The Ram Rebellion(14)

The document also pointed out that Marion County was the closest county to Sundremda. It gave assurance that the people of Sundremda would abide by the laws of Marion county and the New U.S. Then, the document went on to provide the dimensions of the territory and even included a map. Finally it was signed by every person living in the village of Sundremda, not just all the adult males or even just all the adults. Apparently every person in the village signed the petition, including one three-year-old, who signed with a hand print. The signers gave their name, age, and gender. The signers included, of course, Birdie and Mary Newhouse, their two sons and two daughters-in-law. Apparently, the Newhouse babies hadn't signed on the dotted line.





This petition was going to have to go to Mike. While attitudes toward the Holy Roman Empire were not favorable inside the Ring of Fire, the fact remained that Grantville wasn't actually at war with the Empire, officially. True, Grantville had protected a town from Tilly's mercenaries. Grantville had also protected another town from mercenaries who no longer worked for anyone but themselves. Grantville had cooperated with troops employed by the king of Sweden in doing that protecting, but there wasn't a state of war between the still forming New United States and the Holy Roman Empire.





If the New U.S. approved this petition, a state of war with the Holy Roman Empire would exist. Annexing another country's territory is pretty much universally a casus belli, even when the folks who actually live there ask to be annexed.





On the other hand, there might be two or three mental defectives who actually thought Grantville wouldn't be at war with the HRE before long, but not more than that. Besides, Grantville had already offered to admit several cities to the New U.S. As soon as one of those cities accepted admission, it would mean the effective annexation of that city.





As it turned out the people of Sundremda didn't get to vote in that first election. President Stearns had tabled the matter till after the first elections, and then had presented the petition to Congress. Congress had accepted the petition and several others like it. This set at least one precedent of acquisition of territory by the New U.S. So, the people of Sundremda would be able to vote in the next election.





Egidius "Eddie" Junker shook his head, but only after he left his father's office. Eddie liked the uptimers. It was a point of considerable tension between him and his father. They didn't talk about it much. Neither one wanted a breach in their relationship.





"Michel, please have Shadow saddled. Father wants me to visit Sundremda again."





Eddie had picked up the uptime habit of being polite to servants, but not where his father could hear. Eddie was a charming young man, and an excellent rider. He had been a student at Jena when the Ring of Fire happened. He had first encountered Grantville on one of his monthly trips home. The battle of Jena had strengthened his admiration for the uptimers. Eddie was rather less concerned over his ancestry than his father. Nor did he see any reason to be constantly checking on Herr Newhouse.





The ride to Sundremda was pleasant and easy, even if the road from Badenburg wasn't improved all the way. Eddie had known the villagers of Sundremda all his life. He remembered well what the village had looked like before the raid and after. This new village looked like it was going to be a much more prosperous place, when it was finished. The villagers seemed to be leaving quite a bit unfinished till they had everything ready. They had carted, or rather "trucked," a lot of stone from the gap to the village and had a mason finishing stone for floors and the bottom half of walls. Most of the houses had places where the stone floors weren't installed yet. The snows had slowed the work, mostly limiting it to what could be done from inside.





Herr Newhouse was friendly enough, considering the circumstances. "How's school?"





"Confusing, Herr Newhouse. Everyone is trying to figure out what the Ring of Fire means. Especially in the college of theology, but all of us do the same, really. Every time I go back I get questioned on everything. My father wishes to know what this petition for annexation is about."





"You can tell your . . ." Herr Newhouse visibly caught himself. "Never mind, boy, it's not your fault. The petition is just what it sounds like. The village wants to be part of the New U.S. We didn't ask your father about it because we know he's opposed to Badenburg joining the New U.S. Besides, he doesn't live here. We didn't ask Ferdy Hapsburg to sign either."





Ferdy Hapsburg? Ferdinand II, the Holy Roman Emperor? Sometimes uptimers made Eddie nervous. He changed the subject. "How are things here?"