please?”
Paul nodded his head and announced loudly that the bar was now closed. Quickly, the patrons left the bar and the queen, Marik, and Havid were left alone.
“You have my ear,” Havid said.
Marik and Elissa exchanged a quick glance. Marik gave a slight nod of his head to let the queen know she could speak freely. “So, I understand that there is a bit of a water shortage.”
Havid raised an eyebrow. “A bit is a bit of an understatement. Since the wells were closed, and the rationing began, things have been a bit hectic. The merchants have been starting to grumble.”
“The taverns look full, and you have a cask there,” Elissa said. “You seem to be doing well.”
A fatherly smile came across Havid’s face. “The problem is not that we are out of ale and beer now, it is that we won’t be able to brew any for the winter. The grumbling is just beginning, but when the taverns run out in a couple of months, the grumbling will turn to shouting and screaming.”
“Then we should do something about it now,” Elissa said.
“Well, that would be ideal,” Havid said. “And you have some sort of plan for this?”
“You have access to empty casks?” Elissa asked.
“Yes…” Havid replied.
“And wagons?”
“Some…”
“There is an endless supply of water just about a mile from this very spot. Fill up a wagonload of a casks and haul them from the river to your taverns. Then you won’t have to use the water from the wells.”
Havid gave the queen a knowing smile. “That is all well and good, and we do some of that already. But you are aware of the tax, right?”
“Tax?”
“Yes, the tax. You know, the money that helps pay for everything you have?”
Elissa looked at Marik.
“Each wagonload of goods that comes into the city is taxed,” Marik said. “It is how we fill your coffers.”
“I guess I don’t understand,” Elissa said. “Are you saying that we take money from the merchants who come into the city?”
Havid burst into laughter. “Oh, my!”
Marik didn’t like Havid’s tone. “Settle down, Havid.”
“I’m sorry, my queen. I meant no disrespect, it’s just that I thought that would be the first thing that Lord Kirwal and Lord Martin would teach you.”
“So we do take money, then?”
“Running the kingdom can get expensive,” Marik said. “It is just a little…”
“Some would say it is a little more than a little,” Havid countered. “But that is a conversation for another time. We do already bring water in from the river when we must. But the tax on it makes it hardly worth our while. If we have to pay tax on water, then it will be very expensive just to have a pint of ale.”
“And if you don’t have to pay a tax on water from the river?” the queen asked.
Havid shrugged his shoulders. “It would still cost us for manpower to bring the water from the river. But it would go a long way to helping the problem.”
“And it would leave more water for everyone else,” Elissa said.
“Including the slums,” Havid said with a nod.
“Very well. When can you start?” the queen
Paul nodded his head and announced loudly that the bar was now closed. Quickly, the patrons left the bar and the queen, Marik, and Havid were left alone.
“You have my ear,” Havid said.
Marik and Elissa exchanged a quick glance. Marik gave a slight nod of his head to let the queen know she could speak freely. “So, I understand that there is a bit of a water shortage.”
Havid raised an eyebrow. “A bit is a bit of an understatement. Since the wells were closed, and the rationing began, things have been a bit hectic. The merchants have been starting to grumble.”
“The taverns look full, and you have a cask there,” Elissa said. “You seem to be doing well.”
A fatherly smile came across Havid’s face. “The problem is not that we are out of ale and beer now, it is that we won’t be able to brew any for the winter. The grumbling is just beginning, but when the taverns run out in a couple of months, the grumbling will turn to shouting and screaming.”
“Then we should do something about it now,” Elissa said.
“Well, that would be ideal,” Havid said. “And you have some sort of plan for this?”
“You have access to empty casks?” Elissa asked.
“Yes…” Havid replied.
“And wagons?”
“Some…”
“There is an endless supply of water just about a mile from this very spot. Fill up a wagonload of a casks and haul them from the river to your taverns. Then you won’t have to use the water from the wells.”
Havid gave the queen a knowing smile. “That is all well and good, and we do some of that already. But you are aware of the tax, right?”
“Tax?”
“Yes, the tax. You know, the money that helps pay for everything you have?”
Elissa looked at Marik.
“Each wagonload of goods that comes into the city is taxed,” Marik said. “It is how we fill your coffers.”
“I guess I don’t understand,” Elissa said. “Are you saying that we take money from the merchants who come into the city?”
Havid burst into laughter. “Oh, my!”
Marik didn’t like Havid’s tone. “Settle down, Havid.”
“I’m sorry, my queen. I meant no disrespect, it’s just that I thought that would be the first thing that Lord Kirwal and Lord Martin would teach you.”
“So we do take money, then?”
“Running the kingdom can get expensive,” Marik said. “It is just a little…”
“Some would say it is a little more than a little,” Havid countered. “But that is a conversation for another time. We do already bring water in from the river when we must. But the tax on it makes it hardly worth our while. If we have to pay tax on water, then it will be very expensive just to have a pint of ale.”
“And if you don’t have to pay a tax on water from the river?” the queen asked.
Havid shrugged his shoulders. “It would still cost us for manpower to bring the water from the river. But it would go a long way to helping the problem.”
“And it would leave more water for everyone else,” Elissa said.
“Including the slums,” Havid said with a nod.
“Very well. When can you start?” the queen
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