#earthrunes

A tilt , the spider ponders then 'P-ROBlY Not' She /Earl Talked .They good." a tapping then a light bulb goes off in his head. "Y-O-U S-H-O-U-L-D T-ALK To Earl!'

"I can do that, sure! Now?"

"Meh' apparently no rush

"Well, I could step out of the manor and talk to him, then come and give you her, ah, paycheck." He offers.

"E-A-R-L first' Suggested

"Yes, exactly. Will you wait here?"

"ok'

August drops his notes and books back in 'his' drawer and dashes off.

********
Outside the manor
********
He skidded to a stop in time to grab a warm cloak, and then he steps a little away from the field of the Freehold that tends to dampen technology.... or, turn it into something else. He dials Earl's number.

A phone picks up "Hey, August?"

"Hey Earl! How are you?" He sounds upbeat.

"I'm okay I guess. You?"

"Good. Ticking along at school, but I'm home right now. Listen, I was working in the library and 1122 came to see me. Is Zara ok?"

"wait, 1122 came to you?" startled "Zara's okay, a bit of worries about the usual..and some stress over colleege but..ah" A blush "that's my fault"

"I know, usually he's not far in front of or behind her but she's not here as near as I can tell. Still, as long as she's ok. College stress, huh? I can relate, believe me."

"I know, you been through a lot but It's... " A sigh "August... I kind of screwed up receently, I wonder if that's what 1122 is going on about? It's complicated but in a nutsheell? I came on the scene of a drug sale, I stole the money because it seemed better than drug dealers having it. ...Before you give me a well deserved lecture, and yes, it is desrvedd I know, I gave it to a rehab clinic. See. I was stressing out about .. MY side of things, and now Zara is worrying about college more and..this is complicated"

August's jaw drops, unseen. "You... wow, Earl."

"Hey, listen... are you at home? Do you want to get together? Darn, no, it'll take me time to get there."

"It's.. tell you what, I have free time. I'll come to you. where do you want to meet?"

"I'm at the manor in Jefferson City."

"I'll be there in a half hour maybee. How cold is it there?"

"Ahhh... I grabbed a cloak to come out here, and it's starting to feel freezing."

"Thanks. I'll take that into account. Be there as soon as I can. Sorry about the trouble."

"No trouble at all, Earl! I'll wait for you in the front." And he does.

....later..........

Earl shows up, dressed warmly enough, mostly with the gloves and socks. Got to have socks. He sees August and waves, "Hi"

August is still out, but went in to get some warmer clothes. "Hey." His breath plumes a bit. "Want to walk and talk out here, or my study, or....?"

"I don't want you turning blue. Wherever is private" he sighs "August, I ssooo screwed up. "

"Come on in." He ushers the troll (who is already blue) inside and asks for tea and sandwiches delivered to his study. There, he takes coats and makes sure the snacks are set up before pouring a cuppa warm and serving. "What happened, Earl?"

"I ... could rationalize it. " He sighs and sips his cup "say I busted a drug deal and kept harm from hitting kids, but the truth is... I rationalized a way to fast money. 10000 dollars? With the idea of paying my half of a rent near a big city college?

I guess I got insecure. " A sip "I'm selling okay as an artist, but I don't want to mooch of Zara or her family"

August nods. "You want to move closer to where Zara'll go to school? Again, I can relate." He sighs. "Coradel is... in a better off financial situation than I am, too. So. I feel you."

"So... you got the money, you donated it to a rehab.... other than colossally bad judgement, which you've admitted to... what's the, ah, screw up?"

"Yes, but now I've made zara feel bad. Like may she should go to unversity near where I can afford.. but she has her heart set on a good school. Hell, you should see her eyes light up at Vassar's library. ' A smile, then a frown "And I'm worried she's now ready to give too much up for me. You know, whever she goes I'll go. I'll make it. And if I have to clean dishes rather than paint i guess that's what I do"

"Careful, Earl." He warns compassionately. "What she absolutely doesn't want is for you to give up your Dreams. Heck, you'd risk Undoing, and it's not worth it. It... well, it sucks. But it's possible to make long-distance work."

"Vassar's library is pretty amazing, I've heard. Is that where she's going? Vassar?"

"She's still not sure, but it's in the top 3. UNLESS I ruin it somehow for her" He says "And I know, August I guess..see, I had this idea of her and I...well, you know, close. I could support her ater a hard day. She couldd watch me paint. It's... part of wht I like."

August nods. "You want to be with her. Of course. That's love."

"And it's powerful" He sighs "Anyway, my bout of insecurity, that dash for cash, had Zara so alarmed she wants to protect me."

Purpling.

A crooked grin. "Zara protects the people she cares about. Even me, sometimes."

"She's fierce" A fond smile of his own, "We make her crazy sometime, her non sluagh friends. We need managing"

"So she thinks." August agrees.

"Coradel and I.... we meet in Kansas City on Wednesdays; she comes there. And I've arranged my classes so I don't run much past the afternoon on Fridays, I can leave and come here as soon as possilbe. So weekends here. It's a pain but... it made the year survivable."

"Mondays my classes start late morning."

"mmm she and I were hoping to be...close."

"Well, I'm moving here next school year. Or, that's the plan." He grimaces. "Hey, I have another question but... Listen, let Zara protect you, or think she is. She needs that. Let her pick the school she likes, and you're right; you'll figure out how to be close. I'll help, if I can."

"Thanks. I ..appreciat that, and she protects me more than she knows" then a smile "what's the other question?"

"Well, it's also about Zara. Ah. When 1122 and I were chatting, he talked about her paycheck. I have no idea what he was talking about but I can ask Delores what we should do for a private contractor? 1122 seemed to think Zara would not appreciate being an employee or a servant, and of course she isn't, but....well, how would you advise approaching it?"

"CarefullY" he stresses, "very very carefully. In fact I'm not sure what 1122 was..." A deep breath "Oh..he's trying to help ME. that crazy little spider is trying to get mre money our way"