"Would the scheme work?"
"When we get the new press for uppers up and running, we're going to have to cut more soles than we can cut in a twelve-hour shift. So we're planning on opening up a partial night-shift just for running the sole press. If we do that, then we could run enough extra soles to let some go off site. The more soles we cut, the more scrap we can cut up into tiny little bits and from what we're getting for them we could quite possibly turn a small profit from cutting up whole hides. As for the rest of the supplies, the more we buy the better. Even after we charge him a handling fee, we can still sell to him at a better price than he can get anywhere else and it all helps our bottom line. But that would be a matter of policy and I'd have to kick it over to the board."
Paulus smiled. "I don't think it will be a problem as long as you're sure it will be profitable."
"If he pays cash for the supplies and we take his shoes on consignment I don't know why it wouldn't be."
"Well, my father is making a lady's high-heeled dress shoe that is selling well in a dress shop in Grantville. Do you think your retail store would be interested in taking some on consignment?" If they were and his father decided to do it, then, he would have to take on an apprentice or hire help. He might try insisting that Ebert do it and that could cause all kind of problems. Maybe he shouldn't even bring it up. It would mean more money but sometimes there are other things, like domestic tranquility, that need to be considered.
The manager smiled. "Considering who's asking. "
"Yes, I see your point," Paulus said. "Just one more thing, well, two actually. First, would this Adolf be good for her? And by that I mean good to her."
"Yes. Adolf is a fine young man. He takes good care of his mother and his sister."
"Well, I guess the real question in my mind is whether or not this Adolf is up to it."
"If I had the money I'd loan it to him. He's a hard worker, he's level-headed, I have absolutely no doubt he'd make it work."
But still, Anna was his! The relief shifted back into anger and the anger became resolve. He found his answer in a favorite phrase he'd picked up off a Grantviller who bought so many of their fresh mushrooms, The answer isn't no, it's hell no! Dammit, Anna was his!
By quitting time Paulus had calmed down and was prepared to admit that he had no claim on Anna and that he would let her go her own way if that was what she wanted. Still, he was waiting for Anna outside the employee door at quitting time. She was nearly the last to leave. When she came out she was with three other people. The girl, about his own age, was pretty, and was clearly the younger model of the older woman. The male was presumably Adolf. The four of them stood together in a way that somehow said "family." Even in the light of his resolve to let things alone, Paulus found this, for some reason, to be disconcertingly annoying and sighed.
"Anna? Over here." Paulus called. The four of them stopped and spoke briefly. The mother gave Anna a peck on the cheek before sending her off. It was obvious to Paulus that she was concerned. Adolf started to follow Anna. But he stopped when his mother laid a hand on his arm.
"Where would you like to eat?" Paulus asked Anna.
"I've heard a lot about Grantville Ribs with french-fried potatoes and coleslaw," Anna said.
"You've never tried them?"
"We get our meals with the rent. Sometimes it's not very good. More than once dinner has been a big tub of apple peels she'd bought out the back door of some eatery that was making apple pies or something. She just sets the tub down in the middle of the table and everybody digs in. We eat a lot of dumplings, but the meals come with the rent so we don't eat out."
"Well, let's go find ourselves some ribs then." Paulus led her into the office.
"Hey, Herr Wiesel, who has the best ribs in town?" Paulus asked.
"Carry out or eat in?" Wiesel asked.
"Eat in I think. It's a little too cold for a picnic."
"Cheap or fancy?" Wiesel asked.
This left Paulus in a bit of a dilemma. He wanted to say "the cheapest," but he didn't want to look chintzy in front of Anna. He settled on saying, "The best ribs. I'll happily eat at some place cheaper if the food is better."
Herr Wiesel gave him directions and they headed out into the cold.
Anna didn't say anything until they were seated and Paulus had placed the order. They had been shown to a table back by the kitchen and Anna was very conscious of her shabby clothes. Paulus' coat was new, but he had the only coat she could see in the restaurant that had plain leather buttons.
Finally she asked, "Paulus, do you really own part of the shoe mill?"
"Well, I own a quarter of the McAdams Mining Company. And it owns twenty percent of the mill you worked in, along with twenty percent of several other things."
"How did you end up owning part of a mining company?"
"It took a lot of hard work, and then we had some very good luck that landed us with a nest egg. After that it took a lot of common sense, and even more hard work and yes, it is true, even more good luck."
A very anxious Anna didn't press him for a better answer. Instead she asked, "You said the mill I worked in? Are you really going to have me fired?"
"No, but, unless you tell me to take a hike, you really are going to have to quit. I think you should go to Grantville and enroll in school where my parents can keep an eye on you, and then we will get married if you want to when you're old enough. So you'll have some time to make up your mind. I don't think you should stay in Magdeburg alone."
"I'm not alone. And besides, I don't want to stay in Magdeburg and I don't want to go to Grantville. I want to go back to Wolmirstedt," Anna said almost in tears.
He knew for certain what her answer would be but he was, somehow, still, hoping he was wrong so he said, "But there's no one to run the shop and the shop can't make a living."
"Adolf can."
"Adolf Braun?" Paulus asked.
"Yes. Adolf thinks he can make it work if he can get a loan for the sewing machines. He's a journeyman, almost one, anyway. If he can't get a loan, we're saving up to buy one," Anna whispered.
"We?" Paulus asked.
"His family and I. They've been good to me since I got to Magdeburg. Adolf's mother looks after me.
"Momma died four years ago and Poppa took to drinking when things got bad and that made it worse of course. At first when he got drunk he'd beat me. Later, when he was drunk almost all the time he-" Anna had tears running down her face and didn't finish saying what it was her father did when he was drunk.
"So you feel like you're part of a family and you want to take them back to Wolmirstedt and try running the shop."
"Yes, but Adolf can't get a loan. The Wolmirstedt town council won't or can't help. It would be easier if Adolf had his master's papers but he doesn't. If he had them, the machine sellers would sell to us on installments since we have a shop. But their guild-lines require the buyer to be a master, if you want to buy on time."
"Okay, Anna." Paulus found himself, once again angry. At Wolmirstedt for not taking care of her, at Anna's mother for dying and her father for being a jerk, at Adolf and his family for stealing Anna's affections which he thought should be his, at Tilly for turning the world upside down and at the world for letting it happen. He found himself wanting to tell her that what she wanted did not matter, she was coming to Grantville. But it was plain that wouldn't work. "If you want to go back to Wolmirstedt, then I guess it's time we talked to Adolf and see about making it happen."
"Do you think you can?"
"Probably, but I need to talk to Adolf.
"The ribs are here. You rip them off the rack and gnaw them off the bone. The only thing you need the fork for is the coleslaw."
A bit later Paulus asked, "How are the ribs?"
"Good," Anna answered.
"Do you remember the time when-" Paulus wandered off into happier times and kept up the chatter all the way through supper, including a rather fancy desert.
As he helped h
er on with her coat he said, "Let's get you home and I'll talk to Adolf."
"Can you get him a loan?"
"Probably not. But the mining company should be willing to go into a partnership with you and front the startup cost. I'll have to go back to Grantville and talk to my brother and our partners, but I don't think there will be a problem. It's just another start-up company and it has a good business plan with what should be a better than average return as long as Adolf is willing to work it."
"Oh, Adolf is a good worker. He figures with the sewing machines he can keep ahead of his sister and me cutting out the uppers. Then his mother can take care of the house. Eventually we'll get married, I'll take over running the house from his mother and maybe he can get an apprentice or two."
They never got to the apartment. Adolf was waiting for them in the street outside the restaurant. Despite his mother's wishes, he'd followed them there and waited for them through the meal.
"Anna, is everything alright?" Adolf demanded as soon as he saw her.
Paulus read the hostility and worry written plainly on the man's face. But mostly he took note of the club the man had managed to come up with somewhere along the way. It was in the fellow's hand, hanging against his leg, half-concealed.
"Adolf, this is Paulus. I told you he used to be my father's apprentice and he owns part of the mill. He's going to help us get set-up in business."
"Why?" Adolf barked belligerently, locking eyes with Paulus.
"Because Anna is an old friend. Because my father feels our family has an obligation toward her and I agree." He didn't say, Because it is the first step in a plan to get Anna away from you.
"Paulus can get us the sewing machines," Anna said.
"You can?" a conflicted Adolf replied.
"Yes," Paulus said, "but understand. We're not talking about a loan. We're going to want fifty-one percent of the business. You will run it, we'll help with set up and marketing. You can pay yourself, your sister and Anna the same wages you're making now but we're going to take half the profits."
"Is that fair?" Anna asked.
"I think it is." Paulus nodded. "You're living on wages now, aren't you? This way, you get your living and a nice incentive program, half of the profits. If you don't make it work you can come to Grantville and he can go back to the mill and we can sell the machines."
A surprised Adolf spoke up, "Half of a business is better than none, Anna. At the rate we're going it could take us years to save up the money. If your friend will help us get the loan then I guess we will do it on his terms."
"Adolf? What's that?" she meant the club. "What are you going to do with it?"
"Nothing! Not anymore. But with his telling you that you had to quit and if you didn't he'd get you fired, well, I wanted to talk some sense into him and I thought I might need it to help get him to see things our way."
The next day Paulus returned to the office of the shoe mill. "Herr Wiesel? You said you would loan Adolf Braun the money if you had it. Will you stand by that?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you can get the money, will you loan it to him?"
"Where would I get that kind of money?
"Borrow it and lend it to him at a higher rate of interest, or buy a percentage of the business. If you're sure he can make it work it should be safe enough."
"Who would loan me that kind of money?"
"I think it could be arranged."
Back in Grantville, Paulus and Peter had a chat with the other two partners at lunch time at the high school.
"Look," Paulus said. "Yes, it's too far away for us to keep an eye on it. And I still agree that normally we shouldn't invest more than five percent in anything we can't keep an eye on. But, this is different and it's got a better than average business plan. Yes, we're buying a twenty-six percent share instead of the usual twenty percent share or fifty-one percent share, and we're making a loan to the shop manager in Magdeburg so he can buy a twenty-five percent share, but he's putting his money where his mouth is and is willing to sign for an unsecured loan. Which, really, it isn't. With his job, he's good for it if the business fails. The main expense will be the sewing machines and they're durable goods with a good resale value. The mill is getting new machines and the shop is buying used ones. So the risk isn't that high and it's spread three ways."
"So this is just business?" Ebert asked, "Nothing personal?"
"We do owe her something, Ebert. At least, Papa thinks we do. This way she's not just a dead expense to our family."
"And that's all?" Ebert asked.
"What else would it be?" Paulus asked.
Ebert smirked.
"Shut up, Ebert," Paulus responded.
"Sounds good to me." Peter said.
Ludwig nodded. "It's not that much money and it's not that big of a gamble and Paulus really wants it, so I figure if we go along with it he owes us one, especially if it goes bust."
At this last thought Paulus' countenance darkened.
"It's settled," Peter said. "Let's go get the ball rolling."
"I didn't say I agreed," Paulus said.
"Well?" Peter asked.
"Are you sure this is just business?" Ebert asked his brother.
Paulus just glared at him.
"Actually, it is a good business plan," Ebert said. "I can see us doing a lot of these partnerships between the mill and struggling shops. I've only got one thing to say."
"What?" Ludwig asked.
Ebert got a shit-eating grin on his face and in a singsong voice associated with a grade school playground he said, "Paulus has a girlfriend. Paulus has a girlfr-"
"Shut up Ebert!" a flushing Paulus demanded rather more adamantly than usual.
That night over dinner, Paulus' father asked, "Where's Anna? Did you leave her in Wolmirstedt?"
"No. She wasn't there. But she found me in Magdeburg. She is working in one of the shoe factories."
"And you left her there?"
"I offered to bring her to Grantville but she'd rather go home. She's found a journeyman who thinks he can make the shop in Wolmirstedt work if he can get a couple of sewing machines. The plant manager thought he could too."
"And you think he can get someone to give a loan to a journeyman?"
Paulus, not wanting to admit that he and his partners had the money to make it happen, lied by telling a half-truth. "The plant manager is going to arrange things. They will get the machines and their supplies through the mill and sell their finished product in the mill's outlet store."
Herr Meier wanted to know, "Is she going to marry this journeyman?"
"Maybe, in time. She's still too young to get married. But, he's taking his mother and his sister to Wolmirstedt with him to help make the shop work, so it's all right. And I promised that if they sent Anna to enroll in the accounting program at the high school here in Grantville next fall so she can learn how to run the business, we'd look after her and find her a part-time job and a place to stay she could afford."
"Yeah, right," Ebert said. "She's coming to Grantville to learn to run the business."
Paulus blushed a very deep red and pushed an elbow, rather harder than usual, into his brother's ribs.
"Ouch! Hey, that hurt," Ebert objected.
"Shut up, Ebert!"
Accidental Heroes
Kerryn Offord
Sunday, March 2, 1636
Boom! Crack! Crack!
Dina Frost froze where she was. It wasn't the deer hunting season, so nobody should be shooting in this area-that meant the shooters were probably poachers. Maybe that was what the policemen from the cruiser she and her companion had walked past earlier were looking for. She and Bruno didn't have much to fear from poachers, other than maybe being mistaken for deer. That was one of the reasons both she and Bruno were wearing high-visibility jackets.
"Two guns," Bruno said.
Bruno's comment might have surprised a lot of people who thought he was, to put it politely, mentally challenged, but Dina w
asn't one of them. He might have the mental age of an eight-year-old, as the various tests he'd been given indicated, but Dina, as a nine-year-old, felt confident that Bruno was smarter than a lot of kids her age. "Yes, two guns. At least one of them is a modern rifle."
"Repeater," Bruno said before mimicking firing a lever-action carbine with full sound effects.
"Yes, a repeater," Dina agreed. The boom had come from a black powder weapon. The two supersonic cracks had to have come from a modern rifle firing modern ammunition. That meant two, maybe three poachers. Well, she thought, if they'd killed their deer, then they'd be more interested in carrying it out before anybody caught them, meaning they wouldn't be hunting in the valley she and Bruno were heading for. Sure that they'd be safe from carelessly discharged firearms she waved for Bruno to follow and they continued on their way.
They walked on in silence for a quarter of an hour, until Bruno tapped Dina on the shoulder and pointed towards a tree. "Amerikanischer Rotvogel."
Dina knew better than to try and distract Bruno when he was birdwatching. Birds fascinated him, and he could watch them for hours. She pulled a book from her rucksack and settled down to wait until he got bored, or more likely, the birds flew off.
Marcus Acton rammed the barrel of his rifle into the gut of Ned Harris. "Why the hell did you have to snoop around, kid?" He glared at the body at his feet for a few seconds. He hadn't enjoyed having to kill the silly fool. Now he had to find out how much the snoopers knew about his operation. He dug out Ned's notebook, but there was nothing in there to suggest why he was in Marcus' valley. He walked over to the next body. It was another uniformed police officer. An examination of his notebook also came up empty. That left the female. She wasn't in uniform, so she probably wasn't a cop. Wilhelm, one of his two down-timer partners, passed him an official looking identification folder he'd lifted from her body. Marcus felt a sense of foreboding. Flipping it open the badge confirmed his worst fears. "A fucking Treasury agent."
Herman and Wilhelm gathered close to read over his shoulder. "They're onto us," Herman said.
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