After forty-two laps, I was beyond exhausted, my large body drenched in sweat, my left arm on fire. Every time a citizen came through they stopped in complete astonishment, sometimes gathering in groups to stare, until a frown sent them scurrying about their work. I lived for the nod of approval from Carradock each time I arrived back at the gate against which he leaned, often in conversation with other soldiers. Also, for the thought of a long, long warm bath.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ063wnqDZyd
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A castle servant, the one from breakfast, was ahead of me, twisting her apron in her hands and looking everywhere but into my face.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeGCFgEMin
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'Wha'?' I wheezed out.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjAcsiRxPf
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'Chef–' she flung her hand out in a gesture towards the keep, where a short man in what looked like a grey baker's outfit '–wants to know what to prepare for dinner.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrI82R4HOt
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'Dear lord.' I came to a stop, worried my aching legs would not want to resume. 'It's not important. But keep it simple.' My predecessor had obviously enjoyed eating extensive meals with several courses. 'Just a couple of slices of roast meat and …' What would an athlete eat? Food with plenty of protein and vitamins. 'Wait. Grilled fish. Nuts. Fresh vegetables, like tomatoes and carrot, that don't need much, if any, cooking.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcdZKONWZY
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I wasn't really hungry just now, my body was too stressed, but no doubt my appetite would revive later.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiMi5EMsSW
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'Ahh…'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ878Nn7P6Zy
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'What?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx9WhLozZO
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'Chef won't be pleased.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzZN4z6oNU
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I stared at her. 'Hands up if you are king.' I put my own hand up. 'That puts me in charge.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMcfulNIH8
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Once she had turned away, alarmed, I returned my focus back into my final few laps. Although it was distracting I when I turned a corner and was facing the keep: there I could see the chef remonstrating with the servant. He kept looking over at me, as though in appeal, but I wasn't having any of it and focused on moving one leg, then the next, and on keeping hold of that enormously heavy sword.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLh8pkhABqf
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I wasn't allowed to settle into my rhythm again though, for with a clatter of metal-hooves on cobblestone, a small group of riders came into the barracks yard. Some were soldiers of mine but one was carrying a green pennant (deep green, with a golden wolf's head) and dressed in expensive-looking clothes.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAp8Ujz61mW
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'King Carlos?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWzkWERuXh
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Either I looked dumb, having forgotten my name here, or else the new arrival was dismayed by my appearance.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskBupCYbRs
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'King Carlos?' he tried again.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JzI6V14Uh
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'Yes?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZeTcmFh6B
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My impression that this was a man who was attentive to his looks was reinforced as he dismounted and made his bow. No one had a beard as neat his without some effort.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5XNdJZUFf
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'Lord Oseso, ambassador to his majesty King Wace of Southway.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiU3NoVkw1N
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'Pleased to meet you.' My politeness was automatic. I felt no warmth towards this man. Quite apart from the fact his rich, fur-lined cloak and black, oiled hair alienated me, this was the enemy.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWv2Oviut3r
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A crowd was gathering as soldiers and civilians moved closer to hear the ambassador's words.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ruJRcda9h
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'Perhaps we can take some refreshment in private?' Lord Oseso suggested.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8GQNRoFiT
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I shook my head. 'There's nothing you can say that I would hide from my people. Why are you here?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiKEJkOXVv
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'Are you sure?' There was a knowing sneer in his gaze, inviting some kind of complicity from me.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDehNigrP6W
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'Get on with it. I'm busy.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiPpZzNmjM
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Supressing a smile, the ambassador from Southland shrugged, as if to pass off any blame. 'King Wace, in his generosity, offers to make Greyland a dependency of Southway. You,' he gestured to everyone, 'are spared conquest. And you personally, sire, will be given a comfortable retirement, dining on the finest food of our realm in the company of delightful personal companionship, in return for implementing the decisions of his highness on your interface.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JB3c2AM83
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A silence fell over the square and even the crows stilled their caws, as if to listen to my answer. I let my heart and breath settle.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5VVfeyyKz
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'Firstly, we are not conquered yet. Secondly, we all know what it would mean for our kingdom to be run by an invader…' I raised my voice for all to hear. 'People dragged off to work wherever your ruler wanted; our soldiers used up in his battles to spare his own troops; our wealth drained into your coffers; starvation and ruin here.' I knew what I was talking about, it's what I intended to do to them.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdMRqJZ8RK
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Lord Oseso shook his head. 'Careful what you say next, this offer won't come again.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtldQ007zw
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'Good. If we see you again, you'll be executed as a spy. Greyland will never surrender and you can tell King Wace that unless he withdraws from our territory, it is he who will suffer conquest.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnUc8gTH26
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'I'll tell him of your empty threat and he will laugh. And he will remind you of it when you are in chains at his feet.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleHq22VysD
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'That is disrespectful.' I was furious and at least a part my anger was drawn from the uncomfortable feeling, fear even, that he was going to be proven right. I walked over to him, using my height and bulk to lean down and snarl. 'Vincit qui patitur, he who endures conquers. And Greyland will endure.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6y9jWX0VzI
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Perhaps he saw the determination in my eyes. Perhaps he understood how close I was to striking him with the sword in my left hand, which no longer felt heavy. In any case, the ambassador's head dropped and he stepped back, then turned away to find his horse and remount.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrMAsHk9Wg
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'Blindfold him and lead his horse. Don't let him look around as he leaves.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GoT4xEX3C
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'Yes sir.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xdlU3fm75
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'Right, then everyone, back to work. We're going to have to work extremely hard, myself included, to endure and escape conquest.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kDmp9cnNp
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Muttering broke out among the people and it was hard to judge the tone. Certainly, it was not the cheering enthusiasm of a people rallying to their king. But among the soldiers especially there were several faces that looked brighter and more supportive than they had.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjVzmGSg7a
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'Now, Carradock. I was on lap forty-four, was I not?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOauZjyaDD
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'Forty-three sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9faY9lcv4c
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'Damn pedant.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhipl9oKQmL
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The last few laps were painful. It did help, however, that I could study the town menus and take my mind from the constant complaints of my body. That gave me one measure of the effect of my responses to the ambassador from Southway, which was that the score for Happiness under the people menu had risen from 14 to 16. At least it hadn't gone down, so on the whole, they seemed to approve of resistance rather than surrender.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGACXFwgmL
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It was the military menu that got me thinking again.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ6zmOBNNg
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Military379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Y7MkFGKSG
Light infantry: 32379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FI28MRVUh
Heavy infantry: 12379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOAz9Nv1Eo
Archers: 18379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStmjTEK0Ul
Light cavalry: 24379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5UCfK8idV
Heavy cavalry: 4379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnYACIvUE0
Ballista: 1379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4E9BivnYum
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Hospital: 17379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFGZ9KqbUb
Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmO609vnNCy
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Currently training: 1 heavy cavalry379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiwYUdqVCh
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Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0hlVP9cfu
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Currently building: tower machicolations, 3 days
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Why was I training heavy cavalry? They were costly in terms of iron and tactically useless. We would be holding defensive positions for the foreseeable future and while I hoped the day would come when I rode at the head of a line of formidable heavy cavalry, that was a long way off. Although it meant losing whatever raw materials my predecessor had invested in the project, I cancelled the heavy cavalry from the training queue and instead added fifteen archers to it, at a cost of 10 iron ingots and 15 gold and 15 of the unassigned townspeople.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2u0qm1OYAT
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That left me 12 unassigned townspeople to think about. Before setting them to various tasks, I needed to know about building a trading vessel. When I tried to call up information about ships, I got a frustrating message.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70zn3UQ6Pk
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Shipbuilding379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHW3LJNbE8q
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Unknown.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdzpPlRmXn
Create a Shipwright to unlock this option.
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'Hey, you!' I called out to a skinny youth, who was hanging around near the steps of the keep watching me with earnest eyes as though I was last man in for a cricket team that was over a hundred runs behind. And I couldn't tell if he wanted me to fail or succeed.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQoEqzaX78
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'Sire?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWF4u45CJa
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'Get the Chief Carpenter for me.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡol91pep3rG
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'Yes, sire.' The lad got up without any urgency and strolled down a shadow-filled street.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFw8SJC4hNW
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I was on lap forty-six when the carpenter arrived, he was a bald, confident looking man, with intelligent brown eyes.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPOJ53o3ds
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'Walk with me,' I grunted.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErwXzIp9Y4
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'Sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8pOtqQrSU
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'Can you make us a trading ship?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIhGJsa2ok
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The question came as a surprise but he took it well, hardly faltering in his step. 'No sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr9YsoHMb9
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'What if I researched Shipbuilding One?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHX9xPglVg
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The man looked at me, surprised, then down at the ground. 'As you know, sire, I only have access to a limited menu in order that I can view my tasks... I couldn't be sure about research, but Shipbuilding does sound like it will make the role of Shipbuilder available to you.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5UIyU8o7F
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'And I can then assign someone to it?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcqy4agP60
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'If it becomes an option sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNP2gU2oZLN
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'Would you like to do it?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWi0vn2rI4
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'Me? It's up to you sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz2CPysbfn
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'Yes,' I said, a little impatiently. 'I know that. But I'd rather people enjoyed their work than hated it.' This wasn't just coming from my innate sense of politeness, it was practical too. I wanted that town happiness score to rise and surely by assigning the right people to the right jobs, at least when it came to specialist roles, that was going to help?379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1y4eEG2K5
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We walked the entire length of the barracks square and turned back towards Carradock before the carpenter answered. 'I think I would like that sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj46gC4ZYTg
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'Right so, find someone in your workshop who wants to be the Chief Carpenter and I'll make you Shipbuilder in…' I checked the research menu, dropped Navigation (there was no penalty, but I risked having to restart it again from the beginning), as it still had five days to go, and swapped to Shipbuilding 1, 'four days.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvTXLXh0Kz
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'Thank you sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRg2jJtKwl6
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'Now tell me this. I see a lot of people in the town. But not very many on the menus. Why is that?'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pCZDOUEVj
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Again, the carpenter looked astonished. Then a little wary, as if I'd set a trap. 'People want to join the menu, sire, to serve the goddess... and you. But it's limited, isn't it? They can't get on unless you've been able to make room.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBWiEZ6afp
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That wasn't an answer that clarified very much, but I gave him a grunt to signal he could go back to work. It was as much as I could manage. As for the twelve unassigned people in the town, I decided to leave them for now. Soon I'd want shipbuilders and sailors.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbtSR04DqG
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Forty-seven.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3SQFlanYE
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Forty-eight.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7BjJzVtMA
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Forty-nine.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xB7OLogP0
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Fifty.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZtmwbfuRK
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'That's me done for the day.' I spoke to Carradock with as much nonchalance as I could muster. As if I could do another fifty, although every muscle was groaning.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvbXdA02ra
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'Well done Sire.'379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJOSeCwUJf
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That acknowledgement lifted me all the way back to the keep.
