yes. Having it be her choice is really the best way,” she said.

  “Thanks?” Jayde said, glancing at Marie with one eyebrow raised.

  They finished their meals and went to the mud trough in front of the inn. It looked like normal mud, except that it flowed in both directions at the same time. The right side of the trough flowed toward the entrance of the town; the left side flowed toward the inner city.

  At the corner of the Happy Smyle was a large wooden slab. In the trough of mud was a slot that looked like a perfect fit. An iron chain attached to the wood prevented someone from stealing it. Jayde grabbed the piece of wood and gently slid it into the slot. She pushed down on the wood, but it only slid a little bit. The mud sloshed over the slot and continued its course in both directions. The mud bent around the slot, actually hovering over the ground but continued on its course. Though it hovered around the sides, not a drop of mud landed on the ground.

  On the other edge of the porch of the Happy Smyle, Jayde saw a creature approaching. It looked like a giant spider, but it wore short pants with eight legs and had a beret on its head. Jayde hid behind Marie. The creature scuttled up to the trough, leaned over, and then slammed the wood into the slot with a thunk.

  “Takes a bit o’ muscles, ma’am,” said the spider. It then tipped its hat and went on its way down the street.

  Jayde released the breath she had been holding and shuddered. “Thanks,” she said, long after the spider was out of earshot. She yelped as a voice spoke right behind her.

  “Was’sup, brah?” said the mudman that had appeared.

  “Ahg!” said Jayde.

  “Was’sup? You dudettes need sumpin’?” said the mudman.

  “Yes,” said Marie, who collected herself first. This was the way to get a hold of the Splurg. Apparently they appeared quite quickly when summoned.

  “We would like to start a business in Grandeur, and we were told that we should meet with the dictator first.”

  “Totally. Totally,” said the mudman. “You gotta copper for the message to the DATT, dudette?”

  “Um, yes,” said Marie, as she dropped a copper into the outstretched blob of mud, which she assumed was the creature’s hand. The coin slowly disappeared into the mud.

  “Thanks, brah. I’ll get it to him posthaste.” It then lifted the piece of wood that obstructed the mud flow. The wood swung next to the trough, and the Splurg disappeared into the trough. Jayde watched as a small rise in mud zoomed down the mudways and vanished in less than a second.

  “Well, that was easy, I guess,” said Jayde. “I wonder how we’ll know if we can meet with him?”

  “I’m not sure,” Marie said, as they walked back toward the inn.

  “Where’s Marl?” she asked. They saw him on the other side of the street speaking to a wood troll. It appeared that Marl had gotten over his earlier nervousness about being in a city. A voice surprised them from behind.

  “All righty, dudes!”

  They turned to see that the mudman had reappeared.

  “The DATT says someone will come in twenty minutes.”

  “What? Already? But how did he get the message?”

  The smear of dripping mud looked confused. “You just asked me to give him a message. You wanted a meeting, righto? You got your meeting.”

  “Give him points for efficiency,” Jayde said.

  “Where are we supposed to meet this person?” Marie asked.

  “Here, of course. They all like Esmeralda’s place. He’ll, like, totally be here in twenty. Speak atcha later!” said the mudman. He then disappeared back into the trough of mud.

  Jayde was laughing. “I love this place!”

  “Let’s see what the dictator has to say before we jump to conclusions,” Marie answered.

  Jayde saw Marl still talking with the wood troll. They spoke in harsh, guttural tones. All Jayde heard was “Splank ka bak kak-ba-Splanksh!” A short time later Marl walked back over.

  “Nice guy. He want me to be with him to fight. Me have to tell that me got me a man-thing to fight with. He sad but glad to meet new troll in town. Me not see wood troll for long time. Most trolls just want to bash. Dis place not same at all. Nice to meet,” said Marl.

  “Aren’t we all just making so many friends today,” Marie said.

  The group went back inside and joined Cameron, who was having breakfast at a table. Marie gave him a quick update of their activities. They sat in a corner without any possibility of direct sunlight. It was second nature to pick such places. Marie, Jayde, and Marl had been nervously watching the door ever since they sat down. Waiting for a dictator could make anyone nervous. Cameron, as always, seemed at ease. Eighteen minutes after sending their message via the Splurg, a man dressed in black with a pointy goatee and thick black hair entered the Happy Smyle.

  The man went directly to Esmeralda and gave her a big hug. She poured him a wine glass of clear liquid, and he walked directly toward their table and sat down.

  “Hello, ladies, and … the rest. I’m Loman. How can I help you?” said the man.

  “Are you the dictator’s assistant?” asked Cameron.

  “Oh, heavens, no! The assistants are much too busy to leave the castle during the day,” said the man.

  “But you are here representing him, right?” asked Marie.

  “Correct.”

  All but Cameron seemed disheartened by this.

  “From what I was told, you are interested in doing business in Grandeur. What type of business would you offer?” asked Loman.

  “A medical office,” Cameron said.

  The man paused and looked thoughtfully at the group. “What qualifications do you have?”

  “Four years of medical training and a three-year residency over at—”

  The man interrupted him. “Yes, yes. Fine. A simple, ‘I’m actually a doctor’ would do. Here in Grandeur we have hundreds of medical businesses. Most sell fake cures, panaceas, and placebos to the ignorant. It might be interesting if one clinic had a person who actually knew what he was doing.”

  “Thank you,” said Cameron.

  “No problem. Where?”

  “Here. Here in Grandeur,” Marie answered.

  “Grandeur is a pretty big place. Would you be averse to me suggesting a location?” he asked.

  “Suggest away,” Marie said.

  “I know of an abandoned building located on the main road. It would set you up across the street from a spirit healer, but that should not be a problem. As a doctor I expect you would have a different approach to medicine other than screaming at disease. After all, Grandeur’s never short on injured or sick people.”

  “And why would you go out of your way to help us out so much?” Marie asked.

  “What I am proposing is a bit of a symbiotic relationship. We help you. You help Grandeur. You pay us back, and everyone wins. The DATT would rather set up a business that adds value to Grandeur than another snake oil salesman out to steal dreams. There’s too much snake oil going around these days. I mean, seriously, how much oil does one person really need?”

  “Truly,” Cameron said.

  “So you accept the offer?” he asked.

  “The price?” Cameron asked.

  “Well, you’ll have to buy the property. But since the previous occupants left the building without selling it to anyone else, it, of course, belongs to the governing body at the time. Five gold rents you the building for the year, but you have to take it as is,” said the man.

  Cameron paused and looked over at Esmeralda. “Miss, would you take this deal if it were offered to you?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. I have learned to trust the DATT, especially in regard to his offers about businesses in Grandeur,” she answered.

  “Okay. Deal. But if we get to the building and find the offer unacceptable?” Cameron asked

  “You may refuse the deal anytime in the first month. Just let the Splurg know, but no other deal will be made,” said the man.

  “Sounds fair,” Cameron answered. “I don’t know if we could have asked for anything more.”

  “Oh, you could have, but you wouldn’t have gotten it. Your first payment will be due at the end of next month. Here’s the address. Good luck and welcome to Grandeur,” said the man.

  They shook hands, and the man left.

  Cameron rarely went out in the daylight, for obvious reasons. Becoming a giant stone statue until the following midnight really put a damper on the day’s activities. He remained fully conscious the entire time he was a statue, which sometimes worked to his advantage. A statue often can obtain secrets if in the right location. But, the drawbacks greatly outweighed the benefits. On top of all that, turning to stone always had him craving fresh blood. He had devised a way to travel during daylight, since he realized that sometimes it was inevitable.

  Direct sunlight would change him to a statue very quickly. Sunlight through glass would cause him to change less quickly. As long as he had all his skin covered, he had little risk of turning to stone. Sunlight could permeate through most cloth, but Cameron had learned that a good druid robe covered just about everything. Granted, there were few places that one could dress in a full-length robe and not be seen as out of the ordinary, but Grandeur was one of those places. He had never actually tried out the costume, but, in theory, it seemed a sound idea. Marie, however, thought it was a stupid idea, since she would be the one who would have to haul his stony body over to the new place if the cloak did not work.

  Fortunately for both of them, the cloak worked. Cameron could see little through the dark mesh. Admittedly, when they finally did get to their new business location, he felt a bit stiff.

  “This is it,” he said with a smile, as they all walked in the door, “our new business and home.”

  The foursome stopped and stared in silence.

  “This building is a steaming pile of garbage!” said Marie.

  The building was indeed a steaming pile of garbage. Large piles of waste with swarms of flies and crawling maggots buzzed angrily at the intruders. The air blurred with the atrocious stench of weeks of decaying refuse. Broken glass lay strewn all over the floor. It appeared that this building had been used as a storage location during garbage strikes. Large piles of rancid meat, leftover cabbage, and decaying fruit lay scattered through the large room. After a few seconds inside the building, all four quickly exited.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” said Jayde, who ran into the street to prove it.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I think with a few weeks’ hard work, dedication, and a lot of love, we could upgrade this place to a dump,” Marie said.

  “How can we turn this into a medical office?” Cameron asked to the sound of Jayde retching.

  “I guess I can understand now how the DATT found it in his heart to spare us this building. If we only cleaned up the place, he would be ahead on the deal. By some miracle, if we turn it into anything profitable, the city would benefit. Though it really is in a great location,” Marie said.

  They looked around and saw that the street teemed with all sorts of busy people, who gave the reeking building a wide berth. Next door was a bustling restaurant wafting delicious aromas. Freshly baked bread could just be detected among the reek of decaying fish blasting from their building.

  “What you all make noise for?” asked Marl.

  “Are you crazy? Doesn’t the smell make you gag?” Jayde asked. She had pulled herself together from the other side of the street.

  “Smell? What smell?” he asked.

  Jayde looked at him, as if he was crazy. But then she looked again and noticed that, on his angular face, he really did not have nostrils. He had a flat beak that looked like a nose, but no actual nostrils were present.

  “I think we found a winner for cleanup duty,” Jayde said.

  “Sorry, kiddo,” Marie said. “I need Marl. He and I need to do a little sparring, don’t we? Time to sign up for the tournament.”

  “Try not to kill anyone,” said Cameron.

  “Don’t worry about us. I think you guys are in greater danger staying near this building than we will be in the tournament,” she said. “C’mon, Marl. Let’s go register.”

  Marie and Marl then disappeared down the road. Cameron commented on how the sun was making him feel stiff and went back into the putrid building. Jayde reluctantly followed, her nose buried in a rag.

  “How is that fair?” Jayde asked. “I mean, we get stuck cleaning, and they get to have fun?”

  “Well, by ‘fun’ do you mean they get to risk their lives in a brutal tourney to make some money so we can turn this dump into a clinic? Marie looked into the tournament and found out that the winners take home a prize worth enough gold to completely remake this place. If she wins, we may actually have a chance at setting up shop here. If she doesn’t, well, it will take more than just hard work to turn this place into a functioning medical office. Marie may make light of her actions, but her motivation is for the whole group, not for any selfish reason,” said Cameron.

  “I guess,” said Jayde.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll survive. Now see if you can find a broom,” Cameron said. Then he looked around again. “On second thought, see if you can find a shovel.”