by Eric Flint
Gayle Mason turned toward John Grover. "Who would have believed it the day I went in to talk to Coleman Walker? What was it? Less than a year and a half ago. Not quite a month after the Ring of Fire happened."
Gayle laughed. "And Coleman named it Voice of America, even though he didn't want to fund it at first. Come on in and have a cup of something hot."
What had been-until recently-a little three bedroom, two bath, with a combination living-dining room and a galley style kitchen home, was now the headquarters of the most state of the art electronics corporation on the planet.
"It's all so scary, John," Gayle said, allowing her self to show her uncertainties. "All I ever wanted was to fiddle with my ham rig and do my electrical thing in the mines until my pension vested. Maybe someday, find a guy who isn't afraid of letting me be who I am."
She pulled her feet up under her and wrapped her arms around her midriff. "Now, we've signed the papers to make me Chairperson of General Electronics, Incorporated. I just signed a deal with the government for unlimited funding and who knows how many guaranteed profit contracts for redeveloping an entire electronics industry, and Mike wants me to take personal charge of equipping an entire army and navy with communications gear as soon as I can finish turning everything over to you, Mr. Chief Executive Officer and Station Manager."
She allowed her shoulders to slump and frowned, "It's just too much."
John Grover smiled and wondered again at the way some strong women often seemed to want to hug their daddies for comfort when things were going good. "Yeah. It is more than a bit overwhelming, isn't it?
"I know exactly how you feel. When they made me vice president of the construction company back up-time in Fairmont, I remember thinking, 'Wow, and me a high school drop out.'
"But you've made some really good decisions so far and we are so far ahead of where we have any right to be simply because of you. So take your time, get used to it, and then forget about all the titles. It's just you and me and Deanna Dee, just like always."
Smiling, Gayle allowed herself to come back to the present. "So how long do you think it'll take to get the tube research project going?"
"Well, when the new building is finished, we can finally move our jewelers and glassblowers into the same facility. We should be able to start training new supporting staff by the first of the year. It's going to be an example of having to build the tools to build the tools to build the tools. The rest of it…" John reached over to the desk and picked up a pile of freshly signed government contracts and read a few bits from them. "The first thing we've go to do is build radio receivers to go along with all those crystal set instruction flyers you've been spreading around. That's the only way our new neighbors can start getting the hang of seventeenth-century radio! For sure we won't die of boredom!
***
It was a warm late September morning as the Council of Elders of the Grantville Pentecostal Church gathered together at the spot on the banks of the new Ring-of-Fire-created lake where they had become accustomed to performing their baptisms. Brother Chalker's message had been somewhat nebulous as to what the event was that they were meeting about.
Pete Enriquez, as chair of the council, arrived first and set up the chairs. Elder and choir director Jennifer Copenhaver and her husband Roy brought drinks and some fresh homemade cookies, and Elder Paul Nemeth and Ingrid arrived in their newly-converted natural-gas-powered company pickup truck just on time. Ingrid had driven and had to help her husband out.
"We passed Brothers Chalker and Fischer along the way." Paul smiled faintly as he added, "Esau was a bit ornery this morning and fought taking the bit, so they're running a little late."
Chalker had named his lead two horses Esau and Jacob, the first twins mentioned in the Bible. The horses weren't technically twins, but they were a matched set, so Chalker found that appropriate.
"How are you feeling, Paul?" Jennifer inquired.
"Blessed, Sister Jennifer, blessed." Paul sat down as Ingrid continued to fuss over him and gather his blanket over his bony shoulders. "We may not have chemotherapy in this world, but we do have great opium to kill the pain."
A few minutes later Chalker and Fischer pulled up. After Chalker tied his harness to the wagon's brake handle, Fischer and he climbed down and took their places in the circle. "Sisters, Brothers, something wonderful has happened!" Chalker beamed as he announced the news. "Brother Fischer has been given the gifts of God!"
Chalker paused, trying to catch his breath. He then asked Pete to briefly explain the miracle that Fischer had performed.
When Pete finished, the Elders broke into applause and praised God for the gifts given Fischer.
"If he's succeeded in bringing Slater Dobbs back into the way, it truly must have been a miracle," Jennifer commented with a smile.
"It turns out that, like Saul on the road to Damascus, Brother Fischer here has been under the shelter of the Holy Ghost since long before arriving in Grantville," Chalker continued. "He had been blinded to the signs he has been given. When I realized that the protection that had been given Brother Fischer was from the Spirit, he was finally able to open his eyes."
"Hallelujah to that!" Pete Enriquez blurted out. "Fischer, I've gotten to know you so well. I knew that the Holy Spirit was in you. I'm so glad you've finally embraced it."
Ingrid and Paul Nemeth nodded. Paul coughed, then contributed, "I agree. I feel like I need to tell you all about something.
"When I went to the doctor's office for the checkup that found this cancer, it wasn't just my coughing that made me go." Paul paused before continuing. He described to the others in great detail the vision that he had received.
"I now think that the flames behind Brother Fischer was the Holy Spirit that's evidently been protecting him. I feel the dream was trying to show me that he is destined to become a powerful force in the future of our church."
The others were surprised by Paul's revelation at this point. Jennifer took hold of the hands of Brother Fischer to her left and Ingrid to her right and the rest joined in to form a prayer circle.
After much prayer, Chalker took hold of his cane and stood, "Seeing you all in agreement, I'd like to make a motion that Brother Fischer be confirmed as a full-fledged minister of the Pentecostal Church. Further that we give him the Call to serve as our Chief Minister of Down-timer Outreach, a role that he's been performing so well already. Do I hear a second?"
Almost simultaneously, all three Elders called out, "Second!"
"In that case, I guess we don't need a voice vote. Brother Fischer, would you please join me." Chalker smiled. He then turned to Fischer and leaned on his cane to lower himself to his knees. There was a catch in his voice as he began the ceremony.
Fischer's eyes swelled up with tears as he knelt down next to Chalker. He folded his hands together and bowed his head over them in prayer, waiting for Chalker's next words.
The old man placed his hands on Fischer's head. Now the three Elders came over and laid their hands onto Fischer's shoulders as well.
"Dieter Fischer, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in the presence of this Council of Elders of the Pentecostal Church of Grantville, I do hereby confirm and ordain you as a full-fledged minister of the Pentecostal Church, entitled to all the privileges and responsibilities of our Faith."
A breeze rustled the surrounding trees and a cloud of golden sycamore leaves in their full fall glory swirled through the air around the little gathering. Even the glassy, smooth-cut wall of the Ring of Fire seemed to shimmer.
With this blessing of the Holy Spirit coming from the mouth of their new minister and sensing the presence of something greater than themselves, Roy and Ingrid joined the circle around the two ministers as the Elders began to hum "Rock of Ages." The three Elders transferred one hand from Fischer to their respective spouses who were now part of the circle.
Tears streamed down the old preacher's face as his voice rose with all the power still available to him.
"Furthermore, by the power granted me by these Elders, I hereby name you Minister of Down-timer Outreach. May God grant you vision so that the souls that you shall save will outnumber all the stars in the sky. Welcome, Reverend Fischer, to your Call!"
After several emotion-packed minutes of each member calling out individual prayers of thanks for the new preacher, Chalker continued, "In the Book of Acts, after the first Pentecostal baptism was finished, there were God-fearing Jews from all over staying around the place the apostles gathered. When they heard the commotion, they gathered around the apostles and some of them made fun of them and said, 'These men are full of new wine!'"
Chalker grinned and started to laugh, "See, because the apostles were so filled with joy, others thought they were drunk! Today, my friends, we are drunk with the blessings of the Spirit!"
Jennifer Copenhaver broke out in uncontrollable laughter, followed by the rest, including Fischer. Pete called out, "We are born twice!" To which the rest responded through their laughter, "To die once!"
Openly weeping tears of joy, they hugged each other in the realization that the gift of tongues had finally marked this ordination of the first new Pentecostal minister in this new world.
October 1632, Grantville, New United States, Confederated Principalities of Europe
"But, no one has ever found a technical reason why we can't be on the air longer hours than we are. I asked them to research it at the national library or the state library or whatever they're calling it today." Marc Kronzburg, advertising sales manager of the Voice of America, didn't like leaving any spare money in the pockets of potential advertisers, and this had become his pet peeve.
Deanna Demetria Matowski, known to her friends as Deanna Dee, interrupted. "Marc, they can't find any proof that running the transmitter six hours in the morning and another six in the afternoon with a low current in between isn't extending them either. Until we get proof that we're not harming the tubes or we get some breakthroughs on the vacuum research, we're not going to deviate one bit from Gayle's instructions."
Now it was Marc's turn to pout. "Yes, yes, I know. It's Gayle's station, they're Gayle's tubes and she drove all over West Virginia. .."
John Grover interjected with a smile, "… and Maryland and Pennsylvania!"
"And Pennsylvania and Maryland to get them, I know, I know." Marc continued the argument, which he had made dozens of times since coming onboard as the General Sales Manager for VOA. "But at least give me longer hours for the Christmas shopping season. This up-timer custom of yours is rapidly catching on with all the newly prosperous down-timers in the country.
"On top of that, I've got all these newspapers to compete with now, along with the ads the cable TV station has started selling. It's not like it was a year ago when we could get whatever price we asked for ad time. And the new government isn't going to fully fund all of our research projects forever. We've got to start bringing in more advertising revenue."
John leaned back in his chair and cupped the back of his head with both hands as he studied the ceiling momentarily. "Jennifer, do you think that extending the broadcast day from one hour after dawn to let's say, ten o'clock and then starting back up at four in the afternoon would have any noticeable effects on the tubes?"
Marc held his breath. He couldn't believe that he'd finally found an argument that got John thinking about more time to sell advertising in.
"Well, no, I guess not, John," Jennifer Hanson, the acting station engineer replied.
"Now that Gayle is going to be off to Paris and London if this embassy that Mike Stearns is planning comes off, we really aren't going to be able to get to her with every little question the way we have so far. We're going to have to depend on ourselves." John continued, "She's never really said we have to limit it to six hours a day-just to make sure we broadcast during the critical period so that the sky wave has the maximum chance to bounce our signal as far as possible."
Taking another moment for thought, he added, "It looks like the Great Stone Radio Tower should be finished by the end of the month at the latest. That should also extend our range by about fifty percent."
He rocked slowly back and forth while he continued to study the ceiling. "Okay, here's the deal. Starting Monday, we're going to go full power till ten every morning and start back up at four every afternoon through Christmas. We'll revisit the issue between Christmas and New Years Eve. However, if one tube burns out during that time, we're cutting back immediately. Understand me, Marc?"
Marc nodded in agreement, all the time thinking of whom he should call on first to offer the new time slots.
"That will mean a five hour morning shift for Franz in the Morning ," Deanna Dee piped in. As Program Director, she would have to fill the added hours with new programming somehow. "Janet Rogers should be able to get her news reporters to take on some of the added hours on the weekends. I can fill in the extra afternoon hours, no sweat, but I'd still like to come up with some more programming ideas. Robin of the Committees of Correspondence has all they can handle with their twenty minutes on Sunday night."
"That's a shame," Marc added regretfully. "I could sell that kind of programming every night of the week. What we need is more German language programs. That's where the money is."
"Oh no!" Marc jumped to his feet and started running for the door. "I've got to notify the printer to change the hours on the flyers he's printing for us today! Maybe I should double the order."
***
The steady snowfall and whipping winds, early for the season, kept most of the funeral service attendees from the final graveside services for Paul Nemeth. The newly-finished church sanctuary had been packed with all the new members attracted by Fischer's efforts. Paul had the unfortunate honor of being the first buried in the new churchyard behind the little Church in the Hollow.
Between the stress of comforting Ingrid the last few nights and supervising the finishing touches to his church, Brother Chalker really should have let Brother Fischer perform the graveside service afterward. But, he felt that the burial of an Elder, and such a devoted Elder at that, required the presence of the principal minister.
The Elders were gathered together at the Nemeth home. It had been a long and trying day. "A good send off for a good man," Jennifer said sipping her hot apple cider. She glanced across the room at Pete's housekeeper Susannah and the rest of the ladies still gathered around Ingrid. Jennifer's husband Roy was giving a lift to several of the families that had walked to the house for the gathering after the funeral.
"We'll have a hard time replacing him," Pete said. "Do you think Ingrid will have time to continue as an Elder? She's going to have a full time job with all those kids, and Terrell will be back off to the army soon enough. It might be time to bring in new blood at the treasurer position, too. Roy Copenhaver is getting more and more tied up with dealing with the government and the new territory that's being added to our jurisdiction."
"I was thinking about the Kurger family," Jennifer said. "Hans has really taken to the faith since they joined the church last spring."
Pete smiled. "Maybe it's time to get Phyllis Dobbs to become a deacon. Now that Slater's found the way."
"That's a miracle if I ever saw one." Jennifer laughed. Slater Dobbs had been written off as no-account since before the Ring of Fire and afterwards had been right in the middle of the 250 Club crowd. While his wife Phyllis had been a bastion of the startup congregation, it had taken the Fischer miracle to bring Slater around. "I still find it hard to believe that Slater had the idea to donate the land for the new sanctuary. I figured it was Phyllis' idea all along. For some reason lately he's taken a shine to Hans Kurger and his kids as well."
"Brothers Chalker and Fischer even think that Hans may be preacher material sooner or later," Jennifer continued. "Maria does a great job handling the money at their emporium. I've never heard a word spoken against them."
Nodding, Pete added, "It's time we started adding some down-timers to the leadership of th
e church. I sure could use some more help with running the Sunday School program and I know it's past time to take the burden of the Wednesday night Bible study off of Brother Chalker's shoulders. We might start looking to increase the Council of Elders up from three to five."
A small flurry of snow and wind swirled through the doorway, interrupting the conversation and in walked Georg Fleitner, the deacon and caretaker of the new church grounds. Georg had appeared at the new church while it was being built and he'd rapidly grown attached to Brother Chalker. "Mr. Enriquez, Mrs. Copenhaver, it is Brother Chalker. He sick."
Pete jumped to his feet. "What's wrong, Georg?"
"He hot. I put him in bed. Cover. He sick."
"Lord, what now?" Pete turned to Jennifer, "Call the doctor. You can handle the rest of the gathering here and make sure Susannah gets home safely, can't you, Jen?"
Jen nodded and looked at Georg, "Georg, does Brother Fischer know?"
"Don't know. Have not seen since Mr. Nemeth funeral."
"Fischer came here afterward with Ingrid and the kids. He left a while ago. Maybe he's over at the house by now," Pete said. "Georg, go to my house. Find Fischer. If he's not there, just go find him. Okay?"
"Yah, okay. I go find Brother Fischer." Pete relaxed a bit. Georg wasn't a bright person, but he could be depended on to stay at it until the job was finished. He'd find Fischer.
***
"It seems to be just a fever, but you people are going to have to make sure he slows down some. He's seventy-eight years old, for God's sake." Doctor Nichols looked right into Pete's eyes and said, "I don't want him getting out of that bed except to go to the bathroom until I come back Monday. Understand me?"
The authoritative voice of the doctor communicated just as clearly in the seventeenth century as it had in the twentieth, and both Enriquez and Fischer quickly shook their heads in agreement.