"According to their principles, if the people of Franconia set out to simplify their government, the uptimers should be obliged to refrain from interfering with the process."
Vulpius nodded. "It would, after all, be expensive for them to interfere. Interference means soldiers. Soldiers cost money."
"They certainly cost a lot more money than circular letters and pamphlets," Tobias said.
Ableidinger agreed. Not that postage was cheap. Common sense all by itself reminded a person of that.
The Suhl Incident
Eric Flint and John Zeek
January 13, 1633
Warrant Officer Hatfield was using a lever to hold the engine steady while Private First Class Cooper bolted it to the motor mounts when he saw Captain Pitre walk into the shop. Turning to Cooper's assistant, who was nearby, he said, "Filss, take over here and hold this steady. It looks like the captain wants to talk to me."
"Good morning, ma'am," he said, as he walked to meet the captain. "The second locomotive is looking good. All we have left to do is set up the controls and fit the wheels and it'll be ready to test. Close to one hundred horse power and a ton heavier, it should out-pull number one by a goodly margin. Private Cooper here is a wonder as a mechanic. He does good work, and is just full of ideas."
"That's great, Mr. Hatfield. Your engine shop boys are doing an excellent job." Captain Pitre responded loudly enough so that the entire shop could hear. Then in a lower voice she added, "But the reason I stopped by was because General Kagg sent word he wants to see you and me this morning."
The New United States was now part of the Confederated Principalities of Europe, with the Swedish king, Gustavus Adolphus, recognized as its official military leader under his title of captain general. After lengthy negotiations, President Stearns had agreed that Gustavus Adolphus could station one regiment—one, no more—in or near Grantville. The regiment he sent was one of his oldest "first guard regiments." It was known as the Yellow Regiment, and while most of its soldiers and officers were mercenaries, usually Germans—as was true of the Swedish king's army as a whole—the commanding officer was a Swedish general, Lars Kagg.
As the two trudged through the snow, Hatfield wondered what Kagg wanted. He decided it couldn't be about anything the train crew had done wrong. They all, even Jochen Rau, had been on their best behavior lately. And Kagg had been very polite at the reception for his arrival last month.
Then the thought hit him that it might be about what Henry Johnson told him only this morning. General Jackson had wanted Pat, Anse's brother-in-law, to watch for any movement of guns out of Suhl to people who were unfriendly to the CPE. Maybe a letter from Pat had arrived.
"Ma'am, did the general say why he wanted to see us?"
"No, but he did ask if you were doing anything really vital. I told him your crew could probably keep working for a while without you. You've done a good job of training them."
"Thank you for the compliment. You're right, ma'am. Benno and Jochen can run the train without me and I would bet Cooper can finish this new engine. Bringing in Bill Frank as an advisor was a great idea. But I hope General Kagg doesn't want you to send me anywhere. The company might get called for active duty shortly, and I sure don't want it to go without me. You'll need me for that."
Captain Pitre gave her surroundings a somewhat sour examination. "Mr. Hatfield, from the look of things, we're not going anywhere until winter's over. Except to the regimental headquarters, and here we are."
Through the closed door of the office Anse could hear the rumble of the general's voice. That was no surprise. Kagg seemed to have only one volume setting: loud. Anse looked out the window to the outside. "Ma'am, was anyone else going to be at our meeting with the general?"
"Not that I know of. Why? Does it make a difference?"
"Not to me, but, stay calm. Your friend and mine, Captain von Dantz, is walking across the parade ground. And it looks like he's coming here."
Anse could sense the sudden stiffness in Captain Pitre. That von Dantz was both arrogant and incompetent was an opinion, he was sure, the two shared. The fact that von Dantz refused to accept the idea of women in the army, much less a woman officer, automatically insured there were going to be problems between him and Captain Elizabeth Pitre. Anse's problems with the Pomeranian mercenary captain were more personal and had arisen out of a dispute over the captain's baggage being crushed on the train Anse had commanded.