THIRTY-FIVE

 

When Romein reached home, he found Mercutio on his doorstep, whistling.

"What are you doing here?" Romein asked, pushing open the door and gesturing for Mercutio to precede him.

"Her Majesty the Queen sent me, with more designs for your windmill. New vanes and plans for a horizontal instead of a vertical axle, for a windmill is not the same as a waterwheel," Mercutio said, pulling papers out of his satchel. He spread them out on the kitchen table. "Look. Master Zimmerman said you get more power with the different axle, and the vanes." He pointed at the sails.

Romein shook his head. He did not regret his night's work, but he did wish he'd had more sleep, for he needed a clear head to make sense of these new sketches. "I would need an entire tree to make such an axle. I do not have a piece of wood so large. I'd need to take all the mill ponies and the cart into the forest for something like that..." But if it would make for a better windmill, it made sense to do it now, before he put everything together, for he'd only have to take it apart again. Romein swore. "Fine. I shall go woodcutting, but you must stay here, in case Lady Julia comes to visit. Tell her where I am, and what I am doing, and that I shall return as soon as I have what we need."

"Tell the lady that you have gone hunting, and will return soon," Mercutio said. "Now, you would not let a growing boy get hungry while he's waiting, would you?"

Romein sighed. He could do with some breakfast, too. "We have a loaf of yesterday's bread, plenty of butter and honey, and a wheel of soft cheese in the buttery..."

"Any more of that spiced sausage?" Mercutio asked eagerly.

Romein blinked. The half sausage that had been on the table only a moment ago was already gone. "I'll go get another," he said. For a well-fed Mercutio would be more inclined to be polite to Lady Julia when she arrived.

When he'd laid a veritable feast on the table before Mercutio, and swallowed a few bites for himself, Romein headed for the stable, to harness the pony cart. This would be a long day.