Martin thought, he might as well be named Mr. Farmer.
“Ma’am, you make the best clothing I’ve ever had,” the farmer said. “That’s why I come all the way into town so often. But the clothes you make do stretch out over time, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask you to hem your own handiwork at a discount.”
Gwen was wearing the same charcoal-colored hooded cloak she had worn the night before, but now Martin could see that it opened at the front, like an oversized hooded sweatshirt, cut to the length of a trench coat. The hood was pulled back off of her head, bunching up slightly around her shoulders and hanging down her back. Beneath the cloak, she wore a lilac colored dress and her petite black leather boots. She glanced at the door as Phillip and Martin entered.
She flashed her warm, pretty smile when she saw Phillip. Her smile chilled a bit when she saw Martin. She took the stack from the man, shrugging. “Sam, you’re a good customer, and an honest man, so I’ll hem these for free this time, but this is a good heavy fabric, and I promise, it does not stretch with time.”
The man pointed at the bottom of his dull brown tunic. It was a little long, as were the sleeves. “Then how can you explain this?” he asked. Gwen seemed to be at a loss.
Phillip said, “I’ve often thought that most of the men’s shirts in this town would be a bit shorter and would fit a bit looser if Gwen hired someone else to do her measuring. Someone men aren’t so inclined to impress with their posture and flat gut,” then added, “good morning, Gwen. Sam.”
“Good morning, Phillip.” Gwen said. “Good morning, Martin. How are you feeling today? Magnificent, I trust.”
Sam looked at Martin, astonished. “Is this the evil wizard you vanquished last night, Phillip? I’d heard you slew him and reduced his body to vapor.”
Phillip explained that he had reconstituted the vapor into a purer, less evil version of Martin, much as one would distill mash into liquor. This, Sam understood. He thanked Gwen, mentioned that he was off to the cobbler, because his boots were causing him discomfort, and left.
As soon as Sam was gone, Martin said to himself as much as to Phillip and Gwen, “I may have overplayed my hand last night.”
No,” Gwen said. “It was very impressive. I’m sure it takes a powerful wizard to make their flying spell continue to work even after they’ve been knocked unconscious.”
“Yes, look, I want to apologize for my behavior. I acted stupidly. Thanks for the ride into town, and for helping Phillip come get me.”
Her smile warmed again. “You’re very welcome Martin. We all make mistakes.”
“Maybe I can make it up to you by taking you to dinner sometime?” Martin ventured.
Her smile cooled again. “Maybe not. What brings you here, Phillip?”
“Martin here is going to be my apprentice, for as long as he lasts. He’s going to need a proper robe and hat.”
She stood and picked up her measuring stick from the work table. “Good. That thing you were wearing last night was doing you no favors.” She spent the next several minutes holding the stick up to various parts of his anatomy and mumbling. Finally she stood and asked Phillip, “Wizard robes and hats are pretty simple. I can have it done in a week or two. I’ll need you to come back for a rough fitting in a few days. What color and fabric would you like?”
Martin raised his hand. “It’s my robe, shouldn’t you ask me that?”
“What color and fabric?” she asked Phillip.
“Whatever you like, Gwen. We trust you,” Phillip replied. Gwen smiled in a way that made Martin want to disagree with Phillip.
As she took a few last measurements by laying her measuring stick along, and at times jabbing it into parts of his body, Martin asked, “Last night, why did you tell me wizards have to be celibate?”
“I didn’t say they had to be. I just said they were,” she said without looking up. “Celibate is
“Ma’am, you make the best clothing I’ve ever had,” the farmer said. “That’s why I come all the way into town so often. But the clothes you make do stretch out over time, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask you to hem your own handiwork at a discount.”
Gwen was wearing the same charcoal-colored hooded cloak she had worn the night before, but now Martin could see that it opened at the front, like an oversized hooded sweatshirt, cut to the length of a trench coat. The hood was pulled back off of her head, bunching up slightly around her shoulders and hanging down her back. Beneath the cloak, she wore a lilac colored dress and her petite black leather boots. She glanced at the door as Phillip and Martin entered.
She flashed her warm, pretty smile when she saw Phillip. Her smile chilled a bit when she saw Martin. She took the stack from the man, shrugging. “Sam, you’re a good customer, and an honest man, so I’ll hem these for free this time, but this is a good heavy fabric, and I promise, it does not stretch with time.”
The man pointed at the bottom of his dull brown tunic. It was a little long, as were the sleeves. “Then how can you explain this?” he asked. Gwen seemed to be at a loss.
Phillip said, “I’ve often thought that most of the men’s shirts in this town would be a bit shorter and would fit a bit looser if Gwen hired someone else to do her measuring. Someone men aren’t so inclined to impress with their posture and flat gut,” then added, “good morning, Gwen. Sam.”
“Good morning, Phillip.” Gwen said. “Good morning, Martin. How are you feeling today? Magnificent, I trust.”
Sam looked at Martin, astonished. “Is this the evil wizard you vanquished last night, Phillip? I’d heard you slew him and reduced his body to vapor.”
Phillip explained that he had reconstituted the vapor into a purer, less evil version of Martin, much as one would distill mash into liquor. This, Sam understood. He thanked Gwen, mentioned that he was off to the cobbler, because his boots were causing him discomfort, and left.
As soon as Sam was gone, Martin said to himself as much as to Phillip and Gwen, “I may have overplayed my hand last night.”
No,” Gwen said. “It was very impressive. I’m sure it takes a powerful wizard to make their flying spell continue to work even after they’ve been knocked unconscious.”
“Yes, look, I want to apologize for my behavior. I acted stupidly. Thanks for the ride into town, and for helping Phillip come get me.”
Her smile warmed again. “You’re very welcome Martin. We all make mistakes.”
“Maybe I can make it up to you by taking you to dinner sometime?” Martin ventured.
Her smile cooled again. “Maybe not. What brings you here, Phillip?”
“Martin here is going to be my apprentice, for as long as he lasts. He’s going to need a proper robe and hat.”
She stood and picked up her measuring stick from the work table. “Good. That thing you were wearing last night was doing you no favors.” She spent the next several minutes holding the stick up to various parts of his anatomy and mumbling. Finally she stood and asked Phillip, “Wizard robes and hats are pretty simple. I can have it done in a week or two. I’ll need you to come back for a rough fitting in a few days. What color and fabric would you like?”
Martin raised his hand. “It’s my robe, shouldn’t you ask me that?”
“What color and fabric?” she asked Phillip.
“Whatever you like, Gwen. We trust you,” Phillip replied. Gwen smiled in a way that made Martin want to disagree with Phillip.
As she took a few last measurements by laying her measuring stick along, and at times jabbing it into parts of his body, Martin asked, “Last night, why did you tell me wizards have to be celibate?”
“I didn’t say they had to be. I just said they were,” she said without looking up. “Celibate is
Similar Books
