Gundaker ate in silence.
Liechtenstein Tower, Vienna
“What have you got?” the guard asked the carter.
The carter pulled out the paper work. “Barrels to go in the cellar.”
The guard took the paperwork and read it over. Everything was in order. It was to go in room B-27, one of the mid-size basement rooms. A load of apples.
They used a powered winch to lift the barrels off the wagon and lower them to a pallet on a trolley. That, in turn, was used to shift them to the room where, pallet and all, they were left in the corner. Then another pallet, and another after that, till B-27 was loaded with barrels.
Debrecen House, Vienna
“What have you found out?” Marton von Debrecen asked Jack Pfeifer.
“Nothing of use. We managed to tag one more of Farkus’ men and we’re now convinced that there was a priest involved.”
“Oh, come now. If there is evil done in Vienna, there’s a priest involved.”
“I know. That’s why I said nothing of use. We know that there was a plan to kill the girls, and we know that it was called off, but we don’t know if the plotters gave it up as a bad job or switched to a new plan.”
“Is there any reason to believe that they went to another plan?” asked Amadeus.
CHAPTER 36
December 1635
Roth Jewel Emporium, Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia
The clerk took one look at Beth and sent for his boss, and, ultimately, for Morris Roth himself. For almost half an hour, the duchess of Cieszyn was fed wine and sweet chocolate, while she got to look at hundreds of jeweled rings, necklaces, bracelets, chokers, tiaras, and the like. It was enough to bring great covetousness to a girl’s soul. Not, however, enough to even consider any sort of rapprochement with Gundaker von Liechtenstein.
Finally, Morris arrived. “What brings you to our little shop, Your Grace?”
“I’ve been asked a favor by Empress Mariana and several other ladies of the Austro-Hungarian court, as well as the new imperial princesses, the Barbies. .?”
“I know them all well, except for Trudi,” Morris said. “And I imagine that she’s much like the rest. And what is this mission?”
“Apparently there is an up-time custom called a bridal shower. And, in this case, they have decided to do a jewelry and clothing shower. Lingerie?”
“It means undergarments, specifically for women, and implies attractive and perhaps a bit naughty,” Morris explained without even a hint of a blush.
Beth didn’t blush either. Instead, she opened her case and brought out several documents with seals from the Emperor of Austria-Hungary and Abraham Abrabanel. The documents, each with a price limit listed, empowered her to buy jewelry to give to Sarah Wendell, and smaller gifts to be exchanged among the ladies attending the party. All together, the letters of credit came to just over two million dollars.
Morris Roth looked them over and smiled. “I suspect that we’re going to have quite a good day today, Your Grace. Fun for you, and quite profitable for my little shop.”
Morris was completely correct. Beth had a blast. Morris even found several young women who had similar shapes and the coloring of the Barbies and the royal ladies. There were other shops in Prague, some in the Jewish quarter and some elsewhere, and runners went and found lingerie and other small items. Still, Morris’ shop got most of the two plus million dollars.
At the end of the day, a thoroughly sated and satisfied Beth ordered that all of the purchases be shipped to the Hofburg in Vienna.
And Morris ordered a company of guards to escort it.
Private Sitting Room, Palace of the King in the Low Countries in Brussels
“We’re going.” Maria Anna’s voice was not loud, but it was very firm.
Fernando, King in the Low Countries, felt a smile twitch his lips. His submissive “Yes, dear” earned him a sharp look from his wife, but the truth was his financial advisers, including William of Orange, wanted him to find out how stable Austro-Hungarian money was going to be and the wedding was an excellent opportunity to judge the situation for himself.
“Why are you so willing?”
He explained, then added, “Besides, it will give us both a chance to talk to your brother and my sister. And since relations with my brother in Spain seem to be. . less than cordial. . having good relations with your family are especially important.”
Maria Anna nodded, nibbling a fingernail. She was an astute judge of the politics of Europe and the Hapsburg family that ruled most of if. “Yes, I see. Do you think that your sister might be able to help with your brother?”
“I don’t know. With Olivares whispering in his ear, and now Borja. But anything we can do to forestall open war with Spain is worth a try.”
Grantville Airport, State of Thuringia-Franconia
“Yep, Clive, it’s official. A Jupiter will be arriving on January eleventh for refueling. It’s to be considered a diplomatic flight.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Nothing much, in this case. Just that everyone on it is going to have diplomatic immunity, so we don’t get to search the plane looking for contraband.”
“Pete, have we ever searched a plane looking for contraband?”
“Not that I recall, Clive. Not that I recall.”
Wendell Suite, Higgins Hotel, Grantville
“We have a ride,” Fletcher said, holding up the telegram. “King Fernando and Queen Maria Anna are picking us up on the way to the wedding.”
“How crowded is it going to be? The Monster is pushing it to hold fourteen.”
“It doesn’t say, hon. But probably pretty crowded. There are going to Fernando and Maria Anna, probably Dona Mencia, and at least one of Fernando’s retainers. I doubt that William of Orange will be coming. He’ll probably be holding down the store in the Netherlands. But there is a fair chance that they are going to bring at least a couple of their advisers-financial, political, something. And probably gifts. So pack light.”
“What about my gifts?”
“I think both our budget and our weight allowance are going to limit us in that regard. I’ll bring the digital and take wedding pictures, but that’s probably going to be all we can manage.”
Fortney House, Race Track City
“Say, Karl, if we got a couple of fast horses do you think we can make a run for it?” Sarah Wendell asked, only half-joking. “I knew this was going to be a circus. I even realized there would be royalty in attendance. But now it’s looking like an international peace conference, as well.”
“What?” Karl’s show of surprise didn’t impress Sarah at all. “Has Ferdinand invited Murad the Mad to our wedding? It will be all right, as long as we don’t have Philip and Fernando seated next to each other.”
“Okay. From now on, no one gets to complain to me about their in-laws. Ever!”
“They aren’t actually Karl’s relatives,” Gayleen Sanderlin said, laughing. “Just friends of the family and what. . business connections? You should meet my mother in-law.”
Sarah gave her a look, then looked over at Ron, who was looking a bit shame-faced. “Okay, you have a point. But how many heads of state attended your wedding?”
“Just one.” Gayleen sniffed haughtily. “Mike Stearns was there, and he was Chairman of the Emergency Committee at the time.”