“He does seem to have a gift, doesn’t he? For all he’s a spark of genius, he finds and cultivates those capable of conducting it. Don’t sell yourself short. He could not do what you did for us and knows it. He’s the king of that realm, but you are it’s voice.”

He pulls from his mug of mead.

“...something worth bringing aboard,” he adds. “I’ll see if it comes in bottles or kegs. And I wasn’t lying about wanting to trade food for food either. The potatoes may not be as valuable as I’d hoped. But have you noticed they haven’t got any rice?”