Field Notes I

If I have to dodge that shit wizard on my way into the office one more time, I am simply going to give over all pretense and light his robes on fire.

I can make it look like an accident. It will be worth it.

Honestly, who uses wind-up birds to watch people anymore? Hire a raven like everyone else- there are so many of those bastards around it’s impossible to tell one if following you if you’re not paying attention. And the lurking ominously outside of my place of business is a bit. . . obvious, I feel.

It’s sad, really, that Darnas doesn’t think that he could just openly lodge a complaint against me, or even the newspaper, and would rather have me followed to and from work every day. Well. I hope he enjoys the sound of scribbling, because writing is all I do these days.

The ask column is still very young, but I feel it’s going well so far. We’ve gotten a solid response from our readership, and I think it makes the paper feel more personable. I am a little concerned about the fellow who wrote in about the noisy neighbor next door. It sounds like the Baywater necromancer to me, and that is not a situation I would want to live next to either. Poor things likely won’t ever get their pets back.

Maybe I’ll write to the Baywater Council, see if I can’t encourage them to be stricter with their districting laws. Or at the very least get their local watch to take a closer look at the property. Preferably before the crone is forced to take matters into her own hands.

We’ve just heard back from Mushroom Farmer Matthews with news that he’s accepted our interview request, so that will be the next week or so for me. He’s out past the far end of Wansborne- apparently the marshland out there is ideal for his fungi. It’ll take me at least four days to make the trip one way, so I’m planning to set out first thing tomorrow. I might even rent a lizard for the journey. I generally prefer to travel more sedately, but this is going to be a tight turn around.

Alternatively, I could sub in that interview with Mearapit and save Matthews for later. That could work. And then I could take my time getting out there, maybe stay and explore the fields for a while. And it’s marshlands, so I’d likely get to stretch my webbing skills. Haven’t done that in ages. I’ll raise it with Al when he gets back in office.

If Darnas thinks he’s peeved with me now, just wait until he reads on Mearapit. That’ll properly cork him off, might even to get him to do something egregious enough that I can sick the watch on him. Not that the Hamitsdown watch is much more of a help than the Baywater watch, but it’s something. It’s irritating to be followed around, but mostly because there’s only so much to be done about it. With any luck he’ll do something that leaves evidence, and I can finally take return action.

May have to burn this entry, though. Can’t have someone peeling it out to use as evidence of intent to actually light Darnas on fire (it was a Joke, lighting fires is a hazard in populated areas, his neighbors don’t deserve that, a Joke).

Other things I’ve got to talk to Al about this week- duties for the new interns, getting my travel to Gedira reimbursed, the Hibernaculum, and how bad I really would rather not be there. He’ll throw a fit about that one, but I’ll pitch it like it would be good experience for the interns. Maybe they can go together, do a joint piece or something.

The Hibernaculum always attracts a really large crowd of casters from all over the place, and, frankly, I’m not interested in dealing with them all at once. At least the recent conference in Gedira was mostly locals. Made it much easier to make sure my face was on for the right crowds. The Hibernaculum is too big. I don’t think it’s a good idea to risk it, no matter how great the street food is going to be. Maybe Al will same me some candied berries.

And, anyway, Al owes me for making me interview the shit wizard in the first place. He knows how I feel about summoners. Sure, there was no way he could have known exactly what kind of summoner Darnas was before I went and found out, but that didn’t make it suck less. Lights below, but finding that creature bound inside a bundle of sticks was so nauseating, it’s amazing I didn’t loose my lunch all over that pricks fancy leather chairs.

If it weren’t for libel laws and the reputation of The Holler, I would have trashed that man so publicly, his reputation would never recover.

If he keeps following me home, I still might.