As he swung down from the roof peak to the window of Jorg's room, all the political ideas were brought crashing back by a comment by one of the departing committee members and Jorg's answer. The member asked, "But do we have right to change the government? Not can we? We know we have the power, but do we have the right?"
Jorg's answer was straight and to the point. "Heinrich, we are agreed that government is instituted for the common benefit and security of the people. If the acts of the government are contrary to that purpose, the people have the right to reform, alter or abolish it. So, yes, I think we have the right."
Heinrich seemed satisfied as he left, but Martin's head was suddenly full of all the political arguments he had overheard in the past weeks. All the ideas from the books and pamphlets were there and Martin decided they were worth working for. But were they worth fighting for? He knew it would come to fighting, the news from other parts of Germany were full of the events of Operation Krystallnacht. No, the so-called leaders of society wouldn't give up their privileges without a fight.
Jorg turned toward him and asked, "Martin, ready for dinner?"
Martin was more than ready, but this was more important. "Jorg, what does it take to join the Committee of Correspondence? Not just follow you around as a hanger-on, but to be a real member? I think I want to join."
Jorg smiled an odd smile and stated, "Nothing and everything. No amount of money can buy your way into our trust and fellowship, but you will give everything to our cause if you become a member. Some Americans in a future that never will be said it best. Our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. You know we can still lose and if we do we will be hunted down like all people in a city hunt rats. Think hard, Martin, before you ask to join."
"But . . ."
"Plus, you are younger than most of our members like for a recruit. So, no, I will not suggest you as a full member."
Martin was not too disappointed; he had never expected to be accepted as a full member. But there had to be a way. He spoke formally. "Herr Hennel, I wish to apply for the position as your apprentice. I have been your shadow for the past month and I am ready for more duties."
****
Credit Where It's Due
October 1633
"Marie is a member of the radio guild!" Johan Kreger said with surprising heat. Well, shocking heat really, at least to Marie. The fact that he had said it at all left her a bit stunned. They were in a village to install a new radio with a selenium photo-resistor amplifier and a speaker. As had happened a few times before, the village council wanted her to stay right here till it was demonstrated that all the bells and whistles worked. This was the first time Johan had come with her rather than one of her parents or Peter Kreger.
"It's all right. I don't mind staying the night," she said, trying to smooth things over. The whole situation with her old archenemy Johan had gotten really confusing. He had started being nice to her and she hadn't a clue how to deal with it. Having him stick up for her and brag about her skill was freaking her out.
Herr Schmidt grunted acknowledgment then looked at Johan. "And how am I supposed to know that?"
"Ah . . ."
"It's good of you to stand up for your friend, son. But the last guy we had through here selling us up-timer products almost killed Gretchen Kauffman with whatever was in those little blue pills. He said he was an accredited supplier and a personal friend of Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz. We found out later that the one time he had been to the Ring of Fire, he had been arrested for trying to pass bad money. They took his picture and everything. Which is how we found out about it. He's wanted for aggravated fraud this time. That's what they call it when the fraud endangers someone's life.
"So, now we check. Got a free box of the little blue pills, the real ones, when Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz found out about it."
Johan didn't much like it, but they spent the night. And the radio, as they almost always did, worked like a charm.
****
"You're serious?" Peter Kreger looked at Greta Schultz doubtfully. "What good would that do?"
"If we use the freezer to store fresh peas, then we can take them to market in the middle of winter and get a better price," Greta pointed out. "It's what the up-timers did. Grew in-demand crops, stored them, then sold them at a higher price once they were out of season. And you know that fresh peas taste better than dried."
"And have more vitamins," Eva Katharina pointed out. "The nutrition program is always talking about vitamins. And using less salt. And using less fat, for that matter. Not that anyone here gets that much fat. But we could also make butter and save it for winter, too. There are all sorts of fresh foods that we could freeze, if we have enough space. It would bring a higher price come about, oh, January."
"So you want the village to buy one of these refrigeration units and build a place to put it. That's a considerable investment." Peter didn't have all that much choice. All the women of the village were dead set on the freezer. Of course, it didn't just mean the refrigeration unit. They had to buy a generator to power it. They needed a Fresno scraper to dig out the space for the freezing unit to cool. And concrete to line it. And . . . well, the list got pretty long. It added up to quite a sum, but the village was flush from the sale of wheat that year. It was the first time in a long time that the village had been that cash rich. Peter would admit later that it had gone to his head as much as anybody else. He'd even bought his son Johan a camera, in spite of the fact that Johan couldn't develop the pictures himself.
All in all, the six months delay before they would receive the freezer unit was a good thing. It gave them time to prepare for it.
Early Spring, 1635
"Oh, stand still, Joseph. You're going to tear my tape measure!" Greta really couldn't help snapping. She'd been trying to measure the child for half an hour and it wasn't like she didn't already have plenty to do.
Eight-year-old Joseph tried not to wiggle. He didn't succeed particularly well, but Greta could tell he was trying. Mostly trying her patience, but that was the nature of boys, after all.
"Thirty-five inches, Marie. From his heel to his shoulder."
"Yes, Mama." Marie looked at the sizing chart in the 1635 Burke Wish Book. "He's a size eight, then."
"And we'll order a size nine, then," Greta said. "Maybe even a size ten. Because every time I turn around, this child is wearing rags. Rags that are too short. They claim that those Torberts will last and last. They'd better."
"Can I go now?"
"Try to stay out of the mud," Greta said. "Not that you can, not at this time of year." She folded the tape measure, then stepped to the table. "I hope I get a chance to look at that catalog, Marie. It seems like every extra cent we have left from harvest is going to clothe Joseph and your father this year. But there are some things I want, too. Like a cloth tape measure."
"I've got a bit saved," Marie admitted. Most of Marie's earnings from building crystal sets was supposed to go into her dowry fund. It didn't always get to the dowry fund, though. Not that she was in any hurry to marry or had anyone she was interested in marrying. Well, there was Johan Kreger . . . but, well, he was Johan. She'd known him all her life.
A year and a half since that first trip with Johan to a village and Marie still wasn't sure how to deal with him. She had grown quite fond of him, but she still didn't have a dowry of any size and it was looking like she was going to have to sell her business to save Papa's half-farm.
The village had bought a lot of stuff from Grantville and Magdeburg in the last two years. A generator system that was her charge was one of the first purchases. It was 3,500 watts which ran the freezer in the summer, electric lights for the village and, of course, the radios. They used the lights sparingly; they were expensive and didn't last that long. It also ran the water pump and a router and other tools in Johan's wood shop. Johan was making the cases for her radios now.