1632: Essen Steel (9 page)

"I wonder how he's doing?" Graswinckel murmured.

* * *

At that moment, far to the southwest in Düsseldorf, Louis de Geer was doing just fine. In fact, he had had a much easier time than Graswinckel and Gerard. After a brief stopover in Mainz to talk to Axel Oxenstierna, he had traveled down the Rhine to Düsseldorf, sending Jan de Vries ahead to investigate the state of Wolfgang Wilhelm's finances. As with most German counts and princes, Wilhelm was deeply in debt. The price he had settled for was fifteen thousand guilders, but the piece of Berg that De Geer needed was relatively small and mostly north of the Ruhr River. When Wilhelm had hesitated at the last minute De Geer had casually let drop that he was on his way to see the new Dutch commander at Wesel. The hint was immediately understood: balk at the deal and Dutch troops might pay a visit to Düsseldorf. Not that Louis had been lying; he was indeed on his way to Wesel to see his old friend, Lieutenant General Hermann Otto, Count of Limburg-Styrum.

When he walked into Otto's office in Wesel a week later and told him what he had done, Otto laughed uproariously. "Ha! Did he turn white?"

De Geer grinned. "As a bed sheet."

"Not that I'm allowed to sally from Wesel, of course," grumbled Otto. "Frederik Hendrik wants a firm flank to protect him as he drives down upon Maastricht. But what am I doing here? I'm a cavalry general, damn it!"

"Frederik Hendrik needs someone he can trust," replied De Geer.

"I know, I know. But still … " Otto looked up at De Geer. "Now, what really brings you here my friend?"

De Geer smiled. "I'm forming a company you might be interested in."

After De Geer had explained the formation of his new company and what it would do, Otto smiled. "So, at last Styrum will be important again?"

Herrschaft Styrum was a small, strategically located property near Muelheim. It had grown up around a ford across the Ruhr River along a branch of the old royal road, the Hellweg.

De Geer nodded. "We will be putting in a lock at Muelheim and other fords up river to help make the Ruhr navigable. That is something we can get started with right away. With your permission, of course."

Otto grinned. "No need letting troops idle in garrison around Essen. You will pay for the labor of course?"

De Geer nodded again. "Certainly. And I hope you will want to become one of the investors in Essen Steel. We will need iron workers as well. Isn't Limburg known for its wire pulling mills?"

Otto laughed. "Indeed. And if what you say about the new pistons for air blast is true, we will have extra iron to provide your iron and steel complex. But you mentioned the possibility of new cannon?"

Otto's voice was eager. Hermann Otto and Louis De Geer had first met in 1625 when Otto was looking for light cannon to keep up with his cavalry. De Geer motioned to Jan De Vries who had been sitting with them.

"Jan can tell you more about that. He loves to ferret out information and he found a gold mine of it in Grantville while he waited for us to arrive."

Jan De Vries smiled. "I was bored by the middle of February so I decided to look for information on the history of fortifications and artillery in the up-time universe, since those were my specialties in the army. That was when I met Oliver Edgerton."

"Oliver Edgerton? A military officer?" Hermann Otto asked.

De Vries shook his head. "Something much better. A historian. With an interest in their civil war. We made a bargain. In return for telling stories in his history class at Grantville High School, he taught me much about the American Civil War. He was obviously a lonely old man with not many friends in Grantville. Apparently he and his wife had spent most of their time in a town called Fairmont, to the east. At the end he even gave me this."

De Vries carefully unwrapped a musket-like weapon on the floor and handed it to Hermann Otto. "This is called a Sharps rifle. It was used by a military unit called the Berdan sharpshooters."

Hermann Otto admired the rifle and then looked at Jan de Vries. "Can we make these?"

De Vries shrugged. "Probably. But it is a replica, so the parts are actually steel, not iron as most of the original Sharps rifle would be. The hardest part will be making the machinery to make the percussion caps, once we understand how to make the mercury fulminate. And that will take a considerable amount of trial and error. Still, making the minié bullets used in the American Civil War should not be difficult. I have several pages of diagrams with different bullet types. The impression I got from my reading is that forty-five caliber is the most ballistically efficient." De Vries smiled. "But let me tell you about the artillery."

Two hours later Lieutenant General Hermann Otto, Count of Limburg-Styrum, had the biggest smile on his face that De Geer had ever seen. De Vries winked at him. What was the American expression? Hook, line and sinker. Hermann Otto was on their side.

"Real, effective horse artillery! At last!" Hermann Otto was almost dancing with glee.

August, 1632

The last piece of the Essen puzzle fell into place. It happened in Grantville, ten days after the Croat raid.

"But I don't understand, Axel." Gustavus Adolphus snorted. "Why just the mineral rights? Since I'm Emperor, I can simply declare him Baron of Essen. The man deserves it after all these years."

Axel shook his head. "No. Louis is right. If you start secularizing all the ecclesiastical territories in your new domain it will make a lot of princes nervous. But doling out mineral rights … " Axel waved his hand. "That will be expected."

"Well, then." Gustavus Adolphus grinned. "Let's surprise De Geer for once. We'll add Werden Stift as well."

* * *

When word of that decision reached Amsterdam, the Essen Steel Company was formed. Its initial capitalization was 2.8 million guilders.

The celebration of the company's founding took place in the mansion of Balthasar Coymans, one of Amsterdam's richest merchant bankers. It was late in the afternoon when Steven Gerard came across his brother-in-law. Louis was staring out the library window.

"Balthasar's been looking for you, Louis. He wants to discuss setting up a branch of his bank in Essen."

Louis de Geer smiled. "I'm coming. I just stopped to watch the butterflies."

"Butterflies?"

De Geer nodded. "Did I every tell you what Colette told me about the 'butterfly effect?'"

Gerard shook his head.

"Apparently, up-time mathematicians theorized that many different parts of the world are very sensitive to initial conditions. So much so, that the flapping of a butterfly's wings could change the weather on the other side of the world."

Gerard laughed. "Absurd!"

"Perhaps." De Geer looked out the window again. "But if it is even partly true, think about what the arrival of Grantville means. Not just a single butterfly. Thousands of people. Dozens of square miles of terrain. Machines, books, and an accumulated knowledge hundreds of years more advanced than our own. The scientific method. Vatican II. Evolution."

For a moment Gerard was silent. "That's a pretty big butterfly, isn't it?"

In Louis de Geer's mind a butterfly the size of the sun began to fold its wings around the earth.

"Indeed."

October 1632 was an eventful month for Josh and Colette Modi. Their first wedding anniversary prompted Colette to make an appointment with Doctor Adams for her first ever gynecological exam, but it was early October of 1632 before the doctor could fit her into his schedule.

"So," Doc Adams said after the exam, "everything seems to be in working order. Any questions?"

Colette nodded. "If everything is in working order, why have I not become pregnant?"

"Have you ever been pregnant before?" Adams asked.

"Yes," said Colette, "about seven years ago. My son Jacques. He died when he was six months old." Colette's face took on a momentary sadness.

Doc Adams patted her arm. "I'm sorry, Colette. I know that happened frequently down-time. Were there any complications with the birth? Any fevers or infections?"

Colette nodded. "Yes, I had an infection as well as a fever that lasted several days. But it was gone in less than a week. Why?"

"You may not be able to have children, Colette," replied Doc Adams gently. "Before we learned about the relationship between bacteria and infections, most doctors didn't understand the importance of washing their hands when dealing with their patients. This is especially important when dealing with the birth of children. Many women died because of infections they got from the dirty hands of the doctors or mid-wives assisting with the birth."

Seeing the look of devastation on her face he put his hand on her shoulder. "Colette, it's just one possibility. It may be that Josh has a low sperm count. Sometimes it's just a biological incompatibility between partners. There is no way to tell without diagnostic equipment we don't have right now. All I can tell you is to keep trying."

Colette gave him a wan smile. "Thank you, doctor."

That night she cried as she told Josh.

He hugged her to him. "It's okay, Colette. I didn't marry you because of the children I thought you could bear me."

Colette sniffled and hugged him closer. "Then why did you marry me?" She knew the answer, but she needed to hear him say it.

"I married you because I love you, sweetheart. Not for children, not for money, not even for sex. For you. Till the stars grow cold and we grow old, I will love you. Forever."

Colette rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her nightshirt and smiled at him. "I had no idea you were such a poet."

"You bring out the best in me, darling," Josh said. He looked down at himself. "Speaking of which … "

Colette laughed and pulled the nightshirt over her head. "We must do something about that!"

Later, when Josh was asleep, Colette got out of bed to pray.

Dear God
, she thought.
If this is a punishment for my sins, then I accept it as your will. If it is not, please give me the strength and the courage to persevere. Amen.

For several minutes she remained on her knees, repeating the prayer several times. When she crawled back into bed Josh mumbled, "cold feet, cold feet."

She laughed quietly and found herself at peace.
Thank you, God
.

* * *

It had taken some time for the Crucibellus Manuscripts to filter their way back to Grantville from France and England, but when they did reporters began inquiring at the Inn of the Maddened Queen, the address given in the Manuscripts. At first Colette was amused, but it quickly turned annoying and to get rid of the reporters she finally gave Joe Buckley an exclusive interview. Joe Buckley sensationalized the story, even including the dream that Colette had unwisely told him about, but eventually the furor died down and the press moved on to other issues. It was toward the end of October when her authorship of the Manuscripts brought her into contact with Henning and Regina Kniphoff.

As Colette passed through the common room of the inn, a man and a young girl rose from a table.

"Madame Modi? My name is Henning Kniphoff." The man standing in front of her was tall and well-dressed. "And this is my daughter Regina." Henning waved his hand in the young girl's direction.

Regina Kniphoff was dressed in a dark brown ankle-length skirt. Her eyes were alive with energy and intelligence and she seemed in awe of Colette when she shook her hand.

"Are you really the author of the Crucibellus Manuscripts?" whispered Regina.

Colette nodded. "Have you read them?"

"Oh, yes," Regina said, "but only the first two so far. My stepmother keeps throwing out the new ones I purchase," she said matter-of-factly. "She doesn't believe women should concern themselves with mathematics."

Henning Kniphoff winced. "Could we talk to you in private, Madame Modi? I would like to discuss my daughter with you."

Colette escorted Henning and Regina to her office.

"I believe my husband has met you? You are the chairman of the city council in Erfurt are you not?"

Henning Kniphoff nodded. "Yes. How are those four young men that your husband hired doing? I believe I heard that they are still working for him."

"Yes. They are journeymen now and doing quite well. I believe two of them even have fiancées." Colette smoothed her skirt. "How can I help you?"

Henning Kniphoff cleared his throat. "Well, I was wondering … "

Regina Kniphoff suddenly broke in. "Oh, Daddy. Just ask her." She turned to Colette. "I would like to come live with you in Grantville and be your
kammerjungfer
. My father wants me out of the house because my stepmother and I do not get along."

Regina rubbed her nose vigorously. "Excuse me. Itchy. We do not get along at all, and she is pregnant. Again." Regina rolled her eyes.

Despite herself Colette laughed. "And exactly why should I let you come live with me?"

"Because I'm smart," Regina said. "And in a world like this one I will not be educated unless I do it myself or find a good mentor. Like you."

"Bold, too, I see," murmured Colette.

Henning shrugged helplessly. He was clearly embarrassed by his daughter. "I apologize for my daughter, Madame Modi. But ever since she discovered you were the author of the Crucibellus Manuscripts, she has talked of nothing else but meeting you. I thought perhaps by coming to Grantville we could talk to you and dispense with this dream of hers. I thank you for your time." Kniphoff began to rise but stopped when Colette waved him back to his chair.

"Let's talk about this," she said. She turned to Regina. "Tell me about yourself."

As Regina chattered, Colette began to identify with the young girl. Like Colette, Regina thought differently. She was highly intelligent and seemed to have a gift for mathematics, if not quite as strongly as Colette. She also spoke several languages fluently. Regina's intelligence was clearly causing difficulties within the home of Henning Kniphoff. For the daughters of wealthy and powerful men like Henning Kniphoff, it was customary for young women Regina's age to be placed in the homes of noblemen or powerful merchant families so they could receive an education and perform duties similar to that of a page. The difference here was that Regina wanted more control over who she was placed with.