Fiction Archives
A Great Drowning of Men
The butterflies don't change everything . . .
Interlude
A quiet place . . .
Time to Spare, Go by Air
Pilots say that . . . sometimes a bit sarcastically . . .
On His Majesty's Secret Service
Ohhh! Men in black . . .
The Common Market
Perhaps not all that common . . .
The Anaconda Project, Further News
As Eric points out, no one expects the Inquisition.
Two Left Feet
Ah one anda two anda three . . .
A Friend in Need
Ah, the luck of the Irish . . .
Water Conservation
Is there enough hot water . . .
McAdams' Blue Cheese Mine
Imports? Who needs imports . . .
Adagio
No, not that Bach . . .
The Money Franchise
That'll be two Johnnies . . .
Time to Plan the Next Con
It's never too early to plan . . .
Prelude
Time travel just isn't easy on the brain . . .
Another Man's Treasure
Thar's gold in them thar hills . . . sort of . . .
Which Way is Up?
Um . . . can't see much in this fog . . .
The Vice President's Plane is Down
But she only just got elected!
Ya’ Gets Yer Money and Ya’ Gets Yer Choice
Tsk, tsk. You really shouldn't have, Doc . . .
Tortured Souls
Not every up-timer is adjusting . . .
Still Life with Wolves and Canvases
It was a dark and stormy . . . noon? Um. No, that's not right . . .
Small Problem with Cafe Press Store
Advice and Counsel
There are just some things you don't want to talk about . . .
The Truth About That Cat and Pup
Did you think the up-timers were immune . . .
Speaking of Uncle Abner
Or the Horse May Learn to Sing
There's always hope for singing horses . . .
Nor the Moon By Night
If I Had a Hammer
I've been workin' on the railroad . . .
Gajam Raanni
We really mean that change is happening everywhere!
A Change of Hart
Oh! Boomenstoff!
The Man in the Pocket
What's up in Merrie Auld England . . .
A Nerd at Sea
Sailing, sailing . . .
The Mill on the River Kymi
Change is happening all over . . .
Franconia! Parts 2 and 3
Not exactly Rodgers and Hammerstein . . .
Venus and Mercury
More things on earth, Horatio . . .
The Duchess is a Leatherneck
Moving up in the world?
The Dewey System
Tsk, tsk. He tore a book. That's a no no!
Power Play
A policeman's life . . .
A Job Well Done
There are jobs . . . and then there's the best job . . .
Anaconda Project Episodes Delayed
Oops . . . you just can't beat a cold . . .
Silencing the Sirens' Song
The sound of falling water isn't always restful . . .
Don't Cry Over Frozen Milk
Ummm. Grandma's cooking . . .
Northwest Passage, Part Two
Now, if we could just get out of harbor . . .
Homecoming
They say you can't go home again . . .
Loose Canon
Sometimes you just can't argue . . .
Rachel's Plaint
Crime doesn't pay . . .
Game, Set and Match
Other times you can argue . . .
The Anaconda Project - Next Episode
Two chapters will be available in Grantville Gazette 23
Deep Water
Glug . . . glug . . . glug . . .
Northwest Passage, Part One
Our first new world adventure!
The Irish Sitter Sings
Ah . . . the strains of a lovely melody . . .
Arsenic and Old Italians
There's poisoning. And then there's poisoning . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Ten
And yet more on what's happening in Poland . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Nine
More on what's going on in Poland . . .
Nobody Wants To Be a Pirate in the Baltic
Hm . . . just which of them is the scariest . . .
An Irish Sitter
Hm . . . There are puns . . . and then there are PUNS . . .
Signs
Signs, signs, everywhere a sign . . . And you know what those do to scenery . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Nine - Delayed
Due to illness, Eric Flint was unable to complete this issue's episode. It will appear in Grantville Gazette, Volume 21 and be free to all readers.
In the Army Now
Ya gotta get up, ya gotta get up, you're in the Army now . . .
Dafydd and Goliath
And this young man's fancy turns to . . . mining? Jeez. Where's the romance in life?
Daedalus' New Wings
You're going to what?! And this is supposed to make you feel alive?!?!?!
The Anaconda Project, Episode Eight
Episode Eight of Eric Flint's serial novel . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Seven
Episode Seven of Eric Flint's serial novel . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Seven - Delayed
Alas, alack and alas again. Eric, due to a hard deadline on 1635: The Dreeson Incident (which we all want to read real soon now), was unable to complete Episode Seven. As we did last time he got in a bind timewise, we'll have Episodes Seven and Eight in the next issue. Apologies, apologies.
The Pitch
Nope, it's not a baseball pitch . . .
High Road to Venice
You almost landed on what!?!?
The Anaconda Project, Episode Six
Part Six of Eric Flint's story . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Five
Part Five of Eric Flint's story . . .
A Bell for St. Vasili's
In the spring a young man's fancy turns to . . . bells?
An Electrifying Experience
New technology does require some adjustments . . .
The Pessimist's Daughter
Attitude is everything . . .
By Hook or By Crook
Crochet is subversive? You're kidding, right?
The Royal and Ancient Game
Okay. Gotta go buy some clubs . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Five, Delayed
Folks, due to illness, Eric will be unable to complete Episode Five in time. We will be running Episode Five and Six in Grantville Gazette, Volume 17 and we will ensure that all members will be able to read it then, whether or not their membership has expired. The Grantville Gazette Editorial Board
Gifted with Pascal
Genius is as genius does . . .
One Fine Day
Some days it just isn't worth chewing through the leather restraints to get out of bed . . .
First Impressions
First Impressions really are important . . .
Lost In Translation
I know you know what you think I said, but what I said wasn't what you think it was . . .
Ghosts on the Glass
Talent comes in many forms . . .
A Gentile in the Family?
Family Secrets? Maybe not so secret after all . . .
Comedy of Error
Not the mimes! Anything but the mimes!
Too Late for Sunday
Ah . . . romance. And tragedy . . .
Sure Thing
Every now and then, someone does get lucky.
The Creamed Madonna
Hmmm. Well, there is whipped cream . . .
Bunny B. Goode
Oh, those, ah . . . prolific rabbits!
Doc
How did that nickname come about?
And That's How the Money Rolls In
Money makes the world go around, the world go around, the world . . .
The Bloody Baroness of Bornholm
You want us to take what island?
Feng Shui for the Soul
This is like New Age, right?
Dark as a Dungeon
And just who is this Hatfield going to feud with . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode Four
Krzysztof Opalinski was obviously puzzled by Morris’ reference to himself as Gandalf. But, to Melissa’s surprise, his companion Jakub Zaborowsky grinned.
Duty Calls
Who were those men in the white hats?
The Whippoorwill
And yet more changes . . . this time for Anse Hatfield.
Dog Days
Duncan Cunningham doesn't give up easily . . .
A Falcon Falls
Bitty Matowski wins again!
Hunting Traditions
Let's go out and shoot some, ah, stuff . . .
The Galloping Goose
And . . . we're off!
The Anaconda Project, Episode Three
Part Three of Eric Flint's "The Anaconda Project."
A Matter of Unehrlichkeit
Romeo, Romeo . . . wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Letters of Trade
Interesting things are happening all over Europe, aren't they?
Gearing Up
Not everyone is happy with being thrust into the past. Sunshine certainly isn't.
The Anaconda Project, Episode Two
Part Two of Eric Flint's serial "The Anaconda Project"
Breakthroughs
And some people adapt to change very well . . .
The Anaconda Project, Episode One
The first episode of Eric Flint's serial "The Anaconda Project."
The New Romantics
Lady Chatterly in PG? You've got to be kidding!
Quintessentially Blonde
Boy, that Velma is just too much trouble for words. Always was . . .
Wedding Daze
Ah, Velma. Velma, Velma, Velma . . .
Nothing's Ever Simple
In genealogy, only the search matters . . .
Silver Age
Leave it to Velma . . .
The Summer of Our Discontent
Veda Mae Haggerty . . . and Velma Hardesty. What a pair!
School Days, School Days, Dear Old Golden Rule Days
School bullies are nothing new . . .
Jenny and the King's Men
But Jenny was a woman wise, who beat them with a stool!
Songs and Ballads
Some things just don't translate all that well . . .
Stepping Up
Happiness takes all kinds of adjustments . . .
Bats in the Belfry
No, not that kind of bats in the belfry. Real bats in the belfry.
Cinco de Mayo . . . er, der Fünfte Mai
What a proposal that turned out to be!
E. Coli: A Tale of Redemption
There are reasons Jimmy Dick is . . . well, Jimmy Dick.
The Monster
NOTE TO REGULAR READERS: The downloadable file will have a slightly different timeline than the story shows here. Due to later developments in an Eric Flint story for Ring of Fire II, a change in timing was required. And, ah, he's the boss. It's a bird! It's a plane! Well, it's a really big plane.
Trommler Records
"Just sign right there." The blond man, Contz Beckenbauer, indicated the space for her signature and handed her the pen. "Right there, as I said. Then we'll talk about what you will sing for the record."
A Tinker's Progress
Tinker's? Tinker's Progress?
The Truth According to Buddha
Tsk, tsk. it seems that no one can get along with anyone . . .
Out of a Job?
Ah, Venice . . . but what's this you say?
The Old Gray Goose
Some people just won't be happy with change . . .
Golden Corn—A Tale of Old Joe on the Mountain Top
Maybe just a little corny . . .
Protected Species
Well, there's protection . . . and then there's PROTECTION . . .
The Ear of the Beholder
Beauty is as beauty does . . . but what is that racket?
Through A Glass, Darkly
Up-timers are all "civilized." Right? Well, maybe not all of them.
Letters From France
An accidental discovery . . .
Mrs. Schumacher
Mass production does have its benefits . . . but also its problems.
Domestic Violence
A policeman's lot is not a happy one. Sometimes, that is.
Cowspiracy
Sea sick? Well, it is for a good cause.
Mrs. December, 1636
You want me to do what!
Thunder in the Mountains
Just what was that rumbling sound?
The Price of Dumplings
You say tomato, I say tomahto.
One Step Toward the Clouds
What's a girl to do, when she truly wants to fly?
Birdwatching
A unique viewpoint of the Ring of Fire. Just what did happen to the wildlife?
Sailing Upwind
Off we go . . . into the wild blue yonder . . .
Bathing With Coal
Firewood costs what!?
Bootstrapping
And then one day, things started going really well, so we felt like we should give something back . . .
Wish Book
There are, after all, a lot of uses for the catalog's pages . . .
Pilgrimage of Grace
Sin, reputation and redemption.
O For a Muse of Fire
O for a muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention!
A Gift of Blankets
Smallpox? We could get smallpox?
Land of Ice and Sun
Some people give in and do what society wants them to do. Others . . . don't.
Lessons in Astronomy
A follow up story to the ending of The Galileo Affair
The Treasure Hunters
Well, there is all that treasure out there . . . just waiting for the right person to come get it. Isn't there?
Azrael's Bargain
Another evening with the world's greatest philosopher.
A Pirate's Ken
This is not your kid's pirate story! These guys were real . . . and pretty scary!
Little Angel
Maria Helena Kolb slowly searched the line of trees. Somewhere, hidden in the shadows, she was sure Benji Matheny was hiding in ambush. Time to send in the cannon fodder. "Daisy, Regina, when I give you the word, I want you to run around that tree over there and, if you find Benji, throw your snow balls at him." Maria Helena smiled at the younger girls. "Do you understand?"
The Prepared Mind
When Amy Kubiak walked into the biology classroom, Lori Fleming had her head on her desk. Amy smiled. Pete Farmer had been a good biology teacher when Amy had had him in high school. But now that she was working to become a teacher herself, she knew that she would have had trouble if Pete was her colleague.
None So Blind
The slap knocked Willi sprawling, eyes watering with pain. He had to bite his lip hard to keep from crying out. "Five nothings!" Willi felt Uncle's hand grab the back of his rags and haul him up. The hand shook him so hard he felt like a pea rattling in a cup. "You spend all day on the streets and all you bring me are three pins and two worthless quartered Halle coins!"
Grand Tour
My name is Mister Thomas Hobbes. If you are one of the Americans from the future, you know me as a political philosopher, the praised and reviled author of Leviathan. If you are a fellow down-timer, in this Year of Our Lord 1633, then you probably don't know me yet at all. Unless you have read my translation of Thucydides.
Fiddling Stranger
Dolf was the first in his farming village to notice the stranger. Not that strangers walking or riding past on their way to or from Aschersleben were unusual. He was ten, old enough to have finished his formal schooling, or so his father said. "Got your letters and your ciphering, lad. That's all any farmer needs. Knowing more won't help till the fields or harvest the crops."
The Launcher
"Will this spot work?" "Looks high enough." A few steps toward the edge of the cliff let Peter gaze down toward the ever—but slowly—growing lake below. The lake, cut out of the fast-flowing River Aare, had been intended to slow the river down as it passed the city and allow for new dockyards to be built, as well as to give the city access to the river rock needed for its explosive growth.
The Salon
Ah . . ." The sound of a throat clearing drew Heather's attention away from the paperwork on her desk at Trommler Records. "Hey, Jacob. What's up?" "It is Thursday, Heather. I wanted to leave about three so I can attend the salon."
Twenty-eight Men
The cold wind cut through to the very core of the men as they walked to the entrance of the mine. It was dark, well before dawn, in the dead time of the night. The cold was complete, a January cold, dry, harsh and sharp. Soon they would be down in the dark and warmth of the mine.
NCIS: Lies, Truths and Consequences
In the charming vernacular of his time, the admiral was ready to have kittens. The tension in his office was thick enough to cut with a dagger and if I'd had my druthers, I wouldn't be here in spite of my supposedly princely salary. But then, I suspect that neither would any of the rest of the people in the office. Most especially, the quietly sobbing young woman sitting in front of his desk.
Star Crossed
Yoo hoo! Manuel!" When Emmanuel Onofrio heard Verlinda Fritz yoohooing down the hall, his mind yelled, "Run!" He was looking forward to a quiet, restful lunch in the teacher's lounge. Keeping the rowdy kids in line so the others could learn seemed to get harder year by year and week by week. He gritted his teeth. "Santo Luigi Gonzaga protect me from pestilence."
A Filthy Story
Daniel Pedersson cursed, and swung the entrenching tool again. It went splat instead of crack, again, and he cursed some more.
On The Matter of D'Artagnan
"Charlton Heston or Tim Curry?" mused Cardinal Richelieu.
The Transmitter
"But the article says that Monsieur Bell's selenium cells had a resistance of one hundred to three hundred ohms!" Piair La Corrian pointed imperiously at a pile of papers on his desk. "That's a variation of two hundred watts. With one positive and the next negative, four hundred watts.
The Order of the Foot
"We've had another complaint about Bigfoot, Chief. This time over by the fairgrounds where the locals store their flocks before they can be sold and then processed at the slaughterhouse." Officer Ralph Onofrio looked up from his cup of coffee with a smile.
Safe at First Base
"I tell you, I saw it in the movie. Plain as the nose on your face. And you have a large nose, Johan. The up-time device looked just like this—" "Heinrich. Listen to yourself. Movies are like dreams; they are not real. This is reality." With that, Johan pointed over the edge of the precipice, a two hundred fifty foot drop, straight down.
Little Jammer Boys
The terrified servant handed the message to Johnny von Sachsen as he and his younger brother, Augi, entered the elector's palace in Dresden. It was terse and to the point. Come to my bedchambers. Now. In their father's handwriting. John George I, Elector of Saxony, was not a subtle man.
Try, Try Again
"It isn't right." Marie lowered her eyes so that her employer wouldn't see the glare she couldn't suppress. "Ma'am, I did what the package said to do. Twice." She picked up the container of Spirits of Hartshorn and tried to get Frau Werrin to look at it.
Waves of Change
"I WANT TO LISTEN!!!" Joseph screamed, making it impossible for anyone to listen. "For God's sake, girl. Let your brother listen to the damned thing." "But, Papa . . ." Marie couldn't help the whine in her voice.
If At First You Don't Succeed . . .
"That will never work." Margaret looked up at her younger brother, Nathan, and stuck her tongue out at him. "Says you. And what do you know, what with all your years of experience?" "Pa says it won't work. And you've wasted your time. Time you could have been doing something more useful."
Tool or Die
Martin Schmidt walked briskly down the Tech Center hallway, his mind full of plans. The thread rolling machine was working well and he was eager to take the next step and build a drop forge.
Ultralight
Flight had taken hold of Johann Rommel. Since the thirty-something merchant from Wismar first saw the American air force in action last October, he had decided he wanted one of their strange flying beasts, something they called an air craft, for himself. After several months of designing, waiting, and building the machine, he stood on a shallow slope overlooking the Baltic sea, waiting for his rendezvous with destiny.
The Minstrel Boy
"Well, that's that." Bill Frank lowered the hood of the new rail engine. "Though I have no idea how we're going to deliver it." Hagen Filss, who had been handing him tools, responded, "Maybe when Sergeant Hatfield and Private Schultz get back they will know, Herr Frank."
Moonraker
The black hull towered above Monsieur De Roche. It was the pinnacle of his dreams and the final blow to his shipyard. Copper cladding gleamed in the late afternoon sun.
Pocket Money
Kloee glared at Emery, as Dakota held up a dried cob. "So this is the big deal you found to get us some extra money?" Kloee and her kin were meeting in Papaw Murray's barn because it was the one place they could go without some adult looking over their shoulders.
Wings on the Mountain
The regulars left the table nearest the fire when the strangers came in. At the base of the Matterhorn summer nights are chilly, so a fire is welcome starting in the late afternoon. Strangers paid much higher prices for everything and the whole village, not just the innkeeper, profited. Everyone made strangers welcome.
Under the Tuscan Son
Curzio Inghirami had learned a great deal during his visit to Grantville, but he now was back home at Villa Scornello, the family seat. It was a few miles outside of Volterra, a town in the grand duchy of Tuscany. He beckoned to one of the family servants. "Tell Father that Lucrezia and I are going fishing." Lucrezia, his younger sister, giggled for no apparent reason. "Have Cook pack a picnic lunch for us, and then meet us out back in half an hour."
Water Wings
The line arcing off the boat kinked between deck and water. Eric, watching for just that, yelled to the crew uncoiling the stiff hose, "Hold it! Back it up!" Then the kink swelled a bit. Eric screamed, "Back it up! Back it up now!"
Gearhead
It was quiet. Way too quiet. Of all the things Trent Haygood hated about the seventeenth century, the quiet was the worst. He missed the sounds of engines. Internal combustion engines. Hell, he'd be happy with some noise from a steam engine. As he sat on the front porch of his parents' home, he leaned forward and listened.
Fly Like a Bird
Paul Meinhart left Grantville in the autumn of 1632, but not before he spent several months in the Grantville jail. He'd been imprisoned for such a stupid little thing, yet the Americans had treated him like a murderer. The one good thing that came out of his imprisonment had been knowledge.
Anna the Baptist
Julio stacked clean glasses under the bar. "Damn it Ken! I don't know what's got you riled but I'm sick of it! Back off or I'm goin' home. I don't have t' have this job. I only took it to help you out." Julio didn't mention his fear of losing his regular job to what he thought of as cheap foreign labor. The fear drove him to drink, something he'd done little of before the Ring of Fire. He did his drinking in the one place a man didn't have to put up with "krauts." This led to a part time job.
Those Not So Daring
BANG!!! Karen leaned her head towards the cellar. No more explosions were forthcoming. "The boards worked." "Yes. It appears that one doesn't shatter another now."
A Matter Of Taste
Cory Joe Lang looked down at his empty place mat. He had a bad feeling about the group's latest action. There had been mutterings about the food before, but this time they'd sent it back untouched. Even he hadn't been prepared to try Chef Magnus' latest offering, and with Velma Hardesty for a mother, he'd grown used to eating just about anything that was put on the table
Those Daring Not So Young Men
"Thank you for coming." "Of course we came, lass." "At least it's over now." "Over? What's over?" "This steam nonsense." "Tisn't nonsense, lass. Your grandfather died because he got the last bit working." "It's still nonsense, Mr Iverson." She pointed at the "monster" in the work-yard. "What does it do that the mill doesn't do now?"
NCIS -Young Love Lost
I rode to the crime scene in the early morning calm of Magdeburg's streets. It was not difficult to find. The area, surrounded by the flickering light of torches, oil storm lamps, and at least one up-time flashlight, was in one of the worst-looking parts of town, and in a city that has been subjected to sacking and burning, that says a lot.
Those Daring Young Men
The door into the building opened, spilling young men and sunlight into the space. "Rotgut, Henrich, all around. And the paint." "We're out of the Grantville Rotgut. You'll have to make do with the Italian version." "As long as it's corn liquor, and burns, it will do."
Mail Stop
Martin Wackernagel drew up his horse, first looking back at the route he had just completed and then forward toward the walls of Frankfurt am Main. Via regia. Die Reichsstraße. There would never be anything to equal the Imperial Road. Sure, if you wanted to be prosaic, it was just one more trade route, a commercial connection between the great cities of Frankfurt and Leipzig and their fairs. It had been for centuries.
Three Innocuous Words
White vapor was blowing out of Hudson's nostrils that frosty mid-morning in late December. Chip Jenkins rode his horse around the small snow-covered copse of trees and saw the von Ruppersdorf manor that Katerina had finally finished building this year.
Rolling On
Master Ritterhof, Master Eisenbach, may I present my staff?" Martin asked, conscious of the scuffling sounds behind him. He heard Max hiss something at Jakob followed by a 'thwack.' "Certainly, Master Schmidt. Certainly." Master Blacksmith Bruno Ritterhof smiled in return, politely ignoring the apprentices' bustle. "Master Eisenbach and I have been looking forward to this day for some time."
Flight 19 to Magdeburg
Britt Strausswirt was bored. A day after being released from the Leahy Medical Center, she rested her badly sprained left ankle on the ottoman that her host's wife, Gertrude McIntosh, had thoughtfully provided before departing for the market. Her husband, Captain Peter McIntosh, had gone to work and Britt was glad.
Capacity For Harm
o, Herr Doctor Lebenenergie. You designed this yourself?" "Not exactly, Commissioner Vaden." Tomas cursed himself for ever thinking that coming to Belfort would be profitable. He knew that Franche Comté was rife with witch hunts again, but he just needed some extra copper wire and plates for his second machine. Those could be made in Franche Comté.
I Got My Buck
Herman sat at the fire, obviously enjoying its heat. When Wili sat beside him, he looked over at his friend. "What's tomorrow going to be like, I wonder. I hear these Swedes have some help from that Grantville place."
A Question of Faith
Johannes Grunwald jumped up from the table with a gasp and spun around quickly, sending several maps and notes to the floor. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anybody. It’s rather late.” He looked at the elegant young man in the doorway, and relaxed slightly.
Prince and Abbot
Maybe they should have held the battle of Luetzen last month after all," Wes Jenkins said. "Just have kept Gustavus Adolphus out of it. Up-time, it seems to have cleared a whole batch of people off the playing board that we could just as well have done without."
The Sons of St. John
The wind blowing in from the Atlantic was cold. It often was on the west coast of Scotland, even in summer. The crude stone shepherd's hut where Brother Aidan and his three fellow monks sat kept the wind out for the most part, but it was far from warm and cozy.
Dear Sir
Dear Sir: You do not know me, but a mutual acquaintance has assured me that you are a man of superior integrity and utmost discretion. It is because of this that I approach you in my hour of most desperate need.
The Painter's Gambit
Birgit's mother had warned her not to take any food or drink from boys, not to answer any of their questions, and, most especially, not to smile at them. Birgit had dutifully agreed. Unfortunately, she broke all three rules the same day.
Not a Princess Bride
James Richard, or Jimmy Dick, Shaver (known to his close associates, and almost everyone else, as Dickhead) was in the grocery store. The old drunk was not there buying food. Most of his calories came from beer, followed by pretzels. Yes, believe it or not, despite the Ring of Fire, the Club 250 still sold pretzels. They were much better or a whole lot worse than the old ones, depending on who you asked.
The Misadventures of T & V: Mama Mia, That's A Good Pizza Pie!
They'd been the city four times since they arrived. By now, they considered themselves old hands at finding their way around, even though they'd only been a mile or less from the villa. The town seemed very busy, and at times dangerous. Still, they were starting to get a little bored with the uptight people and the lack of good food. "Good" food, of course, meaning junk food.
Not At All The Type
"That was the year I broke my nose at the demolition derby." Tina Marie Hollister pointed to the knot. She'd never bothered to have it repaired. Never had the money, to tell the truth. Probably wouldn't have bothered even if she'd been rich.
Seasons
The old Buick slowly made its way through the dark countryside, headed away from the high school. The couple inside was elderly, cautious, and tentative on the road. It had been daylight when the meeting at the high school started, now it was well after eleven PM. John's eyes were not what they used to be. He'd had cataract surgery a couple of years ago. It had helped, but seventy-eight-year-old eyes were still seventy-eight-year-old eyes.
Grantville's Greatest Philosopher?
Ken looked up when the door opened. When he saw the men who were entering, he moved down to the cash register. Once there, he put his hand on the sawed-off shotgun that hung in a rack on the underside of the bar. "Julio," he called. "Yeah?" Julio Mora replied. "Nine one one, now!"
Burgers, Fries, And Beer
Julio sat with Odetta and Fenton. The Club was empty. None of the regulars were in and, as usual, Fenton was opening. It was early yet—just past two in the afternoon—and the three had nothing to do.
Von Grantville
Chad sat on the front porch swing staring blankly ahead. He held a tumbler of Kentucky's smoothest bourbon and water. It was like a cruel joke. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is, those thirty-five new cars you have on your lot? You won't have to pay for them. The bad news? They're going to sit there and rot until you take them apart and sell them piece by piece.
Mule 'Round The World
It was well done of you, Henry. It really was." Enoch Wiley looked rather doubtfully at a pile of yellowish mush on the cracker in his hand. "What is this stuff?" "Cora makes it out of mashed chickpeas. Some kind of a substitute for chip dip. Not bad—there's onion in it, I think. Anyhow, it has some zip." Henry Dreeson took a bite
Canst Thou Send Lightnings?
To: The Provincial of the Society of Jesus in Rome From: Adolph Wise S.J., University of Eichstaett. Enclosed with this letter you will find an example of the 'Crystal Radio' that is being distributed throughout Thuringia. I enclose also instructions for the construction of more of these Radios as distributed by the American government.
Postage Due
"You've got to be kidding." Anne Jefferson looked around the table in the big dining room of the USE's embassy in Amsterdam, at each of the other people sitting there. Immediately to her left sat Rebecca Abrabanel, the ambassador of the United States of Europe to the United Provinces. Sitting next to her, at the end of the table, was her husband Mike Stearns.
Steps In The Dance
"Stop whining, Harry," said Anne Jefferson. "If I can do it, you can do it." "No way am I posing half-nekkid," growled her male companion. He gripped the rifle with both hands, as if ready to deal with any threatening horde.
The Dalai Lama's Electric Buddha
"Respectful greetings from His Majesty Gegen Setsen Khan to Your Holiness, Kundün," said the emissary. It was not really warm in the library, but the atmosphere felt warm and friendly. "Let me present you this surprise from the Western lands."
Live Free
Tom Musgrove peered carefully around the door. This close to midnight few of the staff should be around. Down at the end of the hallway he could hear moaning. "That's the way, Stan, get the nurses' attention," Tom muttered under his breath before he remembered that Stan Zaleski had been dead a year or so.
The Woman Shall Not Wear That
No. Pastor Ludwig Kastenmayer put it out of his mind. His eyes must have deluded him. The cleaning woman at Countess Katharina the Heroic Lutheran Elementary School, here on the outskirts of Grantville, could not have been wearing . . . that.
Grantville is Different
It was late August, 1632, when Georg Bauer climbed out of the ditch he'd been digging for Jena's new sewer line. Sweat was still pouring off him when he first heard about Grantville.
Mightier than the Sword
Frank Jackson looked out across Magdeburg from the window of his office. Under a blanket of snow, the capital of the months-old United States of Europe looked deceptively tranquil. Underneath the blanket, though, Frank knew there was a dynamic city, still growing, still filling out. A city that was ugly and industrial but beginning to get the sorts of cultural institutions that gave any city, in any time, an indefinable sense of "livability."
Old Folks' Music
You reckon we could afford to do something special for the Fourth?" Ella Mae Jones was sipping iced chamomile tea and making faces at it at the same time. "Lord above, I wish a person could afford sugar," she muttered.
Recycling
"Hey! Watch it with that broom." Officer Preston Richards hastily pulled his feet back away from the stiff bristles that threatened the shine of his newly polished shoes. He glanced up from the night sheets he was going over, and looked over the unprepossessing figure before him.
Federico and Ginger
Federico Ballarino stopped his mule and studied the guards at the roadblock. They were too well uniformed to be brigands, but it wasn't unheard of for a local lord to decide to boost his income by imposing a toll. Or even robbing travelers outright. Indeed, it was out of concern of being robbed that he was dressed rather below his rank.
A Taste of Home
was raining. Daphne Pridmore was getting thoroughly sick of the rain. It meant that she had to stay inside for the most part. Going out to check on the hives was pointless. If they could use the truck, it might be worthwhile, but they'd decided to save the wear and tear on their only truck for emergencies. As much as she hated to admit it, cabin fever wasn't a real emergency.
Dyes And Mordants
By 1630, human beings had been using plants, animals and minerals to change the natural color of plant and animal fibers for at least five thousand years.
Murphy's Law
"I have to decide within the week," Leopold Cavriani said. "I have no hesitation, of course, about leaving my daughter Idelette here with the Reverend and Mrs. Wiley. She will learn practical business from Count August von Sommersburg's factor, the count being one of the clients I am serving as a consultant. However, the question of her preparation in the theory of mathematics and accounting as applied to business still remains.
Of Masters And Men
Master Carpenter Herman Glauber walked from the open door to the forge in the blacksmith shop Martin Schmidt ran for him. Putting down his bulging briefcase he stood warming his hands above the coals. Glauber nodded pleasantly at Martin and, looking around the shop, beamed.
Susan's Story
"I don't know about you, Susan," Tina said, "but I'm getting out of here before she wakes up. The last thing I want to deal with is Mom and one of her weepy hangovers."
Schwarza Falls
Yesterday, May twenty-ninth, the fourth day after the disaster, we went up Buffalo Creek to the power plant to look into how to build a road connection over the border into the lands to what is now the southwest. You asked us to tell you everything, even if we weren't certain it was important, so pardon us if we ramble a bit.
Burmashave
Ernst Frohlich looked at the man sitting across the table from him. He was nondescript, clean shaven, and dressed in contemporary clothing, but his accented German identified him as one of the now famous "up-timers" from Grantville. The fact that the man had requested to meet him anonymously in a public house in Meiningen late at night in the middle of winter both puzzled and intrigued Frolich. Meiningen was quite some distance from Grantville, and separated from it by the entire Thuringenwald, to boot.
Ounces Of Prevention
When Pieter Paul Rubens entered the Brussels' home of fellow diplomat Alessandro Scaglia he was surprised to find his friend and patron, Nicolaas Rockox of Antwerp, deep in conversation with the abate. "Nicolaas," said Rubens, clasping his friend's arm as Rockox and Scaglia rose to greet him, "I didn't know you were acquainted with Alessandro." Scaglia smiled and motioned for Rubens to take a seat next to him. "We do share an affinity for Flemish painters. Don't we, Nicolaas?"
Breaking News
"Maestra Gentileschi, my dear, how pleasant to see you!" Gian Lorenzo Bernini stood in the middle of his studio. The young sculptor's handsomeness was barely diminished by a layer of rock dust. Apprentices and journeymen worked busily on busts and other statuary.
Elizabeth
Frank Jackson took a swallow of beer and settled back in to his chair. "Ah," he said. "Nothing better than beer on a summer day. Now, about the transportation problem we were discussing, Dan, we're going to have to support a larger army in the field. We've done pretty well with the vehicles around here so far, but they aren't going to be enough."
Magdeburg Marines: The Few And The Proud
"Come on, Duke," Lulu said. "You weren't like every other Marine. I did twelve years, you know. After Dad died and I had to request a compassionate discharge, I only got a pat on the back and a farewell bash at the NCO Club. I hear that you, on the other hand, got a phone call straight from Headquarters, Marine Corps, to try to get you to reconsider your decision. I've never heard of the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps doing that for any other gunnery sergeant."
The Class Of '34
Liz turned from Speedy to stare at her tormentor. "Yes, Matt. Yes, I know this is Speedy. Yes, I know he is fast. I have been riding Speedy for a while. I am perfectly capable of riding a horse. I am perfectly capable of riding Speedy. Okay? Now if you will excuse me, I have to finish saddling up if I want to get home before it gets dark." With that she made her way over to the saddle and blankets straddling a rail beside the saddling area.
Dice's Drawings
To hell with them all. Dice had lost his Karen, forty-five years of hard work, twenty years as a damned Linotype operator and twenty-five as a damned pressman after the damned computers had taken his damned job away. God how he hated that pressman's job! A quarter century hauling paper and permanently stained fingers, but he'd stuck with it. Then, to top it all off, right before he was ready to retire and tell the whole world to take a flying leap, the local chunk of world had taken a flying leap and Dysart Clifford along with it!
Chip's Christmas Gift
Chip and Joachim had just finished working out with quarterstaffs, six-foot-long hardwood sticks, at the von Thierbach estate manor, absorbing a new collection of bruises to join those of the previous two days. Chip wanted to practice techniques he'd previously learned in the army and Joachim simply wanted to gain another weapon in the event they were attacked while on the road. Chip hadn't exactly had quarterstaff training but his close combat training sergeant had taught his company something about using his rifle to block sword strokes. At the same time he'd also said, if they're that close to you, run like hell if you're alone, otherwise block, use your rifle butt, or punch him with your bayonet if you've got it fitted.
One Man's Junk
Martin Schmidt paused, his spoon barely touching the stew. His stomach would have him attack the stew bowl like a starving wolf but his mind held him back. Carefully, he took one spoonful and then put his spoon down. A sip of beer helped but his hand shook slightly. Reminding himself he was a man, not a wolf, he looked at his host before taking a second spoonful.
'Til We Meet Again
The worst thing about working for Mechanical Support was that the facilities were scattered out all over Grantville, even now, two and a half years after the Ring of Fire. They'd never been able to take the time to centralize them; they didn't really have any central place to put them if they had the time, and definitely not the extra resources to re-pour the pits and such.
Poor Little Rich Girls
"Will you two just give it up?" Heather asked, exasperated. "What good is that valley girl impersonation going to do you? No one here in Badenburg has ever heard of a valley girl." "For sure, Heather, for sure," Vicky Emerson answered. "We're just getting into character. Gotta play dumb for the marks, you know." "Like, haven't you ever seen The Sting?" Judy Wendell asked, with a sort of stupid look on her face. Then she dropped the pose and cracked up.
The Rudolstadt Colloquy
Ed Piazza squirmed as inconspicuously as possible on the hard bench of the University of Jena's anatomy amphitheater, as the debate on differing Lutheran views of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, both up-time and down-time, flew over and around his head in three different languages.
The Sewing Circle
Delia Ruggles Higgins was five foot nine, whipcord thin, and a self-described packrat. As of the Ring of Fire, she was fifty-nine and had been a widow for seven years. She had graying hair and black eyes. She figured she had "gracefully surrendered the things of youth." Not without regret, but with what she hoped was grace.
Curio and Relic
"Hello? Anybody there?" Paul Santee took off the holstered .45 when he heard the call. It came again, nearer. "Hello, the house!" No sense in scaring someone who probably meant well. He tucked the .45 behind his belt in the small of his back. No sense in being stupid, either. Stupid tends to kill people, and he was still alive. Something strange had happened last weekend, and he didn't know what it was. It was good to hear another voice, especially one that seemed friendly.
Anna's Story
Anna ran for all she was worth as the mercenaries chased her, fleeing her father's farm with no destination in mind except away. Two of the mercenaries followed her, shouting as she ran for her life and virtue. She didn't notice the change in the landscape until she ran over the edge of a small cliff and collided with a strange man.
Portraits
"I still can't believe I did that," said Anne Jefferson, studying the painting. It was obvious that she was struggling not to erupt in a fit of giggles.
Hell Fighters
Brother Johann closed the small book he was studying and rose, straightening his black robe. While he had been aware of the gathering of Abbots, he had no idea why the assembled Abbots of the Order of St. Benedict in the region had summoned him to their chambers.
Hobson's Choice
The door opened and a skinny but well dressed youth, much encumbered with baggage, stood in the dimly lit, cramped landing. Standing next to him, it was possible to make out the features of Jack Hobson, the college porter. After a pause, in which the youth opened and shut his mouth several times without managing to say anything, the porter spoke. "Gentlemen, this is your new lodging mate, Master Richard Abell. A fellow commoner."
If the Demons Will Sleep
"Just bring her to the hospital when labor starts," was Henny DeVries' first answer. "We always have a nurse midwife on call. Even better, bring her in for one or two prenatal checkups, first." That was when things got complicated. "There can't be four walls," Anders said. "Barbara screams a lot when there are four walls around her." He looked at the nurse's expression and said defensively, "I didn't do it. I don't beat my woman. She doesn't need beating. Walls made her scream when I found her."
Other People's Money
When Sarah Wendell had agreed to go out with David Bartley, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. She had totally forgotten that she was months away from her sixteenth birthday. The Wendell house rule was no dating till sixteen.
The Sound Of Music
Franz Sylwester, one-time violinist in the chapel of the arch-bishop of Mainz To Friedrich Braun, journeyman instrument crafter for Master Hans Riebeck, in Mainz On the nineteenth day of January in the year of our Lord 1633 Greetings, my friend, I am sure by now that you have despaired of hearing from your prodigal, but I promised you that when I found a place I would write to you. By the grace of God I now have that place, and so I keep my word.
Pastor Kastenmayer's Revenge
Ludwig Kastenmayer would never forget the day. April 11, 1634, by the reckoning of these up-timers, who had adopted the pope's calendar. The day that one of them had stolen his daughter. It was the worst thing that had happened to him since Count Ludwig Guenther assigned him to the new parish of St. Martin's in the Fields after the Rudolstadt Colloquy.
Just One Of Those Days
The day had begun badly for Matti. First, as his cavalry troop broke camp, one of the ties that was supposed to hold his bedroll on his saddle broke; and then the spare broke, too! So, by the time he finally got his gear stowed he had to join the rear of the column instead of being at the front in his usual place as a scout.
Bottom-Feeders
Freddy Genucci found the body lying on his front lawn. Freddy was a little shaken up. Some people might find that odd, since Freddy was a funeral director and was used to dead bodies. But his normal line of work didn't involve bodies leaking on his front lawn.
God's Gifts
In the pages below I will try to relate my slow and torturous route to what I pray is a better understanding of God's will. My name is Steffan Schultheiss. I am not, and never have been, a particularly handsome nor, save from the pulpit, an imposing man.
The Company Men
"The last time we had less than legal dealings with one of your close personal friends from back in Eire, we had half the Imperial army chasing us with the other half wagering on our method of execution."
Collateral Damage
"Just perfect," Jesse muttered in disgust. "What was that, Herr Oberst?"