Grantville Gazette, Volume 69

by Bjorn Hasseler

  "Now go, Bálint Felföldi, with God's blessing but take this gold for your expenses. You are to leave tomorrow at dawn along with Scribe Johannes and you may choose two good horses from the Prince's stables. Questions?"

  "Sir Gáspár, there is someone to whom I have to say farewell if it is granted."

  "Go, young man," he said with a wink, "but no more trouble with that girl or we will reintroduce the laws for punishing witchcraft…five hundred years after King Kalman the Bookish abolished them!"

  ****

  Etude, Part 3 by David Carrico

  It was nearing six o'clock when Johann made his way to the Duchess Elisabeth Sofie Secondary School for Girls for the second time that day. He felt his neck and face where the barber had trimmed his beard and shaved his neck and cheeks to give a somewhat cleaner appearance. It all felt good. He checked his fingers. No traces of blood, so he hadn't been cut or scraped by the razor, which was a good thing.

  Johann's earlier conversation with Frau Lady Beth had gone well. She understood the implications of having yet another project in town competing for scarce resources, especially one that competed for the same things needed for the organ. At the end of their conversation, Johann had the approval for what he had already told Master Luder to do.

  That conversation had been relatively short, and he had left the school without seeing anyone else. The remainder of the afternoon had been divided between checking on the carpentry work at the construction site and working on learning the pieces he would need for the inaugural performance on the organ. He hadn't determined the final selection of works yet, much less the sequence in which they would be performed, but he already knew the piece that would open the concert, and the piece that would conclude it: the Toccata and Fugue in D minor to open, and the Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor to close. Those would not be quick pieces to learn, so he had begun the process already, working with the small clavier in his room. That would at least let him get the manual parts ingrained in his hands and arms.

  Learning the pedal parts would require having access to an organ. Obviously the Dom was out of the question, but maybe one of the daughter churches still standing had a small organ that he could at least begin the learning on.

  In any event, other than the pedals, Johann about had the Prelude portion of the D minor ready, and the Fugue was beginning to take shape. The Passacaglia, on the other hand, was still very rough. Johann chuckled. It could be worse. He could have decided on doing the entire Art of Fugue—all eighteen fugues and canons of it.

  Even though he had thoroughly brushed off his jacket and pants before he left the rooming house, Johann still brushed off the front of his jacket with his hands, and took his hat off to make sure that it was clean before he opened the door and stepped into the school.

  A young girl stuck her head out of the door of Lady Beth's office for a moment, only to retract it immediately. This was followed by both Lady Beth and Staci stepping out of the office a moment later, both pulling on coats. For a moment, Johann was afraid that Lady Beth planned to come along, but then his common sense asserted itself when he remembered that she did not live in the school building as Staci and some of the other teachers did. She and her husband had a small town home of their own in the northern quarters of the Neustadt in the Old City not far from the school.

  "Good night, Herr Bach," Lady Beth said as she brushed by him. "Y'all have fun."

  Johann looked at Staci, who gave him her gamine grin. "No, she wasn't being a chaperone," she said. "We were just talking about an idea I had for teaching a unit on economics. I think we're going to bring the Monopoly game into the class."

  "Shall we leave, then?" Johann said, gesturing toward the door.

  Staci walked by him, and he followed her out the door and closed it behind them. "Is there someone still in the office?" he inquired as he moved up alongside her.

  "Oh, yes," Staci replied. "Whenever anyone is out, there will be one of the staff or the night porter waiting to let them back in and make sure they get home."

  "You do not let the girls out at night, do you?"

  "Only for a reason approved by Frau Haygood, and only when accompanied by an adult member of the immediate family or by one of the teachers." She sidestepped something in the roadway. "We do take the safety of the students pretty seriously."

  "That is good," Johann said. "So, Monopoly?"

  They made the turn onto the Gustavstrasse, which ran along the inside of the city wall in the Neustadt, and progressed south.

  "It's an up-timer board game," Staci said. "There were several sets in Grantville when the Ring of Fire happened. It used to be very popular. I played it a lot with the family when I was a kid. Anyway, it can be used to teach some basic principles about owning property and handling money."

  "In school?" Johann hoped he didn't sound too incredulous.

  "Yes, even in a girls' school," Staci replied. "These girls are mostly from well-off families—major merchants, guildsmen, patricians, even some of the Niederadel. They will need to be grounded in the practical aspects of their families' businesses or properties, if for no other reason than to keep someone from taking advantage of them."

  Johann nodded. He could see that. He remembered some of the things his mother had had to take control of after his father had died.

  "So how is the organ building going?"

  "Progressing well," Johann said. He gave her the high points of where they were; the cabinetry progressing, the main wind chest completed. The air pipes between the main wind chest and the main console completed, and some of the pipes actually being produced.

  By the time he completed that recital, they were stepping through the southwest gate of the Neustadt onto the ring road that circled the outside of Old Magdeburg. The road angled to the southwest for several yards, then intersected a major east/west street in front of Magdeburg Memorial Hospital, the up-time designed hospital that was being expanded. The two of them turned onto that street and headed west.

  "And how is Frau Marla?" Johann asked. "I mean, as far as being…"

  "Pregnant?" Staci responded. "She says she feels as big as a house, but that's ridiculous, because she's not that far along, and she hasn't gained that much weight yet. Plus she's been lucky enough that she hasn't had much trouble with morning sickness. So all things considered, she's a typical first-time mom, somewhat nervous, but seems to be doing okay. She's still putting in her regular schedule as a teacher, anyway."

  "That's good," Johann said.

  Walcha's Coffee House was two blocks west of the hospital, he remembered. Johann had never been there before, though, so he was a bit relieved when he saw the shop's sign, and he sped up his walking a bit. He held the door open for Staci and followed her inside.

  The shop was larger on the inside than he'd expected; larger than the Green Horse tavern, even, which made it very sizable for a public space in Magdeburg. Standing inside the door, he saw several people whom he knew. He'd heard that the coffee house had become a favorite place for musicians and artists and people of letters, as well as those who liked to be seen with such. That did indeed seem to be the case, as he could see a fairly well-known writer and his friends at one table, and two or three of Frau Marla's musician friends at another with some more players.

  There was a small table with a couple of chairs to one side, against the wall. Staci looked up at him and pointed to it. "There?"

  "Why not?"

  They made their way there, beating out another couple. Staci was able to slip through the crowd and the other seated patrons and plop down into one of the chairs just moments before the others could, which collected her a couple of serious frowns. Johann noted that that didn't seem to bother her, as her gamine's grin was back in place on her face when he took the other seat.

  "You enjoyed that, I think," Johann remarked with a bit of a smile of his own.

  "Too right, I did," Staci said.

  At that moment one of the servers arrived at their table. "Fir
st time here?" the young woman asked.

  "Yes," Johann said.

  "Well, then, tonight we have coffee, Dutch chocolate, and American chocolate. The American chocolate is a dollar more, because of the extra sugar in it. If you want something to nibble on as well, we have a few of the oatmeal cookies left, and I could probably find some bread and butter. We normally have more, but a bunch of the army officers came in earlier, and ate most everything we had prepared for the evening."

  "Coffee for me," Johann said, "and two of the cookies." He looked to Staci.

  "The Dutch chocolate," she ordered, "and I was hoping for a piece of the chocolate candy I've heard so much about."

  "Up-timer, are you?" the server asked. That should have been a rhetorical question, Johann thought with a suppressed snort. Staci's unmistakably accented Amideutsch should have left no doubt in the server's mind. At Staci's nod, she smiled and said, "I'll see what I can do."

  As the server bustled off, Staci looked to Johann and said, "So, I've met your brothers. You look to be older than they are."

  Johann nodded. "Eight years and some months older than Christoph, a couple of years more than that to Heinrich."

  "Eight years is a big gap."

  Johann shrugged. "One stillborn child, one winter birth that caught the croup and did not survive until spring."

  "I'm sorry."

  Johann could see the sadness on Staci's face. Another mark of the up-timer, he thought, to be so affected by what was a part of life. He shrugged again. "It happens. It is a part of life for so many."

  "And your parents?"

  "Papa died of the plague in 1626, and Mama died last year. She had pneumonia two winters ago, and never really was the same after that."

  Staci shook her head. "So you and your brothers are all that are left of your family?"

  "Of the immediate family, yes."

  They both paused as the server appeared with a tray. Johann sat back a bit to allow the server to slide a cup of steaming coffee in front of him, and a saucer with two cookies. A moment later saw a cup with dark chocolate sitting in front of Staci, and another saucer with a slab of very dark something sitting on it beside her cup. Johann took up his cup and blew on the steaming liquid before taking a cautious sip of the hot liquid, watching as Staci took up her candy and nibbled on the corner, then closed her eyes as a most blissful expression crossed her face.

  Staci opened her eyes. "Oh, that is heavenly. I have really missed chocolate."

  "You must have," Johann said with a chuckle, "to order both the liquid and the solid form of it."

  Staci laughed. "No, I didn't order the coffee because this late in the day if I drink coffee I'll be up all night."

  "Coffee does that?"

  "Oh, yeah." Staci took a sip of her chocolate, and laughed again. "Actually, this might as well. Pretty strong chocolate…a lot of difference between this and what we knew up-time."

  She took another nibble of the candy. "So you said you and your brothers are all that is left of your immediate family. Some extended family, then?"

  Johann swallowed the bite of cookie he had been chewing. "Oh, yes. We have cousins all over Thuringia."

  "That's good. It's nice to know you're not alone."

  Johann nodded. He'd never thought of it like that. He'd always taken it for granted. "And what of you? What is your family like?"

  "Mother and Father still living, and they moved to Magdeburg not too long ago. Older brother Joel serving with a State of Thuringia-Franconia National Guard force in Fulda. Younger sister Melanie works for Kelly Construction as an electrician on the opera house project, and youngest brother Joseph works as an apprentice for Kelly on the same project."

  "A family affair, then? I have met Fräulein Melanie, as it chances."

  "Well, almost," Staci said with a smile. "And my roommate Casey Stevenson is getting ready to marry Carl Schockley, who's the project manager for the opera house project for Kelly."

  "I have met Herr Schockley," Johann said with a bit of a grimace. "I think he does not like me very much."

  "Oh, I think he likes you fine," Staci replied. She took a sip of her chocolate, then continued, "He's just afraid that you're going to do something that will mess up the construction schedule."

  "And Fräulein Casey is a dancer?"

  "Yep. One of Mom's senior dancers, along with yours truly."

  It took Johann a moment to realize Staci meant herself.

  "So, we don't have anything quite like the dancing you do. What does it involve? Why do you like it?"

  Johann picked up his coffee cup and settled back.

  "Did you see the dance program in the July 4th program last year?" Staci asked. At Johann's nod, she continued with, "Well…"

  And from there the conversation wandered as conversations often do. Staci spent time telling Johann about dance. Her eyes sparkled, and her voice was very animated. From the gestures of her hands, Johann could see her passion about it, and from her descriptions he began to see that there was art to it—it wasn't just bodies moving, it wasn't just like people dancing at fairs and parties—there was a skill and a craft to the dance as Staci described it that was above and beyond what his people thought of as dance.

  Johann didn't know how much time passed as he watched Staci. His cookies were long gone when he checked on them, and he was working on his second cup of coffee. He didn't care if he was awake all night. Any excuse to sit and watch the young woman across the table from him was fine with him. Cheeks flushed, broad smile, leaning forward to emphasize something she was saying—it was like he was falling into her eyes, drowning in her joy and zeal and passion.

  Staci finally paused long enough to finish her cup of chocolate. She looked around as she did so, and her eyes opened wide. Johann glanced over his shoulder, only to discover that they were the only ones left in the coffee shop.

  Staci put her cup back on the table with a thump, and pulled back her shirt cuff to reveal a watch. "Oh, no," she said. "It's after 9 o'clock. I need to get back to the school…I have an early day tomorrow."

  The server appeared at their table as Staci pushed her chair back. She had a small piece of paper which she used to wrap up the piece of candy which Staci had barely nibbled on, which she then presented to Staci with a flourish.

  "Thank you," Staci said with a smile. "It is really very good, and I would have eaten more of it, if someone," she lowered her eyebrows at Johann, "hadn't got me started talking."

  "Think nothing of it, ma'am," the server replied, with the up-time courtesy. "We are used to that happening."

  "And I'm sorry we kept you so late," Staci said with an apologetic expression on her face and a touch of her hand to the server's arm.

  "We stay open until the last customers leave," the server said. "Georg says he wants people to feel comfortable here." She gave a wicked grin. "Of course, there's been a time or two where he was out sweeping the floor with a broom, too."

  "I bet!" Staci said with a laugh. "Anyway, thank you, and I'll tell everyone that your chocolate to drink is wonderful and your chocolate candy is to die for!"

  "That's all we can ask," the server responded with another smile. Johann had seen the price board when they entered the room, so when the server looked his way with one eyebrow raised, he passed her twenty dollars, folded so the bill numbers were visible. That was enough to cover their drinks and food and provide a gratuity in the up-time style. The server's smile broadened just a bit, the bills disappeared with a deft move of her hand, and she gave a small bow to Johann.

  "And you are?" Johann asked.

  "Anna," the server replied. "Georg is my husband."

  "We will be back," Johann said.

  "Thank you, and good evening to you," Anna said as they turned to go.

  "Good evening," Staci said over her shoulder.

  Johann preceded Staci out the door to make sure the way was clear, then held the door for her to step out of the coffee house. They started walking down the street
together. The evening was quiet. There were a few other pedestrians in view on the street, but none were close by. The sky was clear; no clouds hid the stars, and the golden light of the crescent moon shone down on them from low in the eastern sky.

  After a few steps, Johann was almost startled when he felt Staci's hand slip onto his arm. He instinctively crooked his elbow, and felt her grasp settle and rest in that crook. They walked that way for a couple of minutes or so. He felt his chest tighten a bit.

  "You shouldn't have let me ramble on and on like that," Staci said. "I did all the talking."

  Johann chuckled. "Fräulein Casey warned me some time back that you were all dancer."

  "She's a fine one to talk," Staci said with a snort. "She's just as fixated on it as I am. But you still shouldn't have let me monopolize the evening."

  "I enjoyed it," Johann said.

  After a moment, "So did I," softly. A few more steps. "But next time, I get to ask the questions and you have to talk."

  "That is fair," Johann conceded.

  The rest of the walk to the townhouse the school was in passed by in silence. Johann could feel a grin on his face. He kept trying to suppress it, trying to be serious, but the happy feeling in his chest kept rising and making the corners of his mouth curl up. He kept his arm tight, feeling the presence of Staci's hand pressed between his arm and his side.

  All too soon they had arrived in front of the building. Johann walked Staci up the steps to the portico, where she removed her hand from his arm. It was a slow withdrawal, and Johann was certain that was an expression of a certain reluctance. That resonated with him, for he was certainly reluctant to have it release its contact with him.