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Stories from the Verse
Spy Verses
Chapter 115: Slade 127
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Chapter 114: Kondor 127
Breakfast in General Wilson’s camp was not any worse, nor any better, than that in General Vargas’ camp. Slade and Shella were packed and ready to go when they came to the mess tent; the General granted them the courtesy of sitting with him at his table.
Slade decided to take advantage of that, and ask his help.
“General.”
“Your Lordship.”
“We’re a long way from home, and in fact it seems we can’t go home--because of the war, Slade Manor is lost.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Well, it’s part of being in this world. Fortunately, we packed a few baubles before we left, and I was hoping perhaps you could point us toward someplace where people are trying to sell their homes cheaply and move back from the war zones, where we could pick up a new home suitable to our station--not for free, but at a bargain price, in the expectation that as the tide turns its value will again increase.”
“Interesting idea. How much are you talking about?”
“Dear, pull out that chest for us, let the General see roughly how much we have.”
Shella had the chest out of Slade’s backpack in a couple minutes, and the chest itself caught the eyes of quite a few breakfasting soldiers. They almost lost those eyes as their lids widened even further at the sight of the contents.
“That’s,” the general stammered, “that’s quite a bit of wealth there.”
“Well, we were hoping not to spend all of it, but we’re not sure what’s available and what prices would be like.”
“I understand. Well, thinking about it, there is a hilly region east southeast of here, about seventy miles. It has managed to survive most of the ravages of the battles, but I know a lot of its few residents are eager to leave and unable to sell. That’s where I’d head. Come with me after breakfast, and I’ll show you on the map.”
“Thanks so much,” Slade said.
“Yes, thank you,” Shella added as she packed the chest back into the backpack and secured it.
Several of the soldiers were still staring their direction, but Slade wasn’t uncomfortable with the stares from others.
There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with twenty other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #265: Versers in Motion. Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter. It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
