He watched Viktor glance over at his partner, a young woman, and the leader of the armed sailors who had accompanied them. When they nodded Georg knew he was going to be able to dispose of some, if not all of the USE dollars his employer had been forced to accept in payment for goods and services to the Swedes.
"They are a bit difficult to exchange for real money. What do you value them at?" Viktor asked
Georg had been expecting this. In theory one thaler was worth one hundred paper USE dollars, but this far from Magdeburg most were traded at a discount. "One hundred to the thaler."
Viktor snorted. "I'd be lucky to buy a thaler for less than a hundred and twenty dollars in Stralsund."
"Split the difference, one hundred and ten," Georg responded.
Viktor scowled at Georg then nodded. "We have a deal."
Georg took the hand Viktor offered. Viktor's grip was firm, but short of crushing. There was a message there—a subtle warning that Viktor could be dangerous if he chose to be. That fitted what little Georg had been able to discover about the man. Viktor dealt honestly and expected others to deal honestly with him. Okay, so maybe he'd lied about how much the USE dollars might be worth in Stralsund, but that was just bargaining. Where it really mattered, such as the quality of what he sold, you could buy from him knowing you got what you paid for.
Aboard the Parrot
Fritz Felix, master of the Parrot, raised his mug of ale. "Let's drink to a most successful sales trip and raise sail for Stralsund."
Viktor shook his head. "Not Stralsund. We head back toward Wismar. The Committee men should have dealt with the nobles around the city by now and they'll likely be short of ammunition and other supplies. Not only that, they might even have weapons to trade."
"You intend buying back the weapons you sold the nobles around Wismar?" Fritz asked.
"Not just Wismar, but everywhere we have sold weapons ahead of the advancing Committee men," Viktor said.
Fritz shook his head in admiration. "That's real cheek that is, Viktor."
"No, it is business. The Committee men have their SRG's and they don't need anything else, so any other weapons they find are surplus, and with their funny attitudes, they'll be buying food and ammunition where they can rather than foraging. That means they are likely to be short of money, and they'll be willing to sell surplus weapons for anything they can get."
"Are we going to be accepting promissory notes?" Tat'yana asked.
"What? Sell on credit? Viktor?" Fritz shook his head with disbelief that someone so close to Viktor could suggest such a thing. He was surprised when Viktor turned to Tat'yana and asked "Why?"
"Because they're the CoC," Tat'yana said. "It won't hurt to get in good with them, and if we're careful who we accept notes from there shouldn't be too much trouble getting them redeemed. From everything I've read, Gretchen Richter will insist on it."
"You mean their credit is good," Fritz said.
Tat'yana smiled. "Better than good. Their reputation depends on fair dealing, and a reputation for failing to redeem promissory notes would hurt them."
"Of course, they might need time to pay," Boris warned.
"But they will pay," Tat'yana responded. "And that's all that matters."
Two weeks later, Stralsund
Katharina watched the Parrot tie up alongside the wharf. It had been over a month since she'd last seen her protector, and she had started to worry. Lasse Pettersson, the young man Viktor had instructed to look after her while they were away, had tried to reassure her that there was nothing to worry about, but he couldn't understand what it was like to be a young girl alone on the streets. She'd been lucky. Normally Viktor wouldn't have looked at a girl as young as she, but he'd wanted to celebrate something with a virgin, and she'd been the first one he found. He'd saved her from a life of servicing drunken sailors five kreuzers at a time.
She barely waited for Tat'yana to step off the gangplank before charging up to her and hugging her. "You're back. I thought you were never coming back."
Tat'yana hugged her back. "I'm sorry we were gone so long. Has anything interesting happened while we were away?"
"A Swedish officer came looking for Viktor," Katharina reported.
"A Swede? What could he want with Viktor?" Tat'yana asked.
"He wouldn't say," Katharina said. "I told him Viktor was away on business." She waited, hoping that she'd done right.
"Do you know who it was?" Tat'yana asked.
Relieved that Tat'yana wasn't angry she nodded. "Lieutenant-colonel Wachtmeister. He said he'd wait for Viktor to come back."
* * *
Lieutenant-colonel Erik Wachtmeister watched the men walking off the Parrot. He didn't know what the man he wanted looked like, but the man beside him did.
"That's him," Sergeant Jon Joakimsson Rambo said as a solidly built man walked down the gangplank and joined the small group waiting on the dock.
"No time like the present. Let's see if this Viktor of yours is willing to take our little problem off our hands."
Jon Joakimsson snorted. "He's not my Viktor, and Sergeant Hering isn't a problem. Herr Captain Blom is a problem."
"And as long as the colonel resists demands for Sergeant Hering's dismissal, Captain Blom will continue to be a problem," Erik agreed. "Come on, you can make the introductions."
* * *
"Viktor, this is Lieutenant-colonel Erik Wachtmeister. He works for Colonel Lillie, and he has an offer you can't refuse."
Erik stared at the man Sergeant Rambo had introduced him to. He couldn't exactly say he liked what he was seeing. Viktor was a large man, probably near fifty years of age; with the look of a professional soldier. He accepted Viktor's hand and they played the game of applying pressure. Not enough to hurt, but enough to show they could if they needed to. "I understand you're in the market for a reliable bodyguard."
"Yes," Viktor confirmed warily.
"My colonel hopes you will want to employ a man we are being forced to release from his contract," Erik explained.
"Why would you think I would be interested in someone you don't want?" Viktor asked.
"Because we don't really want to lose him. However, he has managed to . . ." Erik paused to find a suitable word. ". . . offend an important officer. And the officer insists that Sergeant Hering be dismissed."
"And the nature of this 'offense'?" Viktor asked.
Just thinking about it had Erik smiling. "There was an argument, a sword was drawn, and Sergeant Hering was so discourteous as to disarm and disable Captain Blom using nothing more than a simple walking cane."
"Would that be Captain Olof Blom?" Boris asked. "The man who is always bragging about his ability with a sword?"
If Viktor's partner knew that much about Captain Blom maybe the colonel hadn't sent him on a fool's errand after all. "The very one." Erik admitted.
"Oh, dear. Were there many witnesses?" Viktor asked with feigned polite interest.
"Only most of the regiment," Sergeant Rambo said.
Viktor smiled. "I believe I understand the nature of your problem, Lieutenant, and I would be more than happy to meet your Sergeant Hering."
Early July, Stralsund
Katharina examined herself in the mirror. She liked what she saw. Long gone was the little girl dressed in rags. Today she looked respectable. The sort of person any shopkeeper would be happy to have venture into their store. She grabbed her shoulder bag and walked into the apartment's lounge. "I'm ready."
Johann Hering, previously of the Swedish Army training regiment based in Stralsund, levered himself out of his chair while glancing at the clock set on the mantle above the fire. "Already?"
Katharina might not know Johann was being sarcastic, but she saw past the wide-eyed innocence on his face. "Tat'yana, Johann's being nasty to me."
Across the room Tat'yana smiled back. "Ignore him. He's just being a male. Now, be good, and be sure to show Johann all around town. Oh, and get me two dozen of the usual." Tat'yana passed Kath
arina some coins.
Katharina accepted the coins and jerked her head at Johann. "Come on then."
Outside the Vulgar Unicorn Johann walked quietly beside her, his famous walking stick held in one hand. "You don't really have to show me around. I already know Stralsund quite well."
Katarina rolled her eyes. "Are you really that dumb? When Tat'yana said I was to show you around, that's exactly what she meant. That I show you around."
The look on Johann's face told Katharina he still didn't understand. Well, if he was anywhere near as smart as he claimed to be he'd work it out. She walked on.
There was the sound of hurried footsteps as Johann caught up. "Where are we headed?"
"To a store near the docks where they stock Tat'yana's favorite sweets," Katharina explained.
"The docks! Surely that's not a safe place for you or Tat'yana to go on your own?"
Katharina sighed. Men! Of course the docks aren't safe. "I said near the docks. Besides, who's going to bother me when I've got a big strong man like you to protect me?"
Johann flexed his not inconsiderable right bicep and grinned. "You've got that right. Never fear while Johann Hering's here."
Katharina sent Johann a pained look and walked on. Minutes later they arrived at Tat'yana's favorite shop.
Until she'd been taken in by Viktor Katharina had never felt welcome even standing near a shop, but these days, no matter how she was dressed, she was always greeted with a smile. She placed some coins on the counter and smiled at the woman standing behind it. "Two dozen lemon drops please."
The shopkeeper shook her head. "That Tat'yana, she's going to rot her teeth." She reached for a jar behind the counter and carefully counted twenty-four candies into a paper cone and screwed up the ends before handing it to Katharina. She jerked her head toward Johann. "Who's your boyfriend?"
"Johann Hering. He works for Viktor. I'm showing him around," Katharina explained.
The shopkeeper stared at Johann for half a minute, then she nodded. Katharina knew she'd pass on Johann's description and it would get around that he worked for Viktor. She left the store with Johann close behind.
Just outside the shop Johann laid a hand on Katharina's shoulder and drew her to a stop. "Show me around. As in show me around?" he asked.
The way Johann emphasized the "me" told Katharina that he'd finally caught on. "That's what I said."
"You could have explained," Johann protested.
"Why?"
Johann glared at Katharina, who couldn't help but smile back. "You need something to sweeten you up," Johann said. "Stay here, I won't be long."
Katharina did as she was told and stood at the corner while Johann headed back to the store they'd just left.
He'd barely disappeared from view when cruel fingers dug painfully into her right arm. She spun round to see a face she'd hoped never to see again.
The man forced her against a building and leered down at her. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my errant daughter. Found at last, and judging by the clothes she's wearing, she's doing very well for herself." He grabbed Katharina's jaw in his right hand and tipped her head up until their eyes met. "No need to guess how you're paying for your fancy clothes." He grinned. "It's about time you paid me back for all you've cost me, daughter." He forced Katharina's head against the wall and reached out with his left hand for the satchel over her shoulder. "Let's see what you've got for your papa."
Katharina tried to fight, but he was too strong for her. She was starting to get desperate when she saw someone approaching. Then she just relaxed and smiled.
Her father noticed the sudden lack of resistance and the direction she was looking almost immediately. "You don't think I'm going to fall for that old trick. There's nobody going to save you."
"You'd be wrong about that," Johann said as he spun Katharina's father around and struck him once, with an open palm, straight up under the jaw.
Katharina took a moment to recover when her father released her. Then she looked down at his crumpled body. "Did you kill him?" she asked hopefully.
Johann reached down and placed the tips of his fingers against her father's throat. "No," he said as he straightened up.
"Pity." Katharina kicked her father in the ribs as hard as she could. The impact wasn't as good as she'd hoped. There was something stuffed under his jacket. She stared down at her father for a few seconds, then she smiled. She crouched down so she could search him. Moments later her hands found a wallet. As she stood up she opened it and checked the contents. She'd just pulled out a bundle of "Johnnies", the USE twenty-dollar bill, when Johann interrupted her.
"You wouldn't be thinking of keeping that now, would you?"
"You heard him. He's my father," Katharina said as she counted the bills.
"Nice try, but I doubt Viktor would approve of family stealing from family."
Johann's comment grabbed Katharina. Had he also noticed how Viktor, Boris, and Tat'yana were like a family? She'd dearly love to be included in that family. She stared at the money in her hands—two thousand USE dollars in Johnnies. It was a lot of money. She didn't want to offend Viktor, and now she'd had a moment to think, she knew he wouldn't approve of her keeping the money, at least not when there were witnesses to see her do it. However, there was no reason why her father should keep it either. She held the wad of bills up so the various onlookers could see them. Then she shoved them back into the wallet and shoved the wallet back under her father's jacket.
"Happy now?" She demanded of Johann as she crouched beside her unconscious father.
"Yes." Johann helped her back to her feet. "Come on. Aren't you supposed to be showing me off to Stralsund."
Katharina smiled up at Johann. "Around, not off."
They had barely gone a dozen yards before they heard the sound of a scuffle behind them. They both ignored it.
"Here, I got these for you," Johann said as he passed her a screw of paper.
She was not going to cry. Katharina looked away for a moment while she blinked to clear her eyes. People didn't just give her things, not normally. She unscrewed one end of the paper and after checking there were plenty of sweets took one and held the cone out to Johann. "Thank you. Would you like one?"
Johann took a sweet and together they walked off, leaving the various onlookers to fight over the money Johannes Hagemeister had been carrying.
The Vulgar Unicorn
Tat'yana was relaxing in an armchair reading purely for pleasure when Katharina and Johann returned. The smile of greeting she offered rapidly changed to one of concern when she saw the bruising on Katharina's face. "What happened to you?" she demanded.
Katharina shrugged as if the bruising was of no concern. "We bumped into my father."
Tat'yana turned to Johann. "And what were you doing to allow Katharina to be attacked. Some bodyguard you turned out to be."
"Don't be mean, Tat'yana. Johann rushed to protect me and he dealt with Papa easily." She looked toward Johann. "But he could have hit him more than once."
Tat'yana glared at Johann. "Someone hurts one of us and you only hit them once? What kind of message does that send out?" Tat'yana's waving arms only hinted at her agitation. Her first reaction to seeing Katharina's bruised face was a feeling that Viktor was not going to be happy. Now she knew the perpetrator had got off so easily she knew he wasn't going to be happy.
"What was I supposed to do, kick a defenseless man while he was down?" Johann protested.
"That would have been a good start," Tat'yana answered, "A few broken ribs would have sent a proper message."
"How does that fit with Viktor's instructions to be law abiding and not making waves in Stralsund?" Johann pleaded.
"The rules change when someone hurts one of us. Everyone must know that Viktor protects his own. Please, tell me there was plenty of blood."
Johann and Katharina shared a glance before both of them shook their heads. "Unless the target bites his tongue the strike I used doesn't tend to cause much
loss of blood," Johann explained.
"That's just great. A man attacks Katharina and he gets off without even a fat lip." Tat'yana took a breath to try and calm herself, but having Johann in the room wasn't helping. She pointed at him. "You, get out. Go to your room and play with your weights or something while I see what I can do about the bruising. And while you're at it, think of what you're going to say to Viktor when he asks what kind of revenge you took against the man who hurt Katharina."
For a few seconds it looked as if Johann would say something. Certainly his mouth opened and closed a few times, but eventually he just glared at Tat'yana, smiled once at Katharina, and left, closing the door gently behind him.
Tat'yana led Katharina into the kitchen and washed her face. "Viktor's going to have to do something about your father."
"Can I be there to watch?" Katharina asked hopefully.
Tat'yana knew where Katharina was coming from. She'd have loved to have seen someone like Viktor take care of her father when she was her age. "Other than your scrap with your father did anything interesting happen while you showed Johann around the usual haunts?"
Katharina started to shake her head in the negative, but stopped in mid swing. "My father was carrying a lot of money . . ."
Tat'yana's fingers dug into Katharina's shoulders. "Please, tell me you didn't steal from someone in Stralsund."
Katharina looked indignantly at Tat'yana. "Of course I didn't. We just made sure everyone watching knew where Papa kept his wallet." She shrugged. "If someone else happened to steal the money . . ."
"Then that's not your fault." Tat'yana smiled at Katharina. At least the bully had suffered some hurt. But wait a minute . . . "You said your father tried to steal from you, but you just said he had a lot of money in his wallet."
Grantville Gazette Volume 27 Page 11
