Notes on another world - Day 11
They kept the cage.
Not to keep me in, I got a nice "guest" bedroom. In the library. In the basement. Under the watchful eye of Barb and Dusk. No, the cage was dissembled and stored in the store room just across the hall from me. The speed at which Dusk was able to disassemble the massive cage hinted at a skill in assembly I did not want to test.
My first day following the arrival of the Princes was largely spent trying to set some ground rules. The conversations were very calm and logical but left me feeling somewhere between a roommate and a free-range lab subject. I could go anywhere I liked and do anything I wanted as long as I didn't leave Ponyville, didn't hurt anypony, and paid for anything I broke.
I was also, under no circumstances, allowed to eat meat in the library. Dusk Shine kept muttering about how hard it was to get ponies into the library before there was a quote meat eating monster in the basement end quote.
Today I'm going to deal with the start of two separate tasks. The first is finding a semi-steady supply of money via odd jobs. To that end I'm going to check around town to see who I can help with what. The second is the first shipment of papers from Canterlot which should arrive on the evening train.
Tucking away my journal I tap imp on the shoulder and nod. A side effect of the translation spell he has is that I write in Equestrian as well as read and speak it. Good for filling out forms, bad for keeping secrets. The journal might be staying behind with Dusk, but even he is going to have a bit of trouble reading English
Imp flaps his wings lazily and lifts up from the table to land on my shoulder. "Where to boss? Ya gonna put your freaky non-hoof hands to some use around town?" He grins and waves his little fingers at me. "Maybe do some massage or handy-man work?"
"I doubt that I'm naturally better at massage than some ponies who have not only trained for years at it but also have a, what did you call it yesterday? Tramp stamp of destiny? Anyway, they have a cutie mark for it so I'm probably not going to upstage them. I'll check the spa later but my best bet there would be restocking towels and such. No I'm going to check around the market first."
"Ah don't know sugarcube," Applejack said eyeing me.
"Come on, I know I pulled in a crowd last time I was your crier." I begged, "I can do it again, and this time I know what I'm saying."
"Maybe, but the novelty would wear off soon and ah don't think ah could afford to pay you well." He looked over my shoulder and frowned. "Not to mention the bad publicity you got last time."
I look back to see a familiar pair of colts walking towards me. The pink one has a nasty smirk on his face.
"Look Silver Solder," He said, "The abomination is back and walking around without it's librarian keeper."
"I wonder if it ran away, Diamond Circlet," his grey friend replied, "Do you think we'd get a reward for bringing it back?"
"Maybe," Diamond responded, "But first, I want to teach it to address me properly." He walked up and waved at me. "Hey, stupid! Try and get it right this time." He poked me in the stoumach. "Abomination. Ah-bomb-inn-ay-shun. Say it right this time."
"Well I'd say the translation spell works perfectly Applejack." I say, watching the look of realization replace the smug grins on the bullies faces. "What do you think?"
"Ah think Ah'm going to have a chat with these two young colts about the way ponies ought to be treated." Applejack said, giving the two a hard look. Realizing that I wasn't going to add anything to this confrontation, I took a chance to slip away just as the yelling started.
"A stock...boy?" Sandalwood asked raising an eyebrow.
"Or stock-colt if you prefer." I replied. "Someone who can do simple tasks like refill oils and lotions from stock, clean up and replace towels, that kind of thing."
"We already do most of this ourselves." The spa pony replied. "Taking you on would add an unnecessary cog in a well tuned machine. Not only that, but we would undoubtedly have to take on others to fill that job since you alone could not cover all the hours the spa is open."
"How about working the register or helping to make appointments?"
"I'm sorry, but you have to understand. This is a small town and our staff has a fairly personal relationship with most of our clientele. That starts from the moment they walk in the door to the moment they leave. It's not that I don't appreciate your willingness to work, more that I'm not sure we can find a place for you."
"Fifteen." Imp chimed from atop a bookshelf.
"What was that about?" Sandalwood asked.
"Oh, don't mind him." I said, pulling myself out of the low seat. "He's just counting."
"Twenty-seven rejections?" Elusive asked in shock, nearly dropping the measuring tape from his magical grasp.
"Twenty-eight actually." I replied. "We didn't really count Applejack turning us away at her stall."
"I find it hard to believe that a town as diverse as Ponyville is not in want for some talent you possess."
"I think it has more to do with the whole cutie mark thing." I remarked, lifting my arm at a touch so Elusive could measure it. The tailor was skilled, and he was taking extra care in measuring me. He recorded not only how long my arms were or how far around my neck was, but also how far my arms could move and where my legs bent.
"What do you mean it has to do with cutie marks?" Elusive inquited, jotting down another measurement.
"Everypony in town has a purpose. A thing they do better than any other." I replied. "I'm more versatile, but that also means I don't specialize."
Elusive let out a giggle. "Is that really what you think?"
I nodded and Elusive laughed harder. "Does my cutie mark look like a needle and thread to you? No, it is a trio of gems. My special ability is finding gemstones."
"No offense Elusive, but you don't strike me as a miner."
"Of course not!" He cried out, pulling a hoof to his chest in alarm. "Digging around in all that dirt every day? Can you imagine what that would do to my hair, not to mention this hooficure. No, I am a tailor by trade."
"But Sandalwood-"
"Sandalwood and Pumice are some of the best spa ponies I've ever had the pleasure to know." Elusive cut me off. "Their talents are in getting ponies to let go of tension and relax. Sandalwood does this with aromatherapy and Pumice with massages. Though they have used their talents in their work, each could have easily done something else."
"Well, what would you suggest?"
"You are tall for a pony, and your hands are dexterous like a griffon claw or a minotaur paw. I think you have the right idea with stocking, shelving, and customer service. You just need to find someplace that needs those abilities more than the current staff can handle."
"You're really alright with this Dusk?" I asked as we walked to the train station. The train was just pulling in as we approached.
"Of course," Dusk replied with a smile. "The town allocated a budget for an assistant librarian that should be more than adequate for your monetary needs. Plus it'll give Barb some more free time. She's ended up being more the librarian than I have, thanks to all the adventures I have to go on for the princes."
"Speaking of which, do you have any idea who we are looking for?"
"Prince Solaris said the courier would be very easy to spot. Probably some brightly colored pegasus or unicorn."
I scanned the small crowd leaving the train station and could instantly spot the courier. The thick aviator style mirrored sunglasses glinted in the light of the setting sun. That glint was the only thing bright about dark grey this pony, it's mane a shade of charcoal only slightly darker than it's coat. Other ponies took care to keep their distance from it as it marched purposefully marched right up to me.
"Justin of ARCO?" It demanded in an authoratative voice. I nodded, and it pulled a thick packet of papers from a saddlebag with a pair of bat like wings. "I'll need you to sign these."
"Aren't I supposed to look over the official forms before signing them?" I asked, taking the packet and flipping through it. They didn't look like official documents. They looked like shipping invoices.
"No sir." the dark, bat-pony replied. "You are to sign off on the shipping invoices and help me unload the crates of documents. Those you should read over."
"Crates? As in, more than one?" I asked staring at one of the invoices. The translation spell struggled for a moment before informing me the box I was looking at weighed over eighty pounds.
"There are thirty seven."
"THIRTY SEVEN!" Dusk exclaimed. "There is no way we are getting though all that in a week."
"That is to be expected." The bat pony, who i'd decided sounded female, replied. "I'm to act as courier for you to take up the documents as you finish them and bring them back when they need revision."
"You?" I asked, starting to sign as train ponies began to stack boxes on the platform.
"Yes, sir. I'm to be your official courier and contact for Canterlot." She saluted smartly. "My name is Nocturne."