After Humanity

Chapter Fifty

So, back to Magnus. Let's see how he is recovering...

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Magnus

By the time the cold air of fall started moving across the land Magnus felt almost fully himself again. The doctors had given him a clean bill of heath and ascribed his spring illness to a particularly virulent form of virus that had simply been ignored for too long, leading to his high fever and subsequent fainting spell.

Alice had, of course, berated him at the news, making him vow one hundred times over that he would never again be so careless with his health. But though he took his chastisement seriously, in truth, Magnus felt all the more renewed after his near death experience.

Knowing how close he'd come to losing everything, Magnus threw himself into his work, ordering repairs around the farm that he had been putting off. He obtained estimates to hire contractors that might better supply his humans with more hot water for their bathing facilities and supply them with a bit more warmth for the winter months. He set about making arrangements to fix the wall of the pig barn that was in disrepair from the creatures' exuberant play while cooped up inside during foul weather. Magnus was determined to work hard for his animals and business to prove worthy of his second chance at life.

Torvald's time on the estate had clearly affected his humans more than the rest, but he was glad to see how quickly the subtle fear hanging in the air disappeared with his brother's departure from the estate. Though Alice continued to remain evasive in answering Magnus's more pointed questions regarding Torvald's treatment of his slaves, he knew that the man's more traditional human rearing methods had had traumatic effect on his flock, causing him to take true consideration of the plans in place were he to die suddenly.

Though he had not written his brother out of his will in regard to his human stock entirely, Magnus had been willing to listen to Alice's suggestions in adding certain provisions as to what might be done to the animals upon his death. Magnus even grudgingly agreed to include a note that, should he predecease her, Alice would be compassionately destroyed and laid to rest by his side.

Of course, they both knew that was unlikely. It was the fact that perhaps disturbed him most in agreeing to her demand. Alice was nearly sixty years old now and humans were not as long-lived as sibla. While, nearing one hundred, Magnus might expect at least seventy years of life still,  no matter how much he denied it, Alice could only hope for another twenty. Perhaps thirty if age was kind. He didn't like thinking on it. It felt impossible to even consider a world without her....That concern however, would be for another day. For now, they were both well and healthy and Magnus was grateful.

Another stroke of good fortune seemed to have come his way when Torvald called and informed Magnus of a new potential patron to his business, one Deril Fin.

"Ever since your illness he asks after you," Torvald said. "Apparently he has long been interested in your operations and was very pleased to hear that you had made a complete recovery. He is eager to meet with you, Magnus."

Magnus only vaguely recalled the man. One of Torvald's friends. He was certain they had spoken, at least in passing, at Torvald's summer affair the previous year. That was likely how the man had heard of the illness and accident in the first place. Torvald had had to call off the event to care for him this past summer, making his convalescence quite public.

If this man was interested in working with him, Magnus knew it might be to his benefit to accept in hopes of proving that he was indeed fully healed and ready to engage in business as usual. Moreover, he'd had no legitimate excuse to refuse the request. But was Fin one he wished to do business with? That question still remained in Magnus's mind even as he agreed to speak to the man.