Island Empire - A Warlock Alone Part2

"Our firm will be able to do this, we have offices in several locations throughout the Empire. I personally do not have expertise in such matters, but as it happens one of our best settlement negotiators is in this office just now. He is a native of the Wheelands. Let me see if he would be interested in your case."

The young dwarf steps out for about ten minutes and returns with a man of late middle years. The human is tall and handsome with a sleek physique. He has salt and pepper hair with a graying van dyke beard and mustache. He is dress in a impeccable suit no doubt custom made by one of the finer tailors in the Capital. He enters gracefully and shakes your hand warmly. "Ah fleet Captain Stormwarden, it is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Gaspar dePettiebone, esquire. My friend here has been telling me of your difficulties in Tregere. I shall be happy to resolve this for you. I am sure we can find an accommodation with the local nobility. Tell me a little about what it is you wish to accomplish on Tregere. What are your goals and priorities. With that information I can begin to form a strategy that will deliver what you want." Michael finds himself captivated and suddenly at ease with this smooth stranger. It is instantly clear why this man is such an effective negotiator, he oozes charm and poise from every pore. "Please, let us move to a more suitable room and get you something to drink..." The expensive cut of the man's suit and the impressive collection of gems set in his gold and platinum rings suggest that this man will not come cheap. He leads you to a comfortable sitting room with overstuffed leather furniture and fine carpets under foot. A discrete bar is near the fireplace. He looks at the collection of expensive labels and tsks, "this will never do, Mortimer my dear fellow, could you please ask my secretary, Ms. deMar, to bring a decanter of Dueybein and a fresh folio for the Captain's case? Thank you." In moments an attractive young woman also very well dressed brings in the decanter of ancient premium brandy and a fine kidskin folio in red. It has already been labeled in gold ink "Fleet Captain Michael Stormwarden--Tregere." He pours you a snifter of perhaps the finest brandy available and offers you a seat in a leather wing chair. He opens the folio and takes a silver fountain pen from a vest pocket. "Now Captain, where shall we begin?"

Thinking to himself, , Michael will take a drink before explaining his problem. "Really it is very simple sir, I wish to make Tergere into my home base for the supply, repair and perhaps even construction of my ships. In addition to the port facilities for my own ships, I hope to be able to offer competitvie pricing for minor repairs and even on occasion a complete overhaul of ships in the area. In addition to the dry dock area there is going to be warehousing space capable of storing well over 1 million tons of cargo either on a long term or short term basis. While my ships will conduct primalry cargo runs to and from the warehouse to the major ports for transhipment we will have several independent captains searching for cargos that we can buy chead and then hold until their value increases. Then to support this all, i have made arrangements for fowl and livestock to be raised so as not to strain the local capabilites as well as provide my ships with a steady source of reliable provisions." taking another drink he goes on..
"To date I have made more or less piece with the local lizardchieftian and with the toad people on the island. In addition I have a working relationship with some of the human plantation owners etc. The area we are rehabing was desereted and abandoned during the plague years, and we are trying to transform it into something profitable for all..."

Gaspar

After a sip of the very fine brandy Gaspar dePettiebone sets aside the notes he has been taking and leans back resting his elbows on the arms of the chair and tenting his fingers while contemplating. "Very interesting. On the face of it I should think the local nobles would welcome your development. Your use of the 'locals' and working closely with them might be distasteful to some on Tregere, but it doesn't justify this level of disruption of your work." He looks pointedly at Michael appraising him carefully before asking, "I must ask an indelicate question, for I can only see two obvious reasons for the willful disruption of your work. Did you while on Tregere do anything that might have personally affronted some of the local nobility?"

"We did throw a celebration for my crew and the locals who had helped and we did invite many of the local nobility but they had snide comments etc.....I did more or less storm the local lizardchieftians hall to rescue my then Captain of Marines but later we came to more or less peacable terms....and there is a considerable sum of money that is being invested but it has gone more to the locals than the nobility and while we were there some monster killed a local lord which created an uproar............but other than that I have tried to be fair and blanced in all the dealings....

"Oh for certain that happened and I will admit I did wish it to happen to a certain extent. The nobels behavior towards non-humans was anything but noble." Michael says and then takes a drink "But then again that is one of my faults I can not tolerate ignorance in people who proport themself to be educated.....you take an individual as they are not as their outershell portrays them to be."

Gaspar digs deeper

"I see, that would certainly not be the prevailing attitude in the outlying areas of the Wheelands such as Tregere. Did anything else happen? Nothing in your business dealings which might have upset the plans of the nobles? And tell me more about the monster attack on the noble. Your construction, was it believed to have stired up some ancient evil something like that?"

"Let's see what may I have done to upset the local nobility" Michael says "I signed a long term contract with several of the tobacco plantions that more or less give me control for the next 5 years with an option to renew of some of the finest tobacco grown and cigars produced......I have hired most of the available local labor to work for me at fair wages....I have given small farmers a chance to prosper by offering to buy their surplus chickens and livestock as well as produce....The attack on Lord Contrail i know very littel of other than it occured while he was tranversing a swamp in his small boat while out on some errand or traveling back to his home....I thought it best to not inquire to much about it as the nobility was upset....And NO the construction is occuring away from the swamp on previous built upon land."

"Well, we should be able to put a stop to the worst of their legal foolery. I don't know that we'll be able to completely prevent them causing problems, but I am confident I can set much of it right if there aren't too many other circumstances we don't know of yet." He refills your drink before going on. "Now as to fees, you do realize I will have to travel to Tregere with at least two assistants and that I will have to remain there wrangling with their courts and negotiating for some days, perhaps weeks. You are aware no doubt this will command a rather substantial hourly fee as well as retainers and travel expenses..."

Lawyer

With a slight smile Michael will comment "Well of Course but I imagine it will be cheaper in the long run to do it your way rather than knocking a few heads.........what will your fee bee"