[Happy, Home]

  “Rose, I want you to know that Paula, Nim and I teamed up on a business venture.”

  “Is this the surprise you mentioned to me a while back?”

  “Yes, we’re going to have a grand opening party tomorrow night just for friends and family. I was hoping that you could make time to come.”

  “Lu, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  “Thanks Rose. I’m going to run down and invite Sparky. It was his idea after all.”

  “Sparky wanted you all to open a brew pub?”

  “No, I think he had more of a restaurant in mind because he mentioned giving away free food. When he expanded the magical field for Salome and Ruby, the field also covered about twenty five percent of the building, so he recommended to Paula that she buy it before someone else got a free magical upgrade. Paula loves Nim’s dwarven ale, so she thought of the brew pub and asked Nim if she was interested. When Nim said yes, Paula came to see me at the Jack in the Green. She wanted to keep it a secret to surprise everyone, that’s why I didn’t talk to you about it before.”

  “Yes I remember, you said you had to keep it a secret, and I said if it makes you happy go for it. The only thing is, I’ll really miss our nights together.”

  “No you won't, that's the best part, we open at eleven and close at five. Nim mentioned selling a breakfast soup so we’ll probably start opening at eight or nine and still close at five. We’ll rent it out at night for events.”

  “Lu, that’s great I’m so glad. I want to spend more time together, not less. Now is there anything I can do to help, tomorrow night or for the business itself?”

  “No thank you Rose I think we planned out for every contingency, and the magical field works just like in the bakery. Water and all the ingredients never get used up so we’ll easily be able to feed people who can’t afford to pay, while still making a profit on those that can.”

  Lu looked so good in her suit, but the top hat tipped jauntily to the side really spiced up the whole look for me and reminded me of why I’d fallen in love with her to begin with. I’ve got to get her to wear that hat to bed tonight.

  “Alright junior apprentice, what the heck are you daydreaming about?”

  “I’m not daydreaming, I was just trying to gather my thoughts.”

  “Well, gather them on the way to get my breakfast, take this drawing of Opals of the book store and hang it in the kitchen of the bakery. Then get my three dozen donuts and don’t dawdle.”

  “Yes, Sparky.”

  It was a crisp but sunny walk to the bakery. Maz and Groucho were off with McCracken and Gigi, we were having a party celebrating Lu, Paula and Nim tonight. Nim and Eldara were actually getting along well. Lu said that Eldara went out of her way helping Nim make her beer recipe a larger yield. Life was pretty great in Wyldwood, right now. As soon as I passed into the teahouse’s magical field, that crispness gave way to cozyness. Salome came rushing over.

  “So did Lu tell you?”

  “About the brew pub you mean, Yes and I think it’s wonderful. At first I was worried that she was going back to working nights, but when I heard it was only open during the day I was thrilled. Lu deserves it. She works so hard and she’s constantly thinking of others. Plus she has great partners so I think it’s going to be a huge success just like your teahouse is. Will I see you there tonight?”

  “Yes Ruby and I are working, Paula even bought us matching uniforms. Wait till you see them.”

  “I was instructed not to dawdle, he must be extra hungry today, but I’ll see you tonight, Salome.”

  “Bye Rose.”

  I went into the bakery and for a change it was empty.

  “Welcom… Hiya Rose.”

  “Hi Paula, congratulations on the new business, are you still going to work here or are you just going to work in the brew pub.”

  “No, I’m staying right here, my dream is to be a baker, not a brewer besides we have the best brewer this side of the Mithril Mountains. I just bought the building because Sparky urged me to, and to use some of that money you gave me, which I still have ninety percent of.”

  “Well I’m thrilled, I’ll get to see Lu, at lunch time, and thank you for closing at five.”

  “Closing at five just makes sense to us, we don’t want to deal with drunken customers. We have a strict ban rule in place after three strikes and our aim is to sell or give away as much soup as beer. That’s why soup comes before ale on the sign, getting installed today, “Hot & Cold Magical Soup and Ale”.

  “Is there anything I can do, for the business or bring tonight?”

  “No, just come and enjoy yourself, you are always taking care of everyone, for once let us take care of you. Is that one of Opal’s drawings in the frame?”

  “Yeah, Sparky sent me to hang it in the kitchen.”

  “Come on I’ll help you hang it, even if you did bring that simian casanova to steal my girlfriend. I’ve nothing else to do. The teahouse stole all of the customers today.”

  “Okay, thanks I have no idea why Sparky wants it, hung here in your kitchen. It’s a good drawing, I’d rather have it in my library where we could actually see it. But wizards are just a bit odd are they.”

  “Thank you for your opinion junior apprentice, why did it take you an hour to get to the same spot the senior apprentice and I got to in five minutes.”

  “Well it’d be rude to not say hello to people.”

  “Say hello or meddle?”

  “I was saying hello, I did not meddle.”

  “Well, to be fair Rose, you did offer to help with the brewpub.”

  “Hey, Paula, you are supposed to be on my side.”

  “Sorry Rose.”

  Sparky ate a donut and pointed at the wall and we hung the picture.

  “Senior apprentice please complete your drawing please.”

  “Yes, Sparky.”

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  “Junior apprentice, do you have my donuts?”

  “Not yet Sparky.”

  “Please retrieve them, we'll be leaving momentarily. Paula could Rose please borrow the hammer and have a few nails, she’ll return them at lunchtime.”

  “Sure Sparky”

  Paula handed me the hammer and a dozen nails which I put in my pocket. Then a box with three dozen donuts and a bag with two sweetbuns for Opal and I.

  “Guinea pig, hand me the donuts, and touch the picture.”

  The picture was now glowing.

  “Hey is this a portal?”

  Sparky nudged me, so I wound up touching the glowing drawing, then I was standing in front of the counter at Enigmatic Parchments, half a second later Sparky and Opal were standing right next to me.

  “Wonderful job, senior apprentice. I think someone who has kept us waiting should make the tea, don't you?”

  “Yes Sparky”

  So I made the tea and ate my sweetbun.

  “Alright Rose how many hours will it take you to walk home, can you possibly make it past the gate guards without solving a crime for them do you think?”

  “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  “Good, please take the senior apprentice, she knows just what to do.”

  So Opal and I set out for home, carrying two framed drawings.

  “So sweetie are you looking forward to the party tonight?”

  “Yes, Rose, Ruby is working, she even has a uniform.”

  “Lu will be working too, so you’ll have to keep me company okay?”

  “Okay Rose, I will, Ruby told me Ilina and Ryan will be there too, so you can sit with us.”

  “Thank you honey, so why do we have two drawings at the tower?”

  “One is for Sparky’s library and one is for our library.”

  We got to the gate and Ruby and I waved to Nora. Then we got back to the tower and we went into Sparky’s library first. I hung the picture and Opal finished the drawing. The picture glowed with a golden magical field.

  “Should I test this one now, Opal?”

  “Sure, Rose.”

  I touched the drawing and was standing in front of the counter. Sparky looked up from his book.

  “Rose, which one is this?”

  “This is yours, I’ll go back and hang the other and we’ll be back soon.”

  I headed for the door.

  “Rose, wait. Where are you going?”

  “Back to the tower, to hang the other picture I just told you.”

  “Why are you walking?”

  “How else am I supposed to get there?”

  “Take a look in the back room, you are occasionally a smart young woman, see if you can figure it out but don’t keep Opal waiting she’ll worry she ported you to another dimension.”

  I went into the back room, hanging on the wall were three drawings each a little bigger than the size of my hand, I touched the drawing of Sparky’s library and I was standing in front of Opal.

  “Well this is certainly going to be convenient when it’s raining or snowing, don't you think, thank you, Opal, for all the hard work.”

  “Your welcome, Rose.”

  We hung up the last drawing, Opal finished the drawing, activating the magic and we jumped through the pictures, back to the bookstore.

  Lu was already gone to the pub before I got home from work so I told Opal to hurry and take a bath and get dressed in something nice, while hurried in to take a bath and get dressed myself. I really hope tonight goes well for Lu. She can be so hard on herself and I don’t understand how she can not see how perfect she is. She has a pair of terrific partners as well.

  Opal was ready before me but being the sweet heart she is,didn’t call me out on it. Soon enough I was ready and starting to walk down the stairs. But Opal called out to me.

  “Aren’t we going to use the drawings, Rose”

  “Yes, honey I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  We went through the drawings to the store.

  “Rose, what are you doing here? We're closed.”

  “Yes EG, we’re just passing through.”

  Opal and I walked to the pub from here, I didn’t want to jump to Lily’s kitchen without her permission, when she’s not open. We arrived quickly enough. The new sign was up and glowed within the magical field. It looked lovely. The smell of soup hung in the air, along with wood fire that was blazing in the fireplace. The inside looked even better than the outside.

  Lu sat up on the one person stage, singing Songs of Old, leading into Lily’s song. Ruby and Salome walked around offering hors d'oeuvres in French Maid uniforms. I wondered if Paula had jumped to Earth for them.

  “Rose, there is Ilina and Ryan. Can I go sit with them?”

  “Sure honey, just stay inside alright?”

  The Burgomaster walked over to me and said.

  “Hi, Rose, it’s good to see you, now we both have partners who are business owners. We’ll have to work hard to keep up.”

  “Yes Arthur, I’m very proud of Lu as I’m sure you are your wife.”

  “Nim has really come alive since meeting you and your friend’s Rose. She’s always been an excellent brew master but she never shared her brews with anyone until she brought that keg to your bookclub. Now that she found a new springwater source her newest batches are the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  “I haven’t tried the new dwarven ale yet, it’s a little too strong for me, last time I drank it, I only finished half a glass, and I fell asleep at the table.”

  Arthur laughed. “Maybe you should try the IPA, it has a nice light flavor and is much lower in alcohol. I’ll get you one.”