Ulrik looked at her with raised eyebrows.
“Did she perchance give a reason as to why I should come?”
The lady dipped in a bit of a breathless curtsey. “Only that I should say ‘it’s starting.’”
“Ah. Indeed.”
With that, Ulrik headed for the radio room. He didn’t break into a run—quite—but Baldur had to stretch his shorter legs to keep up with him.
Caroline handed the prince the message sheets that the operator had written so far as soon as he came through the door. The most recent sheet was snatched up by Rebecca Abrabanel as soon as the operator’s pencil was lifted from it. Caroline read over her shoulder, and handed it to Ulrik as soon as they were done with it.
Ulrik saw immediately that Mike Stearns was making his break. The text of the first message sheet, directed to Chancellor Oxenstierna and repudiating him in elaborate and fascinating detail, made that abundantly clear. About the only thing Stearns had left out of the indictment, Ulrik thought to himself, was a charge that the chancellor had stolen the royal chamber pot and misappropriated its contents.
The second message, directed and offering support to Princess Kristina, produced a surge of relief in Ulrik’s heart. He had hoped, expected, counted on this happening. But until it did, there was always that faint chance that something would go wrong. Now, however, the die was cast; the almost frighteningly competent Stearns had committed himself to support the dynasty against the chancellor. A smile crossed his face as some of the tension he had been living with released.
Ulrik looked up to see Rebecca Abrabanel gazing at him.
“You planned this, didn’t you?” he asked.
Rebecca nodded. “Not in so much detail. There is not a lot we could do to coordinate between Magdeburg and an army somewhere in the field. But we’ve known for months that Wettin was losing control of his factions, and Michael himself made it clear to us that our only reasonable course was to support the dynasty against the reactionaries. Provided, of course, that the dynasty would in turn give us at least some recognition.”
She shrugged. “We didn’t know exactly what Michael would do, or when, but we knew it had to follow those general lines, so we prepared, and waited, and moved when we could.”
“Even down to Frau Linder and her songs,” Ulrik commented.
Rebecca shook her head. “No, that was totally unexpected. Not even Mary Simpson saw that one coming, or the effect it would have. Serendipity at work, perhaps.”
“Even so,” the prince acknowledged, “I believe I would rather not be at odds with the good Frau Linder. Where others use words as rifles, sniping at one another, she combines them with music and makes siege guns out of them.”
The next message was completed, and it made its way through the circle of hands. Ulrik read through the message to the legitimate parliament, then passed it on to Baldur. “So now we just wait to see if your husband’s strategy works,” he concluded.
Baldur snorted, looking up from the message forms.
“Stearns against Banér? That’s like pitting a hungry wolf against an old blind boar. The boar may gnash his tusks and squeal like mad, but the wolf will be eating ham and bacon and chops before long.”
Ulrik would remember that comment in the days that followed.
Chapter 42
Magdeburg Times-Journal
February 24, 1636
SIEGE OF DRESDEN LIFTED!
THIRD DIVISION TRIUMPHANT!
BANÉR BLOWN TO BITS BY HANGMAN REGIMENT!
Otto Gericke looked over the top of the paper at his head judge after reading the headlines.
“Well?”
“If I were the Swede,” Jacob Lentke intoned in his best judicial manner, “I would leave for Stockholm now. If he waits to pack his bags, it may be too late.”
Otto considered that for a moment, then shook his head. “He won’t do it, though. Too much pride at stake.”
Jacob nodded sadly. “And probably more people will die before he is finished.”
Chapter 43
Magdeburg Times-Journal
February 28, 1636
EMPEROR AWAKES!!!!
THE OX GORED FOR TREASON!!!!
DR. NICHOLS FLIES TO BERLIN
EMPEROR TO RETURN TO MAGDEBURG!!
Gotthilf looked around him at the people celebrating in the streets, then looked over at his partner’s profile. Byron’s craggy face was closed up, expressionless, as his eyes scanned their surroundings.
“Well?”
“No doubt it’s a good thing for the country,” the up-timer said after a moment.
“Yah.” Gotthilf agreed wholeheartedly. “Maybe things will calm down now.”
“Not the way to bet,” Byron said. “People haven’t changed any, and we still have at least two murderers and an arsonist running loose.”