"I'm not sure how you're expecting it to work or not work - I don't think the gods of my world have anything to do with yours here, but I haven't found time to visit a church here yet, and I'm not entirely sure it's a good idea to, I haven't exactly been made to feel welcome. The gods of my world - they all acknowledge each other, even the ones that don't get along, it's strange to me that your god is claiming to be the only one. Each one in my world has a portfolio, a set of things they're interested in and responsible for supporting; Fharlanghn's is travel, primarily, and freedom, especially physical freedom, and trade and cultural exchange. Other gods are responsible for other things - our most popular god is Pelor, the sun god, whose portfolio is healing, community, and strength of character, as another example."

"Yeah, probably best not to. One god, one creator, one power almighty? Who gives the Empress the divine right to rule? Just another lie to control everyone. Your god sounds much less like a lie."

(Her subordinates shift uncomfortably and frown at this, but don't speak up.)

"If you're not going to help me today we'd best go our separate ways. And if you want to talk to the leaders of the Tackety cause, go to Victory Hall in New Winchester."

"I might help you, depending on what you're doing. I expect your leaders will be more willing to listen if they've heard about my magic from someone they trust."

"...We're trying to get more good solid Bronzewood, to build more engines, to keep ours in good repair, and to maybe recover wrecks. By all means, demonstrate some magic, whether it helps us or not, and I'll report it when we're done here."

"-all right. If you just want an example -" he chants and gextures, and a thick fog rises around them, concealing everything more than five or six feet away. "It's not my most powerful spell, but handy enough."

She swears and reaches for her hip again, but calms down before completing the gesture. "-Yeah. That's some kind of unusual ability, at least."

"Be handy on an engine," one of the others comments. "Turn off the lights, spout some fog, wait for whatever's after you to pass by."

"A sudden fog might be notable depending on where you are, but maybe. Anything else you want to show us? Rumors we'll hear if we hang around?"

"I've been doing a lot of healing and mending things, mostly. I can make people more skilled at things, briefly, or stronger. In a pinch I can fly, or let someone else fly; I can't do that as many times a day, though."

"That one sounds amazing... Flying around out there without a locomotive under you would be a thrill."

"And fantastically dangerous. Well, do you suppose you have any further business with us at this time, cleric of Fha- Damn, I can't remember the name."

"Fharlanghn," he grins. "And I don't think so. I'll be by Victory Hall in the next few days."

"Take your time. We're headed to Lustrum once we get our cargo, and our ways of moving news around aren't always the fastest. Good day, sir."

"And to you."

He takes the time to hunt down a map, in between jobs the next day; where is New Winchester, anyway?

New Winchester seems to be in the very center of the Reach. According to the timetables presented by a Bored Ticketmaster, it takes three to five days to reach from Port Prosper, and at least a week to get to Lustrum from here.

And what are prices like on tickets? Preferably to leave in two days, after the festival, though if staying another couple of days gets him a cheaper one he might do that instead.

There are tickets from Port Prosper back to various destinations in Albion for sale, every two days, but apparently none for the Reach. The Bored Ticketmaster explains that the Columbia Line has suspended all operations in the Reach except for Port Prosper. Going to New Winchester will require either favors from the Windward Company (or Ministry-Stamped Permits) to hop on board one of London's engines, or finding an independent captain willing to take him.

Uh-huh.

And how does finding an independent captain go? (Also, can he find a map for sale? He's probably going to want one sooner or later.)

He can buy a chart of the Reach for 40 Sovereigns! It's not minutely detailed, and chunks of it are noted as possibly inaccurate.

The trainyard is reasonably busy with a dozen and a half independent engines of a few different makes. (The blue-painted behemoths that are London's military vessels have their own separate dock.) The engines are taking on food and coal, or disgorging cargo. A few are undergoing repairs. It's easy enough to identify captains by their demeanor, or ask a crewman who is in charge. Several of the captains are at one of the nearby bars instead of with their engines.

This captain refuses to take passengers ever since one tried to murder him. That captain is heading to Albion. This one is going to the Nature Reserve. And so on. But there are three who seem to have New Winchester as a destination in mind, and are willing to consider passengers. A loud-voiced captain is heading there anyway, and proclaims that anything that tries to stop his locomotive is going to regret it. He's in for repairs after a decisive collision with a Scrive-Spinster, to hear him tell the tale. A twitchy trader offers to take him anywhere in the Reach for the correct price. A portly captain is heading to Port Avon to see a friend, and New Winchester is only a day or so out of the way and something to defray the costs of the journey would be welcome.

40 Sovereigns isn't too bad, for the map, as long as the inaccurate parts are labeled - it'll take a noticeable piece of his funds, but he's been earning well enough. He leaves it for now, though.

He likes the first captain, the one with the damaged engine; if he expects his locomotive to be back in working order within a day or two after the festival, he'll sign on with him. Otherwise he'll go with the third one; the trader's twitchiness makes him worry about what will happen if he wants to use magic on the trip.

"Oh, she can still fly! It's just a matter of replacing the worst bits of plating and inspecting for any hidden damages. I'm heading to New Winchester to get a more thorough repair and invest in bigger guns, for the future. I was thinking of heading out after the festival too, so that sounds fortuitous. Say, do you like hunting?"

"That does sound good. I might be interested in a hunt sometime, why do you ask?"

"There's some very good hunting at the Leadbeater and Stainrod Nature Reserve. The kind of hunting that involves your own two feet and a gun you can carry, not locomotive cannonry - as nice as it is to command such power, it's so detached. And none of it's very smart in the Reserve, which is an unfortunate bloody concern with the things in the sky. The blokes who'd hunt Curators or Cantankeri are the same kind who'd kick beggars. One thing to shoot at them to get them off your tail, another entirely to go for the kill. Unless they won't leave you alone until crippled or dead. It'd be a detour to go to the Reserve, though."

"That does sound like fun - I'm in a bit of a hurry but not much of one, this trip, we could take a day or two for it. I'll need someone to show me how to use your weaponry, though, I'm from far enough away that we use different kinds there."

"By God, I'd be delighted to teach you to shoot! Perhaps in exchange for some stories. Everyone should know how to shoot." He looks at his mug. "Practical exercises tomorrow, perhaps. I'm a bit too sloshed for deadly weapons to be a good idea right now. Where are you from what doesn't have guns?"

His grin broadens. "A different world, actually. I got pulled here in some sort of explosion, artefacts or Hours or both, nobody was sure. I'm not complaining, though, I've always been an explorer."

"That's part of the allure of the Reach, and of Eleutheria. Exploring. Oh, I heard about that. A scientist of some sort had a tearing argument with the city maintenance committee, trying to keep them from cleaning it up. She failed, but got to buy some of the detritus. Apparently one of the things that got pulled here has fantastical material properties. I suppose it just shows how we're not the first ones to live here, and there's a lot we don't understand yet."

"Maybe I'll see if I can find her when I get back. I'm sure she'd be fascinated at some of the stuff I can do."