"Yes, sir," the man replies.

Within the room, he sees seven other men, Corbin being one, sitting around a large table. He gives James a nod as he enters. The mayor takes his seat at the head of the table and the man who answered the door pulls two more chairs over for James and Jiron.

"Gentlemen," the mayor announces, "for those of you who have yet to meet him, this is James." A murmur begins which the mayor quickly silences.

"Now, you know Corbin here," the mayor says. "Next to him is Polin, and then Berill, Monn, Durik, Aarron, Igren. This is the City Council of Trendle."

"Good day to you all," says James. He receives an answering salutation from the council members.

"We were just talking about you," Corbin says.

"Yes," John, the mayor jumps in. "It seems your notoriety had attracted many people to the area."

"I'm sorry about that," apologizes James. "I hadn't planned on that."

"No, don't be sorry young man," Polin says. A man of middle years, dark hair and dressed well, Polin gives off an air of friendliness. "In fact, we were just talking about how we could increase it."

Getting a dark look, James asks, "What for?"

"All these people are going to need a place to rest and food to eat," Monn replies with a grin. Monn being a fat man with slightly stained clothes, James figures him as some kind of innkeeper or possibly someone in the service business.

"There's a profit to be made here," adds Aarron, an older man who is all but grey.

"But at my expense!" James exclaims. His outburst takes the council aback.

"You're not having to pay for anything," Berill interjects. A younger man with a slight att.i.tude, he looks at James like he shouldn't have to state the obvious.

Corbin jumps in and says, "I think what James means is that he'll be paying with his privacy. Isn't that right James?"

"Yes, Corbin," he replies. "Exactly. Already I've had people out at my place who are disturbing me. I've even set up guards to keep them off my lands."

"Do you think you should do that?" Durik asks. Another middle aged man, he fits in with what Corbin had said a long time ago about John's drinking buddies. "If word gets around that you turn people away, they may not come."

"Good!" he exclaims. "I don't want them to come, and I certainly don't want to become a tourist attraction just so you all can fatten your purses."

"Now James," the mayor says as he gets to his feet. "There's no need to get upset."

Jiron laughs and everyone's attention is drawn to him. Even James glances to him wondering why he's laughing.

"What's so funny?" asks Igren, a small man with a keen eye that seems to take in everything.

Standing up, Jiron says, "He's not upset, gentlemen. I'd say he's merely annoyed. He's the last person you'd ever want to see 'upset'." He glances around the table, his mood slowly turning serious as he makes eye contact with each councilman before continuing. "While you're here deciding upon the best way to exploit this situation, things are going on that you're not even aware of. Last night, a mage from the Empire with twelve soldiers attacked us and we nearly lost the battle. This is just the first one, you can be sure there will be more."

"The notoriety that you are counting on to draw the people here to put money in your pockets will also draw those of an unsavory nature as well. And I'm not talking just of those from the Empire. With people, come thieves and all that goes with them, think about that."

James stands up and says, "I ask you not to go forth with any plans that will draw people to me. Aside from being irritating, it could very well put them in jeopardy." To Jiron he says, "We've said all that needs to be said, let's go."

As they leave the council chamber, Corbin gets up and follows them out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. "Is everyone okay?" he asks, concern evident on his face.

"Everyone's fine," Jiron replies. "Yern has a nasty cut, nothing else major."

"I'm glad," he says. "Sorry about that in there, I remember how much you like your quiet."

"It just makes me mad," he says. "They're planning on making a profit off of me at my expense. I like Trendle, but it isn't the only town on the map. If it gets too bad, I'll move."

"I know and I'd hate to see that happen," Corbin says. "I'd better get back in before they go and pa.s.s a ruling without me."

"Thanks Corbin," he says, holding out his hand.

Taking the hand, Corbin says, "Come out for dinner sometime, Mary and the kids would love to see you again."

"I may, just really busy right now," James tells him.

Corbin opens the door to the council chamber and then goes back inside. James can hear them talking, about what he can't quite make out through the door.

As they move down the hallway and begin descending the stairs, Jiron asks, "Were you serious about moving?"

"Not for a while and only if it gets bad around here," he replies.

Outside, they find Miko still standing by their horses. At their approach, he glances back at them and then turns to face them. "No one's bothered us," he says as he pats his horse.

"That's good news," James says as he mounts. As they ride through the streets, he again hears the whispers and catches people pointing at him. Ears burning slightly from the attention, he kicks his horse into more of a canter and they quickly leave the town behind.

"I think I may not come back here for awhile," he announces once they've ridden a ways out of town.

"Don't blame you," Miko says. "I find it unnerving and it's not even directed at me."

Before reaching the lane to the Ranch, they see three men walking away from Jorry who's still on guard duty there. As they ride past the men, one looks like he's about to say something to them. James hurries on past before he has a chance to get it out.

At the lane entrance, Jorry says, "So far, those guys are the only ones to show up today."

"What did they want?" asks James.

"Just asked if you were here," he explains. "When I told them you had gone into town, they turned around and started back."

James looks back and sees the three men paused there in the road, as if they're deciding whether or not to come back now that he's there. Finally, they turn and continue down the road back to town.

"Irritating," he says as he starts down the lane to the main house. Out back he can see where the hole in the ground from the crystals exploding last night has already been filled back in and Sean has begun laying out a new framework for another coop. Jiron rides to the barn while he goes over to talk with him.

"Well master builder," James says as he rides over to him, "got tired of working on the house?"

Grinning, he says, "No, but they've gotten it under control for the moment so I thought I'd put together another coop for you before nightfall. Your cook asked me if I could. You don't mind do you?"

"It's fine," he replies. "Do you have everything you need?"

"All but the chicken wire and I understand one of your men has gone into town to get that."

"Good," he says. He turns his horse toward the barn and soon has him settled in. Around the back of the house, he finds Roland chopping wood. When he sees James approaching, he puts the axe down.

"Ezra has borrowed your builder for the day," he tells him.

"Yeah, I saw that," he replies.

"You don't mind do you?" he asks. When James shakes his head, he continues, "It's just that she's arranged for three dozen chickens to arrive here tomorrow and wanted a place ready for them."

"That's fine," he a.s.sures him. "Where did she get that many?"

"From several of the neighboring farms, from what she tells me," he explains.

"I'll be out in the workshop if anyone needs me," he says.

"Okay," says Roland as he picks up his axe again and commences splitting logs into firewood.

Rather than going directly to his workshop, he heads for the crystals that were left out in the forest from the day before. He goes to the one off by itself to see if the glow still remains after being deactivated all night.

When he at last finds it, he can still see the glow within and it looks to be just as strong as it had the day before. It hadn't been exactly full to begin with. Maybe the more power it has, the more it will lose and once it reaches a certain level it doesn't lose anymore? Going to have to see if that theory is sound or not.

Feeling really good about the whole thing, he replaces the crystal back down where it had been. May as well leave it to see how it behaves over the next couple days. Now to the other ones.

He can easily tell where the other two crystals were left. Before he even gets close, he can see where the withered area has grown much greater than it was the day before. Where there were two distinct areas, now there is but one. The two areas surrounding the crystals have grown together and expanded further out.

Everything within a foot of each crystal is completely dead. Both have a deep crimson glow and look to be filled to capacity. Canceling the spells, he bends down and picks them up. They don't feel any different, still hard and feels like their weight hasn't changed. He puts one back in his pocket and the other he takes over to where the first one lies. He sets the crystal down next to it, figuring to come back the next day and compare the two to see if the one with more power will lose it faster.

Going back to the workshop, he takes several crystals out and casts the leeching spells upon them, the ones that will only draw minute quant.i.ties at a time so as not to kill the vegetation. He also adds the signature spell to each to make sure they won't leech from each other. Unless there are special circ.u.mstances, he'll always incorporate the signature spell.

He prepares four separate crystals and then takes them out to the forest, placing them in different areas. In the morning he'll see what kind of effect they leave on their surroundings. If he's done this right, there should be very little in the way of noticeable withering of the surrounding vegetation.

When he returns from the forest he goes over and helps Sean with the chicken coop. Miko and Fifer are already there helping him. They've finished the initial framework and were starting the roof when he joins them. By the time the evening meal is ready, they've nailed the last of the roosting boxes securely to the walls.

Ezra steps out to call them in for dinner and notices that the new chicken coop is finished. Coming over, she nods her head and says, "Very nice. Yes, very nice indeed. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Sean says to her. Then to James he says, "I better get over there and see how they're doing on the house."

"Shouldn't have messed it up too much," James says with a grin.

"They'd better not have messed it up at all if they expect to go home tonight," he tells him as he heads on over.

Fifer just laughs as he and Miko go and get cleaned up. James follows them and they're soon sitting at the table having their dinner.

James tells everyone about the meeting with the town council and he hears angry muttering from the ones who've been standing out at the road keeping everyone away. "It's bad enough now," Jorry says. "Today alone I had to turn away at least seven people, some took it okay. Others got downright angry at not being able to talk to you."

"What do they want?" he asks.

"Most won't tell me, others are just stupid things," he replies. "One woman wanted you to remove a wart and another is sure that someone has put a curse on him."

"A curse?" asks Illan, amused.

"Yes, a curse," replies Jorry. "He claims that his continued losing at cards is due to a curse. I told him it's probably just that he's no good. He didn't like that and told me so in not very friendly words."

"I'm sorry you guys have to put up with that," he says. "Maybe when the word spreads that I don't see anyone, then they'll go away."

"I hope so," Jorry sighs. "If not, I'd like a shack or something out there we can relax in. Now's not too bad, but in the winter, it could get bad out there."

They eat in silence for a while, each digesting what's been said. Suddenly from outside, they hear the sound of wagons rolling toward the house. Uther gets up and goes out to the front room and shortly his voice can be heard as he says, "Delia's back."

Jiron gets up and hurries out, Tersa right behind.

James finishes another bite and then says to Ezra as he indicates his plate, "I'm not finished yet." Then he gets up and goes out to meet them as well. He finds Delia and Tersa giving each other a hug in welcome. Shorty is getting down from where he'd been driving the wagon and Scar, Potbelly and Stig are dismounting from their horses.

"I told you we'd make it here by dark!" he can hear Potbelly say to Scar.

"Alright, here," Scar says as he hands over several coins.

"How's the trading business?" James asks Delia when he approaches.

"Not as good as I'd hoped," she tells him. "But I'm just starting out and have no contacts. Few will trust me with their loads, but give me time and I'll win them over."

"I'm sure you will," he says. "We've just sat down to dinner. You're welcome to share with us."

"That's okay," she says. "I doubt if Ezra had planned on so many, we'll just eat our own food tonight. Though tomorrow morning we'll take advantage of her cooking before we set out."

"Leaving so soon?" he asks.

"Afraid so," she tells him. "The merchant we dropped the shipment off to in Wurt has commissioned another one to Bearn. And of course it needs to be there yesterday so we haven't any time to dally."

"I understand," he says sympathetically. "The customer comes first."

"At least now that I'm trying to make a name for myself," she says.

"Thanks for sending Shorty with the letter and the crystals," he says.

"You're welcome," she replies. "I knew you were looking for them and there was no need for you to wait because of some impatient merchant."

"I appreciate that," he says. "I know you've got things to do, so come on in once everything gets settled."

"I will," she tells him.

He hears Jiron and Tersa catching up on things with Stig and the others as he walks back to the house. When he enters the kitchen, Ezra looks to him with a slightly strained expression. "Don't worry," he says, "they're not coming to dinner."

"We might have enough," she says as the tension begins to leave her.

Shaking his head, he tells her, "Delia knows you haven't planned for them and doesn't want to drop in at the last minute with so many mouths. She said they'll fix their own but will be looking forward to some of your cooking before they pull out in the morning."

Relief now evident on her face, she nods and says, "They'll not be disappointed."

Next to her, Roland pats her on the hand and says, "I'm sure they won't be."

James sits back down and finishes his meal. Jiron and Tersa never make it back in by the time he's done and Ezra is ready to clear the table. He tells her to go ahead, that they'll not likely be back to finish.