The Devil's Opera(42)
Marla smiled at that. “I can do that. Second?”
“I want to be with you when you first practice this, to hear it in case I need to change something. The words flow well on the paper, but that does not mean they will do so when mated with the melody.”
“Agreed. And third?”
Logau gave her what could only be called an evil smile. “I want to be there when you sing this in public the first time.”
Marla heard Franz chuckling behind her as she returned smile for smile. She held out her hand. “Agreed and done.”
They shook hands, then she looped her hands through both men’s arms. “Come with us, Friedrich. I have to make a stop at the telegraph office, then we’ll go christen your words appropriately.”
They strode off down the street with Marla humming “We’re Off to See the Wizard.” Neither man understood why she started laughing after a few measures.
Chapter 19
A T & L TELEGRAPH
BEGIN: MBRG TO GVL
TO: HEATHER MASON
ADDR: TROMMLER RECORDS
FROM: MARLA LINDER
DATE: 18 DEC 1635
MESSAGE:
HAVE A ONE SONG SPECIAL YOU REALLY OUGHT TO BUY UP STOP
WILL EITHER WRECK MY CAREER OR TOP THE CHARTS STOP
ATWOOD COCHRAN WILL RECORD STOP
YOU IN OR OUT? STOP
MARLA
END
A T & L TELEGRAPH
BEGIN: MBRG TO GVL
TO: ATWOOD COCHRAN
ADDR: LOOK IT UP
FROM: MARLA LINDER
DATE: 18 DEC 1635
MESSAGE:
YEAH THIS IS ONE GOOD CAUSE STOP
PITCHED DEAL TO HEATHER AT TROMMLER STOP
EXPECT THEY WILL BUY STOP
RECORDING DATE SATURDAY JAN 19 STOP
THIS WILL BE THUMB IN THE EYE OF THE POWERS THAT BE STOP
YOU IN OR OUT? STOP
MARLA
END
Marla looked at the two telegrams the delivery boy had just left with her, and smiled.
The first one read:
A T & L TELEGRAPH
BEGIN: GVL TO MBRG
TO: FRAU MARLA LINDER
ADDR: SYLWESTERHAUS MAGDEBURG
FROM: ATWOOD COCHRAN
DATE: 19 DEC 1635
MESSAGE:
CANT PASS UP CHANCE TO JAB THUMB IN EYE STOP
IN STOP
WILL TAKE CUT OF TROMMLER DEAL STOP
ATWOOD
END
And the second:
A T & L TELEGRAPH
BEGIN: GVL TO MBRG
TO: FRAU MARLA LINDER
ADDR: SYLWESTERHAUS MAGDEBURG
FROM: HM AT TROMMLER RECORDS
DATE: 19 DEC 1635
MESSAGE:
WE ARE IN STOP
SEND DETAILS ASAP FOR CONTRACT STOP
HEATHER
END
Marla looked up at her husband.
“You are really going to do this.” Franz didn’t ask a question. He knew who he was talking to; he made a statement.
“Uh-huh.” She wrapped her arms around herself. She felt cold all of a sudden.
Franz said nothing more, but wrapped his own arms around her. She nestled in his embrace, and drew strength from him.
Part Two
January 1636
For changing people’s manners and altering their customs there is nothing better than music.
—Shu Ching
Chapter 20
A new pattern had settled in Simon’s life. He arose each morning with Hans. They would share with Ursula whatever food was in the rooms, and then Hans would leave for his work at the grain factorage. True to his word, he had asked about work for Simon, but as with so many other places, there was no opportunity for a one-handed youth.
Simon would sweep the floor and clean up after their eating, wiping the plates off and stacking them in the little cupboard that stood in the corner. Then he would settle on his stool at Ursula’s feet. She would pick up her worn Bible and read to him for a little while. Always it was something interesting, but Simon best liked the stories of the heroes from the Old Testament: King David, Joshua, the stories of the judges. Then they would talk about what she had read, wondering why the hero had done certain things and not done others, describing what they thought the characters in the stories looked like, sometimes laughing together over something silly one of them had said.
Ursula would always end the reading time by closing her Bible and putting it away, then picking up her current embroidery project. That would be the signal to Simon to go out and find what work he could.
* * *
It was a Tuesday morning after the first of the year when Ursula all of a sudden noticed something that had always been in front of her.
“Simon, are those the only clothes you have?”
He ducked his head, feeling a sense of shame.
“Well, we cannot have that. Hans…” She turned to her brother, “Hans, Simon needs clothes. His shirt is almost cobwebby thin, his pants are tight and torn and much too short, his jacket does not fit around him. Tell your crew boss today that you have to take me to market tomorrow.”
Simon discovered that although Ursula was normally the most agreeable of souls, when she chose to exert her will it was like encountering granite. It astonished him to see Hans, Stark Hans himself, nod his head and say, “Yes, Ursula,” as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world for her to issue commands.