Now that was new to me. He’d not suggested a change in my previous life; he’d stuck with the same design and only made it taller. “How would you redesign it?”
“Honestly speaking, this design no longer works.” Bates stopped and repositioned so he could point to the street nearby. “See how much kelp and such is gathered near the sewage drain? It’s because the water routinely gets up over the walls. A bad storm is all it takes. If we got hit by a Retazo’s Wrath right now, it would be the same as not having walls at all. That’s how useless they are.”
I did see his point. I thought we’d gone another six feet higher with the walls in my first life to compensate. “So you want to go higher?”
“No. Well, yes, but I want to do this in two tiers.” He moved his hands to form the walls in illustration. “Have a first-tier wall that’s about this same height but farther out into the sea. Second-tier wall, much higher, abutting the walkway. With more width to the walls, all the splashing during a storm will have somewhere to go that isn’t the streets.”
A smarter design by far. “I imagine that will make it easier to rebuild, too?”
“Well, frankly speaking, yes.”
Helena gave me a searching look, and I encouraged her to speak. It may be a stupid question, but they knew we weren’t building experts. That was why we were talking.
“Mr. Bates,” she began, voice a touch hesitant, “I do agree your design has merit, but my concern isn’t abating. If the water is routinely getting over, then will sandbags be enough to contain the sea while you do the repairs? I don’t want people impacted by water damage.”
Far from offended, Bates smiled. He clearly liked her concern for people. “I can work it so we have each section of the wall rebuilt in a day, if you give me enough crewmen to work with. That way, we’re minimizing the danger while working.”
“How many men would you need to pull it off?”
“A work crew of fifty would do it. Then I’d have enough men to work on each section, but also enough to prep the next section, and we can just”—his fist pounded on his palm in quick succession—“bang it out,bam bam bam. You see?”
I certainly did. I thought Helena did as well.
She nodded, clearly thinking about this. “Still, I want a backup plan past those sandbags. Just in case something goes horrendously wrong.”
Now, see, this was why I liked her. She possessed common sense and—gasp!—used it. Truly, mind-boggling talent.
“I can direct some court mages to help out,” I mused. I, too, was trying to think ahead. “Say, have them monitor the coastline and be on standby just in case.”
“I like that.” Mayor Overton nodded. “Yes, I like that very much. Please do.”
“Excellent. All right, walk me through where you would you start. And do you have plans already drawn up?”
We walked and talked, Bates telling me he didn’t have firm plans drawn up, just a draft, but he had time to get those drawn up officially and sent to me. Which I impressed upon him should besoon.
We walked the length of the seawall then back again to return to our carriage. Mayor Overton stopped me before we left.
“Your Highness, I absolutely do not question your intentions, as you are clearly keen on having this done. That said, are you sure you can do it so quickly?”
I understood his reservations. I held up two fingers and tried not to grin like a demented little gremlin. “This will happen for two reasons. Firstly, Helena and I are spearheading the project. Unlike Victor, we know how to focus and get a job done.”
Helena lifted her nose in the air. “Damn right I do.”
I grinned at her, amused. The men watching us seemed amused as well, poorly hiding their smiles.
“Secondly, I have actually been preparing for this project since I came into the royal family.” Which wasn’t at all a lie. “Let’s just say I’ve made the necessary preparations to go into the council meeting and get them to agree. Maybe even agree in the first meeting.”
Everyone looked doubtfully at me, like I was some naïve young’un who hadn’t been shown the problems of life yet. All except Edwin, who knew me far better at this point. His expression was filled to the brim with suspicion, with a little dusting of wryness on top.
“How much dirt do you have on them?” Edwin asked me bluntly.
I threw my head back on a laugh and admitted cheerfully, “I have plenty on the ones who need their arms twisted, shall we say. I do have ways to negotiate and, er,persuadeeveryone else.”
“And you didn’t share? I’ve been worried sick over this.”
“Now, Edwin, you should know by now, if I have a plan, I have a good way to make said plan happen.”
“You shouldsharethat plan,” he retorted, his eyes in danger of rolling right out of his head. “I can’t read your mind.Your Highness.”
