"Langerman!" A loud clopping came from the door. "Please be in there, Sir." Tight Fit's muffled voice was coming from the other side.

"I'm right here." I pulled open the door. "I was just--"

He bowled in past me, a huge grin on his face. "It happened!"

"What, exactly, happened?" I fussed at my formal attire.

"A pony heard of my generator, the whole story, even the part where it broke." He raised his forehooves, gesturing wildly. "And they found me. They'd been working on things of their own, ya see, and... Sir?" He inclined his head at me. "Why are you dressed so fancily?"

"I was about to head to the council to--"

"--oh! Here I am, gettin' in the way. I'll come back later." He turned to go.

But my hand went in the way. "So another pony approached you?"

He hesitated a moment before nodding. "She had been working on somethin' of her own that she wasn't making no progress with, but she was tryin', so hard. When she heard what I had, she about lost it and had to come see me. What she had wasn't the same size as mine, but that weren't no real problem. She had a bulb with no steady electricity. I had electricity with no bulb! We were each other's solution."

Easy poked her head in from outside. "And suddenly I had a new stepmom. Thanks, Boss. I'm blaming you for this."

I had to blink. "Seriously?"

Oh, how he started to blush. "We, uh, got to talking... I showed her all the things I was working on, and she... mighta fell in love. She showed me what she had done and I was might impressed! She didn't have no library to work with neither. She did it herself... I was... Well... Here we are. I'll introduce you to her later. Um, that's aside the point. We got light!"

"Congratulations." I patted his shoulder as I edged around towards the door. "I look forward to meeting her. For now, I should get to the council."

"Without me?" snorted out Easy. "Nothin' doing." With a glowing horn, she was suddenly dudded up for the situation. "Let's go."

Schedule already slipping, I didn't argue with her, focusing on getting past her into the hallway and starting a firm stride towards the council room. "I won't be speaking," I noted as I went. "This is about the diamond dogs."

Easy perked an ear as she easily kept up at a trot. "What about them? Were they not paid?"

"The ones that wanted the land have already moved to it." I flatly waved a hand at that. "But some want to stay and do good work for good pay."

"Huh," was all she said.

Soon we had found seats. There was my canine friend, former employee. "Glad you come." He thumped my shoulder. Did I mention they're strong critters? "Ready. They hire, get all dogs job." He pulled at his shirt, fussing with it. "Look good?"

Easy inclined her head. "Lookin' sharp! You clean up good."

I agreed with that. "The suit's working. The rest is up to you. We should stop talking until it's your turn to go up though. Being rude outside that time, or during that time, hurts your chances."

"Make boss happy, get job," he grunted as if it were obvious logic. "Got it." And so the conversation faded.

Celestia and the council came and sat. They said their starting words and it was off to the races. Petty squabbles, genuine concerns, and other matters came and went one by one.

"The fountain has created more traffic in front of my store," complained one mare.

Celestia inclined her head. "That sounds like fortunate news."

"Then you didn't hear correctly." She clopped down a hoof. "They make a racket all day long! Always coming, always going. Who wants to get a mane styling with all that noise? I may as well be working in the middle of the road with all the fuss."

I hadn't expected secondary effects of my work to come up. My mind was buzzing with ideas. Did they have sound dampening magic? That was certainly a thing that should exist.

A hoof raised in the crowd and one of the council ponies pointed to them. Another mare rose to her hooves. "I will gladly exchange locations. Mine has a gorgeous view, but not enough traffic. I'd much rather have your spot."

And it was solved, without magic, or technology. The two mares went off to discuss what locations they were speaking of more specifically, and the council went on to the next case. "Next on the docket, Max Goodboy. Please rise."

Max hopped up to his feet and folded an arm in front of himself, bowing properly. "Good morning." Clearing his throat, perhaps to mask his nervousness? He continued. "We finished the sewers." His speech was slower, purposeful, and a bit more precise. He was trying really hard to impress, I figured. "But the sewers never done."

Celestia frowned at that. "If you finished them, how are they not done?"

"Always need work." He raised a finger. "Ponies make dirt, put in the water and it builds slowly." He made a flowing motion with his right hand, going right to left. "Needs to be cleaned. Always cleaned. We can do the cleaning. Hire us. We know the tunnels."

Murmurs spread across the courtroom, eyes locking on the huge and very un-pony shape of the one petitioning the court. A stallion suddenly stood up. "That sounds like work ponies could be doing!" he blurted, not called upon to speak. Others echoed the thought, heads starting to bob.

"Ha," barked out Max, a noise dogs were particularly good at making. "Pony can climb, but dogs climb better. We know the tunnels. We built them. We will do it better and faster." He hiked a thumb at his chest. "We here and ready. Where pony team?"

One of the council members rose to his hooves. "Is there an alternate team competing for this bid?" There was much murmuring, but none stood to claim that. "You may proceed, Sir Goodboy."

Max grinned. I think he liked being addressed that way. He quoted his price. A considerable sum, but-- "That for whole sewer. Not per dog."

Celestia smiled faintly. "Not always dog, I assume? If a pony shows themselves useful to you, you would hire them and share that money with them, yes?"

Max seemed caught off guard by that, considering it. "Huh... yes, if a pony wants to join team, brings use, yes. Pay is for all sewers, shared with all workers.

Celestia raised a hoof. "I motion a tentative agreement, pending a review by the financier. I trust the sewers are not in immediate peril?"

Max shook his head. "We build good tunnels. We can wait a little, not long." He held up one finger. "Have answer in one week?"

Murmurs spread. The dog was giving terms to Celestia?!

But she wasn't ruffled. "That is reasonable. We just got them, it would be quite the shame to let them go to disrepair so swiftly. One week it is. If the financier has not produced a final report, I motion we go with the numbers provided until that report is complete, backdated to today. If the council agrees, Max Goodboy and his team are hired."

"Agreement."

"Agreement."

"Agreement."

"Neigh."

"We have consensus." Celestia tipped her head forward. "You are hired. We look forward to your work."

Max thrust a clenched handpaw into the air. "Yes!" He was being stared at from all sides. "Um, yes. We thank you for time." And down he plopped into his chair, tail wagging wildly behind him.

The next case started. I reached over and patted Max on the arm. "You did good," I whispered. "Congratulations!"

I had planned to talk with him after the session, but, much as I had been that first time I showed up, there were many ponies that wanted a piece of the new player on the field. He was crowded by them, all introducing themselves and asking questions.

The more surprising part was that he didn't seem that bothered by it. He was making friends. I decided to let him go right on as he was. It was better, I thought, that he become a known figure rather than a reclusive manager in the sewers.

Thump. What was it with ponies and thinking their hooves were not hard and heavy? A pony had thrust a hoof against my belly as I was making good my escape. "Quarter?"

"That's my name, Sir." He inclined an ear at me. "What's this about getting the dogs a job before even thinking about your loyal pipe team?!"

"I thought a guild of pipe workers was being made?" Even as I answered, Easy was moving between us, preventing future thumps. "What happened to that?"

"That doesn't happen overnight, Langerman." Quarter shook his head, tail lashing. "We were gonna get a job working on the city's pipes and you just gave that away."

"The sewers are not the pipes," I flatly denied. "The dogs will be keeping the sewers going clean, but they don't know about the smaller pipes that go into homes and businesses. You two need each other, not as competition."

Easy raised her shoulders. "Even I can see that. The dogs are gonna watch the big tunnels at the bottom, keeping them going. You--" She pointed at Quarter. "--want to work on the smaller pipes, like the ones my dad put in. You two are partners."

"Your fath--oh, yes! Tight Fit. Um... tell him I say hi." He put a hoof behind his head with a little awkward laugh. "I hear he isn't working pipes anymore?"

Easy frowned at that. "Whoever said that was a liar. He's just working with different pipes. Zappy pipes!" She threw her hooves wide with a grin. "Instead of drinky pipes. You should see them. Some of them are so small you can't even see the hole in them."

That confused Quarter instantly. "Then how does the water get through?"

Easy thumped him. Fortunately, ponies seemed able to receive the thumps they delivered. "That's because the water that goes through those pipes are zaps, not drinks. Still pipes. He has to fuss over their flow for days to get it just right. I've seen it! You should see it, really."

"That... sounds a might peculiar, Miss, but I'll take your word for it." His eyes went back to me. "You have a point, Sir... I'll go talk." He fled, perhaps embarrassed to make a scene.

I took a little breath. "Well, that's that, for now."

"Next step." Easy turned towards me. "I believe Celestia wants a letter from you? I never saw you write it."

Well, dang it. "I better get on that." I moved pointedly back for my room.

Easy was trotting alongside me, looking smugly satisfied. "Aren't you glad you have a manager to keep these things in line? Where would you be without me?"

It hit me. "I'm not firing you."

"But you have no project." She wobbled a hoof. "You going to pay me out of your money?"

"If I have to." I reached for her and stopped. I was about to pat her head. Why were ponies so pettable? "I want you to stay, if you're up for it."

She thumped the entire side of her body against me. "As if you even had to ask. I never thought I'd become a manager, but I'm used to it now, and I don't want to stop. So I'm focusing on managing you instead of the whole big sewer project thing."

"I'm just as bad as any sewer," I joked with a little smirk. "Besides, we'll find another project worth throwing our talent at. I think I know of one that's very worth the time."

"Gonna share?" She swiveled an ear at me. "I'm good at secrets."

"I'll show you the letter before I send it to Celestia."

But first, I had to write it.

Author's Note

What is Ian's next big project?

Written early for patreons who got this ahead of everyone else. Want to get early chapters, or even your own story written? atreon!

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