Slave Line (The Young Ancients) Read Online Free

were there for another two weeks to see to matters of state after Postern.
    Weasel grinned as a strong looking tall woman in green stepped up behind him and started loading up a plate, leaning in to ask what he wanted very softly. Sandra got instant service too and so did Farlo. Everyone else had to wait though. The older man grimaced a little and shrugged at Tor, then walked over to where he stood near the wall, out of the way.
    "Well, this skews things nicely, doesn't it? The nobles get served first, of course, but who goes after that? It's clear that the wizards are all important people and we were told to treat the Austrans as honored guests... There is no protocol for this though, or if there is, I don't know it. Any suggestions?" He sounded serious, so Tor thought about it for a moment. It was potentially important, wasn't it?
    Well, there was only one thing to do really.
    Ask Quavel.
    Spy or not the man had been the Queen's personal butler for over a decade. If anyone knew how to handle something like this he would. Tor made his way over slowly and whispered the problem in the man's ear, which got him to smile for some reason.
    "Ah... Simple enough, in a situation where the rank, or relative position of a person is either unknown or cannot be judged, the correct thing is to start at the highest ranking person on either side of the table and then work down to the left. In this case it will require doubling back, since the highest ranking people sat in the wrong places, but I doubt anyone will mind overly. They probably won't even notice. All my people are just glad you haven't decided on a spot of torture first and the Lairdgren group is young enough to not worry overly about position yet, I think." He'd whispered all of this, so that no one else could hear him, except Tor.
    "Thanks." Tor went back to the Royal guard and explained it all, which got a simple nod from the fellow. He gave Quavel one too.
    Then they probably knew each other, having worked in the same place for all those years. It wasn't something that made Tor happy at all when he thought about it. They'd been very close to the royal family after all. Undetected until the Ancient of Austra had ordered them to all turn themselves in as a goodwill gesture. The shocking thing there had been that they all had. Tor would have bet they would have scattered, fearing for their lives. Apparently, for all their faults, the Austrans believed in their Ancient totally.
    Then, they were from there, and Brown really was a good enough person. Not the sort to tell his people to sacrifice their lives on a whim.
    That just meant that the Noram citizens going there for love, or in Erin's case because her parents had to, needed to be cared for by their own people in return. Some things were very different there, like the fact that people didn't hold to family as closely. The government didn't protect the people as much either, not that Noram was perfect that way, at least if you weren't wealthy or of noble birth. Still, that didn't mean he was going to leave them hanging in the wind, did it?
    "Weasel, how much do you think it will cost to take someone to and from Austra once you start your fast transport service? It's about five thousand miles each way from here." Possibly more, but Tor thought that was about right.
    The boy tilted his head a little and after a bit counted on his fingers.
    "Ten gold for every thousand miles. The whole trip would be a hundred gold even." He took a bite of egg toast, which he ate with nothing on it, then watched Tor closely, as if he expected to be chastised for having his prices too high.
    Tor thought so, but Denno, and oddly Kenner, both nodded. It was Brown that spoke though.
    "That's about right, given everything. It's less than a trip like that would be expected to cost otherwise going over land and sea and will take a fraction of the time. Really, given everything we might want to open a regular trip between each of the continents. Slightly