When she got back to the table she told both Joseph and Angie, "I'm curious about your grandmother. She seems like an interesting person who knows a lot about the TRUE history of this place. I think you should both make the time to come visit with her. You Angie would be able to reconnect and catch up on all those years since you last saw her. And Joseph, you would be able to find out more about your family and get to find out more about your grandmother. So consider it to be something of an order for both of you to spend an hour or two here talking with her on alternating days while we're here on this project."
"I have to admit that now that I've met my grandmother I'd like to get to know her and find out why she left." Joseph told her, "Cause I don't understand how getting ahold of a couple of documents that are so easy to get would make her run away!"
"Joseph," Maelyn grumbled, "as you gain more experience in this field you will come to understand how easy it is to find some documents but it is so much harder to find others. For instance, me finding birth records to establish my own lineage to this place to even be allowed to APPLY for this project took FOREVER! Especially the ones for the greats that were born here and served the queen before they ran from the volcano eruption."
"I've got some discovery too!" Angie bubbled, "I thought grandma was DEAD!"
They all finished the meal shortly thereafter and retired back to the tents to rest up for in the morning.
That next morning they all woke up, got ready, and were again sitting at their sites waiting on the observers as sunrise approached. To their surprise all but those that had been sitting with Harmon the night before showed up right at dawn and they all started on their sites. The ones that had eaten with Harmon arrived about an hour later and, as the first one dragged himself to the site, confessed to Maelyn, "Sorry ma'am. The boss kept us there drinking till Miss Tamm kicked us out at like midnight so we're all gonna be dragging and hungover this morning."
"At least you're here close to on time." Maelyn grumbled before encouraging them with, "Don't let that man's ego keep you from doing your best just to help him keep it. Cause that thing is like a big lead balloon that is waiting to burst! And, if I have my way, it's gonna be needing some popping BIG TIME here in the next day or two!"
When he still hadn't appeared to even start walking to them from the city down below an hour later Maelyn instructed the team he had been assigned to yesterday to go ahead and start to dig but to keep anything taken out of the hole in a pile beside it for Harmon to go through once he arrived. She then turned to ask, "Abjul, which of those houses belongs to your father?"
"Umm..." Abjul hesitated, "technically almost half of them are. As for the one he resides in, that is the second tallest one that is three stories tall. Why ma'am?"
"Well, I am fixing to go wake his lazy butt up and make him get to this site so we can get things done today!" Maelyn angrily answered, "And what do you mean by heim technically owning half those homes?!"
"Father owns forty percent of all of the homes in Altinyn and grandfather owns fifty percent of them." Abjul shared, "And they have given me ownership of five percent of them as well."
"Well with him owning so many freaking homes I think I'll make him pay me one home for every hour he is late every day!" Maelyn growled, "I don't see any reason for him to own so many homes in the first place!"
"We own most of the homes because ever since the economy of Altinyn collapsed after Queen Ielania died in the lava, My family has been the landlords of the whole country except for those few families that have never been in need of my family's help." Abjul answered then added, "And while I don't see why we still need to be everyone's landlords so many years later. But, as for my father, he cannot give you any of his houses because only citizens of Altinyn are allowed to own property in Altinyn."
"And how do you become a citizen of Altinyn then?" Maelyn questioned, "Cause I SWEAR I'm gonna keep kicking this man off his podium if he keeps getting in my way!"
"Well ma'am," Abjul replied, "as for the citizenship issue, you must go to the government office and fill out the application and then convince the secretary in charge of immigration that you truly wish to become a part of Altinyn to help it improve. And as for my father, while he DOES need corrected many times, I cannot encourage it because he almost always takes his anger out on me and makes my job harder."
"Yeah, I kinda noticed that with him making you take our backdirt all the way down from the top of that block of basalt down and then pushing up that mountainside to the caldera and then back." Maelyn told him in irritation before determinedly telling him, "Now as for me making Altinyn better, the FIRST thing I would do would be to help some of these people as much as I could! Because I can't imagine how hard it must be for them to take care of their families when the Altinyn currency is pretty much worthless compared to my American dollars or even Chen's Chinese yuans. Not to mention how when I tried to leave a tip for that excellent food and service last night Kathy told me that y'all aren't allowed to accept foreign currency!"
"Sadly yes. We are required to accept and use only Altinyn scales." Abjul agreed, "I think they made that requirement shortly after Queen Ielania died and our economy collapsed to keep the people here instead of being able to leave for other countries."
"Well I have a way around THAT!" Maelyn mischievously revealed as she entered the government building, "Now show me which way that immigration or citizenship or whatever office is and let's get this in motion before we go wake his grumpy butt up!"
Abjul lead her to the room and, as the staff all bowed and greeted him as he walked in, told them all, "Be at peace. Madam Khadim wishes to apply for citizenship so Catia please bring her the forms she needs please."
"Yes sir Third Minister sir!" Catia replied and quickly brought Maelyn the forms, "Would you be wanting your morning coffee sir? Or shall I provide you with breakfast as well sir?"
"Catia dear," Abjul admonished her, "I have told you repeatedly that you are NOT my servant and are not required to be so subserviently to me. Now don't mind us and continue with your duties please."
"Yes sir! I will!" Catia quickly assured him as she hurried back to her seat and started back to doing what she had been doing before they entered. The other staff continued with their work and a couple came up to ask Abjul's decision on certain stuff until Maelyn had finished her forms ten minutes later and turned them into Catia. She then looked at Abjul and asked, "Do you need me to schedule an interview with her now Minister?"
Smiling Abjul shook his head and asked, "No dear Catia. I just need my stamp." When she picked it up and handed it to him he then told Maelyn as he approved the forms, "Congratulations Miss Maelyn! You are now a citizen of Altinyn. May you continue to help your fellow Altinyns to carry the flame in our Quene's steed!"
"Hold on a minute!" Maelyn responded in shock, "If you were in charge of all this then why didn't you say something?! Then I might have been able to at least SOUND more respectful!"
"But that is something that I cherish about you miss Maelyn! I value people being honest with me more than I value those that my father and grandfather collect that must fall on their knees and ask forgiveness for breathing. I feel it makes me better able to get things done with less delay caused by unknowingly approving projects for people to use that really just line the CEO's pockets while the other citizens are left struggling."
"Well if your father doesn't learn how to show up on time, I'll be able to help more and more of these people that are struggling. Maelyn said then hollered for Mikael and told him as he arrived, "Mikael, Please tell the Prime Minister that I plan on telling Harmon he is going to start turning over one house that he owns for every hour that he is late each day and am asking his approval."
"I'd suggest five but one should still make enough of a point." Mikael bluntly expressed before turning and running to the Prime Minister.
"I am sure he will." Abjul offered as he lead her the last of the way to his father's house, "And if he doesn't I would be willing to write it up and use his own stamp to approve it while telling him that it was something he had signed while drinking at Tamm's bakery last night."
"I'm glad he assigned you to my team Abjul," Maelyn thanked him, "You have a MUCH more cooperative demeanor and have the true desire to help others instead of just a desire for your onw interests like the two in positions above you!"