mortal is as mortal does

[imeanforever]

Promise is looking for dewdrops. She has just learned to candy them herself - it's not hard, if she does it in her own tree instead of in the field. So she's brushing the droplets into a little wooden cup. They blend together but she can separate them out again later.

Comments

[imeanforever]

And Promise flies back to the library.

[lookingforwardtoit]

Eights is still there with her book.

"How'd it go?"

[imeanforever]

"Very nicely! She said she disempowered the torturers and judges and announced that they wouldn't be needed anymore and also doubled the minimum residence space like you suggested. I have more ideas but she needs to look at things in Fairyland to be able to tell if she can do them, which will take a few days."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Well. That'll shake things up," says Eights. "I better go talk to my friends. Some of them are gonna be upset."

[imeanforever]

"Why?"

[lookingforwardtoit]

She shrugs. "Almost everybody I know, torturer or contractor, is now out of a job?"

[imeanforever]

"Did the contractors want the job? It sounded like the sort of thing you'd do to be nice to other people."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Some of us actually like it. I mean, you have to get something out of it to keep going back after the first few tries. And whatever that is, a bunch of people suddenly don't have it anymore. They'll adjust, but not instantly."

[imeanforever]

"Oh. I still think it's probably net better not to need contractors, though."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Sure. But my friends are still going to be upset."

[imeanforever]

"Maybe I'd better not stick around and meet your friends," says Promise wryly.

[lookingforwardtoit]

Eights shrugs. "Reasonable."

[imeanforever]

"But I wanted to let you know that I got your ideas implemented. Thank you for telling me that those things needed doing."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"No problem."

[imeanforever]

And Promise goes out of the library and flies to her gate and goes home.

She checks the gate. It's not settled yet.

When it does settle, three days later, she goes to a breeder colony and asks if they want some candied dewdrops in exchange for some paper; she adds that at least two of them will be needed to help carry all the dewdrops, can they come by in a few hours and pick them up. The way breeder colonies work any given two will be master and vassal, and it hardly matters which.

She goes back to her tree, makes a lot of candied dewdrops, and flies back Downside to tell the admin.

[ending_of]

Once again, she is transported into the room with the windows as she approaches the top of the tower.

"Is it time to go and look at things?"

[imeanforever]

"Yes. The breeders I found will be there soon. I can turn you invisible first so they don't notice you and bother you. One of them should be a master of the other, although almost certainly not the only master or only vassal in either case."

[ending_of]

"Being invisible sounds convenient," she says, and then she disappears. And then Promise is by the gate at the base of the tower again.

[imeanforever]

"Did you turn yourself invisible?" Promise asks the air experimentally.

[ending_of]

"Yes," the air replies.

[imeanforever]

"Oh. Okay."

Promise goes through the gate.

[ending_of]

Presumably, the administrator follows.

[imeanforever]

About fifteen minutes later, two fairies, smaller than Promise and each with long sharp non-foldable wings, land nearby. One of them is carrying a lot of paper. Promise goes into her tree and presents them with two bags of dewdrops, takes the paper, thanks them, and watches them fly away.

[ending_of]

The administrator appears.

"I am unsure of exactly what I might be able to affect within this world," she says, "but I would be able to affect many relevant properties of someone who entered my domain."

[imeanforever]

"What do you mean by relevant properties?"