[Gift, Idea]

  Gigi, McCracken and Groucho were at the gate by six am, they had signs advertising for farmers, free magical farms, farmable year round and houses and livestock. Limited time offer. To apply, ask for Juliet.

  Before eight in the morning I portaled to the food drop off site with Lu, Salome and Paula, then I jumped to Juliet’s World, authored half of the food order that I hadn’t authored yesterday alongside three more full orders. Then I jumped the food back to the portal site.

  The vendors were there with the money for today's groceries and started separating the orders among themselves. With that we were done with today’s food delivery. Lu, Paula, Salome and I were going to take turns delivering the food. I would author a four day supply of groceries in four separate piles each day one of us would jump a pile to the food warehouses. I’d created a magical field to protect the groceries from pests and spoilage. Eventually I will purchase a warehouse in Wyldwood and enclose that in a magical field. Then we each portaled back to our regular jobs.

  As soon as I arrived back at the store I tried to contact Dr Mazoola Dakkar better known as Mas. I stared off into the void hello Mas, Mas are you around, I could use some help.

  “Hello Rose, Groucho is alright isn’t he?”

  “Yes Mas, he’s great, the library has never been livelier, I was hoping you might have some time to direct a group of gnomes. We want to construct a lumber mill.”

  “How were you planning to power it, is there flowing water nearby?”

  “I was hoping to use magic, it powers our lights like your electricity does yours. I’ll set you up with a lab in the tower, but it’s rather time sensitive. If we could cobble together something just to get it working faster, then take your time to research the elegant solution, that I’m sure you’ll figure out.”

  “It sounds like a really interesting problem actually. I’m in, just let me pack some clothes, and tell Jaq that I’ll be gone for a while.”

  “Thanks Mas, I promise it’s for a good cause.”

  “I figured as much, Rose. Give me an hour, then jump me please.”

  “See you soon.”

  Mossbeard portaled in from the job site with a report of progress made so far today, the gnomes had started at four am, and almost had the second row of farms cleared. I gave him two sheets of magical paper paired with my third sheet. I wanted him to portal back to Juliet, give her the paper and explain my new idea for the farmhouses, and my reasoning behind it. I also wanted her to tell me where the barns should be. Also to let her know that Draco and Opal would be there shortly to create magical fields on the first human farm.

  Then I’d like Mossbeard to check with Alvyn, if the head gnome builder could please portal to the store, I’d like to go over some design choices. Mossbeard then portaled away. I began writing up a contract for the human farmers.

  Then I got my first magical paper message from Juliet.

  Juliet:It’s a good idea Rose, except what’s in it for the experienced farmer?

  Rose:All four farms share the profits, the better your fellow farmers the more profit for all, is that not fair?

  Juliet:It’s fair except the knowledge farmer has the extra job of teaching the other three, why not let him make more for the first two years.

  Rose:That's brilliant, how much more three, six, or nine percent more?

  Juliet:How about nine percent the first year when he has the most to teach, then six percent the second year, then three percent in year three.

  Rose:You said the first two years but then changed it to the first three, why?

  Juliet:Because I think the sliding scale is fairer to everyone and in the final year it’s only one percent of the apprentice farmers profit so it’s manageable. They may also need help for three years if conditions change in the market, and they need to plant more of one crop over what they’ve done in the past.

  Rose:Alright I’ll add that to the tentative farmer contract, before I send it to Alvyn. Let me know if you have any interested parties, I know Groucho, Gigi and McCracken left for the gate early this morning. Hopefully lots of farmers see the signs and apply. Lu put up notices on the jobs board in the library, but that will probably yield mostly stable hands, whose jobs were disrupted by the portal network.

  About thirty minutes later a nervous looking man came into the store, carrying a briefcase. I’d never seen anyone carry a briefcase in real life, just in those movies Doug is showing Opal.

  “Could I help you?” I asked.

  “I’m looking for a Rose Ryding.”

  “Hi I’m Rose.”

  “No that can’t be right, I must be looking for your mother.”

  “No, my mothers name is Poppy.”

  “I’m looking for the Rose Ryding who bought the huge tract from the town yesterday.”

  “Yeah, that’s me but if you want to put in an application you need to go to the site and speak to Juliet, she’ll be picking the final applicants.”

  “No, I'm not looking for a job, I’m here to make an offer on the land, a very generous offer.”

  “Sorry but the land isn’t for sale. It’s already being developed.”

  “That can’t be true it was only sold yesterday, we must be talking about different tracts of land.”

  “Maybe but the land I bought yesterday is being developed, if you go to the gnome colony then turn right you’ll see all the activity.”

  “Rose, we don’t care if some trees have been taken down, we were planning on doing that anyway so if you have some expenses we would certainly increase our offer to cover them.”

  “No, I'm sorry what’s your name?”

  “It’s Harvey Epstein, it’s a very generous offer Rose, you could be set for the foreseeable future.”

  “Set how?”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Set for money, you can’t be making much money working here, Rose.”

  “No, I don’t get any salary at all, only Mossbeard does.”

  “How could you afford to buy such a huge plot of land, then?”

  “They gave me a very good deal.”

  “Even the best deal in the world doesn’t account for how an unpaid book clerk bought such a huge tract of land. Did you make promises to the Burgomaster or the council?”

  “Yes I did to both.”

  “And you freely admit it, to both no less, you are bold, I’ll say. But I’ll be having a judge look over this sale before lunch today. That land will be back in town hands tonight and you’ll be in the hands of the Guards.”

  “I don’t think so, my lawyer said the contract was ironclad and couldn’t be broken by any of the sides.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It means all the sides must adhere to the contract or there will be severe consequences to their side, it means we are all protected, and must do what we have already agreed to do.”

  “What have you agreed to do, Rose?”

  “I agreed to develop the land.”

  “How can you agree to develop land when you have no salary.

  “It’s already being developed, we started yesterday.”

  “You can’t cut down a few trees and call that development.”

  “Hold on Harvey I need to do something real fast.”

  I stare into the void, Mas are you there, I’m so sorry.

  No problem Rose, I’m all set. I pulled Mas to the bookstore. Harvey looked very surprised.

  “Mas this is Harvey, we were chatting and I forgot all about getting you, I’m so sorry after all you are doing me a favor.”

  “No problem Rose, how do I get to the site?”

  “We have a public portal network, just portal to the gnomes colony and turn right, I’ll have Mossbeard meet you. He has magic paper to get in contact with me.”

  I wrote to Mossbeard to go to the portal and meet Mas.

  “Sorry Harvey, what were you saying?”

  “How did you do that? Pull that man from thin air.”

  “I didn’t Harvey, he's from another world, I just brought him over. He’s helping to build the sawmill.”

  “Why”

  “Because he’s a friend and a scientist and I didn’t know who else to ask to build a saw mill, and the gnomes seemed really excited to be getting one.”

  “Rose the gnomes aren’t tied up in this deal are they?”

  “Yes, Harvey they are.”

  “Rose, I don’t know who’s giving you legal advice, you seem like a nice girl.”

  Just then McCracken, Gigi and Groucho burst through the door laughing. Gigi had on a crop top that left very little to the imagination.

  Groucho yelled, “These knockers” pointing at Gigi’s chest, “Got thirty three farmers to sign up, Rose. Opps sorry, Rose.” Then he started laughing again.

  “I’m sorry Harvey, what did you say?”

  “I think I better go have a look at the site Rose. I’ll be back with my offer.”

  “Bye Harvey.”

  Harvey stormed off.

  Which made Groucho, McCracken and Gigi start laughing, again.

  “So thirty three real farmers?”

  “Well it’s not like any of us know anything about farming, but they were in wagons bringing produce to market. The wagons pulled up to the gate then Bob and Mike denied them entry, then Gigi walked over and told them all about the great opportunity for farmers who don’t currently own their own farms.” McCracken said.

  “Not that any of them heard what she was saying, it was a strictly visual sales pitch,” continued Groucho.

  Gigi warned, “Tomorrow will get you out front Rose, I have a crop top that will almost fit you. We can compete to see who signs up the most.”

  “Rose…”

  “Stop right there Groucho, I told you, you have to evolve, you want people laughing with you not at you.”

  “Your no fun Rose.”

  “Thank you all for going out there so early, you did fantastic, I just hope we get at least half to sign up.”

  “These farmers are already mad at the cartel, Bob and Mike told each of the farmers that the cartel tried to blackmail the town, the town refused to be blackmailed, that's why they wouldn’t be allowed entry.” Groucho answered.

  “That’s perfect, hopefully they go back home and tell the other farmers what’s really going on. I’d be willing to bet the cartel will try to make it look like it was the town's fault.”

  “You’re probably right Rose, we’re going back to the theater to work up a routine to take on the road. Here’s the diagram of the wagon that would work best as both a changing room and a stage. If you can get us the wagon, we can start as early as tomorrow afternoon.”

  “I’ll do it right now and jump it right in front of the theater, I’ll leave a small chest of gold in the back to rent horses and drivers, again thank you so much.”

  They portaled off to the theater and I jumped to Juliet’s world, authored the traveling stage and chest of gold and jumped it to the street in front of the theater.