Exploitable Weaknesses by Brian Keller (best interesting books to read txt) 📕

He arrived in the Ruins without incident and immediately searched for Rukle. Upon finding him, he quickly brought the conversation to his intended topic, “Collections will be starting again within a couple of days. Pick which Journeyman you want to assist you, the others will be getting sent on Courier duties; two going north and two going west.” Rukle raised an eyebrow, “Just one?” Cooper nodded, “That’s all we have. I won’t send one out alone, nor do I want you going alone. If you expect violence, handle it. If you expect more than two of you care to handle, I can join you but that won’t be a regular thing.” Rukle shrugged, “As long as you don’t mind a few folks getting roughed up, I’m sure one Journeyman will do. When do you need to know who I want to stay?” Cooper considered for a moment, “We’re moving everyone tonight, so I’ll want to know sometime tomorrow. I’ll be sending out the Journeymen day after tomorrow, or the following morning at the latest, and they’ll need a little time to prepare. Time may start working against us, so we’ll need them back as quickly as they can manage.” Cooper turned to leave but then he added, “I’d like to talk with you, Loryn and Spen at the same time. When’s the best time for that? Lunch?” Rukle shook his head, “Dinner. We’re dividing our time between visiting the Houses, watching drugs sales and tracking the merchants back to storehouses or meeting places, and the occasional trip to the Dregs to check on the kids there. You know, those kids are doing a really good job of keeping an eye on that place.” Cooper nodded in agreement and replied, “We can probably relax the surveillance on that house. We know where it is and what they’re doing. As long as they don’t vacate the place and move elsewhere, I’m satisfied with what we know. Feed them again, and send them back to their normal activities.” Rukle seemed satisfied with that answer but added, with a grin, “They’ll probably meet that news with mixed feelings. Some of them have grown accustomed to watching that house. A return to begging and theft might seem like a step down.” Cooper answered, “Well, keep the most promising ones in mind. The same goes for kids in Batter’s Field and the Waterfront. Once the reconstruction has progressed sufficiently, we’ll start classes again. They can start just like we did; learning to read, write and use numbers while copying our own textbook.” Rukle snorted, “Who’s gonna teach?” Cooper smiled, “Maybe someone we’ve rescued, or will soon rescue, or Mister Ysel, perhaps. There’ll be plenty of time before he needs to start an Etiquette class, even if we had a classroom for it.”

He occupied his time until dinner by observing the construction crews and looking at the work they’d done so far. He was pleased with the quality but at the same time he knew that no matter how much they’d completed, he’d always impatiently wish they could somehow be further along. At least one team of masons would be occupied for several days as they bricked in the forge. They had to be particular about the stone they selected and the mortar. It all had to be able to withstand the continuous heat or that labor would be for naught, and worse, more time would be lost in rebuilding it properly if it failed. Still, having a forge of their own would be critical in the months and years to come.

He found Birt and spoke with him about how they should manage the enticement of businesses to the Ruins, once they were prepared to receive them. Birt must have already been thinking about this, as he had an answer ready, “I don’t think we should even offer to sell any parcels, at all. We should only lease. The length of the lease could be negotiated with each merchant individually, but I don’t think any lease should exceed ten years in duration.” Cooper nodded, “I believe we’re both thinking along the same lines. Just consider some of the details and write down some examples; something based on a fixed lease, and something else based on a percentage of a merchant’s net profits. Mister Ysel has considerable skill with swindling coin from supposedly astute merchants. He can look over what you put together and make sure we’re protecting our interests, but still appeal to a business that’s looking to expand or relocate completely. We should be able to offer unbeatable terms and still come away wealthy.” Birt nodded, “We might even offer flexible rates, based on who pays for the reconstruction of the building. A merchant might handle his own reconstruction costs, and build to suit his own needs, and we could offer a reduced rate for the duration of the initial lease, since we’ve saved on the costs of rebuilding it.” Cooper placed a hand on Birt’s shoulder, “Exactly. I am happy to know this task is in capable hands.” Birt scowled, “Don’t patronize me.” Cooper withdrew his hand, “Actually, I wasn’t. You’re probably better suited for this than I am, especially considering that my mind has to be on other things right now.” Birt ducked his head, “Right. Sorry. I guess we’re all feeling a little pressured.”

At dinner time Loryn was smiling as she told him what the Dreg’s kids had seen, “They told me about a meeting that happened in the house they’ve been watching, and that they’d seen you following the men. You stopped and watched the house for awhile and left.” Cooper replied, “Well, it’s good to know for sure that they’re watching the place. Any chance that one of them was close enough to overhear what was being said in this meeting?” Loryn shook her head, “Nothing of any use. A few raised voices is all anyone reported.” He’d hoped to have learned more, but hadn’t even considered asking