A/N: unannounced hiatus is now over! I had to replot most of this arc after realizing what I had before wasn't enough. Also, real life happened.

Morey scratched his head in time with the reki loping along under him.

"Nal, you know you don't have to follow me literally everywhere, do you?" He glanced back and saw her reki right behind him. Still there.

Ever since the fight to free Zain's town, Nal had started this habit of staying next to Morey whenever she could manage it. He hadn't minded it at first, but he certainly had to suspect she was up to something. Probably at Amarante's instruction.

"It's fine, I don't have anything else to do," Nal said.

He glanced at her. She always had something to do, whether it was ISL organization or letters to the queen. Well, if she thought she had the time, then Nal could do what she thought best.

Nal continued following him all the way until they made camp, and even then she turned up again during the logistics discussion with Harlos over dinner. Instead of eating with the other girls in the Hero's party. Morey welcomed her insight but there really was no need for her to attend a routine report.

After Harlos had left and Morey was left with a cold bowl of piyo soup and a heel of hard bread, Nal just sat there, watching him.

"What happened, Nal? Why have you been following me?" Morey asked again. He didn't ask if it was because the queen told her to. Even if they both knew he knew of the queen's orders, they were pretending otherwise. For now.

Nal suddenly had that fragile look again. A subtle slouch of her shoulders, lines shifting on her cheeks and forehead, she didn't look much different. But he had seen rare glimpses of this ever since that time on the rooftop. It got a lot more often after she started following him like a lost puppy.

"I... Never mind, it's nothing," Nal said. Her throat moved then she unfolded from her chair and walked to the door. She hesitated, one foot just outside, head hanging. She was fighting herself, as if she both wanted to run away and stay in the tent.

"You're welcome to stay if you want. " The words slipped out before Morey could think about it. It could just be all an act, one more step she was taking to try to attract him. And it was working, Morey wanted nothing more than to go to Nal and take away her worries. To sooth her like she was the worried teen she looked like, not the knowledgeable and confident woman who he knew.

The Hero sat in his chair and ate his soup.

Nal stepped back in and looked down at the floor. She opened her mouth to say something then closed it, repeating the action a few times.

Finally, she seemed to screw up the courage to talk. "Morey. I... Will you consider an engagement? With me?" Nal's whisper was barely audible.

Morey put down his spoon and the half eaten piece of bread slowly, keeping his face neutral. The air in the tent was still and cold, fragile as glass. Considering an engagement was the Inath equivalent of dating, but not really. Not a binding agreement unlike an actual engagement.

Nal's face got darker and darker as the silence stretched on and Morey just looked at her. They had been dancing around each other for months, not willing to bring up the topic that hung over them. But she had asked first.

"Did the queen ask you to do this?"

Nal only flinched slightly but Morey could see his words cut her deeply. The mix of guilt, horror and who knew what else on her face was impossible to decipher but it made him feel guilty. Could she actually have feelings for him? Or was she the best actor Morey had ever seen? No, there was no way someone could train to become a spellstorm as powerful as her and still have time to learn to play a role better than a movie actor.

But no matter how sure he was, the issue of the queen's orders had made the possibility of trust very slim.

The spellstorm shook herself and tried to stand straight, but seemed to collapse into herself instead, as if her earlier fragility had shattered into a thousand pieces. Without a word, she turned and ran out of the tent, leaving only two sparkling drops soaking into the cloth flooring.

The Hero looked down at his soup, wondering if he had done the right thing.

"Cato~!"

The ridiculously cheerful voice slammed open the door to his office.

Cato, chairperson of the university, leader of Minmay industry and member of the Lesser Circle of Minmay Governors, managed to widen his eyes before a blast of colour flew over his desk, slammed into him and nearly tipped him out of his chair.

He slapped frantically at the thing and tried to lean forwards to keep his balance. One heartstopping moment later, his chair was back on a solid four legs again, before Cato could open his eyes and look at the person now sitting on his lap.

She was giggling like a madwoman.

"Landar?!" he managed to exclaim before the woman started to shake him by the shoulder.

"Cato, Cato, Cato! Let's go!"

Go? "Go where?" he stammered out as Landar leapt off the chair and pulled him to his feet.

"We can go anywhere, as long as you are there," she replied in a singsong voice, a huge smile on her face.

Cato let his eyes wander over her, looking for clues to the doppelganger that must surely have taken her body. Her hair was neat, luxurious even under the conditioner formula Cato could smell. Those loose Iris robes were not something Landar would ever wear while working on a magical project, they hid promises and accented curves that he didn't know she had. A slight scent of perfume? No, she had definitely dressed up.

Landar seemed to notice his gaze and leaned forwards with a coquettish smile, the robes tightening and showing the shape of her body. In fact, he had the strangest feeling that she was trying to seduce him.

Cato glanced at the report he had been writing, the page was torn where his pencil had been blasted away.

Perhaps he could... the awkward atmosphere was blasted away as Landar restarted her chatter, "look, look, I brought cake from the new shop and we can go enjoy them on that hill over the lake! It'll be great and we can watch the Little Night and it'll be so romantic and-"

She accompanied her twittering as she grabbed Cato's hand, pulling him out from behind the desk.

"No, Landar, wait, I have work. And you're not... you're behaving strangely," Cato's vision was suddenly filled with two dark eyes. Landar had stepped forwards, leaning into him at an almost kissing distance. Her eyes seemed to beg at him.

Oh well. The report could wait, he supposed.

Landar smiled like brilliant sunshine, a smile he had never seen on her before, and hopped off him onto the floor. She practically skipped away while pulling Cato along. "I'm perfectly fine! Wonderful! It's a great day!"

Landar casually scooped up the basket left outside the office door and stuffed it into his hands.

"Landar? Wait!" Cato could only scramble after her as she ran through the corridor then out of the university. This wasn't looking good, was Landar in one of those mania episodes? Her odd behaviour seemed to confirm that hypothesis but her mania episodes had always resulted in her making odd weapons or spells. And she was grumpy and single minded, not ridiculously cheerful and energetic.

He couldn't let her run wild through the streets, who knew what a mad alchemist could do if she decided tapping the university's magical power line was a good idea?

Heads turned as Cato chased her onto the street, only to see his worst fear coming to pass. Landar was standing in the street and eyeing the current of power that flowed through the steel pipes just beneath the cobblestone surface.

She giggled to herself, a tendril of magic reached through the ground and pulled. A bigger surge came back up. That wasn't supposed to be possible! The lines were magical density, not power! Did she just make a tap to convert density to power in the pipe?! Cato hurried up to the mad alchemist and opened his mouth to...

"Oh, there you are! Look, I have a brilliant idea for a spell!" Landar grinned at him and spread her arms upwards. Magic flowing from the underground pipe coiled around her and scattered into the air, dispersing without a spell boundary. Only it didn't, the magic in the air rippled, as if waving in an unseen wind and condensed into a rain of multicoloured shining droplets.

Liquid Light. Cato recognized the effect as he watched Landar bathe herself in a curtain of mesmerizing hues. The sticky droplets weren't very bright under the afternoon sun but it still gave her a halo that Cato could only describe as breathtaking.

The performance lasted only for a few long seconds before Landar's clear high laughter broke the spell. The people around the street clapped a little as she smiled back at them. It only took a few seconds before the stream of magic flowing from the university's pipe slowed and disappeared.

"Landar?" he asked hesitantly.

The girl just smiled back and then ran off giggling.

Wasn't that ominous? Cato took off after her, visions of fire and destruction playing in his head.

"Lan... dar!" Cato panted as he finally caught up. The slight sheen of sweat over her forehead and heavy breath told him she was much less tired than he was. You had to be fit if you were a knight, even if you were just an alchemist.

Where were they? Cato glanced around, seeing the outskirts of Minmay around the empty hill they stood on. Next to the city was the lake, placid and calm like the afternoon. Now if only crazy alchemists would actually have it be peaceful...

Said alchemist was grinning at him. Landar knelt on the grass and patted the spot next to her.

Why not. He sat down, still trying to catch his breath.

"It's a beautiful view!" Landar chirped beside him.

"What... what was that, Landar?"

Her chatter flew over his words as if she wasn't listening. She probably wasn't. "Don't you think so? The lake and the sun, it's a great day to spend time together!" Landar beamed.

The bright smile caught his eyes. The sunlight on her hair framed her head in a soft glow, reminding Cato of another time, when they were returning from an expedition.

No, he couldn't get distracted. "Not what I meant Landar," Cato sighed, "your behaviour is strange, are you having another episode?"

Landar just looked confused, "No? It's just a great day to be out and I want to spend it with you!"

Definitely an episode. She was never this forward. Still, he wasn't familiar with how she was acting, this episode didn't seem like any other bouts of creativity Landar had.

She crept nearer and leaned on his shoulder. And despite how nice that felt, Cato wasn't sure he wanted to take advantage of Landar's sudden change of behaviour. It felt too much like cheating.

And now that he had to time to see, Cato noticed that neckline on her robe-like dress was much lower than Landar usually wore it. It made him feel uncomfortable, and even more sure the Iris girl wasn't right in the head.

A glance back up met with her eyes and a slight smirk. She knew he was looking.

"So, you finally show interest! I wondered when you would do that," Landar's smug grin felt almost predatory.

A rising panic made him stammer awkwardly. "Ah, I didn't mean to..."

Landar just shushed him with a finger on the lips. "It's all right, now that I think about it, forgetting the sash is a good thing," she said softly, leaning toward's Cato, trapping him in her round eyes.

Their foreheads tapping together jerked him out of the mood. "Landar, wait!" he pushed her shoulder slightly and she slid back, disappointment clear on her face.

Cato tried to explain, "you're definitely not behaving right, Landar. You wouldn't do this if you-"

She cut his words off, her frown turning angry and gestures more energetic. "And? Do you only like me if I behave? What do you see when you look at me? Just another genius alchemist?"

"Landar, Landar," Cato caught her hands and spoke softly, remembering the warehouse during the riots, "Listen, the Landar I know is a smart and wonderful alchemist. You are a strong person who does not need me to tell you who you are. Since when has my opinion changed what you want to do?"

"I'm not changing myself to-" she trailed off as Cato raised an eyebrow at her robe. Then all of a sudden, her anger deflated like a pricked balloon. "But I'm not behaving strangely. I'm still me. I am still Landar, summoner of the Iris family, alchemist of Minmay University. I don't feel any different. "

The woman drew her legs up and hugged her knees, looking vulnerable and fragile. "But I remember researching spells. I remember what I was doing yesterday and I wasn't doing this. So who am I? Do I turn into someone else just because the me of yesterday is different from the me of today?"

She looked up at him with sad eyes, unsure of herself. "Do you not like me when I'm not behaving like myself?"

Cato couldn't explain why those eyes made him feel so guilty. But at some point, it had become a habit to speak the truth when they were talking about their relationship. "Landar. I will not say that I can trust and like you no matter what you do. That is a lie and you know it is. We all have a line somewhere, actions we cannot tolerate. I accept you as you are now, a brilliant inventor, a powerful summoner, and sometimes crazy woman. "

The sunlight shining in her hair danced as the remains of a smile tugged at her lips. Then they were both laughing at his poor joke, Landar subsiding into a quiet stillness more complete than she had ever shown.

"Thank you, I was being too dramatic there," Landar said calmly, "so Cato, when is our engagement?"

What. He could only sputter helplessly as she dissolved into giggles again. "I know, I know, it's too early," she said, "there are too many questions about Earth and whether you can ever go back. You're not sure about us. I know all of that. But still, let me give this to you. "

The alchemist reached into her robe for an inner pocket. Cato had to avert his eyes for that. Withdrawing a small metal bracelet, Landar deposited it into his hands.

It was a loop of flexible steel links, all polished flat plates with hinges on each side. One plate extended further from the rest, with yellow and red circles painted over it. And it glowed with magic, very strong magic.

"It's not traditional engagement jewelry but I thought something I designed would be best," Landar said, "when you are ready to ask, give it back and we will face my parents. Together. "

Cato could only stare at her mutely, fiddling with the bracelet in his hands. To put the decision on him, to leave it up to Cato to ask when he was more comfortable, that was a consideration he wasn't sure he deserved. But Landar was wonderful to be around and he didn't know of a better person. Just that the thought of asking for marriage seemed a bit too fast, even if it was just a promise and a one year waiting period.

"Well," Landar said lightly, despite the figurative weight of the object she had just given him, "there is yama cake and a nice day to look at the lake with, why don't we enjoy it?"

"Yeah, we should," Cato nodded. Cake sounded good. The bracelet and what it meant could wait.

So, Landar's short manic episode had finally calmed down without blowing up something or causing her to collapse? It was almost too good to be true. But then again, Landar's episodes never made her happy and flighty. Compared with the laser-like intensity of her usual creative episodes, this one made her approachable and sentimental.

He could live with that.

Hm? Wasn't those markings on the bracelet similar to the standardized markers for wands? Yellow was activation and red was output.

On hindsight, not pausing to think before activating a Landar-special was worthy of all the suicide awards in the world. Cato rubbed his thumb over the central yellow circle and watched as the enormous firebolt rocketed out of the bracelet. It blew a crater the size of a tree into the peaceful grassy hill.

He really should have known that a Landar episode would have come with a weapon, no matter how harmless she appeared to act.

Once the dust had settled and the disturbed cries of the birds had quieted enough for him to hear himself think again, Cato turned to the woman who might or might not accidentally kill him if he tried to ask for her hand. She was still quietly unpacking the cake from its paper box.

"Landar?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you feel the need to turn the engagement bracelet into a weapon?"

She at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "It felt like a good idea at the time?"

"Landar!"

"Oh my. "

Kupo swung her door open to let the three guests in. Their distinctive white and red hats marked their identity as members of the Pastora. And, she glanced at the sleeve, the triple line badges meant high ranking ones.

"Please, come in," Kupo stepped aside and showed them into the waiting room of her clinic. Good thing today was a slow day, no one was waiting.

"Thank you," the woman in front said, "I'm Xie, healer third rank, these are my colleagues, Rie and Zat, also third rank. Apologies for appearing unannounced. "

The three of them glanced around the room. Cloth padded benches arrayed around the walls surrounded the central open floor where thick cloth beds lay. The beds had wooden poles on either side for lifting, a simple and expedient device that had been designed to slot into the trolleys parked in the corner. The floor itself was scrubbed spotless and tiled with a smooth ceramic for easy cleaning.

Cato had gone all out to make a sanitary environment, almost obsessive in Kupo's opinion no matter how his germ theory had proven correct. Still, it wasn't her money and if Cato wanted to donate she wouldn't decline.

"What is this?" the other woman named Rie was looking at the water dispenser at the side of the waiting room. The cast iron barrel that held the water was enchanted. "Enchanted water?" she asked skeptically.

Kupo glanced at the three, feeling a little annoyed at Rie. She hadn't even waited for Xie to say what they were here for, even though all present Xie and Zat were looking curious though and Zat was even stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"The barrel contains clean water for drinking and washing of wounds. Filtered then sterilized by disruption magic," Kupo explained.

The healers nodded at each other, eyeing the magical tap that connected the barrel to the wall where the enchanted steel pipe carrying high density magic ran. It was visible to magic sense right through the cement structure.

"Very interesting," Zat said, still stroking his beard, "I suppose you are wondering why we are here? The Order of Pastora has noted your reports with great interest. Maybe you will be glad to know that your collaboration with this otherworlder, Cato, has caused Pastora to reverse its policy on Ektal. "

Kupo could only raise an eyebrow. That disagreement ran deep and personal, most of the Pastora leaders disliked King Ektal after all. Zat merely glanced at Xie with a small smile.

The woman leading the trio of healers stepped forwards, drawing a cloth case from her pocket.

The ex-healer couldn't help but gasp. She knew that embroidery pattern, the white on red cloth of Pastora.

"Congratulations. For the advancement of medical knowledge and diplomatic services to the benefit of the Order, the Order of Pastora would like to present you with the badge of honourary healer, second rank. Would you accept?"

Her eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. The Order was giving her her original rank back! And they were phrasing it without the healer's oath?! Truly, they must really want her to return to not attach any conditions at all. Then Kupo noticed the open case. The badge had three lines, not the expected two.

"Um..."

Xie merely winked at her slightly.

"This healer humbly accepts the burden," Kupo said formally, still wondering why the badge was wrong.

"The Order of Pastora welcomes you," but instead of pinning the badge to her clothes, Xie just continued, "for exemplary services and experience, the Order of Pastora awards healer Kupo, third rank. "

This was completely unexpected. To suddenly regain her position and honour when Kupo had resigned herself to working with the university. And then to jump to the third rank, there were no higher ranks other than branch leadership.

While Kupo stood there, stunned, Xie picked up the small badge and pinned it to her shoulder sleeve.

"So, you are probably wondering why we are doing this," Xie said.

"A little," Kupo whispered back, "it seems too much. "

Zat answered for her, "we are here to discuss the establishment of a branch here in Minmay. We would like you to be a part of it. Your new rank is a recognition of your contribution and a necessity for the role Pastora would like to see you in. Specifically, the Order wishes to see you lead a special branch for the research into new healing arts. "

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Kupo raised an eyebrow.

"I was already doing this," she grinned, "you didn't need to bribe me. "

"But you'll accept anyway, right?" Zat's eyes were twinkling.

Kupo laughed, "yes, I will. "

The cry went up, tearing apart the peaceful sunlit afternoon like a gunshot.

"Nightcryers!"

This was immediately followed by a descending scream that was becoming despairingly familiar to the people at the fort. Sharp explosions dotted the landscape, throwing rock and shrapnel in all directions.

As the inhuman screams morphed into all too human ones, the nightcryers swooped out of their dive. Wingtips scraped the top of the scarred fortifications, as if mocking the puny humans below.

Then the spellcannons sparked to life. Magic flared and spat. Blasts of power traced gleaming paths upwards from the human defences.

The two flights of nightcryers were still climbing when the first spellcannon bolts swept past them. Thin webs of magic, gossamer strands sweeping ahead and around the bolts caught on wings and bodies. They broke and the bolts they were connected to swerved straight into the target nightcryers.

Spellcannons were merciless. Unlike human casters, they could fire as long as they had power. And unlike the zombies with their magic dissipating cloud, nightcryers were rather fragile. With no need to charge the sledgehammers the cannons were so famous for, they could fire near continuously. Streams of firebolts spat skyward, cutting through the flights and leaving only broken burning bodies behind.

The stragglers, a mere three, turned to wing back north, too high to effectively hit. Where they found a storm of wings rising to meet them. Elkas, with fire both in their eyes and in their guns.

"This is the second attack in a week! And in daylight too! Nightcryers never attack in the day!"

Erin glared at the final summary. The casualties were low, and damage to the sandbags was easily repaired. No one really thought the old stone wall was needed anyway, so who cared if it cracked a little? For two full flights of nightcryers, this was nothing.

A hand flicked her blonde braids back across her shoulder. Really, the biggest loss was the one tank of compressed magic and even that was nothing more than a handful of rimes. Not small but nothing to get worried about.

"Your point? I see nothing to get worked up about," Erin switched her glare to the Minmay man sitting in her office. His dark hair and general Tsarian features made him an obvious half, a physical divide between them paralleling the difference in their authorities. Ektal and Minmay, so much seemed to balance between them these days.

"The rate of attacks have been increasing, and the monsters are changing their behaviour," Denno said.

She just held his gaze, "the zombies developed a magic disruption aura. Your point?"

"Not this quickly and never like this," the man sprang up from the chair to pace, "we have received constant small attacks over the last two months. Groups of human zombies, wandering herds of zombie reki and piyo, a few flights of nightcryers. Before this, we had months between attacks, but each attack was an army, each one larger than before. "

Erin snorted. How was that supposed to be a problem? "So? Small groups are easy to kill. I for one think that's a good thing. We will use the time to prepare for the next army. "

"No, I think something has changed," Denno gestured vaguely, "we don't know why the monsters are doing this and I would like to find out. Perhaps it is time to stage that Elka expedition to find out what lies north of the Greater Sands. "

"Who knows why the monsters attack us? All we need to know is how to kill them," Erin snarled.

"What does it matter to you? If you're unwilling, Minmay will pick up the budget, I'm sure I can convince him," Denno said.

Erin's scowl only got worse, "the Elkas are key to the defence against nightcryers. We can't risk them on some expedition to nowhere. "

There was a pause as the commander from Ektal and the leader of Minmay's Special Effects stared at each other. This was not the first time they had clashed but Denno was not willing to back down this time. Not when this stiff knight commander couldn't see what needed to be done. It was obvious to him that finding out what drove changes in the zombies was far more important than some fort, however strategic it might be. It was equally obvious to her that reducing the number of flyers in a time of increasing attacks was ill advised.

"I'm not in your chain of command," he said slowly, "and the Elkas owe much to Minmay and Cato. "

Her eyes narrowed, "you wouldn't dare!"

"We will see. "

Denno left the commander to fume in her office, pondering how many Elkas would be needed for a long range expedition and how much food and water they could carry.

"And so we grant you the title of Chancellor. "

The girl slumped slightly in her seat, recalling the formal event that had turned her peaceful life upside down.

As the second daughter of Aldar and not in the line of succession, she was doomed to have been married off to some wealthy merchant or a mayor's son. Not that she minded having such a life, that was just the way things worked.

Never in her mind did she expect to suddenly be pulled out from her cozy family home and sent all the way across the country and poured into the empty chancellor's seat. Duport had been a big bone of contention between all the other chancellors and Ektal, debated and pulled one way or another like Rekis fighting over a prized treat. It was an Issue, important and weighty. So why her?

The mayors of the country gathered in the full parliament had regarded her chancellorship with open surprise and suspicion. Rumours of how she had somehow seduced the king was the prevailing theory in court. Except that the young new chancellor was just as surprised to receive the post and certainly had nothing to do with it. Nor did she even want it! So why her?!

Someone had mentioned that this was all a conspiracy of Queen Amarante's but that was just crazy talk. As big as the Duport succession was in Ektal, she simply couldn't believe it would have attracted Federation attention.

"Chancellor Duport?" the knock on her door preceded her advisor opening it cautiously.

Duport stopped her spinning in the swiveling chair with a blush on her face. Thomas, her advisor, was her teacher of the arts when she was growing up and his disapproval at her antics still made her quail in her shoes. He was just about the only person she could trust in this place and he knew it. So even though Duport could technically have him fired and exiled from the state, Thomas knew she couldn't do it. Besides, she trusted the man no matter how he constantly reminded her of her childishness.

She quickly brushed her skirt into something less messy and sat up straight. "What did you need?"

"These are the financial and security summary reports for the last three years. You will need to know the basics and learn the customs of this seat before you can proceed. "

He pointedly did not comment on her wince as he drew out the sheaf of paper from the folder. The thickness was daunting, more than even her marathon homework session from a particularly nasty punishment. And this was just the summary?!

Duport sighed to herself and picked up the first page to read.

She didn't get more than five pages of money moving between the various towns and villages before she was completely confused. Thomas wasn't helping, he was busy with his own bigger stack on the desk to her right.

Again, her attention wandered down to the drawer next to her knee and the three letters inside. One each from Chancellor Minmay and King Ektal, both offering support, advice and whatever else she wanted or needed. And by Selna did she need the help. She just couldn't trust either of them to not manipulate her to their own ends and the previous Duport had met a bad end due to just such machinations.

And so Duport resumed reading, trying to become good enough at something she was never taught to do, and to perform in a role she had never asked nor wanted.

The third letter sat unopened and untouched. Any noble could recognize that impression on the wax, the Inath Royal Seal. Duport didn't dare read it.

Crazy talk, right?

"Cato! Cato!"

He looked up as the voice interrupted the meeting with the woman from the nail making company.

"Cato!" The runner stomped up to the door and flung it open, "message from the bank director. "

Hm? Sometime leader of the university took his message in stride and unfolded the paper to read. There was only one graph and a few statistics.

That was still enough to make Cato shoot out of his chair like a rocket. "Tinard," he addressed the woman, "I am sorry but our meeting will have to be continued later. I need some time to consider this. "

Her mouth twisted in dissatisfaction but interruptions like this were common for Cato. Although most of them tended to be the sort that could be heard from across the university grounds. Tinard gave him a nod and got up to leave.

Cato waited for a long moment to be sure she was gone before quickly scribbling out two pieces of paper and turning to the still waiting messenger boy from the bank, "here are two notes you will take to Minmay and the bank director. Speak to no one of this, your job and maybe your family's well being are at stake. "

The boy nodded severely and left.

It was merely a simple statistical projection. Based on the average amount of money each family earned and the total amount of deposits and loans of the bank, an estimate of the total amount of raw cash existing in Minmay city was made. Then a simple calculation based on the amount of goods being produced by the rapidly expanding companies and the recently lowered prices gave an estimate of the total value of goods being produced.

And despite the constantly lowering prices, or perhaps that was a symptom of the problem since Cato was quite hazy on economics, it was clear that the amount of goods that could be produced would soon exceed the amount of money available to pay for them. In other words, while everyone could effectively buy more and more with less and less money, there still wouldn't be enough money to buy everything. The paper towel company soon to start and Cato's own collaboration for borehole drilling might push the economy over the edge.

Goods sitting in shops because workers were still waiting for their paychecks. Companies couldn't pay each other when they simply didn't have the cash, but were clearly profitable and solvent. No wonder some of them had resorted to goods exchange agreements, Cato had suspected something strange was happening when the Greater Circle raised an issue of contract law that sounded suspiciously like a very fancy form of barter trade. They had complained that the bank didn't build up the deposits to grant loans quickly enough, fractional reserve banking was a big taboo with Minmay. Now he knew that it was just a symptom of a lack of currency.

And perhaps that would explain why the Central Territory and Duport seemed to keep losing money no matter how much they were getting richer themselves from the development of technology. It was flowing into Minmay, like water filling a hole.