Birb flapped and squawked. "No, Vonn. We keep putting off the flying machines!"

The little oriole had barely been able to say a word to anyone when they first met, and now she was claiming veto power? Vonn fumed. "The sound machine makes sense. I want to demonstrate higher quality worksmanship and try sending recordings south to Firefern."

Tazo said, "It's not Firefern you want hearing them, is it?"

Vonn had figured that getting other people around the Centaur's workshop to hear the sounds of Shieldpoint would be a side benefit. But that was a proper business reason. "If we did build another plane, what would we do with it?"

Birb spread her wings defiantly and looked up at him. "It's been almost half a year since the first flight. Do you really not care about repeating that? Or was it enough to make just one and get bragging rights for you and Tazo?"

"That's not fair. We put that plane in the air because we had an urgent need."

"Feathermites! That's not why you started work on it."

Which was true. The idea of flying across the Starry River had been a childhood dream of his... or rather, of old-Vonn. In a sense he'd laid a ghost to rest by making the real thing happen. The project had pulled his team together and proven the value of the knowledge he carried. So could he now check a box on his to-do list and consider flight to be just another thing to putter around with in between making a dozen other projects?

This was the Rising World Company, not the Miscellaneous Device Company. He might be this world's Edison, but that man had made himself famous for one invention in particular, and arguably not even his most important one. And since he'd lost the ability to work in quiet anonymity, he needed people to be amazed in order to get and keep their support. "Come for the airplane, stay for the machine tools."

He turned back to Birb and said, "Fine. It won't be ready for the festival, but we can do it. Everyone, should it be another true airplane next, or the idea we discussed with a propeller-powered balloon boat?"

They conferred. Their current workload of ordinary Smith work might make the complex control systems of a plane tough to do this month, but the real decider was the propeller. They all wanted more practice with those and there was an obvious market for putting them on riverboats. It was also a prudent step back from the cutting edge, the just-barely-possible feat of a winged craft, for now. So the progression would be a new engine driving a boat, then a lighter boat plus balloon. Vonn said, "Order the balloon cloth today, if you can. Make sure Selen gets in on this to share credit."

Birb saluted.

#

Before the cloth order even reached Grandbridge, Ralator sent twin Kobold apprentices, nearly identical in glittering ember-red scales. They were older than Vonn and Tazo at age nineteen, but bowed in unison. One said, "In one year, we plan on our fourth Engineer level."

The deference embarrassed Vonn. "What are you now?"

"Craftsman and Mage. We haven't done any levels this season yet, so we want to convert from Craftsman."

Tazo read a letter of recommendation they'd brought from Ralator. "All right. Where will you be living, anyway? If you're desperate there's our hangar, which at least blocks the wind and has some privacy."

"We rented a room by the docks."

In Urika's absence, Ashfall had moved into the company's largest bedroom, so she was moving up and was effectively the town's best Smith.

Vonn had gotten their names but already lost track of which was which. "Welcome aboard. Let's show you the basics of our tools and safety gear, and have you build something. If you can afford the materials we'll show you how to make good quality tools of your own."

One Kobold said, "I'm sure the second set is easier to make than the first."

"Definitely." Vonn mimed tugging at his boots. "Pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps is tricky."

That same cold afternoon, Baron Bogstep's main Engineer showed up from across the river. "I was hoping to look at the latest engines, maybe make a few parts."

"Come in. What does our lord have you doing?"

"Maintaining those pumps. The swamp water's a foul drink for them. I also have an order for a gun like your weapon."

"The wind gun works best with the Well of Energy power, which I can only use about once a week. So that's an engine or a gun. Or you can practice making everything but the key part, first."

The Baron's man nodded. "I'm due for a possible level now, so this would be a good project to get the chance of earning the Well power myself."

"If you do, we might hire your services."

Tazo pointed out, "Remember your Chief Engineer power? We can copy your abilities. Or at least Birb and I can; I doubt the others count as part of your group right away. So that means faster production of pressure tanks."

"Oh, right. That was the point of it. While we're on the subject of pressurized air tanks..." Tazo was giving him a look. "Okay, I'll talk about the underwater breathing idea later."

While Vonn was getting the visitor started, that experienced delver party showed up. "Thought we'd stop by," said their spiky-haired Human leader. "We've been visiting a dungeon in the east and decided to give this one another shot. Any news on it?"

Vonn looked the group of six over. "Glad to see you're all still alive. We've reached some kind of balance where the western mine is operating, but the monsters get close enough to town that the outlying farms are having trouble. The Baron has a few people posted to drive them off, at an annoying price. He's hoping that the tavern will attract people like you to do the defense work."

Polestar was hanging around trying to be useful. "I'll go with you if you don't mind. I don't think anyone's gotten through the third level of that place, still."

"That bad?" said Spikes. "But yes, I'd be glad to have you along."