Catonium, Hamburg, Markttag 23. Sommerzeit
The Catonium is an interesting place. Sized like a 10-appartment building is contains a sauna with a spa, three bars, four hotel rooms and some of the biggest SM-Playrooms you might find anywhere. One of the rooms is more than 7 meters high and offer a wide gallery at half level.
On the floor a beautiful raven-haired beauty with slightly oriental features stood under a yoke, with her hands chained above her head and her feet secured to a bar on the floor. She was naked save for a pair of heels and her back showed the red marks of several whip strokes she had already received. A small crowd both clapped and counted each stroke she received of a suit-clad man behind her. Her face was nearly blank from emotion save for raw lust while every year of her birthday was marked on her back by the whip.
Three meters up and a few to the side the priest watched the proceedings with a stony face while his fingernails dug deeply into the wooden railing with suppressed wrath and frustration. These proceedings were an affront to the gods, a display of naked depravity and unbridled emotions. How could these Germans dare to do such things without the blessings of Slaanesh?
He had heard about it before but could not bring himself to believe it before. The Germans had a very relaxed stance about the way people satisfied their sexual urges and their churches on average did not try to curb this too much. They simply had no need to turn to his Lord just to receive gratification-they just did it and neither their gods nor neighbors would care too much. There would always be some who would seek more sensation, found fitting partners unavailable or had needs that would not fit this consensual theme. Unfortunately they were too few so these were obviously not the fertile fishing grounds he had imagined when he had first heard of swinger clubs, pornography and other recreational activities available in Germany.
Ok, one avenue that was closed, this drug thing definitively worth looking into. Germans had used drugs before that were no longer available and not too few of them were looking for substitutes. He would contact a couple of men that had been pointed out to him.
The fingernails that dug into his lower arm reminded him about his companion and his cover as a an Imperial trader who wanted to sample the famous fleshpots of Hamburg. While paid for the woman at his side was quite a looker and would be an acceptable partner in the supplication unto Slaanesh he had planned.
Close to Altdorf, Empire, Bezahltag 25. Sommerzeit
The target was more than a kilometer away, slightly more than man-sized and moving. Joakim Vos pulled the trigger on his rifle to the first detent, triggering the laser range finder. Keeping the target inside the crosshairs gave the computer the means to predict the necessary deflection. The scope´s picture and the new aimpoint were projected into the visor and Joakim`s thumb pushed another button. Now the movement of his thumb on a coolie hat controlled the movement of the actuators in his right arm, not the less accurate muscles there. Making the minute adjustments necessary he finally pulled the trigger. The rifle was extremely loud and the recoil would have broken several bones if not for the power armor. A 20 mm round was accelerated to more than 1000 meters per second, closed the distance in less than three seconds and the explosive charge utterly destroyed the target.
Seconds later the rifle was dismantled into two parts, attached to the back of his suit and he sped back in an run that resembled a moonwalk with long low jumps sped up considerably. Checking on the suits power levels the Landwehr soldier decided that stealth was not necessary and started the microturbine inside his new backpack. There was a whine from his back side and he knew that he would now have a small exhaust of hot air. At the same time his batteries were charged and the suit would provide even more power of it were asked. He arrived at the 1st Landwehr barracks 30 minutes later.
He was allowed to get rid of the armor and a shower before reporting to a couple of officers, enthusiastic human technici and a few dwarfs.
"The Mark 2 a suit is fine, I would have liked to have it in Skavenblight. The movement lag is reduced so it chafes less, the additional power is welcome and the new electronic systems fine. Just that "assistant" needs to add a few IQ-points before he becomes truly useful."
"We are happy that you like it. Unfortunately this one needs even more involvement with Master Tecnici than the previous version, but we can provide a small number for special purposes. The assistant will get better the longer you use it, it is supposed to learn."
"Thanks Fräulein Meikle, even if that learning assistant seems a bit creepy."
"So how about the rifle-did it work, do you think it is useful?"
"Herr Grimmnison, that rifle is insane. I do not think that firing it without power armor is safe at all, but it seemed very accurate and the terminal effects were impressive. Still, I have to ask myself what it is needed for, the 0.50" rifles we so far use were sufficient in most cases. I have to wonder if you wanted to build the most powerful rifle in the world in 20x138mm or you see a practical use."
"I am told that Oberst Wolf will brief you next week on that."
"I am not sure I am looking forward to that."
Airport Berlin-Schönefeld, Angertag 1. Vorgeheim
The ILA Berlin Air Show used to be called the International Air Show, but that name would not make much sense for the foreseeable future, or so everybody had thought. And yet the event that combined the functions of airshow and trade exhibition had more than a few notable contributors that were not German.
Nathan Alpers had managed to gain entrance both for him and Ermine on one of the days that were closed to the public, so there was a lot more space and more time to talk with the various booths. As many exhibitors were using the Rune of Flying the pilot had brought to attention he was treated as VIP by many companies. If he were really honest with himself he did not just like that for himself but was also happy with the effect on Ermine. Not that such was needed, but he still liked to shine from time to time.
They had already visited the DLR booth and Nathan had given an interview as one of Germany`s astronauts, not it was time to look at the smaller fry. And Grob was one company that held the pilot`s heart as it made the "Storch" that he liked to pilot so much.
Andre Hiebeler, the CEO, found a bit of time for the couple and showed them around. "I hope you find the time one of these days to fly our new beauties and give us your opinion Lieutenant. Have you seen them before?"
"No Herr Hiebeler, read a little about them but that was when the two were still in the planning stage."
"Then allow me to give you a quick rundown. This the Storch Plus. It uses the new 500-hp Diesel from Audi instead of the older 300-hp Centurion and adds 3 seats or more payload. It is also better able to handle the new combifloats that allow you to land on water or a runway and with the Rune it weights no more than the original Storch. This thing is what you need for serious bush flying.
This is the new Doppelstorch (Double Stork) – it has a new, enlarged fuselage and two 500 hp engines. It has similar characteristics than the old Ant-2 for payload and airstrip requirement but is much faster and more economical for fuel and maintenance.
This is just a mock-up yet, but we are pretty sure this will go through. There is a strong demand for a light attack plane that is cheaper to make and run than a helicopter or a Typhoon. It uses the same gas turbines than the "Tiger", each turbine works on a seperate prop on a coax shaft in the rear. We have the same two-person crew with the gunner in front. The canard layout was chosen for a low stall speed and better view. Basic armament would be a 27mm autocannon, and laser-guided weapons in addition to dumb bombs and missiles..."
The sales pitch went on for a while and when the glasses of Schaumwein (German version of Champagne) were emptied they could go to the next booth which was more colorful, less elaborate and offered a far smaller plane. It did look a bit like his old plane, but had a few wires for stability and was obviously made from wood.
"Yes, we are from the Nuln Aircraft Works. We have hired a few engineers and enthusiasts from Germany and this is our first prototype. The planes from Grob or EADS are marvels to behold-but cost a mighty fortune. We use time-tested materials-wood, fabric and steel pipe. The engine is customers choice, but we recommend a 70-hp diesel from Volkswagen. We still have to buy a lot of things from Germany-all the electrics, the shocks and other gear, but we are getting there. You can fly up to 4 people of they are not too heavy for the price of…"
Another booth was quite different from anything that had been seen in this place before.
"We are Hartmann&Rall, breeders of the finest Griffons. We already have gathered some interest from German buyers. You just missed the buyer from the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg..."
There were more booths, more bread rolls and EADS even treated them to a few bits of chocolate when they showed the pair their new "Sea Typhoon". Nathan got into a somewhat technical discussion with Jens Heim whom he had met on one of the first flights with the Rune-equipped fighter. They had just reached the point where the pilots discussed the reinforced center rack used for the armor-piercing bombs when a slightly bored Ermine indicated it was time.
The exhibition stopped for good when the real show of the day began. A parade of nearly 20 airships, led by Makaisson`s "Spirit of Grungni" and managing to add the "Enterprise" as well as the "Hugo Eckner" and most of the NZ-Zeppelins yet constructed. It was a sight none of the spectators would ever forget.
Lourdes, Earth, 1st June 2015
The procession of the blessed sacrament had been preceded by bearers carrying leafy branches, incense burners and other devotional items. The bishop had been sheltered by a baldachin carried by four people who sheltered him from the elements. The Blessed Sacrament had been followed by a group of priests who concelebrated the rite. Following these were several groups of pilgrims, each with a group banner
The procession had made its way across the Gave, alongside the ramps, and past the Crowned Statue, along the Esplanade to the Cross at the far end, and then around it, and down into the Underground Basilica where the participants had taken their seats and the pilgrims in wheelchairs were brought to the front.
Many of the pilgrims were elderly and frail, while many of the younger ones tended to those in need. The pilgrimage was in the honor of the Virgin Mary, who was said to have appeared to a peasant girl in 1858 several times. The waters of the grotto`s springs were said to have healing powers, and it were these powers that were sought by many of the faithful.
The reverence of Mary is a strong tradition in the Catholic Church anyway and these pilgrims were inclined to it to a much larger degree. The bishop who was holding the rite-all decades of the rosary-was especially happy not to preach in a half-empty church like he had to do until two years before. The pilgrims before him were a shining example of deep faith and he was so taken with the rite that he did spot the changed light right away. He was taken out of his reverie when more and more participants looked past him and murmur and shouts rose to a level where they could no longer be denied.
He turned in place and dropped to his knees without further conscious thought. Above the altar a translucent, glorious image of the Virgin Mary floated serenely, silently blessing the congregation.
Far to the back of the pilgrims the lights were partially blocked and casted deep shadows. Alan Crowlair thought this was a good thing as he had a hard time keeping a big shit-eating grin from his face.
Altdorf, Sigmarstag, 3. Vorgeheim
Henrik Gerber massaged some Diclofenac unguent into his lower right arm, where a tendon hurt quite miserably from the twin strains of pushing a mouse and participating in broadsword combat training.
The forced break took his memory back to a conversation he had in a room not far from here. Reiksmarshall Hellborg had been looking the part of a shaved Grizzly bear as ever while giving of favorite uncle vibes. Both had been in the Reiksmarshall`s office which combined a lot of heavy wooden furniture, an elaborate set of full plate, a magical sword and a pretty good Siemens computer.
"I hope you had a good holiday Lieutenant Colonel."
"It was quite ok, thanks."
"So, ready about to get back into the saddle, or better that comfy chair in Hammer?"
"Ah Sir, I am not so sure that…"
"Pssst-don`t you say it. Do not kill your career right away. Let me just guess-we could take your body out of Skavenblight, but your mind is still there from time to time?"
"Yes Sir, how do you know?"
"You know son, I may be old and frail these days, but I have fought a battle or two in my days. Not the kind of nightmare you have been in, but a couple of nasty scraps anyway. I am too stupid to have too many second thoughts about them, but I know more than a few good men who carried the scars in their mind, not the body. Most of our officers have the opportunity to go on half-pay and retreat to their estates for a couple of years or forever, but you have not, especially if the rumors about your wife are true? Are they?"
Henrik Gerber, who thought the Reiksmarshall was about as frail as a T-34 in prime condition but a little more dangerous, was taken aback and had to think about what to say besides the obvious.
"Uh, yes Sir. Will be six more months Sir."
"Good, good. But brings you to the spot where you have to provide for them too, so let us see what we can do with you. Let`s see-Major von Pfeilstadt seems to take care of "Hammer" to everybody`s satisfaction, but the job is yours if you want it.
Then we have the Tank platoon that you commanded-did a good job there, best I could imagine. But this is where the memories come in don`t they-no need to answer that one son.
And then we have this."
This turned out to be several extremely thick folders which had titles like "Neptun Werft, Rostok", "Blohm&Voss, Hamburg" or "FSG, Flensburg".
The front page of the first one read "Medium Escort Vessel, Empire"
"So, that would be the 3rd job offer I have son. The Emperor has decided in his wisdom that we need a modern navy to secure the seas. At present the most powerful vessels we have a couple of chartered freighters that happen to have a gun or two, and even those ships are Imperial only in name as all their officers are German.
We will be eternally thankful for Germany`s help, but we should be able to stand on our feet sooner or later. So the Emperor wants to fund a series of ships that are frugal enough that we can pay for them, simple enough to be easy to maintain and crew and powerful enough to be a threat to anything that is not German.
Seems like Karl-Franz trusts you son, so you get to make first choice.
And as pushing papers only is bad for your health you get the job as trainer for close-quarter combat back. I think this is the job you`ll prefer, won`t you?"
"Yes Sir."
So now he sat in the middle of a ton of paper and tried to make up if Vertical Triple Expansion machines were really needed or if Diesels were sturdy and cheap enough while massaging the worst strains out of his arm.
Pfullendorf, South Germany, Brunntag 4. Vorgeheim
Ulrich Stoiber walked through the small Helicopter Landing field that was at the perimeter of the Special Forces Training Center. It had been the home of the Special Operations Training Center with a lot of US use before the Weltensprung, now it had been taken over by the Bundeswehr entirely. The field held two Tigers and four of the latest Mil-24 variants, which was interesting normally the forces stationed here were more into lighter helis or NH-90`s so what were these doing here?
The meeting he and the Wolfpack had to attend was inside one of the hangars. He got his name and passport checked against a list and ushered inside the huge unadorned room. Several rows of chairs had been arranged in a semicircle before a lectern, and many of the seats had already been taken. Several helicopter crews were keeping to themselves, in the middle a small number of infantry looking types organized themselves, with one of them looking familiar and in the back a number of men and women wore very dissimilar clothes marking them as mages. One of them was slender, very red-haired and wore a mixture of clothes that combined rugged outdoor stuff with some very revealing parts. He recognized her immediately and by the look of things that was mutual.
Breaking off conversation with her peers she ambled over in a way that made several heads turn.
"Ulrich, how nice to meet you again. You look smashing-what did you do to your eyes?"
"Good morning Ulrika Magdova, I did not expect to meet you here I will admit."
"There was a call for mages who can hold their own when the red wine is served for real. Seems like I fit the bill, and my master sees it as an opportunity to grow."
"Grow into what if I may ask?"
"As a person, a mage and out of his hair. And what happened to you if I may ask-this becomes you, really."
"We went down into that hellhole they called Skavenblight. Ran into a spot of trouble, got some unexpected help, now we pay for that."
"Interesting coin you have to pay."
"I do not think we know how much of it yet Ulrika."
"Don`t you tell me…"
Both saw the need to get to their places in time, each to their little groups, each stood to attention when it was called for and each sat, watched and listened when Colonel Wolf took the stage.
The Colonel was still in his 30`s, of a wiry frame that spoke of a lot of training and many wrinkles that told of bearing great responsibility too long. The Colonel had been the CO of the Cave Raiders for quite a while, so everybody was interested how they would fit into the scheme of things.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to this meeting, it is high time somebody tells you what this is about. When Germany entered this world three years ago we were pretty sure that our armed forces would be the match of anything that could be thrown our way. We managed to win at Papenburg, Swinemünde, at Hag Graef and at the Quarry.
But the Shaman was the first to show us that here sometimes pure firepower is not enough, that it takes magic and very special beings besides brains, bullets and bravery. Then came the Battle for Middenheim, and while this was a great victory we had to learn that there were enemies that put such terror into men`s hearts that many could not fight and some turned to flee. Many of these foes would need the strongest of weapons to put down and they were not always available. We lost a lot of good people in that battle.
And then came Skavenblight which reinforced the lesson. There are things in this world that mere steel and explosives will not kill, there are foes so terrible that only the staunchest can fight them at all. We also found that some threats can come up so fast that we cannot take much time to get ready. When we took down the Horned Rat every minute we took to get ready was paid with blood, many of those who are here have been witness to that.
So we got the idea that we would assemble a unit of beings that have proven already that the can stand up to any terror. A group of beings that is used to wield magical weapons, that has magic users in their midst, that will receive the best training and weapons so they can fight the battles that others cannot.
We have assembled you here as we think you can be this group. We have the Wolfpack who will bring a heavy hammer if needed. We have the 1st Armored Infantry who have proven they can stand up to anything on two legs. We have a group of fine mages and the helicopters of Air Group 117. We can call the services any of our respective armed forces have, including heavy air transport. This is a volunteer-only group and the only thing I can promise you are more strenuous training, more time on standby and more fights.
Oberst Wolf had not anticipated any loud cheers of approval. Both he and the people on front of him were veterans, had seen death in the face and had come back. It had not been pretty at all, but necessary. All of them knew that and had a quiet pride in what they had done. Many of them were highly competitive and would relish the challenge as well as being part of the elite. Others wanted to protect those that could not do so themselves or had totally different motives. One of the latter group started a smile that revealed teeth-sharp, pointed teeth.
By the next morning everybody who had attended the meeting had signed on.
Antiguilla, at night, Königstag 8. Vorgeheim
Ivil Bloodcrest was about to slither backwards from his observation post to bury the last pig`s bladder he used to contain his urine and thought better of it. This would be done, one way or another, by tonight and whether somebody found where he had been hiding and observing tomorrow would make no difference.
He had been hiding inside a small copse of bushes high on the craggy side of a hill that overlooked the small settlement that the inhabitants called "Tortuga". It was busy as hell-he had seen lots of construction going on during the last four days he had kept his vigil. Some of the construction was easy to identify, barracks, warehouses and some workshops. Other were far harder to identify but not his worry. He had noted that the Auxilia no longer had slaves. There were enough humans about, but it had been easy to see these were day laborers, shopkeepers or providing other services. But there were no collars, no whips and no chains. He had heard rumors about that before but had discounted them. Indeed the Auxilia was taking on the German ways, not just in the ways they fought.
But even all of that was secondary, he had observed the going-ons in a house on the other side of the settlement, one of the bigger ones. Observed until he was reasonably sure of the habits of his target, knew the patrols of the guards and the ways of the dogs. Now that he had the info it was time to act before he got too weakened from dehydration and hunger. He had waited for nightfall before making the move.
The first part of the trip was easy-he simply had used an Auxilia uniform he had stolen yesterday from a place which seemed to offer wholesale laundry. The spotty lighting and simply striding down the alleys as with a purpose served to avoid any notice.
He had to turn around a block twice before nobody was in the street when he wedged himself between two buildings. Pushing his back against one and the legs against the other he was able to scale the walls in a couple of minutes. The roofs between him and his target were mostly flat with small walls around them and used for drying clothes and fish. Just tailor-made for his approach. He traversed the next three buildings without a sound at all. His mind was too concentrated on what he was doing but his body remembered the training in Khaines temple. They had been required to move through unknown rooms blindfolded and if they made any sound were punished by trainers who had elevated torture to an art form and considered it a supplication under their god.
Many believed otherwise, but Druchii assassins were not invisible nor did they use the arcane much as it tended to give them away to magic users. They were simply very very good.
He had waited for an endless 20 minutes before the patrols were at the farthest point, the static guard took a leak a cloud occluded the moon. He jumped the 4 meters and landed with all the noise of a tone dropped on soft ground. He remained frozen and barely breathed for a minute but no shouts and no sudden movements reacted to him.
Again he waited, again he watched and when the moment was right he dropped to the balcony below him. He used his dagger to part the airy net that was probably there to get a sea breeze in and the bugs out and moved into the room beyond. He waited till his eyes had accustomed themselves to the low light available before he started to move again. He found the bedroom easily enough and the snoring figures below the covers did not react at all when he went in.
He was still sitting in the chair opposed to the bed when the first rays of the sun went through the window and the human woke up. He did not even flinch when the man grabbed a pistol from a low table beside his bed with commendable speed and pointed it at him. He had calculated right, his relaxed pose, the smile he forced on his face and the finger he held in the universal "hush" gesture in front of his lips stayed the German`s hand.
The German made a "go there" gesture with his hand and the Bloodcrest moved along into the bigger room, with the human staying always a few meters from him. No fool that one, good.
Closing the door behind him the human finally addressed him in quiet urgency.
"Explain yourself, now"
"I am Ivil Bloodcrest, assassin. My fellow Druchii seek only my death because of my family, so I needed to leave. Khaine hates weakness General Böhler, and you surely are not weak."
"So you want to tell me you come into my rooms to seek work?"
"Yes General."
Nanjang, Cathay, Angertag 9. Vorgeheim
Li Hong Mei wore the red robe of an applicant, like the 799 other applicants around him. Besides the robe he had a tablet holding a brush, india ink, a small cup for water, a kettle of tea, a bowl of rice and a sheath of blank rice paper. Like the other he stood with bowed head while the revered scribe spoke from the podium. "You all have applied for entry in the hallowed ranks of the bureaucracy. All of you dream of becoming one of us, the ones who deign to order the chaos of daily life, who make this great empire possible by their hard work and who humbly accept the thanks of the populace. Alas, the demands of this calling are so high that we can only accept the best and brightest and so you are called to prove your abilities in the test that is before you. Any man who wants to take up the heavy mantle of governance must be wise in the ways of the ancestor`s wisdom and you will display your knowledge thereof during the next three go to you assigned sheds and wait until the flag is raised."
He worked very hard to keep any tremor from his face and hands. He had already flunked this exam twice and this was his very last chance. His family had invested heavily in him, hiring tutors, buying expensive books and allowing him the spare time to study so he could support them once he had won one of the fabled places in the bureaucracy. They accepted one in a hundred applicants but he was sure to receive one of the posts available.
He walked to the booth he had been assigned, no. 188, surely a sign that he was meant for high things. Kneeling on the mat inside a shed that was open just to the front and only high enough for him he placed his utensils on the tablet in front of him and mixed the ink to just the right amount. Now he could just wait for the flag raising and after an indeterminable amount of time a chime was struck and the flag unfurled.
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand" was written on the flag and every applicant was supposed to give his best treatise on this wisdom.
Groaning could be heard from many of the sheds, but not his. Besides his studies he worked as a teacher and he knew by heart what the ancients had meant by that. Putting the brush into the ink he started to write in the clearest calligraphy.
Mingol Zharr-Naggrund, same time
The stench was everywhere. No matter how well you closed the doors, have your technicians install filters, sprinkle perfume-whatever one did the stench was always there. It smelt of sulfur, of badly burned oil and too-well burned iron, of slaves sweat and of sacrifices ashes. It had been hell during her pregnancy and she had been so glad that she had not arrived in Zharr-Naggrund during the first months of it.
Now that her son was safe with his nanny she could do her best to ignore the spell and get on with her real job. And that one had, to put it mildly, changed quite a lot. She had managed to entice some of the brightest Germans that had gone to Naggaroth, brilliant engineers and chemists. What she should have lured besides these would have been some gifted administrators. Who, on the other hand might endanger her position, which was also not an option. Besides the fact that she had to learn her new job while doing it she had to convince some of her eggheads that she was to be taken seriously in administrative matters. She managed that by the skin of her teeth. While she could make anybody pay badly for disrespecting her she still had to produce results which was much harder to do.
So now she was sitting at the head of a massive table and watched her Germans sweat under her gaze when they reported their progress and vied for favor and resources.
"So Mathias one Eye, what do you have to report"
"My task here is easier and more difficult at the same time. The Dawi-Zharr have a penchant to accumulate all sorts of raw materials against future use, it seems to be a religious thing with them as well. I can use a lot of that which makes things easier-I have access to crude oil in sufficient quantities and I have found a source of vanadium. The latter is important to make nitric acid and better steel and we lacked it in Neustadt. On the other hand we had a lot more equipment brought with the Britta and currently I am mostly engaged making tools to make tools to make stuff.
I am sure we can provide Cordite in four months or so, yet I have to state again that wood is a real problem-there is a shortage compared what we are used to. In three months I should have the first refinery set up so we can offer diverse petroleum products to our sponsors. I have located a source of asbestos, this could be used for insulation and high-temp seals. Given that our hosts are already working with primitive steam engines this could improve their capabilities markedly.
I am working together with Udo on the steel thing-we have enough Chrome, Vanadium and Manganese to make really nice steels, but at the moment this is just in the lab. We have impressed the Dawi-Zharr with those samples and they seemed to be willing to finance something like a Siemens-Martin Furnace which is probably the best we can do at the moment.
Then I have to emphasize the greenhouse program again-we need to make sure that we get non-contaminated food or our stay will be a short one. The soil here is contaminated to no end with all sort of heavy metals and only Dawi or Greenskins can stand this for any length of time."
"Thanks you-I will push our hosts harder there. Udo-how far are you along then?"
"We have finished two assembly lines for glass pane production and can provide the necessary glass for the first ones in the next weeks. The girders are no problem, them I can order from a couple of forges around.
In other good news, we have finished the lathe with the parts I smuggled out of Neustadt and given it a test run. So far it looks good and if nothing bad happens we can make the parts for more lathes soon. This will give us a real start for other productions. I have talked to Astur-Hohep about the changes we need to make on the Mark 1a rifle and I am working on a prototype. I could talk them out of a higher caliber when Petra shot some Black Orcs with her rifle. We will also go for brass cartridges-it is better overall and brass could be easier to get than decent treated paper. I get the feeling that the Dawi-Zharr react badly to any sort of advice outside of engineering."
"We are in a different situation than in Neustadt Udo, we are fewer and our hosts have different ideas about our worth. We provide them with the toys they want, they give us what we want. I deal with them, understand?"
"Yes Mistress."
"Very well then. How about that railroad project?"
"That will take much longer Mistress?"
"Why, they already have some steam engines."
"Yes, Mistress. But they did not even manage to agree to one rail gauge and the engines are really inefficient. We need better steel, a real forge,…
It was much later that Jasla finished dictating her notes to Petra to write down and clear up. She checked with the nanny about Mordred. She had liked the book that she had received from the strange German that sometimes visited. Ottokar Proktor had been right, she liked the book, even probably for different reasons and different parts then the Germans.
In the end she had been impressed enough to use the book as an inspiration to her child`s name. Sitting beside the crib that held the peacefully sleeping boy she thought it was time for another session-it was time to prepare her son for what lay ahead. Singing with a voice that seemed to come from a different throat that should not belong to either Druchii or Human she started the lullaby that had accompanied his sleep since he was born. Funny, the Germans were not know for magic, but this surely was more than mundane, even when it was from them.
Hush, child, the darkness will rise from the deep,
And carry you down into sleep
Child, the darkness will rise from the deep,
And carry you down into sleep.
Guileless son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief
And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath.
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me.
Guileless son, your spirit will hate her
The flower who married my brother, the traitor
And you will expose his puppeteer behavior
For you are the proof of how he betrayed her loyalty.
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me. Hush, child, the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Child, the darkness will rise from the deep,
And carry you down into sleep.
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me.
Guileless son, each day you grow older
Each moment I'm watching my vengeance unfold
The child of my body, the flesh of my soul
Will die in returning the birthright he stole.
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me.
Hush, child, the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Child, the darkness will rise from the deep,
And carry you down into sleep.
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty
Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me.
