“Hey,” Kidd said.
“You’re thesmartone. It’s different.”
Kidd seemed to think about that for a second, then made a noise of agreement.
“If the two of you are done needling me, I’d like to go,” Blaze said.
“You can win all the Innovation Awards on the continent and not walk away with an investor,” Kidd said. When Blaze frowned at him, Kidd made a dismissive gesture. “Of course winninghelps. But what if you don’t win? What if someone’s got an amazing—I don’t know,ovenfor gods’ sakes—and that sweeps everything? Then you’ll be left standing on the deck of your wonderful little boat with no prospects. Don’t make that face. Prospects aren’t just for noble bloods. You have them, too. And your ship is a fine plan. I want it to work. But you know how it is. If a wheel gets stuck in a hole, leverage gets you out faster than brute force. Getting to know people here can be that leverage!”
“I bet you’ll find that noble, too,” Mack said.
Kidd had a solid argument that Blaze had difficulty poking a hole in. After all, everyone at the university who had had their projects funded had either known someone very well in the faculty, or they had met someone with enough gold who could see their vision. Blaze had spent his time in books and research and hadn’t navigated any of the social scenes because it hadn’t seemed important. He’d lacked the skills needed to convince strangers on his road home.
If he ignored the unknown opportunities at the events of the market, then he would be committing the same folly.When an experiment doesn’t work, you don’t repeat the exact same things over and over. You change a variable.Blaze sighed and looked to Mack. “Is that a bet because you’re the most troublesome elfling within a hundred miles, or do you know something?”
“All the parties start at the Marketplace Pavilion. If he’s not there, I bet you two silvers that he’s checking out the knickknacks for a present for you,” Mack said.
“We spent one night together,” Blaze replied.
Mack’s bright grin had to have been a gift from the Trickster themselves. “Want to wager three silvers?”
“Only a fool gambles against an elfling raised on the Glaesflod.”
“Hey! I’ve made a few bets with them,” Kidd said.
“And how many times have they won?” Blaze asked.
Kidd scowled as he thought it through. “Every time.”
“Come on, there’s a chance I’ll be wrong this once!” Mack declared.
Kidd eyed them warily. Then he shifted his focus to Blaze. “Come with us to the party?”
“I should clean up. And my clothes are a wreck.”
“I got a cousin with a booth over by one of the apothecaries. We could borrow some stuff,” Kidd said.
“Why haven’t you brought them up before?” Blaze asked.
Kidd winked. “Because I don’t like everyone enough to say, ‘Hey, my cousin said we could borrow clothes so long as we promote his work while we do.’ I’ll get everyone else on their way, and we can leave in ten.”
“All right.” Blaze took his satchel off and found a clean cloth and a bucket. He turned to head toward the spigot but jumped.
Mack had been standing practically on top of him. A manic deviousness was in their eyes. They whispered, “If the others stop wagering with me ’cause you logic them out of gambling, I’ll drill so many tiny holes in the bottom of your ship, it’ll sink when you go through a cloud.”
Before Blaze could process that threat, Mack was grinning and racing after Kidd.Note for the future: do not fuck with the local elflings’ income sources.He pushed away unsettlingthoughts and started thinking about adding enchantment to protect against damage to the hull. If he modified the ones already laid to repel insects, it wouldn’t take long to implement and would boost the overall appeal of the craft since it ought to deflect other kinds of incidental damage done in the air.
But first, he had a party to attend.And maybe an elf to find.
CHAPTER 7
Blaze would have said he was an experienced traveler before setting foot on the road that took him to Everend Market. Dun Steorra was a long, long way from Manabelt. However, reaching the outskirts of the party at the Marketplace Pavilion showed him how little he knew of the continent. It was as if a hundred prisms had been held up to the sunlight to cascade a thousand rainbows upon the city square and surrounding area. If the whole village of Manabelt turned out for a celebration, they wouldn’t comprise half the number that Blaze could see, let alone the whole of the crowd.
Several canopies provided shade from the bright summer sun. The weave of the cloths was often elaborate and highlighted which faction the owners belonged to. Only one was attached directly to the pavilion like an awning; it incorporated details from all three cultures. A ruckus was being made under that canopy as elves were directed to the other entrance to the pavilion. General murmurs in the crowd spread the rumor that the dancing was about to start.
How am I supposed to find Durae in all this?Blaze rubbed the back of his neck. Returning his borrowed clothes and running away to work on his ship was sounding better andbetter. Kidd had done him a favor, though. His clothes were humble, but not uncomfortable, and he saw many in the same type of relatively informal attire he wore.
A young elf with rainbow ribbons braided into her hair hurried up to Blaze and Kidd. “Would you like to purchase an official Opening Day Commemorative Bracelet? Perfect for a sibling or friend back home!”
