Rail laid plans, p.1
Rail-Laid Plans, page 1
Luck’s Voice
Book 7:
Rail-Laid Plans
Written by
Daniel Schinhofen
Edited by
Sammi Katt
Copyright © 2023 Daniel J. Schinhofen
No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form by an electronic or mechanical means – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without the written permission from the publisher.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2023 Daniel J. Schinhofen
All rights reserved.
Contents
Previously…
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Previously…
Doc left Furden behind after six months in the capital of the Coalrud Territory. A lot had happened in that time span— there’d been a lot of new business deals, personal accomplishments, and Doc made great strides toward bringing the name of Luck to the world.
He’d made a solid ally with David Roquefell, who helped him set the stage for equality in Furden. Their friendship had led to something even greater: David became the Voice of Trade. Now, there were two goddesses working together to drive the Darkness from the world. David went on to secure business that would empower the two of them, allowing them to make a stand for their goddesses in the future. His plans centered on Doc’s knowledge from Earth, which included the telephone, the telegraph, and several other new, innovative ideas. Besides that, David would work on gaining the ear of the congressional leaders so they could have political backing later.
Not everything went smoothly in Furden. Doc made an enemy of Michael Strongarm, a wealthy businessman tied heavily to Western Expansion, the company behind the telegraph and mail delivery for the nation. Their conflict came to a head with a duel on Boxing Day, with Doc using his gifts from Luck to best the arrogant man.
Beating Strongarm raised the morale of the bestials and the downtrodden of Furden to new heights. With new homes in a community devoted to equality named Aurora, the formerly-oppressed peoples knew hope for the first time in their lives. It was a trend that Doc had started in Deep Gulch and seemed determined on continuing.
Even on the high note after the duel, Doc knew that staying in Furden would be dangerous. The church wouldn’t ignore him forever, and he had more work to do. Despite knowing that, he found it difficult to leave— Fiala had asked to stay in Furden so she could work on the burgeoning makeup business she’d started, but also to have their child. When it came time to leave, his heart ached. Staying would endanger her, their unborn child, him, and everything he was working toward. He accepted the hard path, leaving his beloved first wife behind to go west.
On the train leaving Furden, he came to a decision: he had mines to set up in Vedana, and even all the way up into Kanata, though it would take the dwarven clans and elven tribes coming together to make that happen. His goal was to unite the west into a place where everyone was equal. Two things could make a huge difference if the church of Apoc ever came for him; communication and transportation. With David working on communication, Doc made plans to control transportation, all while working on ensuring they had the money to pull it off. His rail-laid plans would hinge on his trip west. It might all crumble down in ruin, but he had faith. After all, he was beloved by Lady Luck.
Chapter One
The trip from Furden through Salton, then finally to Elka, took two weeks, mostly because of the stops Doc wanted. They’d paused at the Molteneyes clan, who’d set their small community in Unaweep Canyon south of the Elkhorn tribe’s ancestral lands. The Molteneyes clan was glad to meet them, but the Elkhorn tribe was harder to deal with. Lia and Rosa could only get them to agree to leave the dwarves alone, which was still a major boon to the clan.
When they’d gotten to Salton, Doc had them pause again. The Grouse tribes of Uta didn’t want to enter Salton City proper, but did promise to send people to Elka to speak with them there. Staying in the city for a few days allowed Ayla and Sophia to get things started for what Doc had in mind for the Vedana territory.
When they finally made it to Elka, it took them a day to find a home suited for them, which ended up being on the eastern edge of the town. Settling in took them another couple of days, as everything had to be arranged for them to stay. Doc knew they’d be in the town for months— maybe even as long as a year— to be able to arrange the mines and rail lines needed to support them.
It was nearing spring by the time Doc finally arranged to meet with the local tribes. The leaders of the Grouse tribes made the trip; it would be an event the tribes hadn’t seen in decades. The rumor of a shaman blessed by Mother spread to more tribes, but doubt hung on the rumor so not many were going to attend.
~*~*~
Doc woke slowly, fragmented dreams fading as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. A smile came to him when he saw the emerald eyes watching him. “Good morning, my precious, yet very creepy Weed.”
Rosa giggled. “Good morning, Voice.”
Sliding over, he patted the bed and the naked dryad got into it with him. “Tell me what I need to know.”
“Ayla, Sophia, and Sonya will be staying here to continue securing workers and supplies for the railroad south to the mines you’re going to set. Lia and I will be with you for the meeting. It’ll take several days to meet and gain the support of the tribes.”
Doc exhaled slowly as he thought about that. It’d been a little over a month since they’d left Furden, a month since he’d left Fiala behind. The pain of their parting still picked at him, but it wasn’t as sharp as it had been.
“Fiala is fine. She gives you her love as she always does. Posy’s leaving soon to head back to Deep Gulch. Everything in Furden is good, and there have been no more problems. The plans to support Dodd for reelection and oust Donadin as sheriff are starting now, too.”
“Good.”
“David has pushed well into his attempt to gather Western Expansion behind him. He’s also made headway in getting the telephone set up in Botolph and Yorky.”
“How long does he think until he locks up Western Uni… Expansion?”
“A year or two. He isn’t pushing at it right now; he’s making early moves. Strongarm has made other shareholders angry with his focus on Furden, so David’s using that to buy what he can quietly.”
“Slow and steady should be fine.”
“It is more fun that way,” Rosa giggled.
Doc chuckled, kissing her lightly. “You like it any way, Weed. Anything else?”
“Citrine made it back to her tribe. She expects to head off for Kanata in another month or two. When she gets close to Pale River, Mother will have one of my sisters approach the tribe there. That should ease the meeting for her.”
“Good.”
“Zu has made it home, too. The Han tribe had a feast last night in thanks to Luck. Svetlana has also made it back to Tsarrus; she hasn’t arrived in the capital yet, but she has spread the word in her wake. The clans in Tsarrus are celebrating the new shaman. You should look at your faith. It has grown rapidly in the last few days.”
“I’ll do that on the way to the meeting,” Doc murmured. “I’m not going to rush to spend it.”
“That is probably for the best. Zu wanted you to know she is going to take an apprentice soon, and it will be the same with Onyx. Onyx is going to take one of the unmarried Bronzehammer clan daughters so they can have a shaman.”
“Thank her for me? She’s thinking ahead to help me. Has she started seeing anyone yet?”
“Not yet, but Wita has been talking to Onyx about Colton, the dwarf who was helpin
“I hope she’ll take that chance in the future,” Doc sighed.
“Given time, she will. Without you there, she will let go of her dream to embrace what is.”
The bedroom door opened, interrupting them. Sonya, Ayla, and Sophia all came into the room, shutting the door behind them. The three grinned at the pair in bed as they reached for the buttons on their dresses.
“So… we have time?” Doc chuckled.
“Lia is making breakfast,” Sonya said.
“She told us we have about two hours before she’ll be done,” Sophia added.
“Besides, you won’t be home for days,” Ayla said. “We’re just getting our turns to wake you up now.”
“I won’t object,” Doc smiled. “Weed, go help them undress.”
“Yes, Voice,” Rosa said, slipping out of bed to assist them. Her blue-tinged green hair was the wild tangle it always was. Her emerald eyes glowed with excitement the way they did when she was aroused. Her skin bore the marks of her matching tree— the ponderosa pine— giving her an even more unique look.
Sonya thanked Rosa as the dryad helped with her buttons. Her black hair was in a single braid over her shoulder, while the two small braids that ran in front of her ears swayed when she turned. Giving Doc a wink, he met her brown eyes with love. The lovely dwarfess was like many from her race; under five foot in height, but built thick. She always took the longest to be ready for intercourse, but no one begrudged her that.
Doc’s eyes went to Ayla next. The lovely half-elf was the queen of numbers for their family. It was her keen mind that’d brought her into the circle, and in time, into Doc’s heart. She’d pulled her hair into a bun atop her head, but Doc knew he’d end up with it tangled in his hands soon. Hazel eyes full of desire met his as she licked her lips, thanking Sophia for the help.
Sophia turned to let Ayla return the help with her dress. The bestial woman had unique legs, her owl blood giving her taloned feet and orange eyes. Those two features went with the brown feathers splotched white that adorned her head instead of hair. She was their keeper of words, documenting their lives for them. Her vocation, however, was law— she had her degree from university, and she had used it to help Doc long before they married.
The only other wife with him was Lia, who was cooking breakfast so the trio could have him this morning. His last wife was still in Furden, pregnant with his unborn child. Doc missed Fiala dearly, as she’d been his first love in this world and the one who helped him accept all his other wives.
Tossing the blankets off, Doc shivered slightly in the cool morning air. He’d come west so he could push his plans to help Lady Luck farther, but also to distance himself from the church of Apoc. Leaving Fiala behind worried him— while she wouldn’t cause the church problems, his actions would draw them even more.
Since the first train ride, he’d come to a plan beyond just the mines. Back on Earth, he’d lived in America. He’d always wondered what might’ve happened if the country had pushed for more rail, and then sustained that rail system into the electronic age. With his ally in place to lock down communication with the telegraph and telephone, Doc had a plan to solidify things out west. Starting with his mines in Vedana, he would push to become a rail magnate. If he could control travel and communication, he could easily sway how any conflict with the church of Apoc went.
I have my plans for the railroads, but we’ll have our work cut out for them. Well-laid plans… or would that be rail-laid plans? Doc chuckled to himself, then focused on the naked women who’d all turned to face him.
“Husband, we’ll all have our turn with you,” Ayla said. “Sonya will be last, of course. We’ll make sure she is more than prepared for you.”
“While our lovely Weed is empowered for today and later,” Sophia added.
“As my wives wish,” Doc smiled. “I know we’ll all be satisfied and hungry by the time we finish.”
“Except Rosa,” Sonya snickered. “She’ll have had many meals by then.”
Rosa’s eyes were shining emeralds. “Thank you, mistresses.”
“We are ready to serve, sir,” Ayla whispered. She lowered her gaze, her proclivities well known to the entire group.
“Join me,” Doc said, patting the bed.
Chapter Two
Doc was out of the room before anyone else; the quartet of women took longer to get dressed than he did. That meant he got to the dining room before them, and he slowed when he came into sight of the kitchen.
Lia, his elven wife, was finishing making breakfast. Her blonde hair was tied in a braid behind her, swinging gently as she moved around the kitchen. Her sharply pointed elven ears were decorated with earrings. Dressed in her customary buckskins with both pistols on her hips, she was a striking figure. Looking back, she gave him a smirk and wink, her jade eyes full of happiness.
“Husband, are you just going to ogle me?” Lia asked.
“Not just, but for a moment, yes,” Doc smiled back. “Glad we’re not late.”
“They deserved the morning with you since we’ll be gone for days,” Lia said.
“Which I still don’t like,” a grumpy voice said from the dining room table just out of view.
Doc left the hallway, giving Harrid a nod. The dwarf was in his full gear of enchanted armor and weapons and frowning thunderously. “We’ve been over this, Harrid.”
“Doesn’t make me like it any better. I know that Lia and Rosa are the best choices and that I would cause problems, but… it makes me redundant… again.”
“I won’t argue that. As you said, we’ve discussed it already. I’d support you coming, but Rosa and Lia both think it would make it harder for the tribes to accept me. After they do, it’ll be easier to get them to accept my companions and my plans.”
Harrid exhaled slowly, then took a drink from the coffee cup in front of him. “I know, I know…”
“You’ve been more prone to arguments ever since we left,” Lia said simply. It wasn’t an accusation, but merely a statement.
Harrid set his cup down, hunching forward in his seat. “I just…” He trailed off.
“Feel bad about being here and not there? Worrying that you aren’t there for her?” Doc asked softly.
“Yes.” The single word was a bare whisper.
“I understand, Harrid.”
Harrid looked up, meeting Doc’s gaze for a moment before bowing his head. “You do. I am sworn to protect your life. I left to make sure you are safe, which is why this plan has ground on me more than it probably should.”
Doc nodded. “I can fully empathize with your feelings. I’m fine if you want to go back; you can protect Fiala, Ginger, and our children. I trust the guards we left behind, and I’m sure the Ironbeard clan will do everything it can for her, but you being there would give me even more peace of mind. If you want to go back, I will fully endorse your wish.”
“I…” Harrid started, but fell silent as he covered his face with his hands. “I… no… it would dishonor me, my family, my clan…”
“No. It would honor them,” Lia said as she finished gathering breakfast from the stove. “It shows his trust in you, above all others, to guard what he considers precious to him. The fact that it would let you guard your own family is just a bonus.”
