To Claim One's Part of the Future

Casted said, “The Elves don’t produce mithril as a product. They use what they produce just to make items. Then those items are auctioned. They have no formal sales structure. Nothing is incorporated. We can make Mithril as a product, apply for a patent, and have exclusive rights for seven years.”

Rigid said, “Dad, at the shop, they have been discussing a new strategy to hold rights to a process longer. The idea is to copyright the best descriptions so that no one could talk about or write about it without owing us.”

“Banded, what did you learn,” Casted said.

“They use Oxygen to increase the heat of a coal fire,” he said.

Patience said, “What is Oxygen? Where do you get it?”

Banded said, “The Elves got it from water.”

Mobile said, “Right, there is Gas hidden in water that makes a coal fire burn more intensely? The Elves knew you were there and were messing with you.”

“You weren’t there, Mobile,” said Gretchen, “They were upset when they grabbed us. They would have grabbed us sooner if they knew we had been there for hours.”

Rigid said, “How did they not see you? Were you invisible?”

“That is my secret,” said Banded, “I’m not sharing it with anyone!”

“You two are so full of shit,” Rigid said, “I don’t believe you!”

“No, it’s true,” said Gretchen.

Rigid said, “Yeah, I’d watch who you tell that whopper.”

Gretchen said, “But Rigid ….”

Banded said, “Gretchen, stop! You’re right, Rigid. We can’t fool you.”

Gretchen said, “But Banded ….”

Banded said, “Knock it off, Gretchen.”

After dinner, both went to the shop.

Gretchen said, “Why didn’t you tell Rigid off and show him the blind?”

“You can’t open a fool’s closed mind, Gretchen.”

Banded said, “We need to proceed on our own. One of my friends studies elven technology. We need to go see him.”

The pair finished the gems and the blind. The next day they went to see Banded’s friend.

“Okay, Gretchen, Ball Orecrusher thinks himself a real women’s dwarf. Please play along.”

“Okay, Banded.”

The pair walked up to an excellent stone and mortar house and used the dragon knocker. Ball came to the door.

“Banded nice to see you, and who is this vision of beauty?”

Banded said, “Gretchen, this is Ball Orecrusher, a good friend of mine. Ball this is my sister Gretchen.”

“Might I say I like the ties in your beard, Gretchen.”

“Why thank you, Ball, they are the finest human-colored twine.”

“Come in, come in, sit down. Let me get you some fine ale.”

Ball pulled a cord, and a Gnome came into the room.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Bring us ale, Darkheart.”

“Yes, Sir.”

He turned and left the room.

Gretchen said, “Your Gnome speaks perfect Darvish.”

“Thank you, Gretchen. Good help is hard to find these days.”

“Look, Ball,” Banded said, “We have some questions on Elven technology.”

“I have made a lot of money on elf technology,” Ball said, “What do you have for me?”

“We saw the Elven furnace. The Council questioned us. We learned some, but not enough. We were hoping you could fill in some of the gaps.”

“Professional consultation, twenty percent of the first year’s profits,” Ball said.

Banded said, “What? Twenty percent, I thought I was a friend.”

Ball said, “Friends are friends. Business is business. What do you know?”

Gretchen stood up and said, “We can find out on our own, Banded. Let’s go.”

Darkhart came in with three tankards of ale on a wooden charger.

Ball said, “Please stay for the ale. It is delicious. Okay, fifteen percent.”

Gretchen said, “Come on, Banded.”

“No, wait,” Ball said, “Ten percent. I can explain the technology unlike anyone else. It would be a sin to waste this ale. It is made from an old family recipe. Quite unique.”

Gretchen sat down and smiled. She took a sip of ale.

“Oh my, that is good. Now, Ball, what is a battery,” said Gretchen?

Ball said, “A battery is a way to store Electrical power. What did you see a battery do?”

“It made two types of gas from water,” said Banded.

Gretchen said, “One of the Council members said Oxygen was used to intensify a coal fire. How do you get Oxygen from water?”

Ball said, “You said it was a battery and water? It sounds simple enough to try. Come with me. Darkheart, bring the ale down to the lab.”

Ball led them to the lab in the cellar.

He took two jars off the wall and filled them with water from a tap. He filled a pan with water and turned the jars over to trap the water in the jars.

Ball said, “Like this?”

Banded said, “Yes. Now the braids were at the bottom attached to the battery.”

Ball said, “Elf batteries are nasty things. It is better to generate electricity.”

Ball walked over to the wall and pulled down two cables. He put one cable under one of the jars.

He said, “Tell me if something starts to happen.”

He pulled a lever slowly towards him. As he moved the lever, the cable’s ends started to bubble.

Banded said, “There.”

The two gases collected in the jars. When one was about full, and the other was half full, Ball walked over and shoved the lever forward, and the bubbling stopped. He took a small torch and made a spar, which started to burn. He started to the fuller jar.

Banded said, “Be careful when the dragons knock over those tanks. There was an explosion.”

Ball said, “Okay.”

He put the torch on a long stick and turned the jar over with a long set of tongs. The explosion blew the jar out of the thongs, and it shattered on the floor.

Ball said, “That acts like pure Hydrogen. If this jar has oxygen in it, it should make the torch burn bright.”

Ball relit the torch and held it near the jar. Then he let the gas out of the jar. It burned very brightly and powerfully.

Ball said, “Let’s go back upstairs and talk about this.”

“The second jar was definitely Oxygen,” Ball said as they sat down, “It would seem that in water, there is two times the amount of Hydrogen as Oxygen.”

Gretchen said, “The Elves had ten huge cylinders. The forward one fed the furnace. The back ones were not used.”

“Look,” said Ball, “To set up something will require a lot of gold. I might be able to set up a consortium, but they will want a big stake in your company. What do you say?”

Banded said, “We keep the controlling vote. We agree to give forty-nine percent. Have them set up the company in a Trust, so they don’t know who we are. We will never be taken seriously if they learn how young we are.”

“Okay,” Ball said, “You will have to sign some papers. Come back in at the end of the week. Only you are not of age. Your Dad will have to sign, too.”

Gretchen Said, “That will be easy as keeping cookies hidden.”

Banded said, “We will see you, Ball, at the end of the week. We may need until Monday to return the papers. We’ll see.”

Everybody got up and went to the door.

“Goodbye,” Ball said.

“Goodbye,” said Banded.

“Please, Gretchen, come back anytime you like,” Ball said.

“We’ll see Ball. We’ll see what happens,” Gretchen said.

As the pair walked back to their house, Gretchen said, “How much is Ball worth?”

“A lot, Gretchen, a lot. You are not thinking of dating him, are you?”

“Why not, Banded? His ale was okay.”

“I’ve drunk better pig sweat, Gretchen.”