Close to one hundred people arrive at the Stables over the course of
 the day; most are unemployed or otherwise destitute, and are willing to try
 anything.  Ten are told to stay and help; the rest are told to come back
 tomorrow morning, when construction will begin.
     In the meantime, Phaedrus is far from idle.  The much-extolled
 foundations of Madame Zanzibar's are in entirely the wrong place; he looks
 at them disapprovingly for a moment, and they seem to melt into the earth.
 Then he consults his plans carefully, and slowly paces off a path around
 the edge of each new building site; the ground beneath his feet ripples
 and solidifies into level stone, forming new foundations.
     Then he returns his attention to the problem of materials.  He stands
 motionless, and a huge tree trunk without branches thrusts up from the
 earth, reaching a towering height.  As the huge log continues to grow,
 there is a loud snap of tearing wood, and the log breaks about six feet
 above the ground; the top section falls to the earth (strangely, it lands
 rather gently), while the bottom continues to grow slowly.  There is a
 deafening snap, and the log on the ground suddenly splits lengthwise into
 fenceposts and boards of various sizes.  Phaedrus' ten helpers quickly
 haul the wood out of the way, clearing the ground just in time for another
 huge section of log to fall, and so on...
     This process continues for several hours.  Phaedrus remains still
 throughout nearly the entire time, stirring only once every half-hour or
 so to drink a potion or eat something from his bag (during which the log
 stops growing, and the ten workers take a welcome opportunity to relax as
 well).
     Finally, when the stableyards are piled sufficiently high with wood,
 the bottom of the log pulls itself out from the ground, and the hole
 closes up beneath it.  Phaedrus silently thanks his helpers, gives them
 each the going rate of five silver pieces (produced from some pocket
 beneath his robes), and tells them that they will receive double wages for
 their later work if they choose to return tomorrow.  They nod at this, and
 leave for their homes; Phaedrus plods wearily off to his office, to get
 some much-needed rest for himself...
 
 -----
 
     The next day, everyone is assembled in the stableyard by sunrise.
 Those who weren't there yesterday whistle softly at the piles of lumber;
 many are expecting that Phaedrus will rest today after such an effort.
 But he emerges from his office on schedule, radiating warm thoughts and
 passing out copies of the plans for the new additions--a large building,
 nearly as large as the existing main stable, and three smaller buildings.
 Carpentry equipment is quickly passed out, and construction begins.
     The work proceeds quickly; all of the wood is already the proper size,
 and it's only a matter of putting it in the right place and nailing it
 together, and making sure that everything is thoroughly coated with fire
 retardant.  Within a few hours, the frames for the smaller buildings are
 assembled and upright, and the walls are going up.  Phaedrus is
 everywhere, hauling boards back and forth, watching the construction like
 a hawk, healing those who squash their thumbs with hammers or cut
 themselves with saws, and simultaneously performing his normal duties at
 the old stables.
     By the end of the day, the three smaller buildings are finished; the
 crews finish putting the sealant on the roofs just as the sun sets.  The
 workers return home for the night, and Phaedrus, after happily inspecting
 the new buildings one last time, vanishes into the Druidical Society hall
 for the night.
 
 -----
 
     When the sun rises once again, the construction crew has already
 gathered once again.  They are rather surprised to see Kendrick walk up,
 wearing a rough leather jerkin and a tool belt; he hardly looks like the
 paladin they've come to know... however, they are very appreciative of the
 extra help, and he quickly meshes into the routine, even though the workers
 are still a bit careful of what they say around him.
     Today, the focus of construction shifts to the new main building.  This
 is a much more difficult project than the smaller buildings; the pieces are
 much bigger and heavier, and everything must line up just right (and when
 you're working for Phaedrus, they'd better line up *just* right...).
     A merchants' caravan is in town today, so the stables are much busier
 than yesterday; Phaedrus is kept inside nearly all day.  But Kendrick
 instinctively steps into the role of foreman, making sure that everything
 remains on schedule.  And the workers discover the unique properties of
 working for a telepath: even while he's inside tending to the merchants'
 horses, his "voice" is still in his employees' minds, making cheerful
 conversation while pointing out misaligned boards and bending nails.
     The building frame is assembled and upright by noon; the boards for
 the walls go up quickly at first, but positioning them becomes harder as
 the walls get higher.  By the end of the day, the walls are about nine
 feet high (with six more feet to go), and about half the ceiling has been
 laid.  Phaedrus has finally finished attending to the caravan, and makes
 it outside just in time to thank his workers as they leave for the night.
 After inspecting the work once more for the record, and discussing the
 day's events with Kendrick, he retires to his office for the night.
 
 -----
 
     There is tension in the air as the construction crew gathers today.
 Phaedrus has announced a "sizeable bonus" if the job is completed by
 sundown; knowing Phaedrus' reputation, a "sizeable" bonus could be very
 sizeable indeed...  And, judging by what is left to be accomplished, the
 timing is going to be very close.
     Kendrick is back again today; he has definitely got the hang of this
 construction business.  He does the work of two men; he certainly gets as
 dusty and dirty as any two of them.  The other workers have overcome the
 bit of initial apprehension they had of Kendrick, and now treat him as one
 of their own; they swap stories and jokes with him as the work progresses,
 and find that Kendrick knows some surprisingly "colorful" tales.
 Apparently, he's been listening to his guardsmen talk after weapons
 practice...
     The stables are much less busy today, and Phaedrus is back on the
 construction site.  Much to the workers' surprise, he throws himself quite
 physically into the work, muscling the heavy boards around the area.  (He
 presents an extremely odd picture while doing this--a man hauling lumber
 around in the heat of the day while still wearing a heavy, full-length
 robe, a spell component satchel and a huge ranger's pack.  Even his staff
 is still thrust through his belt, where it somehow manages to avoid getting
 in his way.)  The workers get the odd impression that Phaedrus is growing
 larger and burlier as time passes, but they write it off to his activity
 and their overactive imaginations.
     Work proceeds at a rapid pace on the interior fixtures and stall
 walls, but at first, work on the exterior is slowed somewhat by the
 difficulty in getting the large boards up to the ceiling and roof level.
 Then Phaedrus creates eight small trees in strategic locations around the
 building; ropes are passed over the branches, creating an improvised
 pulley network.  This makes the task much easier, and the pace picks up.
     Even with the rapid pace, however, Phaedrus' attention to detail is
 still undiminished.  Everything is checked by him personally, and he
 orders several hurriedly-installed boards removed and replaced.  All the
 nails are still driven straight and even, and no light shines through any
 point of the walls.
     After a few hours, Phaedrus' growth can no longer be attributed to even
 the wildest imagination; he is at least seven feet tall, and the sleeves of
 his robe (which has somehow expanded with him) bulge with muscle.  At this
 stage, however, the workers barely even notice; the sun is starting to make
 its descent, and if Orcus himself showed up, they would hand him a hammer
 and put him to work on the roof...
     Soon, the last board is in place, but activity is still frenzied.  The
 sun is dipping low in the sky, and the work is still far from over.
 Shingles and sealant are quickly applied to the roof, and the last coats
 of fire retardant are applied everywhere.  Phaedrus towers over the roof
 workers, silently pointing out mislaid shingles and weak spots in the
 sealant coat.
     With only a small fraction of the sun still visible on the horizon,
 the last shingle is laid, and the last brushstroke of fire retardant
 applied.  "Finished!", someone shouts.  <<Not quite!>>, comes Phaedrus'
 impish thought, as he points to the brand new sign, "EDGEKEEP STABLE
 ANNEX", sitting on the ground under one of the trees.  Four workers pounce
 on it, slam it against the wall of the building (straight, of course), and
 simultaneously pound nails into each corner of the sign.  <<Now we're
 finished!>>, Phaedrus says gleefully, just as the last sliver of the sun
 disappears from view.  A cheer loud enough to be heard throughout the city
 rises into the night air, as workers gleefully throw their hammers to the
 ground and slap sealant on each other with their paint brushes.  Someone
 dumps a bucket of water on Phaedrus from the roof, and Kendrick spreads his
 arms and falls backward into a horse trough, producing a resounding splash
 and further cheers from the crowd.
     <<Well, I'm glad you all found this so enjoyable,>> says Phaedrus
 cheerfully.  He is at least eight feet tall at the moment, and reddish
 bear-like fur peeks out from underneath his soaked and dripping robe.
 <<Now, I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting... oh, yes.  Pay.  Would
 you form a single line?  Thank you.>>  They hasten to comply, and Phaedrus
 moves down the line, pulling small money pouches out of his bag and handing
 one to each worker (two to the ten who were there the first day).  <<Now,
 there's fifteen silver in each of those; I understand that's the going
 rate.  But I promised you all a bonus, and you've all done work far beyond
 my expectations, so a bonus you shall get.  I ran short of coinage, so
 there's a note in each of your bags, good for an extra twenty from the
 bank.>> Cheers ring out from the crowd; thirty-five silver is enough to
 feed a man for weeks.
     Phaedrus basks in the happy thoughts.  <<Well, I thank you all for your
 fine work; if I ever decide to start a construction company, I shall
 certainly know where to go... and now, if anyone would care to join me at
 the Twisted Dagger, I could certainly use a drink... besides the one which
 someone has so generously given me...>>  There is another roar of laughter
 and applause, and a rather motley crowd leaves for the inn--a throng of
 dusty construction workers, led by an extremely un-paladin-looking paladin
 covered in dust and water, and an eight-foot-tall walking bear wearing
 soaking-wet robes...
 
 -----
 
     The next morning, there is quite a crowd outside the entrance to the
 Savings and Loans.  Apparently, the tellers have anticipated this; they are
 out organizing the crowd before the place even opens.  ("Form one line,
 please.  Only one person inside the building at a time.  Please have your
 note ready.  Form one line, please.")  A small delegation of the city guard
 is there as well, to make sure that there are no scuffles over position in
 line, and no one mugged for their note.  Finally, the doors open, and the
 first worker files in; he stops and looks around the place in awe as he
 enters, as if he had never seen the inside of a bank before.
     Eventually, he steps up to the teller's window.  "I'm here for my
 twenty, please," he says nervously, pushing the note at the teller.
 "Certainly, sir," she says, examining the note carefully.  She has him
 sign it, then pulls a small moneybag (Phaedrus-brown, of course) from under
 the counter and hands it to him.  He opens the bag, looks inside... and
 suddenly begins shaking violently, nearly dropping the bag.
     "Is there a problem, sir?" the teller asks, looking concerned.
 "THERE'S GOLD IN THIS THING!", the man shouts, emptying twenty gold pieces
 from the bag onto the counter.  (A stirring immediately starts outside.
 "Did someone say something about gold in there?"  "No, I think he said
 it's cold in there...")
     The teller seems a bit taken aback by the reaction.  "Yes, sir; that
 was what Sir Phaedrus specified... of course, I can give it to you in
 silver or platinum if you'd like...", she replies, hurriedly collecting the
 coins before they roll off the counter.
     The poor worker nearly goes over the edge at the mention of platinum.
 "No, no, no; that's okay, that's perfectly all right.  Did he really say
 twenty GOLD?"
     "Yes, sir, he was quite specific about it."
     "Ah, I see."  The man's eyes are still boggling as the teller puts the
 coins back into the bag; you can see the wheels in his brain spinning,
 trying to figure out all the things he could possibly buy with TWENTY GOLD
 PIECES.  Food for months, new boots, maybe even a new longsword, or a BRAND
 NEW SET OF STUDDED LEATHER...  His mind seems to overload on the
 possibilities.  "Do I... have to take all the money now?  Could I leave
 some of it here, and get it later?"
     "Certainly, sir.  We'll open an account for you, and you can take
 however much you need.  How much would you like to take with you now?"
     "Ummm... just one, I think.  Just so I can... keep it in my pocket and
 feel it.  And a few silver pieces, and some copper...  silver can be hard
 to spend sometimes..."
 
     So it goes, for the rest of the men in line.  A few take all twenty
 gold pieces, and go off and buy a new ox, or a real shortbow, or something
 else that they could never dream of affording otherwise.  But most take
 just enough to live on, and have a financial reserve to fall back on, for
 the first time in many of their lives...