The Porfian Princess: The Chronicles of Cornu Book 4

by L J Dalton Jr.

  Mike spent a lot of his time planning how he would get steel production going in the kingdom. Steel was produced, but it was a laborious and slow process. They produced enough for what they needed, but barely. If good steel was available, they could do more. It was pointed out to him that more steel would be excellent, but if he could get iron production up, that would be better. Not a problem in Mike’s mind. He needed good iron to get steel.

  From mining the ore to producing the finished product was a complicated process. It would need blast furnaces, coke, coal, transportation, mills, trip hammers, and stamp mills. The number of things that he needed to put in place was considerable. No one person could do this. It would have to be a consortium backed by the crown. Centralia would be the logical place to do it.

  The city was near to some iron ore deposits, and coal deposits weren’t far away. Centralia was on a river that would provide power and transportation. It was already a commercial and manufacturing city. This would grow the city considerably.

  Mike had talked all of this over with his father-in-law, the crown prince, and the king. They and their advisors were very interested and encouraged him to keep working on his plans. While he was working on the plans, the royal family, in concert with Duke Marvon, tried to develop a plan to put together a group that could pull this off.

  Mike told them about corporations. A company that was owned by stockholders and was independent of those stockholders. That meant it would outlive them, and the stockholders' only exposure was the money they put into the enterprise. He wondered if something of that sort would work.

  The nobility thought it might. They could invite several different companies to put investments into a project that they couldn’t undertake on their own. This might be the key. While Mike was working on the plans to get iron and steel production underway, they started floating the ideas with various merchant families in all the big cities in the realm.

  Some people simply didn’t understand it, and it seemed too foreign for them even to consider. Others were intrigued by the possibility. They realized that in order to increase both iron and steel production, they could do it over decades and decades or take advantage of Michael's knowledge. He’d already shown what he could do with the production of cloth and porcelain. Everyone realized that this was much more ambitious, but if the risks could be limited, then it was worth taking the risk.

  Mike was researching how they were smelting iron and making steel now. It was a small batch process, and the quality of the steel that was produced had a wide variability. The amount of both iron and steel was limited. The first thing was to reliably produce a good supply of pig iron. That could be done in a blast furnace. He had put together most of what was needed. He had turbines, air compressors, well they were actually compressors, but they’d do pallets for transportation. He needed to make a blast furnace and figure out how to keep the workers safe and produce a consistent product.

  There would have to be trip hammers or a stamping mill to pulverize the ore and allow them to extract the iron. That would need water. Eventually, he’d build simple steam engines to run them.

  As to the steel, he felt that he could use the crucible process as it would be easier to produce the needed machinery than the Bessemer process. That could come later. The famous Damascus steel was produced using the crucible method, so it should work just fine.

  For checking the finished product, he didn’t have a modern laboratory to do that. No electronic microscope to check the quality of the steel or even anything reliable that he could use. That was another problem. The old-timers on earth didn’t have those either but managed to make do. He’d have to do the same.

  Mike took a lot of overnight trips to the research station to talk about it. Jefferson was mildly interested, but two of the other young people at the station were far more interested, Alan and Marsha. Both had been involved in translating books from the kindle he’d brought through with him. The one on basic industrial processes had caught their interest. So, they were keen to work on this project.

  They moved to Nordport with their families. Both of them and their families realized that eventually, they’d have to move to Centralia. That was fine with them as it would allow them to pursue their interests. The big thing was the blast furnace. Mike knew the design of a fairly simple blast furnace that they could use to smelt iron ore. The problem was building it. After looking at all their options, they finally decided to make one that was smaller than the one Mike was envisioning. Same design, just smaller.

  That was doable with the technology that they had available to them. They could make fire bricks to line the inside of the furnace. The exhaust gases would be funneled back to the blowers using ceramic pipes. They could be made to any shape and would withstand the heat. In the end, the group was pretty happy with the design.

  That was just one thing out of the way. There was a lot more work to do. Transportation was a big one. The pigs of cast iron could be put on pallets, and then they could use a crane to lift the pig iron onto the wagons. The crane would be like one in the middle ages. A hamster wheel-type contraption but run by men providing the power. They were used extensively throughout the land in building projects. That was a known quantity.

  They needed to separate the ore from a lot of the loose dirt prior to smelting. Trip hammers or stamping mills would be the answer. They wouldn’t be able to get rid of all the rock, but that would cut down on the excess slag. Both Alan and Marsha were surprised when Mike let them know that there were uses for the slag in construction. He explained about cement and how it was made. They agreed that would be an improvement over the mortar they used; however, that was a project for another time. They could only do so much.

  There would be a number of things close to the iron smelting. Mills to produce wrought iron and cast iron. The steelmaking would also be close to the iron smelting. That made sense. They would need to have a port on the river and a town for workers away from the production site. Mike explained that air pollution was a problem if people lived too close. Since the prevailing winds blew east to west or west to east depending on the season, they could situate that town to the south of the production facilities. They could provide transportation for the workers to and from the town.

  These detailed plans took a lot of work and revision. Mike didn’t think they’d be ready to start in anything less than eighteen months. Randall and Morton thought that Mike was being optimistic but let him go on. They’d be thrilled with it taking twice as long. They knew the businessmen involved would be as well.

  Spymaster

  Once Prince Bartrum had left the capital, King Leonades was determined to get to the bottom of what was going on with the intelligence he was receiving. He was told that the issues in Tantulus would blow over in time. But the merchants who did business there had an entirely different view. The question he had was his spymaster Baron Edelhord deliberately telling him false information or was he just totally incompetent.

  A few days after the Prince had left to see the Dukes, Baron Edelhord was heading towards his office in the city. As he was passing an alley, he was grabbed and dragged into the alley. His hands were tied, and he was gagged. Then a hood was put over his head. Finally, he was dragged down the alley, where he was thrown into a carriage.

  He was terrified, he didn’t know who was doing this, but whoever it was, it didn’t bode well for him. About a half-hour later, he was dragged out of the carriage and then forced to walk down a flight of stairs. When he got there, his hands were untied, and he was thrown into a cell. He got the hood off and took the gag out. He tried calling out but eventually gave up, He was in a cell, and it was totally dark. He couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face.

  Meanwhile, a note was sent to both his office and his home informing his family and workers that he’d suddenly been called out of town on an urgent matter for the King. Both his workers and his family knew that he had some duties for the crown. No one inquired too closely on what e
xactly he did. So, leaving suddenly, while not the norm, was well within the realm of possibility. No one was really worried about him.

  After a day in the darkened cell, Edelhord was totally disoriented. He was hungry and, most of all, thirsty. Finally, someone with a lantern came down the stairs and shoved a plate with some mush under the door of his cell, along with a small jar of water.

  An experienced spy might be worried about what was in the food or the water. Baron Edelhord wasn’t that imaginative. This was one of the things that attracted Bartrum to him. The lack of imagination made him a safer bet than some others. He was competent enough to collect the intelligence from their agents and then compile it and give it to the Prince. He was reasonably efficient at recruiting agents and putting them into positions.

  Porfia had two main intelligence targets. Their own people and Tantulus. The other kingdoms were of interest but not vital to the crown. Anyway, they were very forthright in what they intended to do in both Porfia and Tantulus.

  The routine of being fed and kept in the dark went on for several days. He was being given enough to keep him alive, but no more. He was dirty, scared, and living in filth. His captures were breaking him down. That was the guards' orders; break down Edelhord without leaving a mark.

  He’d lost track of time. The guards helped that along by feeding him at irregular intervals to not use those as a measure of time. One day he was dragged out of his cell and strapped down to a table. A cloth was put over his face, and he was dunked in water until he almost drowned. They gave him a bit to recover, then did it again. They did this until he finally passed out.

  He woke up in his cell, sore and disoriented. The next torture was he was left hanging by his wrists, his feet not quite touching the floor. Once again, he eventually passed out. This went on for several days. Eventually, the guards decided that he was sufficiently broken.

  He was hauled out of his cell and brought to a lighted room. He had to keep his eyes closed because his eyes weren’t used to the light. He was stripped of his filthy garments and then dowsed with cold water repeatedly and scrubbed clean. Then he was given clean clothes, blindfolded, and led out. He was too weak, disoriented, and scared to put up any resistance.

  Sometime later, he found himself in a room. When the blindfold was taken off, it took him a bit to be able to see again. When he could see, he realized that he was in the palace. There were guards in the room, and the King was sitting in a chair facing him. “Well, Edelhord, would you like to explain to me why you have been giving me false intelligence reports?”

  “Your majesty, I didn’t.”

  The King cut him off. “If you continue to lie to me, you can go back to where you came from for a few days, and the people holding you can be even more inventive than they have been. Now, what will it be the truth or more time with your friends back where you just came from?”

  “I’ll tell the truth. Please, please don’t send me back there.” Pleaded a clearly frightened man.

  “Now, tell me the whole story. Don’t leave out anything.”

  “Yes, your majesty. I gave the reports to the Crown Prince, the heir. He felt that they would be too upsetting for you and that you might do something rash.”

  Before he could go on, the King pounded the arm of his chair and shouted. “Do something rash! Do something rash! Who is King here?”

  “You are sire, you are.” Answered a shaken Edelhord.

  “Good, here’s how it will go from now on. You will continue to give the reports to my son. You will write up whatever he tells you to and give it to me. In addition, you’ll secretly give me the same reports that you give my son. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, yes, I understand, sire. How will I get you the correct reports?”

  “I will send a man to your place of business every week to pick up the correct reports. You will tell no one what you are doing. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sire, I understand completely.”

  “Let me make clear to you what’s at stake here. If you betray me or in any way cross me, it doesn’t matter how or why I will take certain actions. First, you will go back to where you just came from. Your son will join you. You’ll be treated to his screams as he is slowly tortured to death. My torturers are quite skilled; it will take weeks.

  Your wives and daughter will be sold to a pleasure house. Not one of the fancy ones. One of the ones who cater to a much rougher crowd. Women don’t last there very long—only a couple of years from what I hear. Your daughter will be quite popular, I’m sure. She can service a number of men a day. You’ll have the opportunity to occasionally watch them work.

  When they die, they will after a reasonable amount of time. I’ll let you see the bodies. I’ll make sure that you are kept alive for a long time after the passing of your family so you can contemplate your treachery.”

  Upon hearing this, Baron Edelhord collapsed. The King looked at the man. “Take him away. Get him fed so that he doesn’t look like he’s starving, and then when he’s recovered, take him back to his house. I think he’s gotten the message. Now get him out of my sight.”

  That left the King with a problem. His son was plotting against him, and he would need to be eliminated. Bartrum was his successor, his other son Pindar was only nine and was in the south at his father’s old estate Peta. His mother, Antiope, was there with him. Any move he made with young Pindar would put the boy in immediate danger. Bartrum would not hesitate to have him assassinated.

  His wife and the harem suggested that he send Pindar and his mother to Antiope’s father. He had an extensive estate near the Sud, where he mined gold and silver. He would be pleased to provide shelter and protection to his daughter. Her guards can wear his livery. It would be a perfect place for the young man to hide. Leonades had the harem put the plan in action. He made sure that Edelhord knew never to tell the heir where his younger brother was. He also assured the Baron that he would continue to act as if he was unaware of the truth.

  Now, it was a cat and mouse game between the King, his mother, and Bartrum and his mother. The King intended to be the cat in this game.

  Wheels within Wheels

  The assassins’ guild had laid low in their hidden valley since the disaster with the Nordian Royal Family. They had done some minor assassinations in the west but refrained from any significant assignments. The Messenger now felt that things were changing. He told his council of advisors. “The God of Death is starting to smile on us once again. There is turmoil in Tantulus, and it will soon follow in Porfia. We will take assignments in Porfia and in those portions of Tantulus that they control. We will take no action in Koronus or Akari. Those cities are under the control of the northern kingdoms or soon will be.

  We should not anger them more than we have to date. It will take many years for their memories to grow dim, and until then, we may not operate there. We are still wealthy and are safe. It will remain so in the future. We must be patient.”

  Prince Bartrum was meeting with Duke Mako and Duke Cadmael in Helike. They were meeting to discuss the situation in Tantulus. Bartrum wasn’t going to sugarcoat what was going on. “Duke Mako, it appears that Koronus is lost to us. There is no way with the forces that we have in Tantulus for us to retake it, and we can’t bring in forces from Porfia.

  Even if we could, I doubt that it would be easy to retake. The rebels who took it over are well armed and well trained. They are bolstered by a large number of locals in the Guard. We’d need a large force, and even with that, it would be a close thing. Your thoughts, gentlemen.”

  Duke Mako appeared a bit angry. “Prince Bartrum, I, unfortunately, am forced to agree with you. The rebels thoroughly defeated the Porfian contingent of the Guard when they went to attack them. After that defeat, none of the Porfians in the Guard have any desire to fight the rebels. The situation in Akari is bad as well. We can’t look there for any help. Gortyn is secure for the moment. Although how long that will last is anyone’s guess.

  Once Gorty
n goes, the other two smaller cities will fall on their own. They can’t and won’t put up much resistance. I expect King Menounos to take charge in Akari within the year.”

  Duke Cadmael agreed with that sober assessment. The Prince then pivoted to the situation in Porfia. “The rebels in Tantulus showed that a well-trained force of peasants could defeat the Guard. That can happen here. They don’t need the same people training them as they did in Tantulus. The rebels in Tantulus have the knowledge. Now that they know what is needed, they can teach other peasants how to do it. Peasants in our realm.

  The issue facing us is simple. Can the same thing that happened in Tantulus happen here? I’m afraid we can’t rule that out. My father is already increasing the Guard in the capital and increasing their training. There are rumors that the ruling class in Keenelund intends to follow more of the customs of the northern kingdoms.

  That is not good for us. King Demetrius sent his heir Sylvester along with Garrett, Duke Ambrose’s heir, to Nordia to learn from them. As you are already aware, they have sided with the northerners against us. King Demetrius still looks to take his revenge on us for the assassination of his father and the attempt on his life.

  Now, these two young men, who will eventually play pivotal roles in Keenelund, have made friends and allies in Nordia. They are apparently impressed by what they saw there and wish to emulate it in their kingdom. They will go slow in making changes. But those changes will come. This will not be good for us.

  If both Tantulus and Keenelund start to show up better than we are, then we will eventually have problems.”

  Duke Cadmael spoke up. “I wasn’t surprised that Demetrius sided with the northerners against us. He views us as a potential enemy and has been wary of us for his whole reign.

  What is surprising is that he is considering taking on northern ways. That will leave only ourselves and Brandlund following the old ways. This is a threat to us. Not in the near future, but in the long term. We will have northern mores and customs in all the countries bordering us. If they prove successful, you are correct that there will be agitation to adopt some of those ways ourselves.