The Slime Farmer

Defi hadn"t expected them to go directly into business in any case, so was happy to have someone take him around. He realized he didn"t know precisely the business Bluzand dealt in.

"We"re a condiment company, mestre," said the clerk who had been introduced as Darred. "We create and supply many of the popular spice-mixes traded on the Indar river cities. We also deal in ready-made sauces. We are a small company, compared to some, but we are known in our little niche."

The man, who was in his twenties, shone pride in his warm brown gaze despite the faint dark shadows under his eyes. His hands waved as he talked, and Defi could see ink splotches on his fingers.

"You have been with the company long?"

"I apprenticed with the company at twelve and was privileged to be chosen to continue working here when the apprentices.h.i.+p ended. It has been fifteen years since then. Currently, head clerk Ebmond who oversees the offices of mestre Tennar is my supervisor."

"That is a long time."

Darred smiled at him. "The Bluzand company is one of the better employers in the Indar merchantry, mestre Defi. I do not think you will be disappointed with the company."

They had already bought his vinegar at prices higher than he"d expected, so he was satisfied. Defi didn"t tell the clerk that, and asked instead. "What does it take to be a clerk in Bluzand?"

"Mestre?"

"Just your general experience. The people are often more indicative of the state of the company than the grandness of the building."

"You are wise, mestre. As for my experience, I was accepted as an apprentice because of the recommendation from the headmaster of my school and Bluzand was looking for those who could read and had neat handwriting. The one klaud a week of apprentice pay was very welcome and helpful to my family. To be one of the first graduates of the first reading school in Ecthys for commoners, I was fortunate."

"That sounds low for weekly pay."

Darred laughed. "A decade ago, it was unexpected for companies to offer pay to apprentices much other than room and board, so when word got out many wanted to apprentice with us. In many places, to pay apprentices is still unexpected. Of course, apprentice pay in Bluzand is more now, three klaud thirty rond weekly I believe. Considering that a junior clerk earns just ten klaud a week, it is an appreciable sum to an apprentice."

"I see. What does a clerk do?"

Darred"s expression at that question was dry. "We copy anything that is given to us to copy. Depending on which area of the business, others keep accounts or deal with outside businesses. You may not believe this, mestre, but the paper produced by a merchant company is enough to fell a small forest of trees. It is repet.i.tive work, and endless."

"I hope I do not intrude on your work."

��No, no." Darred looked alarmed. "You are a welcome guest. For mestre Tennar to introduce you to the lady, you must represent one of the top business partners of Bluzand."

That was…backwards, but it was true that Defi was to partner with the Bluzand company, so he did not refute the supposition. 

It was less gossip-inducing to be introduced to the owner of the company rather than the owner herself introducing him to the company manager.

"You flatter me. I am certain that my small efforts do not merit such consideration. Perhaps the lady and I were in the same building coincidentally?" He waved an idle hand, with a light laugh. "As you see, I am being placated."

"Just being able to meet the manager alone, is something that many cannot say. Mestre Tennar is occupied with much these days."

Obviously, the company was experiencing some great change.

"You appear to be tired. Is something happening?"

Darred paused. "I hesitate to recount rumours, but we have been having much more work of late."

He did not say more.

Defi nodded. He looked around. "Continuing, when did you make junior clerk?"

"Ah, I was eighteen. The clerk who was my superior then recommended me for a full hiring contract. I became a senior clerk just last year. It was fortuitous." A wide smile grew on Darred"s face. "I met the woman I am to marry on the same week. We are currently saving up for the marriage. With the eighteen klaud a week of the senior clerk, and the increases for seniority, I believe we can marry in two years!"

"Congratulations," murmured Defi. "to you and your fiancée."

The clerk beamed.

"She must be a wonderful woman, for you to be so happy."

"She says we fit well together, though I am not worthy of her grace. She deserves much more than me. Her grandfather is a judge, you see."

If this were Ontrea, certainly a match between the granddaughter of a judge, a profession generally given to scholar-priests, and a merchant would never have been countenanced. But this was Ascharon, and Defi had already learned to adapt to the differences.

"Love grows with courage, do you not think so?" Defi was once told that love was knowing that you were throwing your own self into pain, and leaping off the cliff anyway. Perhaps instead of courage, it was reckless masochism?

He had heard many songs of love, and in truth they were all illogical.

But Darred lit up when he said those half-hearted words cribbed from years of listening to literary romance, that Defi felt a little guilty.

"Mestre Darred, one of the clerks seems to have misplaced a contract agreement." A young woman dressed in the dark vest marked with the Bluzand symbol sidled close and whispered, low but understandable to Defi"s pa.s.sively enhanced hearing.

Darred"s bright countenance dropped into a dark hole. He turned to Defi. "I apologize deeply. I will call another to escort you around the company."

"There is no need. I remember the way to the offices, mostly. Do not mind me."

Darred glanced at the woman, looked apologetically at Defi, before he rushed off.

The woman approached Defi with a professional smile. "Mestre, I am Vesia, a junior clerk in this company. May I a.s.sist?"

Defi returned her smile. Of course they wouldn"t let him roam around on his own. "Defi. A pleasure, miss. What is at the end of this corridor?"

Darred had been introducing him to the main areas of operation in the building. They were just heading to the last place on the second floor before heading down to the first level and the Bluzand shop.

"This leads to the rooms where we mix our spices, mestre. And also to the storage houses." She pointed to a building outside the window that seemed separate from the main structure.

That was interesting. There was a path from the second level to there? "How many spice-mixes do you have?"

"Currently, we have sixteen spice-mixes in production for different types of recipes. We also sell individually packaged spices, but we are known more for the mixes. We have thirty-seven sauces and ten vinegars."

Defi was surprised. Thirty-seven sauces? "Surely you do not make all of them here?"

"We have other locations, of course. Ecthys is only where the main branch is located. We also have a place in the east of the city where we make our most popular roasting sauce."

A sauce just for roasting. Defi would like to try it sometime. His mouth watered at memories of roasting game over campfires.

"Oh?"

"Yes, of course! I never thought a sour sauce would go well with the taste of mushrooms, but our chefs are really outstanding."

Defi paused. 

"Yes," he said faintly. "Mushrooms do better in sauce than in wine."

She blinked in confusion. "Ah?"

"It"s nothing."

They continued the tour. Vesia apologized that she could not let him see the actual mixing process, but wavered and agreed when he wanted to see the storage houses.

He was curious what spices and essences Ascharon had that might be similar to spices in Ontrea. It had been a while since he had last eaten an Ontrean stew, fragrant and thick with spices.

Not the least because meat was expensive in the Lowpool.

At the very least, he wanted to see what Ascharonian tamal were like. 

The dishes he had eaten in Ascharon were flavorful and exotic to his tongue. But sometimes, Defi craved food that would burst with flavor while burning its way down his throat.

The storage house had multiple levels, two above-ground and two bas.e.m.e.nts. It only had small windows high up on the walls.

"We store our raw spices in Emblem-preserved crates and barrels," Vesia introduced, as she wended through the shelves full of crates, barrels, jars, sacks, and bottles. "The building is of course inscribed with a high-grade preservation Emblem, but we transport so many things between locations that the crates need to be properly prepared as well."

"Naturally." Defi picked his way between the shelves, eyeing a number of the open crates that held vegetables.

Some of the containers were being opened by workers, who were measuring various ingredients into smaller bags and jars.

He took the lid off a large ceramic jar and sniffed. A fermented fish sauce, he realized. The air of the warehouse, which he expected to be heavily aromatic with fragrances, like the spice markets of Ontrea, was fresh and chilly instead.

Once he thought more, it was logical to inscribe Emblems that took care of the smell as well. Some ingredients were delicate, and might be contaminated with the scent of stronger spices.

Defi watched with interest as the workers moved smoothly through the shelves. He noticed that the most used shelves were close to the main doors. Did that mean the rarer or least used spices were further from the doors?

He made his way to the back. "Do you have…"

What was the Ascharonian word for tamal again?

"…spices that have a burning taste?"

"Oh, we have a few chillies, from Zaturias in the southwest seas." Vesia followed him through the shelves as he explored, smiling here and there at people she knew. "It is rare to sell them in pure form. Most of our stock is mixed with other spices."

He turned to her. "Can I see these "chillies"?

Something clattered in the dimmer parts of the warehouse.

Vesia stopped, and called into the forest of shelves. "Be careful!"

Defi smiled at her. She shrugged. "Many of our ingredients need careful handling."

Something thudded, like a barrel falling.

They shared looks and went toward it.

There were two people crouched before an open crate.

"Head clerk…?" Vesia"s voice was hesitant.

The man turned, stood with a scowl. "What are you doing here? This part of the storehouse is restricted!"

He didn"t wait for their explanations before yelling. "Guards!"

Defi inwardly sighed. He had thought the rest of the day would be peaceful.

**

Chapter End

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Notes:

Reading school – a school that teaches reading, writing, arithmetic. Generally, from age eight to twelve.