The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold Read Online Free PDF Page B

he was there for security on a ship. Alec led Walnut down to the riverside, inquiring at each slip whether the boat was bound for Stronghold. As luck would have it, the slip furthest upriver was occupied by the ship he sought, the Current Rider .
    Holding Walnut’s reins he hailed the ship from the dock. “Is the capain available? I spoke to Consum about providing a sword for the ship in its journey to Stronghold, and I’d like to see the captain.”
    A stevedore on the deck of the ship replied. “The captain’s not on board; he’s with Consum now. You can talk to the mate first, but you’ll still have to wait for the captain, and the mate’s just come on board so you might as well wait and give him time to settle in.”
    Alec stood, unable to decide whether to be patient, or to go back to Consum’s office and call attention to himself. As he stood there, a man came out of the cabin door on the upper deck of the ship. The man was Parlton, the man he’d previously fought in a tavern.
    “Alec, what are you doing on the docks?” the tall man asked in a friendly tone.
    “ I told you I hoped to have a job lined up. The proctor here told me I could be a swordsman on the ship going to Stronghold. What are you doing here?” Alec replied.
    “ I’m the mate on the Current Rider . I’ve worked for Natha for fifteen years and they asked me to work on this ship for the first trip back into Stronghold,” Parlton explained. “If it’s up to me, I’m awfully glad to have your sword onboard for the trip. The captain’ll be here before noon, and we’ll get you squared away then.”
    Alec thought about the amount of time that gave him to visit the bank. “I’ll go into town and be back in a little bit then. Is it sure that I’ll get a bunk on-board?” he called from the quay. He saw Parlton’s nod, and grinned. “See you in a little while.”
    He led Walnut to the gate out of the yard, then mounted and rode across town to his bank, feeling pleased to know that Parlton would be onboard the ship with him. Despite having fought the man, Alec liked him and felt he would be a friend among the crew. At the bank Alec spoke to the manager, a woman, the first woman Alec could recollect serving as an officer in the banks he had visited.
    “ I have an account that I haven’t used for some time. I need to withdraw a large amount of money,” Alec explained.
    “ How much is a large amount?” the woman asked cautiously.
    “ Probably fifty golds, if that’s acceptable,” Alec replied. “I’m going on a long trip, and I’ll need money for rooms, food, fodder, supplies, and everything else.”
    The blond woman’s round face grew amused. “I think we can handle 50 golds, if you’ll just provide the code entry and sign here. Your account is so large I was afraid you might take out a really large amount and use up all our available cash!”
    Alec blinked, and thought about the woman’s words as he completed the papers. He had never imagined a bank running out of money! He wondered how large the account had grown, with all the healing water profits that were regularly deposited in the account for him.
    “ Don’t you know?” the banker asked hencredulous tone when Alec asked how much was in the account. “You’re one of the largest depositors the bank has in the whole Dominion.”
    “ I just haven’t had much need for money lately,” Alec said lamely. He was shocked by the amount she had told him. “Can I take out fifty more golds?”
    With a quiet chuckle the woman deftly altered the paperwork, then left Alec to gather up his funds. When she and an assistant returned with the heavy leather sacks, Alec tried to pick them up, and realized that he wouldn’t be able to carry them far.
    “ On second thought, can I redeposit fifty of these? I can’t carry all of this,” he admitted sheepishly. “And could you deliver these for me?” he asked, proffering the bundle of letters he wanted to send on their way across