Chapter 6: Babies
June 1634
Ditmar and Hjalmar were in the office when the team arrived in Grantville. The Bibelgesellschaft thanked NESS and hurried off to tell Doctor Green and Father Kircher that the trip had been a success. Team Three took the horses to the livery stables. Ditmar came along while Hjalmar kept the office open.
Once they were brushing down the horses, Neustatter asked, “What news cannot wait, Ditmar?”
“The doctor told Ursula she is carrying twins. She wants Ursula to give birth at the hospital. Ursula has her own ideas about that, but Stefan put his foot down.”
Astrid gave Ditmar a glance with a raised eyebrow before returning her attention to her horse.
“It was . . . exciting,” Ditmar admitted. “Especially when Anna jumped in and asked Wolfram if he was going to make her have their baby at the hospital, too.”
“What did he say?” Neustatter was genuinely curious enough to look up from brushing his horse.
“He said ja, if at all practical, first babies should be born at Leahy or the hospital in Jena because the first is a higher risk. If the first goes well, a midwife can handle the next as long as someone is available to summon an ambulance at need. Anna agreed that made a certain amount of sense.”
“We listen to Karl when he tells us if a piece of metal can take the stress or not.” Neustatter resumed brushing his horse as he spoke. “We should listen to the medic when he gives medical advice.”
“Ja, that is more or less why Ursula and Anna eventually agreed,” Ditmar told them.
“Speaking of you, Karl,” Neustatter continued, “I think we will leave you here while we take that shipment to Frankfurt.”
“Neustatter . . . ” Karl began.
Neustatter set his cleaning gear on a shelf and turned to Karl. “I need someone with a cool head to help Miss Schäubin keep NESS open. Stefan and Wolfram are not going to get enough sleep with newborns in the apartment. I know that much.”
“You will be on the road to Frankfurt without a medic or a blacksmith,” Karl pointed out.
Neustatter shrugged. “It cannot be helped this time. But consider the new men. Is there one you could teach to be enough of a smith for what we often need on a mission?”
Karl thought about it. “Build is not everything for a smith, but—no offense, Phillip—I have a lot more weight to put behind a hammer than you do.”
Phillip laughed. “None taken. It is true enough. Und Jakob is about my size.”
“Ja. Richart, though . . . I will ask if he is interested.” Karl looked over at Neustatter. “If he is not, build will not matter.”
“True enough.” Neustatter smiled. “Phillip, I have a different mentor in mind for you.”
Wednesday, August 23, 1634
The eight original NESS agents had reported to Camp Saale for Adler Pfeffer a couple days ago, and Jakob Bracht had gotten his Reserve duty changed to align with them. A couple days later, when Astrid was in the office by herself, a knock sounded at the door. Leigh Ann and James Ennis came in.
“Good morning, Frau Ennis, Herr Ennis.”
“Gut tag, Miss Schäubin.” Leigh Ann’s greeting indicated they were there on business.
“Please, sit down.”
Leigh Ann began once they were all seated over by the Franklin stove. It wasn’t lit, of course. Today was just about as hot as Astrid ever wanted it to be, although she noticed that neither of the Ennises seemed the slightest bit uncomfortable.
“James is home on leave, and we’ve finally had some time to talk about some things. Mom is such a dear. She’s been working at a day care in Grantville so that I can work from home and stay with the kids. With the restriction on using gasoline and the bad winter weather, she started staying in town during the week, you know. Comes home on weekends.”
Astrid nodded. Leigh Ann had explained that before.
James took over. “They’ll be lifting the gasoline restrictions soon. Not sure when, exactly, but it’ll happen. Turenne’s raid put us behind, but Wietze won’t be our only source. That still leaves the winter weather. Pine Grove Road can be just plain dangerous when it’s icy. Leigh Ann’s parents are in good health, but asking them to drive at night in bad conditions is a little much. None of us like the current situation. I want Leigh Ann’s mom and dad both at their place, y’know?”
“Of course,” Astrid said.
“So I’ve been thinking about that bridge. I still can’t build something that would support a horse. But one that lets Julia drive to NESS and then cross Buffalo Creek to the farm? That I can do. I’d like to have it finished in time for winter, but I’m going to need some help. There’s no point in even doing it unless Julia can get across safely.”
“You need one or two of us around when she crosses the bridge in the morning and afternoon,” Astrid realized. “I will ask Neustatter, but I expect we can do that.”
“Is Neustatter around?” James asked.
“Nein. Our original eight agents have Reserves this week. They are assigned to the basic training class’ Adler Pfeffer exercise. Jakob transferred Reserve units so that he could work with them.” Astrid smiled. “Phillip, Hans, and Richart are on an assignment downtown today.”
“So you’re running the office,” James observed.
“That’s what she does,” Leigh Ann said.
“If it’s snowed when Julia needs to cross the bridge, we’ll need you to clear a path.” James sounded apologetic.
“Of course.”
“If the snow or ice is too bad, Julia would still stay in town.” James Ennis stared at the Franklin stove as though it were winter already.
Astrid nodded.
James sighed. “Never liked this arrangement, but couldn’t figure out anything better. Last weekend, Julia hauled out all her Norwegian cooking gear—you know, making krumkake and lefse and so on.”
Astrid had no idea what he was talking about.
“Huh. She was right. She said you wouldn’t know, that just because your ancestors were Danish, and Denmark controls Norway right now, you wouldn’t necessarily know what they eat.”
“Herring?” Astrid ventured.
“What I’m talking about is way better. Anyway, Julia got this idea that somebody ought to introduce up-time Norwegian food to Norwegians. I wasn’t sure if there were Norwegians in Grantville, but Denmark is an ally now . . . ”
“And there are Norwegians in Danish service,” Astrid finished. “I understand.”
“Julia holds dinners, so she really needs to be able to get back and forth. And if she can do that, then we can make it so she can come home weeknights, too.”
After everything the Hauns had done for NESS, Astrid felt an obligation to help. “I think we can make this work. It will be useful training for us.”
Astrid was not sure exactly who made it happen—Leigh Ann knew a lot of people—but the permits for a bridge moved right along. It still took time; when the public hearing was held, Neustatter and most of the other men were over at Camp Saale for the next Adler Pfeffer exercise.
Thursday, August 24, 1634
Astrid woke with a start and sat up quickly. The bedroom was dark. Someone was shaking her. It was Anna.
“Ursula is in labor!”
“When did it start?”
“Just a few minutes ago.”
Astrid dressed quickly and reached for her gun belt. Since the men were away, she had moved in with Anna for the week. It was her job to run over to the livery stable and take Ursula to Leahy.
The summer night was warm, with just enough of a breeze. She had been told that up-timers considered even this cool, but it seemed perfect to her. Astrid did not even need a lantern; Kimberly Heights had enough lights that she could see her way as she ran over to the livery stable.
The night clerk was surprised to see anyone at this hour, but quickly brought out a litter carried between two horses. And a driver . . . conductor?
It took a little longer to get back to the apartment—the horse-drawn litter needed to follow the roads—and then she was helping Ursula and Anna into the litter.
“Is Mutti going to be okay?” Johann asked Astrid in a whisper.
“Ja, she is having a baby. Two babies. You can come with me.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the NESS office. I am going to telephone Camp Saale and have your father brought to Leahy.”
Astrid was not convinced it would work, but Neustatter had left her a contingency plan. So as soon as Ursula and Anna were on their way to the hospital, she and Johann hurried to the office. Astrid unlocked the door, turned on the lights, and reached for the telephone, taking all three for granted.
She spoke with CQ, who wrote down NESS’ telephone number and told her an officer would call back shortly. From listening to the men talk about the National Guard, she suspected that this would be an instance of hurry up and wait, so she looked for something she and Johann could do.
Astrid rifled through first her desk, then Neustatter’s. He had a deck of cards, more out of a sense that security consultants ought to have cards than out of any desire to play.
“Oh! I know card games!” Johann exclaimed.
That did not fill Astrid with confidence. In short order, Johann proceeded to beat her at Go Fish and rummy.
“Do you know how to play poker, Miss Astrid?”
By the time the phone rang, she was convinced that Johann’s up-time friends were a bunch of card sharps. She grabbed the receiver with a sense of relief.
“Neustatter’s European Security Services. Miss Schäubin speaking.”
“Leutnant Funcke, officer of the day at Camp Saale, Ma’am. Did you request that Private Stefan Kirchenbauer be released from drill?”
“Ja, Herr Leutnant. His wife is having a baby.”
“When?”
“Right now. Horse-drawn litter just took her to Leahy Medical Center.”
“All right. I will send someone to find him and deliver him to Leahy. It may take some time to find him.”
“I assume he is with Edgar Neustatter in the Adler Pfeffer exercise.”
“I know where they are supposed to be, Ma’am, but, ah . . . ”
“Eagle Pepper,” Astrid agreed. “Please have the driver telephone this number from Leahy.” She recited it to him twice.
Part of the contingency plan had been to bring blankets with them. Johann was finally getting sleepy. Astrid lit a fire in the Franklin stove, and they rolled up in blankets near the stove.
She had no idea what time it was when the phone rang. She was sure it rang several times while she woke up, struggled free of the blanket, and stumbled to her desk.
“Hello. Neustatter’s European Security Services. Miss Schäubin speaking.”
“Gut morgen. I bin Sergeant Lutz. I have just delivered Private Stefan Kirchenbauer to Leahy Medical Center. The nurse at the desk says his wife is still in labor.”
“Danke.”
“What’s going on?” came Johann’s voice.
“Your mother is still in labor, and your father just arrived at Leahy.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
“Ja.”
They prayed for Ursula and the babies. Johann went back to sleep.
Astrid realized how hard the floor was. Eventually, she gave up and checked the clock. She got a little work done at the desk before awakening Johann. It was the first week of school, so she did not want him to miss class. They went back to the apartment just long enough for each of them to get ready for the day. Then Astrid put Johann on the bus to school and returned to the office before Phillip, Hans, and Richart arrived.
About eleven in the morning, the phone rang.
“Hello. Neustatter’s European Security Services. Miss Schäubin speaking.”
“Astrid! Stefan. They are here! Both of them! Margareta and Niklas. Ursula is very tired but happy.”
Astrid did not think she had ever heard Stefan bubbling with happiness before.
“Congratulations, Stefan!”
“Bring Johann, bitte. After school, I suppose.”
“All right. I can probably get a message to him now. He was worried.”
“Ja, ja, if you would.”
“I will take care of it.”
After Astrid hung up, she turned to the new men. “Hans, you are with me. We are going to Johann at the elementary school to tell him that he has a new brother and sister, and they and his mother are just fine. Phillip, Richart, you have the office.”
When they reached Blackshire Elementary School, Astrid figured it was good manners to introduce themselves to the security guard at the front door.
“Gut tag. I bin Astrid Schäubin of Neustatter’s European Security Services. Er ist Hans Deibert. We are here to tell Johann Kirchenbauer that his mother had twins a little while ago, a girl and a boy, and they are all well.”
The guard just looked at them. “Markus. My partner Christoph is inside.”
Astrid nodded. “Hans, I am leaving you here under Markus’ command.”
Markus made no effort to block her way, and she spotted Christoph before she had taken three steps inside. He was positioned so that he saw the doors, but could not be seen from outside. Astrid nodded in approval and explained why she was at Blackshire. Then she did the same thing again in the office.
The secretary used the intercom—it did the same thing as a telephone but only within its own building—to call Johann’s teacher.
“Do not just summon him. Tell him everything is fine, bitte,” Astrid urged.
The secretary’s eyes widened. That may have sounded more like an order than I intended, Astrid realized. But the secretary asked the teacher to send Johann Kirchenbauer to the office, and that everything was fine.
Johann arrived quickly. Astrid thought he had probably run. He was slightly flushed but not breathing hard. She wondered if he slowed down so that they would not know he had been running in the halls or because he had been steadying himself.
“Johann,” Astrid said, “your mother had both babies a little while ago. She is fine. They are fine. Their names are Margareta and Niklas.”
Johann’s face lit up, and he threw his arms around her.
“You may see them after school.”
“Dank, Miss Astrid.”
“Your father is there, too. The National Guard brought him in from the field.”
Johann looked up. “Will he get in trouble for missing training?”
“Nein. The officer of the day sent someone to pick him up and bring him to Leahy.”
“Oh, good.”
“Do you think you can go back to class now?” the secretary asked a couple minutes later.
Johann nodded. “’Bye, Miss Astrid.”
He was off like a shot. Nein, he had not stopped running because of the rules. He had been composing himself, just in case. Astrid shook her head. She hated that kids learned to do that. She had done that—she and Hjalmar and Ditmar—after their parents died. That is what the Ring of Fire meant, that with the knowledge from the future—a future—sometimes things did work out better. Best not to get overconfident about it, though. Many of the up-timers were nice people and well-meaning. But the Psalms said, “Put not your trust in princes.” It was not a good idea not to put her trust solely in up-timers to bring about a better future—they’d need help.
Astrid shook her head again. Ursula had survived (which really was much more common than some of those up-timers seemed to think) and so had both babies. She had an office to run. She thanked the secretary and the security guards, and then she and Hans Deibert started back to the NESS office.
Neustatter was in the field, so Astrid figured it was her responsibility to ask. “Hans, tell me about their security. What do they do right and wrong?”
* * *
Astrid took Johann to see Ursula and Margareta and Niklas after school. Greta and Claus were really cute babies. Then Astrid made sure Stefan and Johann and Anna got some dinner.
On the following day, she asked Agathe Pfeffer to walk her through how to make a full meal. Astrid could cook individual dishes just fine, although she was not on Ursula’s level. Having everything ready at the same time was difficult. Back in the village, Anke had seen to that and given her and Gessel specific tasks. Here in Grantville, usually at least three people worked together to prepare NESS’ meals. Astrid wrote down the times as Agathe guided her. She thought the results were . . . edible. Not offensive, but nothing to remark on, either.
She wanted to work on her cooking, but they had a mission in Grantville on Saturday. She, Phillip, Hans, and Richart spent most of the day standing around displays of the latest instruments. Then Astrid cooked. Her timing was better, although she thought the food was still bland. She thought she might not be using enough of the spices. In the evening, she started dividing the kitchen between the two apartments. Ursula and the babies would need some privacy.
Ursula and the babies came home on Sunday afternoon. The men got back from training Tuesday night.
Astrid hugged Hjalmar. “How are you?”
“Exhausted.” He looked it. “Neustatter was right. Veterans from Ahrensbök helped run the training. Between them, the up-timers, and Neustatter being a cowboy, we did a lot of night attacks. Astrid, the up-timers have optics that can see at night. The few that they have are not the best that existed in their time, but by the end of the week we were good enough that they had to use technology to beat us.”
“Did they?”
“Ja, until we stole some.”
Ditmar was standing nearby and started laughing. “They thought they were lost and searched the fields. Picture hundreds of men standing fingertip to fingertip, sweeping back and forth as oxen plow a field.”
“Oh!” Astrid could see this in her mind and giggled.
“We got in a lot of trouble after we ambushed the other side in the dark, and they realized we had night sights,” Hjalmar resumed. “But they did tell us to seize every advantage. But do not think we were just goofing off. There was a lot more emphasis on protecting the civilians, working with them, and incorporating them into our force. Seems Neustatter gave people ideas.”
Ditmar was looking around the apartment. “You moved the kitchen?”
“Part of it. We will need two. I think this will be our main cooking area for now, but the Kirchenbauers and Kuntzes will need to be able to do some cooking, too. Much of the time, we can cook dinner here and take it next door to them.”
“Good plan, Miss Schäubin. I like initiative.” Neustatter had made his way across the apartment’s central room to her.
“Good to see you, too, Neustatter,” she told him.
“Is there anything I need to know right now?”
“Ursula is doing well. The babies are Greta and Claus. They are doing well, too. We had a couple inquiries I can explain tomorrow. Und the hearing for the bridge went well. The permits will be granted as long as it does not disrupt the river or navigation on the river.”
Neustatter laughed. “Navigation? They have a canoe race once a year. Once or twice I saw people drift by on inner tubes.”
Astrid shrugged. “James wants to get the bridge built before the ground freezes.”
Neustatter was abruptly serious. “Whenever we are not out on a mission, we will help. Karl will be skilled labor. The rest of us can lift and carry. But we do the mission to Frankfurt in September.”
Neustatter gave the men the next day off. He spent part of the morning in the office, going over the books with Astrid. Then in the afternoon, he and James Ennis walked the riverbank.
Thursday, August 31, 1634
On the last day of August, NESS reestablished its in-Grantville routine. They made breakfast, took some next door to Kirchenbauers and Kuntzes, opened the office, trained, and cooked dinner. In between, the men helped James prepare the bridge site, took Johann and Willi to their baseball game, and got to see Greta and Claus. After naptime, Astrid acquired Elisabetha Pfeffer as her “helper.” She mostly played with the office supplies.
Astrid was preparing dinner when Neustatter came alongside her.
“Miss Schäubin, I do not expect you to do most of the cooking.”
“Aw, you are just saying that because I cannot cook.”
“I would never say that. Not unless I could cook better.” Neustatter stopped joking around. “This is better than we ate in the village, ja?”
“Ja,” Astrid agreed. “That is the ingredients, not my cooking. Ursula . . . ”
“Ursula is a very good cook,” Neustatter agreed. “You are a fairly good cook yourself, and if you want to get better . . . ”
“Practice.”
Neustatter’s shrug conveyed “of course.” “I think I will start assigning cooking duty, with the understanding that we should listen to any suggestions from Ursula or Agathe. Once most of us leave on the Frankfurt mission, the rest of you will have to make it work.”
“Agathe started tonight’s stew this morning. I am just following the directions she gave me.”
“It smells good,” Neustatter stated. “But if you would like an assignment, while we are gone, find out how someone could learn to cook in Grantville.”
“Really?”
“We should practice investigations, even though most of what we do is guard duty.”
If Neustatter wanted her to investigate, she would.
Friday, September 1, 1634
The next morning, Astrid was sitting at the desk in the office thinking about ways to find out about cooking. She had just added Ask an up-timer to the list, wondering if she dared bother Leigh Ann about this, when there was a knock at the door.
Two men entered. One was the short man who had asked Ditmar for a background check on a farmer and his wife. Wesner.
“Guten Tag,” he began. “I am Casimir Wesner, on behalf of the von Hessler family. This is Issachar Frankel.”
Wesner shook hands with me, but Frankel gave a slight bow instead. Astrid returned it. Not everyone preferred to shake hands. Frankel was dressed . . . differently. Astrid had spotted a small . . . she was not sure what the correct name for the cap was.
“I am Jewish,” he stated.
Oh. Astrid nodded.
“Is Herr Neustatter available?” Wesner asked. “I would like to hire NESS.”
“Neustatter will be back shortly. Have seats, bitte.”
Wesner took one of the chairs by the stove, and Frankel tentatively followed suit. Astrid came out from behind the desk and sat down, too.
“Tell me what you need, bitte.”
Issachar Frankel looked startled, but Wesner nodded.
“Miss Schäubin, if you recall the background check on the farmer Heinz Kraft and his wife?”
She nodded. She was not going to forget a strange request like that.
“The same village, Kleinjena, has lost its butcher. The von Hessler family requested a butcher, kosher, and samples of a number of foods. So, I searched and learned there are many rules. Eventually I found Issachar, who is a shochet and willing to relocate.”
Astrid wondered why he was willing to leave Grantville.
He seemed to know what she was thinking. “I shall be sorry to leave Grantville, Miss Schäubin, but Herr Wesner offers an opportunity to run my own shop. I have learned much here, but I am just one employee in the slaughterhouse by Stockyard Three. There . . . ”
Astrid could see that, but she did have a question.
“Forgive me, Herr Frankel—”
“I am not a Herr.”
Astrid gestured toward the nameplate on the desk. “Neustatter calls me Miss Schäubin because when he first came back to our village, I told him he should not call me Fräulein.”
Frankel smiled for the first time. Gut. They had some common ground.
“I know little about this. Pardon me if I say something wrong, bitte. If you are Jewish and work in the slaughterhouse?” She certainly did not want to offend him.
“Stockyard Three and its slaughterhouse are all kosher,” Frankel stated. “The meat is kosher when it leaves. Many of us Jews buy from there. Some of the rest of you do, too. A few people insist on meat from One or Two. The way almost all of you cook, it does not matter if you buy from One, Two, or Three.”
That was interesting.
“But Kleinjena made a fair offer, for me to be the village butcher. They have some empty houses and offered two to my extended family. They agreed to fence in the cattle, which will also keep the pigs away.”
“What can we do for you?” Astrid asked.
“My family and I will journey to Kleinjena in October, and we must take cattle with us. By then we will be able to afford some Hungarian grays and some up-time crossbreeds. We know how to raise cattle and how to butcher them. But moving them long distances? We need cowboys.”
Astrid laughed. “Neustatter will love this mission.”
Sunday, September 3, 1634
Stefan and Ursula had waited until the rest of the men were back from National Guard training to have Margareta and Niklas baptized. They asked Wolfram and Anna to be godparents. Pastor Holz was away from Grantville, so Stefan approached Pastor Kastenmayer at St. Martin’s. Astrid couldn’t help feeling that a mother ought to be there for her children’s baptism. Most of the men’s expressions varied from smiling to impassive, but Otto’s expression was tight. Astrid wondered if he were thinking the same thing she was. But it was a lovely service.