The Trier Goes to London - Book two of The Trier Trilogy

THE TRIER GOES TO LONDON


The properties of the coffee tree, the myth of Kaldi, the power of the roasting process and the history of coffee unite to propel Altonstreet in search of literary inspiration. Trusting Kollo to send him to London in 1675, or thereabouts, Altonstreet lands at the Blackened Bean, accidently accompanied by his friend Philpatrick.

Kollo’s magic chaff has allowed the pair instantaneous external customization and very quickly they are established as regulars at the Blackened Bean. But their new favorite coffee house has been targeted for closure by a vengeful King Charles the Second. Altonstreet sets off to find Kaldi, as Philpatrick is befriended by “Dr.” Rumsey, a quirky Bean regular, while being watched by Widow Giles, and her menacing regulars, Dez and Buckles.

Altonstreet doesn't find Kaldi but instead finds a job roasting coffee for the King of England. Philpatrick remains at the Bean, ingratiating himself to the Widow Giles and server Ian by reading to them, specifically Charles the Second’s decree to close all of London’s coffee houses.

The race is on for Altonstreet to find Kaldi, but he gets no help from Philpatrick, who has fallen in love with the Widow Giles’ beautiful niece, Alora. Instead, he has talked his way into working at the Pot and Pussycat for Pyles and Jabez Gates-Locke, the brothers who are attempting to corner the green coffee market in London by leveraging their proximity to King Charles. All this in day one in London in 1675, or thereabouts.

The next day finds time and green coffee getting running out for Altonstreet. He believes he must find Kaldi and bring him back to Kollo before the Showe` find he did not leave his tribute under the first coffee tree, thereby beginning the end of coffee itself. However, Gates Lockes' henchman, Stalls, wants to find Kaldi for his own reasons. Altonstreet has no choice but to team up with Stalls as he does not know the neighborhood, or even the century he is in. All he is sure of is that this will make a great novel and that the magic chaff Kollo gave him has yet to warm up, signaling that his time is not yet up.

Kaldi, who discovered coffee, is cursing the day he did. He alone knows Kollo enslaved him and used Kaldi’s mind-bean connection to grow the best and most profitable coffee in all the known world. Kaldi senses that Altonstreet also possesses the mind-bean connection but can’t trust him, though he may have to. He must find some green coffee to roast to facilitate his own return to his life of herding in Ethiopia, away from coffee and Kollo. But, Altonstreet took his job at the Pot and Pussycat. He is stuck in the shadows of London, sleeping on a table at a fishmonger's stall on the banks of the Thames, wishing he had never discovered coffee in the first place.


Back at the Bean, Philpatrick is falling in love, and the Widow Giles is falling deadly ill. “Dr.” Rumsey, who has also practiced law in his time, has called in a favor and takes Widow Giles, Philpatrick, and Alora to a meeting of the London coffeehouse proprietors to discuss how to fight the Decree of King Charles. Pyles Gates-Locke’s ship has literally come in. His 400 bags of green coffee has docked on the Thames and it will soon be the only green coffee in all of London. His to sell at whatever price he chooses.

It is the same green Altonstreet has started to roast, using a trier he found at the roasting pit used by the Pot and Pussycat. The scar on his right hand tells him that it is not the trier from the Trier, which he is beginning to understand has way more to it than meets the eye. That trier is more than a simple roster’s tool, it is the key to his connection to Kaldi, to getting back into the history of coffee to save the future of coffee. And he left it back on the floor of the Trier in his backpack at the feet of Kollo.

Server Ian is left to do his best keeping the Bean coffee brewing, sourcing acorns as filler and running the place in the Widow’s absence. Dez and Buckles hold arm wrestling contests to pass the time, but the regular’s all know their favorite spot may be closing forever. The Widow Giles sudden passing has left Alora in to inherit the Bean, but she too has fallen for Philpatrick, and wants to leave with him when he leaves London. Philpatrick would like that too, if he can find a way to bring Alora to Dayton, Ohio in 1985.

The next morning King Charles’s Decree is in effect, and Royal Guards are in the streets making sure all of London’s coffee houses are shuttered. Kaldi has found his magic ashes just as Altonstreet has found him. Just as a furious Stalls had found Altonstreet after losing him the night before. The Locke brothers' plan to monopolize green coffee is in place. Philpatrick and Alora are in love. The chaff in Altonstreet’s pocket could warm up anytime, sending him forward in time. The future of coffee itself depends on Altonstreet and Kaldi finally meeting.

But that may have to wait until The Travels of the Trier, where the mythology and power of the trier is finally revealed, understood and may be put to use to try to save the future of coffee.