“I heard you found a couple groups. Welcome back,” Paul said around his pastry.

  “Thanks. Ran into a little trouble with the second group, but we sorted it out.”

  “Excellent. Are you still interested in more donuts?”

  “Is that a trick question?”

  He smiled and produced a box filled with 2 dozen assorted donuts. “I added you to the list, as promised.”

  “Thank you.” I dropped the boxes into my inventory, resisting the urge to eat a donut right away. “What do I owe you?”

  “5000 mana crystals.”

  “Seems a bit steep.”

  He chuckled, and I noticed a golden sparkle in his eyes. He’d picked up a title somewhere. “I’m kidding, but do you actually have that much?”

  “I’d find it for donuts.”

  “You might not want to tell me that, or the price will probably get there,” Paul said around another mouthful of pastry. “I will accept mana crystals, but I am more interested in unusual foods or cooking implements.”

  “I’ve got a spork and a pair of basic iron tongs.” I didn’t mention the rolling pin or the huge pile of other cooking implements that came with my log cabin base camp.

  “A spork? Ha. I don’t have that yet. Even trade for both?”

  I produced the items. “As long as I get on the priority queue for more donuts or a cake.”

  “Deal.”

  “So what’s the news from the council?”

  “It’s been busy. Lots of new people. At least 80% are at least level 10, and nearly 10% are now hitting level 25 and unlocking classes. We’re getting a good mix of both warriors and crafters. You should look around. There are some new shops you’ll want to visit.”

  “I will. Thanks.”

  “I added another town councilor and I’m considering a couple more who are pushing hard to join.”

  “Why?” Was he fishing to see if I wanted a spot? The lust for leadership didn’t make sense to me, but so many people couldn’t resist the siren call of power it promised.

  He chuckled. “Lots of teams arriving and every team leader wants a bigger say in the direction of the whole.”

  “Not letting random strangers no one elected dictating your life does make a certain sense.”

  Paul grimaced. “You have no idea how many times I’ve had that conversation.”

  “Sorry.”

  He waved it away. “Not your fault so many people think Earth institutions and laws apply here. One fellow was a security guard and insists we make him chief of police. We don’t even have police. Another rather well-known actress with a supporting role in the movie is clamoring for a seat on the council.

  “Does she have any skills to make her a good fit?”

  “Not hardly.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Elayne Dubois.”

  “Never heard of her.”

  “I’m not surprised, but don’t let her hear that. She’s convinced she is a superstar, but she’s had at best an unremarkable career. She won a supporting role as the spinster aunt of the leading lady.”

  “So she was already angry before she got here.”

  “Indeed,” Paul chuckled. “Turns out the casting might have been more accurate than anyone knew. She’s got a mean streak. She hit level 25 and ended up with a class called Backroom Advocate.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Seems to focus on poison and stealth. She’s gathering a group of women around her and is an outspoken critic of the current town leadership.”

  “Sounds like a real winner. I’m glad you’re the one dealing with her. Watch your back.”

  “No one would try assassination,” Paul said, but didn’t sound convinced.

  “We just had to deal with a woman who enslaved some people’s minds and used other people’s souls as weapons. There are nutcases among us.”

  Paul grimaced. “You have been busy.”

  “Yeah. Got any good news?”

  “Our new councilor is a good fit. Elizabeth Maberly.”

  “The leading lady in the movie? I have heard of her.” Did Ruby know she’d arrived? I doubted it, or she would’ve talked about her.

  Paul nodded. “She and Tony are becoming the face of the council and that’s helping us keep people motivated. They’re both popular, and several other supporting actors and actresses have shown up too. They’re gaining a lot of influence, but are causing a bit of a real estate crisis.”

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  “How? We all just arrived and we’re leaving in a couple days.”

  “They settled in one part of town and dubbed it New Hollywood. All of a sudden, dozens of people want to move closer. We’ve had fights over space for tents and someone petitioned the council to create zoning ordinances.”

  I laughed. “I guess we carry our insanity with us.”

  “It's only been a few days. Only natural for folks to revert to familiar patterns.”

  “Except the old rules don't apply here.”

  “True. No doubt new influencers will emerge, but actors and those with popularity still have a lot of pull.”

  “I suppose. Good luck.”

  Sam’s tavern was packed with patrons, and Sam had hired several more bartenders. New types of barrels lined the shelves behind the bar. One new counter offered pastries, while another looked like a sandwich deli straight out of a New York corner store.

  Every table sported gallon-sized baskets of various potato-based delicacies, including 5 types of fries, potato wedges, cheesy potatoes, twice-baked potatoes, and some huge potatoes that had been cooked and sliced like loaves of bread. Someone called them hasselback potatoes.

  The entire ceiling was covered in a rippling light show, like slow motion northern lights. The soft colors rippled and shifted to different hues. It transformed the rustic tavern into something magical.

  Still needed more windows, though. The welcome scents of grilling meat and fresh-baked pastries couldn’t quite overpower the stale reek of alcohol and so many people without deodorant.

  I beckoned to Sam, who was overseeing the work from behind the front row of bartenders. His apron still looked spotless and he’d gained a ton of levels.

  “Sam Sternberg, Baby human level 25. Class: Luminary Brewster.”

  “Hey, congratulations on getting your class.”

  “Thanks. We’ve been so busy here, the experience just keeps pouring in.”

  Maybe getting the right crafter class was a lot smarter than I’d realized. “Luminary Brewster?”

  He grinned. “Got some sweet upgrades and class spells. Allowed me to expand my menu a lot and do things like that.” He gestured to the subtle light show.

  “Can’t wait to hear more about it.”

  “Want a drink? Sandwich? Pastry? What can I do for you, Lucas?”

  “Actually, the question might be what can I do for you.”

  I pulled out a bottle of whiskey and another of bourbon. He gasped and lovingly inspected the bottles. “Where did you get these?”

  “A very unusual looting experience. I’ve got more. I was thinking you could put them to better use than I could.”

  “Absolutely! How much?”

  I pulled out 25 bottles of assorted hard liquor and lined them up on the end of the counter. I kept 5 to see if Steve wanted them, or to use to make molotov cocktails if necessary.

  Actual liquor bottles drew a lot of attention and patrons started clamoring for drinks. One over-excited fellow tried snatching a big, square bottle of vodka.

  Sam moved like a snake, intercepting the man’s quick grab and yanking his hand away. He twisted the squawking fellow around, lifted him easily into the air, and threw him like a bowling ball across the tavern. Shouting the whole way, the hapless fellow tumbled out the tavern and into the street. The outer door opened on its own to let him through.

  “Good class skills indeed,” I grinned.

  Sam sighed. “An unfortunate reality when dealing with tavern clientele.”

  Everyone gave us plenty of space after that, although dozens of eyes kept flicking to those bottles.

  “So, name your price,” Sam said eagerly, rubbing his hands.

  “Not going to haggle?”

  He shrugged and gestured at the crowd watching us. “My costs get passed on to my customers. They’re the ones paying you.”

  Some of the watching folks grimaced, and a few suddenly looked nervous. Maybe they hadn’t looted as many crystals as I had, or maybe they’d spent all their money at other shops.

  It was weird having so many people listen in on our negotiations, but Sam seemed happy talking there. So I said, “How about 10,000 mana crystals.”

  He blinked in surprise and a collective groan rippled across the crowd. One woman cried, “Don’t be cruel!” She was eyeing the liquor with the hunger of an alcoholic.

  Sam was clearly calculating how much he’d have to charge to make a profit off of the liquor anyway, but I’d used Paul’s trick just to get a reaction.

  “Actually, how about barrels of your ale, along with 2 dozen fresh sandwiches, 10 gallons of assorted potato dishes, and as many pastries as you can produce in 24 hours?”

  Sam laughed and extended a hand. “Done!”

  The crowd cheered and Sam gestured to a couple bartenders, who swept the bottles behind the counter. Fifty voices instantly started clamoring orders. Sam shouted over the din, “Patience! The new hard liquor bar will open in 10 minutes, once I complete an inventory and establish prices.”

  That cut through the tumult as reluctant silence settled over the tavern. Sam added, “Each patron will be limited to one glass.”

  “No!” many shouted, and the alcoholic woman looked ready to cry.

  Sam shrugged his meaty shoulders. “We’ve got a limited supply and a huge demand. If I let each person buy a bottle, most of you wouldn’t even get a sip. Would you prefer that?”

  The folks closer to the bar looked ready to take the chance, but most reluctantly nodded. Sam turned back to me. “Unless you’ve got access to more stock?”

  “Not yet, but I’ll let you know if I find more.”

  Sam leaned closer as conversation again filled the tavern, making it possible to speak without every ear hearing. “Honestly, I think this will get us over the hump. Steve’s been practicing. With this seed whiskey, he should be able to start producing hard liquor from other ingredients.”

  “Nice. I’m glad I got here ahead of the market.”

  “Never fear, Lucas. There’s always a market for the strong stuff.”

  He excused himself to prepare for the new orders and to arrange for my payment. One burly young man carried over several barrels of sweet ale immediately, followed by a blond woman carrying an actual silver platter heaped with pastries.

  “Oh, hey Susan,” I said when I recognized the woman from team Narnia I’d saved from the spectral mauler. She still wore her maroon dress and now had a gold pin holding back one side of her thick hair.

  “Lucas,” she beamed, her smile bright as she passed me the tray. I dumped everything into my inventory except for one cream horn. I took a big bite and savored the explosion of cream and sugar and flaky crust.

  Susan lingered close, eyes glued to my face. “Why would you trade hard liquor for that beer? It’s barely got any alcohol in it.”

  I shrugged. “Getting drunk while fighting monsters seems like a great way to die.”

  “You’ve been doing a lot of fighting,” she commented, sliding one hand along the ripped front of my jacket. I’d forgotten to swap back to my new armored one. “But you’re still not level 10.”

  “I know. I’ve got work to do.”

  She leaned closer, her big hazel eyes wide, her warm British accent like a caress. “Don’t forget to relax sometimes too.”

  Still with that? I appreciated how much she wanted to thank me for saving her life, but her intensity was getting a bit creepy. After dealing with Abbie, I was not in the right emotional state for Susan hitting on me.

  She took my hesitation for encouragement and smiled wider. “There are some new entertainment options in town you might not have heard of.”

  “Oh?” I couldn’t imagine someone starting a theatre group, but then again, there were a lot of people from the movie industry in town.

  “Elizabeth Maberly, the famous actress, is starting a night club. Live music, dancing, and maybe more.”

  “Sounds like quite a diversion.” I managed a smile. “Maybe some other time. It’s good to see you, Susan. I’ll see you later.”

  “Definitely.”

  I decided to pick up the rest of my payment later. Sam was good for it. I headed for the door, and when I glanced back, Susan was still standing there watching me.

  I needed to hunt, but suddenly I felt exhausted. So I returned to Ruby’s tent. She’d upgraded it to include a second bedroom and happily loaned it to me. I was asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.