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“So, um, I've been thinking,” Jan says as you walk through the city streets, “The Martense family is quite isolated, obviously, but they're not totally cut off from the world. They send shipments of metal ore out, and bring occasional shipments of supplies in. Our best bet will probably be to link up with one of those supply convoys and travel with them.”
“Logical,” you agree, “They probably know the local terrain better than anyone else. We might even be able to ride in the wagons, save some boot leather.”
“Let's not get our hopes up,” the young man counters, shaking his head, “Best to assume the worst and prepare accordingly.”
Which is why you've come to Castaigne, to see what kind of supplies you can scrape together. Fortunately, Master Teilhard sent a small allowance for Daniel and Ariel. A pair of heavy boots and a thick, fur-lined coat were easily procured, and now you're allowing yourself a moment of idle wandering. Procrastination, in other words.
“To be honest, I'm a little afraid,” Jan says suddenly, speaking up even as he examines a handmade brass telescope, “This is a family that I've never met before. What if they're disappointed in me? I've heard stories about the old generations of Martense – tough, independent men. Men who carved out a place for themselves in the harshest landscape. I'm nothing like them. What could they possibly see to admire in a man like me?”
“A willingness to meet them? That's more than anyone else in your immediate family can claim,” you suggest, “Now are you going to buy that, or were you just going to keep grumbling?”
With a quiet yelp, Jan fumbles for his wallet.
-
“You do realise,” you announce as you look at Ariel proudly hefting her purchases, “That we were supposed to be buying hiking supplies, yes?”
Ariel looks down at the long rifle, and the grotesquely enlarged telescopic sight attached to it. “You can run into dangerous wildlife on a hike,” she insists, “You need to go prepared.”
“Dangerous wildlife on the opposite mountain peak?” you ask, gesturing to the scope, “You could probably shoot something on the moon with that.”
“Oh hardly!” Ariel laughs, “But it's a very nice rifle, isn't it?”
“That's beside the point.”
“Never mind the rifle, that glass cost almost double what we spent on the gun itself,” Daniel points out, “Hand-made. I told you, we could get a factory model for half the price.”
“I don't want a factory model though,” the pale girl complains, “They churn those things out a hundred at a time, all boringly identical. This is craftsmanship. This has SOUL. You wouldn't understand.”
There are a lot of things that Daniel Teilhard doesn't understand. You could list them, but it would be a very long list indeed.
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