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long as we can make one for you."
David Bartley bought himself a man with those words. An old dog that wanted to learn a new trick. Or if
he couldn't learn it, at least to be around it. He wanted to be unafraid like Master David; so very unafraid
that he could be kind.
* * *
After Master David left Johan thought about the afternoon. Of course had known he was being watched
from the beginning, he had approved of the fact. At least they weren't stupid. After a while the young
master had seemed to calm a bit. Johan wasn't sure why. They talked for a while and Johan actually
started to like the boy. That was when he'd put his foot in it. You don't tell a lord that he's not acting
right. Not if you don't want to lose you place. The lad had not been offended, though, just curious, and
he had acted the proper young lord. Insisting that Johan tell it all. His blue eyes firm yet kind.
"I am not afraid of you," the young master had said, and Johan had had to believe.And the lords are .
As he thought about it, Johan believed that too.
 July 10, 1631: Storage Lot
Business was picking up at the storage lot since the Battle of the Crapper. Perhaps the hiring of Johan
had been lucky.
Johan had had four years of schooling, but nothing beyond that. His family was not wealthy enough for
more. From school he had been placed in service to be taught the role of a footman. He had found the
position stifling. At fifteen, after a beating he felt he didn't deserve, he had run off to be a soldier. The
soldier's life had not turned out to be the path to advancement he had expected. For forty years, Johan
had marched and fought in battles all over Europe. Then he had run into Grantville, and the Higgins clan.
He had been adopted, unofficially, unconsciously, but adopted all the same. Once David had broken the
ice, he brought Donny into the process.
Donny had found himself a part-time teacher, and part-time student of Johan. In the subjects of reading
and writing English, and speaking German respectively. Comic books were used, as were other books. It
was fun, but had limited results.
July 13, 1631: Thuringen Gardens
That afternoon Johan was talking with some of the other survivors from the ill-fated attempt to take
Badenburg. Unlike Johan, most of them had joined the American Army. They had spent the last fifteen
minutes telling him how good life was in the American Army with its shotguns.
Johan was having none of it. "Not me, boys, I'm too old for the army life. Besides, I have it better than
you lot. Mrs. Higgins made me two new sets of clothes, and bought me underwear with elastic." If he
was in a place even a little less public he would have taken down his pants and shown them. He almost
did anyway. He was proud of his new clothing. Instead he focused on the clothing he could decently
display. "And see my new shoes. I have another pair at home, and three pair of pants and four shirts. I've
money for a pint when I want one, good food, and Mrs. Higgins has engaged to get me new teeth, at her
expense mind." Which she had.
Delia Higgins had found Johan's appearance to wander between frightening, disgusting and pitiful,
depending on the light. So she had set out to rectify it as best she could. First, she put together some
uniforms, so at least he would look like a security guard, rather than a bum. The state of Johan's mouth
was one of the more objectionable things about his appearance. So the teeth were next on her list. There
was nothing she could do about the pockmarks.
July 15, 1631
For some time the mood among those that had an interest in the Higgins Sewing Machine Company had
been subdued. Some work had gotten done, but not much; for a little while the game had become real,
and now it lacked appeal as a game.
The news was not all bad. The Battle of the Crapper had been something of a turning point. People
were pouring into Grantville and now every nook that had held someone's gear but could house people
was needed for housing. People still needed to store their stuff, though. So the luxury of the storage
containers had become a necessity again, and every container available was rented.
Which in turn brought to a head the question of the containers whose renters were in another universe. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]