Arkady says "Certainly. Now while I look at your bar stock, please tell me about the casting of the spell which preserves the queen. I gather you were there? (turning) Sir Hasand, I'm Father Fedorenko. Please show me what iron and steel bar stock you have on hand."

Arkady, hopefully with Felix's help, plans to reinforce the wheels and axles; and if at all possible add leaf springs between the axles and the wagon body. He's also going to have to ask for a couple of tons of fire wood; starting with a supply of dry chopped wood would work much better for the trucks than stopping to cut up green wood every so often.

Vanire's hand brushes the hilt of his sword - not, it appears, from a desire to draw it, but merely because it is associated with what he is thinking of. "The details are a state secret," he says. "I would be remiss in my duty if I were to discuss the matter with a man I had met just today."

Felix moves to examine the tools at hand and assists Arkady in his goal. While the forge is prepped and the metals readied, Felix inspects the carts and tries to figure out where the strongest points are and if they can withstand the journey as is. Anything that doesn't have to be done will cut down on the amount of work they'll have to do and let them leave sooner.

"I understand, Sir Vanire. While Sir Hasand is gathering metal, let me say what I already know, then. I've always been a bit sensitive; occasionally seeing things. When I looked at that crystal, I saw three things. Twelve swords raised in salute, one of which I recognize. A Styric woman in robes, passing out. And a dying woman who is being given life by a crystal to replace what is lost to the poison. Now I do not need to know about the first two; but I am most curious where that crystal is getting the life it is giving the queen. Who is paying the price for that spell, and how long can they keep doing it?"

He looks around and comments: "We've been discussing whether or not we can purge the poison. It might be we can. The more we know about her condition as time goes by, the better we can figure out what is possible to try."

Nate has a look at the selected carts, specificaly their suspension, or lack thereof.

"Leather straps won't last long at the speeds we'll be moving at. Try this instead."

He quickly skeches out a diagram for a simple leaf spring and rubbing disk suspension system.

"This design was used in some of our earliest moterized carts. It's not fancy, but it'll provide a far smoother ride for anyone riding in the cart, and it'll hold up to the road. The last thing we want is to be blowing a suspention strap at 50 kilometers per hour, and then having to stop to replace it and patch up any injuries."

Felix: Engineering: +5 Roll: +2 Total: +7
Nathan: Engineering: +2 Roll: -2 Total: +0
Sir Hasand: Engineering: +1 Roll: +1 Total: +2

By the time Nathan is finished sketching out his plan for an improved suspension - a plan that Sir Hasand quickly grasps - Felix has already turned a few fortunately-shaped scraps of metal into a working (and slightly improved) example. It's clear that, by the time Arkady and Vanire's conversation is over, the carts will be ready to go.

Vanire, meanwhile, looks rather like someone who had just bitten into a lemon, perhaps while under the impression that it was an orange. He glances around them, noting for a moment how completely the three Terrans are surrounded by Pandions - just for a moment - and then looks back at Arkady. "You already know a good deal more than you should," he says. "I will give you a partial answer to your question, on the condition that you and your two companions swear to speak of it to no-one else without my explicit approval."

"Unless I meet the Styric woman, I don't think temptation will be a problem. Very well. Either way, there won't be much we can do about it until we return."

If it's not done by then, Arkady will help reinforce the rest of the underbody. The wheels are probably not currently up to hitting a pothole at 30-50 KPH.

Felix continues helping reinforce the cart.

Vanire nods. "Very well, then. If the Styric lady in question is the Lady Sephrenia, you may discuss anything with her as you would with me. As to your partial answer; those paying the price, as you put it, for the spell are a defined list. All are volunteers, and all volunteered in full knowledge of what it would cost them to do so. W- They can keep doing it for some time yet."

"I see." Arkady contemplates the forge for a second, then says "Do you suppose they would consider it rude if I included them in my prayers? However little they may be worth, it would comfort me to offer them."

"But to be speaking of more practical things, if you have firewood, we need some to fuel our carts. It would save time cutting more on the trip,and dry wood works better than green."

Thereafter Arkady helps to get ready to go; reinforcing or loading, as the case may be.

"I am sure they would appreciate your prayers, though they would appreciate it more if you would pray for the Queen's swift recovery, as well."

Under Vanire's direction, vast supplies of firewood quickly turn up. As it is late in the day, he reluctantly admits it would be sensible to start travelling early tomorrow morning (and one rather gets the impression that when he says 'early' he does not intend to wait for after sunrise). He invites the Terrans to join the Knights at their evening meal, but there's still an hour before that if you wish to do something else here today...

Felix would like to requisition a messenger to meet the Earl of Lenda and apologize for the fact that they're no longer able to meet tomorrow, but would like to meet at a later date. He inquires with Preceptor Vanire.

That done, he spends the rest of his time fiddling with the radio to see if he can't pinpoint where the interference is coming from.

"I shall pray for her."

Before dinner, Arkady acquires some very strong fabric or leather and fabricates restraining belts and straps for passengers and cargo in the cart. Happily there are belts and tie-downs on the trucks he can point to as a demonstration of what he intends.

Nate spends his time pouring over whatever maps the knights have of the countryside, trying to locate the fastest route. He also takes pictures of them for future reference.

Young Berit takes the message to the Earl of Lenda, and returns an hour or so later to report that the Earl likewise regrets that they can't meet tomorrow, but looks forward to continuing their conversation when he can.

Felix has another go at tracking down the interference:

Felix: Engineering: +5 Roll: -1 Total: +4

Felix notices that the radio interference is not quite the same as it was previously. A bit more work allows him to confirm this conclusion; the sources of radio interference are moving, some of them quite rapidly.

Arkady easily manages to arrange suitable straps for the Knights - they're quite willing to help, for all that they smile and roll their eyes at the idea that they will need the straps (and thus Arkady double-checks their work to make sure they aren't taking short-cuts).

Preceptor Vanire is more than happy to show Nathan his maps, but he is rather insistent on choosing the route. Since there is really only one major highway leading to Castle Radun, the only real question is where to stop overnight - Vanire points out a number of monasteries along the route that will put up a party of mainly Knights for a night, and asks Nathan several times how far they will be able to go in a day, often appending qualifiers like "if we really push it" which leave Nathan with the distinct impression that Vanire would really prefer to do the entire journey non-stop. However, he eventually agrees to stop over at a monastery about halfway there for one night en route.

--------------

The Pandion's supper consists of a hearty pork-and-vegetable stew with fresh-baked bread (Piper makes a face and fishes some pork out of hers in disgust, then leaves the stew entirely to subsist only on bread for the evening). The Knights themselves indulge in an evening combat exercise with blunted wooden swords which suggests very strongly that one does not want to get into melee range of an upset Pandion (Sir Ulath joins in enthusiastically, and is clearly one of the top fighters in the area).

The Pandions retire to their bunks for the evening, and offer some to the visitors; simple, plain bunks, without any ornamentation and with straw-filled mattresses which are not nearly as comfortable as they might sound.

And, in the morning, Preceptor Vanire has (with the help of young Berit, who's a very enthusiastic trumpeteer when given the opportunity) got everyone up and awake and in the courtyard by about half an hour before dawn