Water is Thicker than Blood Read Online Free

alchemists been working on a special generator that don’t
need fuel. Runs on crystals.”
    “ Oh hush your mouth!” said
Lula. “Now you are telling stories.”
    “ Mama! You gonna say
something like that before Ms. Rue knowing what you’ve seen?
Besides, it ain’t all that strange. A quartz battery is made from a
tiny little quartz crystal. Same principle just on a bigger scale
is all. So far, the generator’s been stable enough to power lights
inside so as no need for oil lamps and candles. You know this been
a concern for the Archmage after that fire few years back damaged a
bunch of books. And we’ve been doing more and more with it to see
how much power it can output. Archmage got big plans.”
    “ And what you all gonna due
with this crystal generator?” asked Rue.
     
    “ Well, Archmage is hoping
we can get enough power make Bywater its own local water purifier,
so we don’t has to wait on the Court and all. We know the Baron
means to get around to citywide plumbing on day, but one day is a
long ways off. So the Archmage, he got to figuring be good to take
care our neighbors while we wait.”
    “ Well bless his heart,”
said Lula. “But…this probably ain’t the time…but don’t you just…”
she waves her hands around wildly as it casting a spell.
    “ Mama, hush.” Joseph looked
around again, and then motioned for them to start walking home.
“Ms. Rue don’t want to be hearing this.”
    “ No, it’s fine,” said Rue.
“I was sort of wondering what you meant before ‘bout conjuring
water.”
    Joseph took Rue’s hand in
his and gently squeezed it. “Ms. Rue, I know you been disapproving
of me practicing magic. But as I explained to mama, magic just
another talent. Like being able to do math without needing for
scratch paper or running fast or being able to lift heavy things.
Or like getting an old power plant up and running, like they doing
now. Talents are just talents. It’s what you do with them decide
whether it’s good or bad.”
    Rue nodded. “Well true that
I suppose.”
    “ He just conjure a tub full
of water at a time,” added Lula. “He ain’t Moses parting the Red
Sea.”
    “ Still, a tub full of water
out of nothing is something!”
    “ That’s how I been taking
care of mama. I conjure water then sell it to folks in Bywater.
It’s good for everyone ‘cause I sell it for less than the market in
the Quarter, and folks don’t have to go out their way to get it.
But I can only conjure so much a day before I start to tire.
Otherwise, I’d probably just give it away for free.”
    “ If you working, even if
it’s conjuring, you should be paid,” said Rue.
    “ That’s kind of you, Ms.
Rue. Very kind. Archmage doesn’t like the idea of charging people
for something they need to survive, but he understand that when
something hard to get those that got it need to make something for
it. But that’s why he hopes to get a purifier up and running. We
got so much water up and around here in Bywater but it just needs
cleaning. If we can clean it all nobody ‘round here ever need to
pay money for water again.”
    “ And too that be helping
the whole city, ‘cause if Bywater is self-sufficient then Baron
don’t need to put resources into it and can help others quicker,”
added Lula. “That’s a fine thing he’s doing. A fine
thing.”
    “ Lawd, child. Lawd,” said
Rue. “You need be apologizing to that man for me, seeing how I had
so many bad thoughts about him.”
    “ Oh, never you mind that,
Ms. Rue. Archmage Dex got himself a thick skin and don’t worry none
what people think in the privacy of their own heads.”
    “ Just the same, you let him
know I said he doing God’s work.”
    They approached Rue’s house
to find Hank on the front step drunk.
    “ Where you been,
woman?”
    “ Hank, get inside and go to
bed. What wrong with you drinking in public like a
fool?”
    “ I ain’t drinking in
public. I’m on my own porch.”
    “ Mr. Hank, the public