“Nope,” Hayley said proudly. “The rest is just paperwork so I have the nuts and bolts I need.” Which was another patent falsehood. Hayley was the Barbie Consortium’s mechanical “genius” though she wasn’t in the same class as Brent and Trent Partow in Judy’s opinion. But she was not really ignorant of what the rest of the Barbies did.
Judy wisely let it pass. “Karl will know what opportunities there are in the sticks.” It didn’t occur to Judy Wendell that there was anything odd in calling the capital of the Holy Roman Empire “the sticks.” To her, civilization had arrived on Earth with the Ring of Fire and she lived in its center. As soon as she was off the phone with Hayley, she called Karl.
CHAPTER 2
Send Money
June 1634
Liechtenstein House, outside the Ring of Fire
“It’s a letter from your Uncle Gundaker.” Josef Gandelmo, Karl’s tutor, financial manager, and companion, handed him the letter across the desk.
Karl opened it and read. “The family wants me to increase their allowance.”
“That’s hardly fair, Your Serene Highness.” Josef’s voice held quite a bit of censure, but at least a touch of humor as well. He moved over to the sideboard and gestured to the drink bottles.
Karl shook his head. He still wasn’t happy with the down-time version of Sprite and had never been all that pleased with beer or wine. “I know. But it does seem a bit strange how the world works. Gundaker wants five hundred thousand guilders in silver. Which is insane. Granted, silver is worth more in Vienna. It might even be profitable to ship silver to Vienna and dollars back here. If they had any dollars worth mentioning in Vienna. But they don’t.”
“I suspect His Imperial Majesty is putting considerable pressure on your family and if your family’s access to its wealth is problematical, His Imperial Majesty’s lost two-thirds of his tax base. The wealthier two-thirds,” Josef said.
Karl nodded. “Somehow, I don’t think my neighbors in Grantville are going to be all that thrilled with me if I start sending silver to fund Ferdinand’s armies. For that matter, Wallenstein—who is King Albrecht now—won’t be thrilled and he can cut off access to the better part of my assets. Frankly, it would be better politically if I didn’t have the money . . . at least not in cash.”
Josef snorted. “You should do more business with the Barbie Consortium. I’m sure they would be happy to relieve you of your cash . . . Ken Doll.”
Karl looked at Josef, then leaned back in his swivel chair and grinned. “You know, that’s not a bad idea.”
“I was joking, Your Serene Highness.”
“I know, but I’m not.” Karl gave Josef a serious look. “Josef, that letter was delayed. I didn’t receive it for at least a week from now. A month would be better. Meanwhile, get in touch with both Judy Wendells, the younger and the elder.”
Seeing his look, he added: “No, Josef, I don’t intend to defy my family and my emperor. But I’m walking a tightrope here, with Ferdinand II on one side and Wallenstein on the other. I can’t send cash. It would raise too many red flags. If I don’t send anything, it will raise red flags on the other side. I will send an authorization for the family to borrow against family assets in Bohemia and Silesia. Those assets will have considerably more value if they are the planned recipients of up-timer sweet corn, new plows, stamp presses, sewing machines, and anything else I can think of or learn from Mrs. Wendell. For the rest, I can’t send it if I don’t have it, and the Barbies might be just the group to invest those funds in ways that will make them temporarily unavailable. Go, Josef. Make your phone calls.”
Wendell Home, Grantville
Judy the Younger, irrepressible as always, said, “I don’t know how you do it. Somehow that outfit works on you.”
Karl smiled, gave her a little bow, and followed her into the living room where her mother and sister waited. She waved him to the couch. Karl was wearing dark-red calfskin riding boots with a bronze down-time made zipper replacing the laces. Zippers had become all the rage since the Ring of Fire; at least, for those who could afford them. Tucked into the boots were dark brown pants with embroidery in red and gold. A white linen shirt was covered by a gold lamé waistcoat and a dark green morning coat with the same red and gold embroidery. Both the vest and the morning coat had zippers as well. This was all topped with a beaver cowboy hat, which Karl took off and set on the end table once he was seated.
“So, what’s so important, Prince Karl?” asked Sarah Wendell. She was wearing the down-time version of a woman’s business suit, a divided calf-length skirt and a matching jacket, with a high-collared blouse, all done in various shades of blue.