[Mechanical Marvels] An Acquisition [Kadurro]

[Alistair deGrey]

51.W.509 Fingers rapped the counter, breaking the silence every few seconds. Alistair had asked for Kadurro to come in this day, the two of them needed to speak. The sun gazed down on Syliras, still cold but flooded with wintry light. Tomorrow I shall speak with the other little snowflake, Karrin. The inventor was already in a foul mood because despite every effort, he was unable to procure a recipe for Alchemist's Fire. Tapping. Rapping. His fingers were the only audible sound in the shop. It is midday, and Kadurro is not here. Doubt played across his mind, accompanied by a new flash of anger, as Alistair contemplated the man not showing at all. It would certainly not be out of character.

[Kadurro]

He let out an enormous yawn as he made his way towards Mechanical Marvels; Kadurro had spent a good deal of the night negotiating with a potential contact -- some enigma that he would have the pleasure of meeting tonight. He had been forced to write off a meeting with Sasin this evening, but putting off deGrey was as good as tendering his own resignation. When deGrey said to come in on a specific day, he meant "that specific day or else". Kadurro sighed, pulling out his journal to check over his notes on the meeting he had arranged between his contact, his mind still half-stuck on thoughts of deGrey. I don't know what he's expecting, really. I mean, Syliras isn't exactly needing an engineer. Most people get by without all of his fancy tools. Apart from the toys and the clocks, the only people who I can count on possibly needing something from him are, well, specialists. Like myself. And how many specialists does one see running around here, anyways?

Kadurro walked into the shop, still gazing into his journal. "Mr. deGrey! You called for--oh," he said, his voice going from a shout to a mute whisper as he looked up and saw a rather furious deGrey staring back at him. He closed his book and thought about moving up to the counter, but decided against it. Normally, deGrey's dull, colorless eyes and a facial expression that implied deep thought, which Kadurro had already named "the deGrey", made it difficult for him to tell what kind of mood his employer was in until he started speaking, but today, deGrey's mood was borderline palpable, and Kadurro didn't want to risk getting any closer to him than he had to. Kadurro made it a point to do as much as he could outside of the store; dealing with deGrey was, for some reason, difficult for him. As such, today would be the second time they had met inside the shop since his employment. The first time was a brief visit, and neither he nor deGrey spoke much, and it was a truly uncomfortable, awkward situation. Something told him that he wouldn't be so lucky to walk away with just an uncomfortable moment between them.

"Hrm." Kadurro covered his mouth with his empty hand, the hand holding his journal going behind his back as he cleared his throat. Then, his free hand retreated behind his back to join the other. "You...had something you wanted to talk about?" Kadurro's eyes were a blend of ruby and amethyst that only rarely graced his face; any Vantha would have been able to read his eyes as the eyes of a nervous man. His knuckles began to pale behind his back, as he gripped his shabby journal for dear life, and his mind began racing out of control.

[Alistair deGrey]

When Kadurro entered, deGrey's face softened slightly. But only ever so much. It was a relief that Kadurro had even arrived, and it restored a small amount of his credibility. Sarcasm dripped from his tongue, "So lovely of you to join me here today, Kadurro." Alistair beckoned the Vantha forward, "Join me by the counter, if it is not too much trouble." Before he could receive and answer, the man held up his index finger and moved back to his workshop. His footsteps disappeared into his living quarters, where he snatched a bag. It jingled loudly as deGrey came back to the counter and dropped the bag.

"Do you see this bag? I will assume you are not an ignoramus and therefore the answer to my inquiry is yes." Alistair fiddled with the draw string, opening up the bag wide. "This is the one hundred and eighty gold rimmed Mizas that you were to get paid." He reached in and plucked out two of the coins, dropped them on the counter. "And this, is approximately what you have earned thus far."

deGrey scooped the two Mizas from the marbled counter and dropped them back into the bag. He picked up the bag by the string, drawing it tight, then dropped it by his feet. "For the most part, I could care less what you do in your spare time. Run around, drink, whore, connive as wretches such as yourself are prone to doing. That is fine by me, my little conman. But I demand productivity. Tell me this, how do you sell products when you do not even know what I make? You and Karrin both are walking on a glass street."

He rubbed his temples, a headache was creeping up onto him. Talking too much. deGrey bent down to pick up the Mizas, and returned to address Kadurro once more. "What I want you to do, is go back into the living quarters and find two pieces of parchment. On one piece of parchment you will take note of every product in this shop. In addition, you will describe said product in detail and make a short list of what material each product is composed of. After you have completed one list, you will transcribe said list to the second paper and leave it for me." The inventor moved around the counter and made for the door. "I will be back within a few hours, I need to see about purchasing a certain recipe." He tossed the wooden door open, but turned again before leaving, "Oh, and do not think to steal anything. I have made note of everything in this shop." Alistair shut the door behind him.

[Kadurro]

Kadurro stood still, gazing at the place where deGrey had stood when he walked in. Becoming light-headed, he exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath since deGrey had begun talking. He let his mind chew on everything deGrey had said before leaving him alone in the shop, each thought punctuated by an incessant clock-ticking that could only be heard in an awkward silence.

"You and Karrin are walking on a glass street."

"Well...it can't be that bad, if he hasn't fired me yet," Kadurro said to the walls around him. He made his way back into deGrey's living quarters to find parchment to write on; there was no time to waste if he was to get to his meeting on time. He found two pieces of parchment and came back out to the main area, holding them against his journal, so he could write as he moved. "I suppose I'm relieved," he continued. "I was actually worried that he had no emotion at all. Good to see he's still alive, even if he is just a bit angry." Kadurro began to write, but he wasn't making a list -- he was leaving a note.

Mr. DeGrey ---

It would seem that you have forgotten what it is I am supposed to be doing for you. I am not here to take stock of your wares, nor am I here to detail their uses. I am here to bring business to your store.

You try to sell these devices and inventions to people who have no need for such things, much like trying to sell a mansion to a farmer, who gets by with what he currently has. However, I feel that I must inform you of the nature of my work, as it is clearly not your expertise. One does not need to know the nature of what he sells in order to tell others about it; that knowledge is necessary for those who create such things, but not for those who sell them.

Imagination is the basis of my work, sir. I find someone who is content to live with a burden, and then I mention that their burden may be lightened through your assistance. Whether or not you can help them or not is not of my concern. Whether or not they decide to visit your store is not of my concern. My concern lies with spreading word of 'Mechanical Marvels' and its possibilities, as I do believe that you are someone who is capable of making the impossible a reality, which is why I am working for you in the first place.

So, if you really want someone to make a list of the things you have in your shop, and what they do, then get Karrin to do it. This is not my job.

Kadurro looked over his writing, thinking of a way to finish it up. "Something pleasant."

Hope you find that recipe you're looking for,
--- Kadurro

Kadurro set the parchment down on the counter where deGrey would see it. Glancing up at a clock, he figured that he would still be able to make it to his meeting on time, and walked out of the shop, unaware that his journal still lay under the parchment.