Chapter 13 Worth More than Rubies
Now, though, there was someone with whom he not only could, but should, share such concerns. God himself said that the purpose of a wife was to serve as her husband’s sturdy prop. Didn’t he? He pulled his Bible off the shelf behind him and checked, just to be sure. Yes. “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.” (Proverbs 31:17). Buying fields, planting vineyards. You had to give God credit: sometimes He had really excellent ideas. Bernhard flipped back a few chapters. “He who finds a wife, finds a good thing.” (Proverbs 18:22). People ought to pay more attention to Solomon, considering how wise he was supposed to have been. Hey, “and obtains favor from the Lord.” That was even better. He could use some divine favor right now. If he recalled correctly, there was a bunch of stuff in here about wisdom. He flipped through the pages again and read for a while.
Then he crossed off “Memo to self” in the header and substituted, “Memorandum to My Lady Wife the grand duchess.”.
Primo, my lady, there is no point in fighting a battle if your troops are not up to defeating the enemy. Do it only if you are inexorably trapped into it. Otherwise, it is better to wait for reinforcements or even, in dire circumstances, to set up a new army altogether. This basic principle leads me to the realization that there is a battle for which I need reinforcements. To be precise, I need a competent paymaster, preferably yesterday. Find one.
Secundo, my lady, it is absolutely necessary to establish a reserve army for the County of Burgundy. This is no new idea. Christian of Denmark attempted it in the past, but did not follow through. This has been an ongoing mark of the man’s career throughout. I delegate this to you. Choose a commander in whom you have confidence and proceed with the project.
Tercio, the regiments were not in as good shape as I could have wished when we had to move out in March. Too many of the men were still in bad condition from the winter. We need to set up permanent winter quarters, not just for the troops who will be garrisoned at the citadel––those are already under construction––but also at every point in the County of Burgundy where we may reasonably expect to assign regiments during the winter months. Have someone project the costs. This may require a meeting of the Estates. Arrange to have one summoned in the autumn as soon as the plague danger abates. Rohan should hire a second publicist, to be based permanently in the capital rather than traveling with me. Have this occur in an expeditious manner.
Quarto, there is a pressing need for more powder. My negotiations with the various city councils in Lorraine have been unsuccessful. Arrange to expend in Hamburg the remainder of the funds allotted for this from the last subsidy payment received from Richelieu and arrange for shipping.
Quinto, I am impatient with the delay of some other commanders in mustering their forces. It interferes with everyone else’s dispositions. Have clever men in the capital speak with the up-timers I hired. If they know about telephones, then they must know about radio. Tell them I want a radio system by which I can, at every time, communicate directly with every regimental colonel in my forces. There will no longer be laments about letters lost in the mail and instructions gone astray. I will know that I have spoken to them and, moreover, they will know that I know it.
In the latest encyclopedia signature you received from the publisher and placed on my desk, there was an article about something called facsimile. As I understand it, one could put a document into a telephone at one end and it would come out of a machine attached to a telephone at the other end. Select clever young men and send them to Grantville’s libraries to study this.
“Sexto, my lady, as always, Gott mit uns.”
He folded the missive neatly, placed it inside his doublet, stood up, and walked down the hall where his wife of a month’s standing was working at her own desk.
Claudia glanced over it. “If nothing else, My Lord Husband, I think that I have grasped one essential point about our marriage. I need never fear that you regard me as a mere decorative ornament in your life, to be relegated to my own chambers where I and my ladies-in-waiting will do embroidery and gossip.”
Bernhard looked at her, bewildered. “Why would I? I thought I made it very clear to everyone that I didn’t want that kind of wife.”
He clasped his hands behind his back and raised a bushy eyebrow. “Now may I suggest a temporary recess while we do something about Proverbs 5:15-19, potentially incorporating selected passages from Ecclesiastes and the entire Song of Solomon?”
Claudia wiped her pen to hide a smile. The grand duke’s efforts at husbandly flirtation were, to put it mildly, a bit awkward.
But at least he tried.
✽✽✽
Der Kloster drank in a tavern in the town rather than in the monastery.
The grand duke disapproved of carousing in cloisters.
The grand duke disapproved of carousing altogether, if the truth be told, but the rest of them weren’t so stiff-necked.
“If God is really with us,” Ohm said, beckoning for more beer, “He will never, ever, permit the construction of one of these new ‘railroads’ in an east-west direction across Lorraine. Generals do not need an easier way to get their troops from France into the USE, or the other way around. If it were my choice, I would fortify each one of these north-south rivers, doing my best to prevent road-building and beheading every railroad surveyor I saw.”
Michael John wandered in.
Moscherosch laughed. “Off duty at last.”
“Anybody want to lay me a bet on what the grand ducal pair are doing this very minute?”
“Hell, no!”