The King of the Road

Siohesht's grandfather, the Agha Khiaban, was known as the King of the Road in Hespan. In order to raise money for one of his wars, the King of Hespan gave the Agha Khiaban the responsibility for maintaining the roads in the royal city. In return, the King of the Road could collect tolls, set up markets and fairs, and even, with the King's approval, charter villages.

The arrangement worked well for all concerned. The King of Hespan got good roads in the capital without having to worry about finding men to maintain them or reeves to ensure that they were safe. In return, the King of the Road became rich from tolls and selling services to the travellers.

The King of the Road had a very large family. At a court dinner, he once told the ambassador from Torbus, "I have twenty-four children, what's your hobby?" And as each of his children came of age, he would grant them part of the road as their responsibility. The original arrangement had expanded from the streets and alleys of the royal city to all the most heavily used roads in the kingdom. Now the grandchildren and even the great-grandchildren of the King of the Road were working on them.

One of these grandchildren was Siohesht, a young man with muttonchop whiskers. He now leaned on his spade, and said, "What do you think?"

His wife, Darcin, looked at the large shed that Siohesht and some of the workers from Darvazde Yepenhan had built. Darcin was a large woman wearing a red and white scarf to protect her hair from the weather, replied, "Not bad. I would go so far as to say better than most that I have seen."

Siohesht bowed to his wife, and then said, "There is a good quality of rubble back along that trail yonder. This nameless trail and this part of the Old Frontier Road will be match the quality of any road in the kingdom within a year."

"I would be happy to get the stables and tavern built. You cannot make any real money off the road itself."

"Trust me, if you build it, and secure it, the traffic will come. Tell me what you think of what you have seen so far."

"I am surprised that there is as many people on the roads as I have seen the last couple of days. Two dozen, would you say?"

"I would say fifty. Not a very talkative bunch. But I think that this place is about to get very busy. I think that there is a secret group of wizards that must have found something valuable. I have heard some hushed talk at the taverns in Dervazde Yepenhan. Just a phrase or two. I suspect that someone is producing thunderstone."

"It has to be more than that. But enough to set up a tavern. I think that a location south of here would be better. Better access to Petrona."

"Yes, but it is farther to the rubble. And besides, one of our cousins already has leased the best parts of the road near Petrona from our grandfather. Our lease from the Agha Khiaban only extends to Polegal Bridge."

"If things work out we can set up more than one tavern. Do you plan on charging tolls?"

"No, right away. We need to get some of the farmlands are resettled. After the wars people went to to Corona or to the north where the money has been easy. It is just now that some of them have just started getting interested in Tenge border region. I do not quite know why, but there is definitely something in the air. Don't want to scare them away. We have to get them used to using the road again, first."

Darcin then nudged her husband and pointed to the disused trail. "Isn't that a horse off in the distance?"

"I think you are right. Who on earth could it be? It looks like a couple of people are riding it."

1. Siohesht moves to block access to the Old Frontier Road. Hesht and Astra look suspicious.
2. Siohesht and Darcin let the horse through.

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