“Mad Max of Bavaria is most unreasonable about most things these days,” Judy said. The duke of Bavaria had bought the patent for crucible steel before his first wife died and he went totally off his rocker. They were even using it in Bavaria at the moment, though his lawyers were suing anyone in Austria-Hungary who tried to use it. And having sold him the patent, the government of Austria-Hungary was stuck with it unless they wanted to give the money back. . and they didn’t have the money.
The rest of the day was spent talking with Baron Hass about how his facilities, half-finished as they were, might be integrated with beehive kilns that could be adapted from other uses or built much more cheaply and quickly to produce concrete in a reasonable time.
Race Track City
Herr Buschen counted out four reichsthaler notes, then a Barbie preferred, then another reichsthaler, nodded sharply to confirm that the payment was right. “Good day, Herr Krause. The same again next week?”
Herr Krause shook his head. “I need more linen next week. Bring more linen.”
“How much more?”
“Half again as much,” Herr Krause said.
“I think I can do that,” Herr Buschen said. Then he stuck out his hand and the deal was done.
Neither one of them paid much attention to the fact that part of the payment was in Barbie preferred rather than the silver-backed reichsthaler. It was all money. When the girls had started trading stock, they had set the stock values to match the local currency, reichsthaler, not American dollars. The price was set at Race Track City. The shops that the SFIC owned a piece of took it at face value. The shops in Race Track City that they didn’t own-any of those shops set up on the part of Race Track City kept by the emperor-were right next door often as not to the SFIC shops, and it really wasn’t any trouble at all to take their BarbieCo stock next door and trade it for reichsthaler. Not that they bothered, unless someone insisted. They just kept it in their cash boxes and used it for change or to buy their next batch of supplies.
* * *
Father Lamormaini bought the small casein crucifix. It was a beautiful piece, painted and detailed, only about three inches tall and quite inexpensive. He bargained a little, but not much. The thing was quite lovely for the price and he had a half reichsthaler note. He offered it to the shopkeeper. The woman took it and placed it on the counter while she opened her cash box and counted out his change. There was quite a lot of it. The standard bills were printed in yellow and black, the royal colors. But here were other bills. Pink bills and purple bills, green and blue bills. “What are those?”
“Oh, those are BarbieCo preferred. They are as good as reichsthaler.” In a half whisper, she added, “Better really. They pay interest every year.”
“I will not take those,” Lamormaini hissed. The words came out without any conscious control, and that wasn’t something that normally happened to him. He had been working in the halls of power for most of his life and had not survived there by letting his tongue run wild.
The shop woman looked up at his tone, then quickly said, “That’s fine, Father. I’ll make sure that your change is all in reich money.”
Father Lamormaini now realized that the mark of the beast had invaded Austria-Hungary in the form of this BarbieCo stock money. The poison of the Ring of Fire that made peasants think they were the same as kings-the same poison that made Lucifer think himself the same as God. The corruption had arrived. The mark of the beast was upon them, and it was more subtle and more deadly than he had ever imagined. Pride, vanity, the arrogance of infinite wealth. . made from nothing. Sarah Wendell, whatever Gundaker said, was Satan’s handmaiden.
CHAPTER 29
September 1635
Sanderlin House, Race Track City
“Would you like to go on a picnic?” Jack Pfeifer asked Trudi von Bachmerin. They had met several times since the Barbies had arrived, and it was clear that she was high in their confidence. Honestly, Jack was a little nervous about asking her out, but since the family’s fortunes had increased, his mother was making matrimonial noises. And Trudi was someone he could talk to. Besides, she was very pretty.
Trudi looked over at him, eyes wide, and Jack wondered what she would say. Then her eyes narrowed, and then she smiled. “That’s a lovely idea. I’ll get the girls and we can do it Saturday afternoon.”
Jack wasn’t sure whether to be thrilled or disappointed. He had three days to work it out.
Fortney House, Race Track City
“We have to invite Amadeus,” Hayley said, as soon as the notion of a picnic was brought up.
Judy hid a grin. She approved of Amadeus for Hayley. He seemed like a nice guy.
With a smirk and a sidelong look at Susan, Millicent said, “Well, in that case, we’d better make sure the food is kosher, because we’ll be inviting Moses Abrabanel.”
“Why?” Susan asked.
“If you don’t, I will,” Millicent said.
Susan blushed, then said, “I’ll ask him, you little. .” Susan apparently found the right insult hard to find.
Good job, Millie, thought Judy.
“If I don’t get Moses, who do I get?” Millicent pouted. “Hayley, have Mozart bring some of his friends.”
“He’s not Mozart,” Hayley said. “I don’t think he even plays an instrument.”
“And somebody ought to invite that cute Dr. Faust,” Judy said.
“Yes,” Millicent chimed in. “He’s kind of cute.”
“What’s with you, Millie?” asked Vicky. “Did you finally reach puberty?”
Millicent stuck out her tongue, but didn’t say anything. They were all a little careful of romantic discussions around Vicky. Bill Magen’s death was only a few months ago.
“That’s not enough men,” Judy added. “We have Amadeus for Hayley, and Dr. Faust for Millie. Jack for Trudi, since he started all this. Moses-”
“I don’t know about that. I may want Amadeus instead,” Trudi said.
“You keep your paws off Amadeus,” Hayley said.
“In that case, you need to invite a couple of spares. Moses for Susan, but what about Gabrielle, Vicky, and Judy? Oh, I know. Have Amadeus invite Bishop Leo. You saw the way he looked at Judy at the plane and again at the party. I don’t think he’s that committed to the church.”
“I can find my own fellows, thanks,” Judy said.
“And I’m not interested. So you only need six,” said Vicky.
“I’m not sure I’m interested either,” Gabrielle said. “I grant that the rubbers that are available now will probably work well enough, but I have school and I don’t need the distraction.”
“I didn’t mean you should wrestle them to the ground and have your way with them,” Millicent said. “Just that it’s better to have enough guys around to match the number of girls. It makes the seating arrangements easier, if nothing else.”
“Right. So we need three more guys?” Judy asked. “Hayley, have Amadeus round up some extras. Not Leo Habsburg. He’s probably too busy anyway. Make it four more guys. Let’s invite Carla Barclay too.”
“What about Suzi?” asked Millicent.
“No, she’s involved with Neil O’Conner, and I don’t want to invite him,” Judy said. “He’s a jerk.”
Fortney House, Race Track City
“So I need you to round up some of your friends,” Hayley finished her explanation.
“Moses Abrabanel?” Amadeus said, almost scandalized.
“What’s wrong with him?” Hayley asked, sounding like Amadeus had better be careful what he said. “Is it because he’s Jewish?”
Honestly, it was at least a little because Moses was Jewish. But Amadeus was a fairly socially adept young man, so he didn’t say that. Instead he said, “He’s almost thirty!”