Once Eleonora and Hudom had quickly introduced themselves, I told Street Rat the concept of my incense, and that I was looking to hire people to make them for me.
“Why don’t you ask the chimney sweepers?” he suggested without missing a beat.
“Chimney sweepers?” I repeated.
“Your main concern’s for the health of the folks making them. You want people who can work without breathing in the crushed bark...even better if they can watch after the kids that will mold the incense from the powder. Every chimney sweeper knows that breathing in soot or ash will get them sick. It’s second nature for them to make sure they don’t—should be easy for them to work under your conditions. Lots of them apprentice kids because a lot of chimneys have crannies that need small hands to clean. On top of that, chimney sweepers usually can’t work in the winter when everyone’s using their fireplace. They’ll be eager for extra work then.”
“That sounds like a great fit to me. What do you think?” I asked Eleonora and Hudom.
“They do meet all of our criteria.”
“If they have the skills we’re looking for, I’d interview a few of them and see how it goes.”
That was good enough for me. We would be bringing this project to the chimney sweepers of Gimul.
“You’ve decided already? I can spread the word to them, if you like,” Street Rat suggested.
“Well... I’m going to be in the Sea of Trees for a while, and we still have to prepare the workspace. Could you tell them that a plan is in the works? I’ll hold off on officially advertising positions.”
“Yessir. Everyone knows your generosity. One word from you, and people will flock anytime.”
“That’s reassuring. Well...these are for your help today—just something I had on hand. Will these be enough?” I produced two large bottles of white liquor and a loaf of bread left over from breakfast. After seeking out his advice and services, I wondered if I’d shorted him...until his face crinkled into a smile.
“More than enough, I’d say. Thank you.”
“I’m glad. I’ll come find you if anything else comes up,” I said.
“I’ll be looking forward to your business.” With that, Street Rat vanished around the corner of the alley. It seemed like a tip broker to keep the small talk to a minimum.
“One step closer to mass-producing incense,” I remarked.
“You also wanted to make hexed ropes and wish bracelets, right? Do you have another workforce in mind?” Hudom asked.
“Jeff had said that weaving the ropes isn’t a job suited for the children of the slums, so I’m thinking of sourcing slaves. When I had business with the Moulton Slave Trading Company, they told me that I could rent slaves rather than buy them relatively cheaply. If I could rent someone who’s worked on farms before, that would be best. I’d have to work based on their schedules, so I won’t pursue that until I return from the Sea of Trees.”
“Understood. I will have letters of initial contact ready,” Eleonora said. Without me needing to give her direction, Eleonora took the initiative to figure out what tasks had to be done, and she never jumped in with erroneous tasks either—a mark of someone who was truly good at their job.
“Yes, thank you. As for the wish bracelets, I was going to ask the children of the orphanage attached to the church. The older children already sell trinkets they made themselves. The wish bracelets should be simple enough for the younger ones to make. Right now, I don’t need too many of them, so I’d be happy if they made them just in their spare time. If it looks like I’d need more, I can always ask the children of the slums.” The reason I’d come here first was to try and avoid the morning rush hour out of consideration for Street Rat. It was about the time church service would have ended for the morning.
We went to the church and pitched the idea to Sister Belle. Surprisingly, she agreed without hesitation. “Your donations helped us keep a roof over the children. However, every orphan eventually leaves the nest. If they could take even a little bit of money they’d earned themselves... Having some kind of nest egg to start their new life can make a world of difference in boosting their confidence.”
Donations had strict rules on how they could be allocated, and sending off children with a starter fund for their new life wasn’t approved. So, the orphans made and sold trinkets to save up some money in preparation for when they set out on their own. After explaining all that, Belle thanked me profusely, which showed me how much she loved these children.
The topic shifted to how much I would pay for each wish bracelet. Thanks to Hudom, who had a knack for negotiations and fine-tuning figures like this, Belle and I agreed on a number that we were both happy with.
“Thank you for that, Hudom,” I told him.
“I admire your talent for negotiation,” Eleonora chimed in.
“Both parties were eager to settle a contract, and there were hardly any points of contention, except that you knew how much the wish bracelets could sell for once you hex them and didn’t want to lowball the orphans. Belle, on the other hand, didn’t think that making too much money too easily would benefit the children in the long run. I’d hardly call that a point of contention.”
“Still... I’ve seen too many negotiating tables turn ugly. Sometimes, it felt like a miracle that no one was killed,” I said.
“What in the world were they negotiating over?” Hudom asked.
I chuckled. “It’s about time for lunch. Why don’t we find a place to eat?”
“Okay, I won’t pry. I heard from a regular at the laundry shop that there’s a new restaurant down the road from here—a little pricey but it’s supposed to have great food. Do you want to try it?” Hudom asked.
“Sounds like a plan!” I said.
“I will join you,” Eleonora added.
Our stroll through the heart of the city continued.