On the Job Training

Eioldth confronts Sophia about a surprise regarding her daughter.

49.

On the Job Training

 

Sophia had just emptied out her ashtray into the office toilet and was booting up the computer to start a new day of work while Khord indexed wands in the records room down the hall, when Eioldth arrived.

 

She was surprised to find that the Elven lady wore ‘modern’ clothes and tennis shoes.   The lady was smiling happily and the Drow woman knew the reason without asking.

 

“Good morning!” She spoke to her, “How are you today?”

“Wonderful!   I dined after I left here yesterday evening with my husband who is again young and handsome, and my beautiful grown daughter who I had longed to see for over 20 years.   In the two years since I last saw him, he has learned to cook and made me the most delightful dinner!” 

 

“Then the three of us went shopping and he purchased for me a strange, but wonderful new wardrobe of clothes.” 

 

“After Joila left for her apartment, I spent the first romantic evening I have had with my husband in longer than I can remember.   I had almost forgotten how passionate he had been when he was young.   It was a day I could not have dreamed of, absolutely perfect and I could not be happier.”

 

“Wonderful!” Sophia replied, pulling a Dart’loxinchu cigarette from her duplicating case.

“Except for one thing.”  The Queen’s smile now turned into a frown and she crossed her arms in front of her.

“What?”  Sophia asked, though she was quite sure that she knew and was already preparing her response.

“Last night after dinner, Joila excused herself and went outside to smoke a Dart’loxinchu cigarette!”

“Oh.”  She had guessed right and went ahead and lit her cigarette with a lighting cantrip, “I’m sorry about that, I really am.   I didn’t encourage that.”

“But you knew she smoked, Sophia!   I know it is supposedly not harmful and that it’s from the Faesidhe tree and all, but I really don’t like the idea of my daughter smoking.”

 

“I know.   When she and Leah came to stay with us, I didn’t even smoke around them.   I’d go outside and Khord would make certain that I would.   But they kept coming around me outside and more and more hanging around me when I smoked.   I figured that the Dart’loxinchu was affecting them like it did most women, even when I tried to stay away from them.”

 

“So finally I just asked them if they wanted me to keep it away from them and they were very emphatic that they didn’t mind it at all and that they actually found it very pleasant.   I knew there was no point in trying then, so I just smoked around them.”

“And now they both are addicted.”  Eioldth replied unhappily, “Even Leah?”

“Yes, she’s more addicted than your daughter.   Probably because Joila is only half-Elven.  Drow seem particularly drawn to it.”

Eioldth sighed in displeasure, “Aurei would be livid, Sophia!   She hates Dart’loxinchu!”

“I know, Eioldth, I am sorry.”

“She managed to keep it from her father’s knowledge for two years, at least until last night.   We sat there arguing with her and she is as stubborn about it as you are!"

"She said that it is fashionable amongst the young women here to smoke Dart’loxinchu, primarily because of your addiction and your fame.   Sophia, you are a role-model here; do you think it is a good thing to have girls getting addicted to Dart’loxinchu because of you?”

 

Sophia just leaned back against the desk and looked down at the burning cigarette between her fingers, “Well, it is better than tobacco " that is one positive thing.   Thanks to the wizards working here with their pipes, tobacco - in the form of cigarettes used by the ladies- used to be the fashionable drug of choice among the young.   At least Dart’loxinchu does not cause cancer.”

 

“But it is highly addictive, Sophia!   You know how it affects women- they can’t conceive male children when they are using it, or even for a long time after they have stopped.   As there is only one source for it, I don’t see how they could possibly get enough to satisfy their addictions.   Joila said that there are several manufacturers of it here in Flux.   Surely, Yesh must not approve of that!   And where do they get their supply to craft these cigarettes?”

“Yesh is not too thrilled with it, but it has not yet been classified as a sin, Eioldth.   The supply comes from several extremely large duplicating boxes that the manufacturers had created at an extraordinary cost.  So now none of it comes from the actual Faesidhe Tree but from magic duplications.”

“Well, still, it is a drug in my eyes, Sophia.   Perhaps it isn’t deadly, but it is addictive and it manipulates the reproductive cycle.”

“I understand your concern, Eioldth, but your daughter and Leah were not encouraged to take up the habit.   They are both young women now and have made their decisions.   I don’t imagine Joila was moved by your entreaties to stop, was she?”

“No, she just thought we were being unreasonable.  She said that she is in perfect health and that Dart’loxinchu wouldn’t hurt her anyway.”

“Eioldth, you know it won’t hurt her - it is a magic plant.  Aside from not having any male children, she won’t suffer any other effects.”

“But I might have wanted a grandson someday!  Since the smoke gives males terrible headaches and nausea, she’ll probably never even find a husband.”

“Well, men actually develop an immunity of sorts from it, after many years of exposure, and in well-ventilated areas, many find it stimulates interest in the woman using it. ”

 

“Sophia, you are not going to convince me to approve of my daughter smoking Dart’loxinchu.”

“I’m not trying to convince you of anything, other than to allow your daughter to decide for herself.   She’s a grown woman now, and though you are her mother, you are no longer a Queen here.   Don’t worry about it.”

 

“I’ll try, but I am not at all happy about that.   Furthermore, I am taking steps so the same addiction won’t happen to me after being around you.”

“How?”  Sophia asked, curious.

 

Eioldth slipped off the large, brand new purse she had around her shoulder and pulled out a large thermos bottle.

 

“The merchant at the store who sold me this said that this will keep liquids cold, though it isn’t a machine nor is it magical.   I was fortunate enough to have found a couple of leaves from the Faesidhe tree at a seller of arcane components."

"I made tea with some of them, and put one of the leaves aside. I’m going to make a demand from you as a condition to work here.”

“As I am going to be exposed to your Dart’loxinchu smoke, I want a duplicating box, large enough to duplicate enough of the leaves so that I can have an adequate supply for the tea that neutralizes the effects of the smoke.”

“I think this would be a reasonable request and I promise I won’t say any more about your addiction or place any blame upon you for Joila’s habit, if you help me in this way.   Do we have a deal?”

 

Sophia smiled, “Certainly!   I think I even have one of the boxes on display in the museum that will work.”

“I don’t want to use a rare museum piece!”

“It won’t hurt it at all - in fact, we could display it with some of the leaves still in it for effect.”

 

At that moment Khord came into the room, glancing down at his tablet computer in his hand, “Good morning, Eioldth!  Ladies, I just received a text from Yesh that He requires the three of us to make an appearance in Synomenia.   He said that he has already prepared some of those involved, but we are to finish the task.   He gave us specific instructions and he wants us to leave as soon as possible.”

He took the tablet over to his wife and Eioldth to show them the message.

“He wants me too?”  The Elven lady asked as she skimmed the message.

“Yes, apparently he wants you to experience some on-the-job training.”

“We’d better get going then - let’s look over what we are supposed to say, and I’ll cast the teleportation spell to get us there now that Yesh has authorized us to go there.”  

 

Sophia crushed out her cigarette in the ashtray and leaned in next to the other two as they quickly memorized their script.