* * *
Over the next few days they talked about what railroads, even wooden railroads, and other bits of advanced tech would do for the Liechtenstein lands in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. As Karl had expected, King Al didn’t really have a problem with what Karl wanted to do. What he wanted was a public swearing of fealty that included Gundaker von Liechtenstein’s domains of Kromau and Ostra. Which is sure to thrill Uncle Gundaker, Karl thought sardonically. “Why Ostra, Your Majesty?”
“If Ferdinand insists that he can grant Kromau in Moravia, I can grant Ostra in Hungary.” King Al gave Karl a cold little smile. “I imagine that when it’s finally settled, your uncle will end up with Ostra and you’ll keep Kromau.” As it worked out, the part about Ostra was mumbled a bit in the swearing and buried in the fine print in the documents, but that was at King Al’s insistence. “I don’t want to make a big thing of it. It’s just a negotiating ploy to let Ferdinand save a bit of face when he finally acknowledges that I rule Bohemia and Moravia.”
Roth House, Prague
“He wants me to do what?” Judith Roth looked stunned, and Sarah tried not to smile. They were in the Roth’s huge salon. There were etchings on the walls and conversation nooks scattered around the walls.
“It wasn’t my idea.” Morris walked over to a down-time-made recliner. “On the other hand, their reasoning was fairly sound.”
“I don’t know anything about running a federal reserve.”
“You probably don’t want a federal reserve system.” Sarah looked around, trying to figure out where to sit. “We have a modified one in the USE, because we got it from the SoTF, which got it from the New U.S., which got it from the USA up-time. And the up-time Fed was a disorganized mess that was developed out of a compromise between a whole bunch of people with very strong opinions about monetary policy and not a lot of understanding of it. It’s a mare’s nest of conflicting regulations. You probably want something closer to a Bank of England system, with the government owning a lot of nonvoting interest in the bank. Interest that can’t be sold or borrowed against, but just pays dividends when the bank makes a profit.”
“So why aren’t you. .?” Mrs. Roth waved Sarah to a couch.
“I don’t live here, Mrs. Roth,” Sarah said. “I can help you set it up while I’m here, but not do it for you.”
“I don’t even know what we should call our money.”
“Dollars or thalers is probably simplest. I wouldn’t call them Albrechts or Wallensteins,” Sarah said, then she grinned. “You could go all science fictiony and call them credits.”
Judith shuddered. “Not the way the Catholic church feels about usury. I think just ‘Bohemian dollars’ will be best.”
“So how many dollars to a HRE thaler?” Sarah asked.
“Shouldn’t we just let it float?” Judith Roth asked.
“Yes, certainly. But a big part of your job will be to help set the value by controlling how many Bohem-” Sarah grinned. “-’boys’ are in circulation.”
Judith Roth wasn’t pleased to be appointed to head the Bohemian National Bank, but Bohemia did need money that people would have faith in.
As it turned out, Sarah had plenty of time to work with Judith Roth and Uriel Abrabanel on designing the structure of the new national bank of Bohemia. Enough time for King Albrecht von Wallenstein to yield his right to create money to the bank, in the interest of a stable and prosperous nation. She had the time, because it took a while for Karl to arrange the visit to his aunt in Cieszyn.
CHAPTER 8
September 1634
Prague
“Ferdinand II is dead,” King Albrecht said. “In this universe, at least, the fanatic didn’t manage to outlive me.” There was considerable satisfaction in his tone.
And, in spite of himself, Karl realized that it was more than a little justified. Wallenstein was opposed to the Edict of Restitution, and a large part of the motive for the revolution that he may or may not have planned would have been to repeal it. Five years ago, Karl would have agreed with Ferdinand II, but then the Ring of Fire happened and they had all been able to see how the world had unfolded in that other timeline. Now he found himself agreeing with Wallenstein.
“Will Ferdinand III try for the crown of the Holy Roman empire?” Karl asked.
“It doesn’t seem like it. He is styling himself ‘Emperor of Austria-Hungary.’ And he managed to do what I never could, and get his father to repeal the Edict of Restitution on his death bed. If Ferdinand II had done that two years ago, I would never have taken Bohemia,” King Albrecht said, sounding sincere. Then he added, “Well, assuming that he didn’t try to have me assassinated.”
Karl wasn’t sure he believed Albrecht von Wallenstein about that. The man was ambitious and ambition can always find an excuse. On the other hand, Karl wasn’t entirely sure that he didn’t believe it, either.
“Might there be peace between your realm and Ferdinand III’s?”
“I’m willing if he is,” King Albrecht said. “But I don’t think he is. He’s still making noises like I’m a traitor and he’s the king of Bohemia.”
“Might you come to some sort of accommodation?” Karl asked cautiously. “Might Bohemia rejoin the HRE?”
“No. Two assassination attempts in two universes are all they get. I’ll not bend a knee to the Habsburg family again.”
After that, the discussion turned to the rest of the news. A bit later, King Albrecht said, “You’re still going to have to publicly swear fealty to me in regard to all your family’s lands in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. But, in exchange, I am willing to endorse the railroad and even add a line to Cieszyn out of the crown purse. And I’ll support your LIC as well. There are several projects that Morris wants to do that can be done in cooperation between us.”
Karl nodded. He hadn’t been expecting any other result, after all.
* * *
“I’ll see you when you get back,” Sarah said. Her strawberry blond hair was in a bun and escaping the confines of her scrunchy. She had a charcoal smudge on her nose and was utterly focused on a book of ledgers that had been gathered from a market here in Prague. She looked adorable. Unfortunately, she had no attention at all to pay to Karl. She hadn’t even looked up.
Cieszyn
“Hello, Aunt Beth.” Karl looked around the palace hall. It had a more worn look than he remembered. Aunt Beth was maintaining her palace, but apparently not spending any more on it than absolutely necessary.
Elisabeth Lukretia von Teschen looked Karl up and down and he felt himself straightening under her gaze. “Good afternoon, Karl Eusebius! How was the trip from Prague?”
“Uneventful, always a blessing when it comes to travel. I have more letters from King Albrecht and Morris Roth. Also, Judith Roth is going to be the head of the National Bank of Bohemia.”
“Do you think I should print my own money? It would certainly solve my financial problems.”
“Please don’t, Aunt. You will be much better off getting improvement loans from the National Bank-or from me, for that matter. Through the Liechtenstein Improvement Corporation.”
So it went. They spent two days talking about what he had set up in Grantville and what King Albrecht had thought about it. About the Fortneys, who were at this very moment somewhere on the road to Vienna. About the Barbie Consortium and-very much in spite of himself-talking about Sarah Wendell, how smart she was, how beautiful, how clever and kind.
* * *
“So tell me about this Sarah of yours,” Aunt Beth said. “Are the Wendells of a noble house?”
“She’s not mine,” Karl said. “At least not yet. And the up-timers are different. If anything, my title probably hurts my suit.”