by Eric Flint
Frau Mittelhausen answered by passing over the statement from Ostermann transport. The long string of zeros had Phillip almost choking.
Defeated for the moment, Phillip pulled himself to his feet and stumbled up the stairs to his rooms. In the draft created by his departure, the statement gently floated to the floor. Frau Mittelhausen watched him struggle up the stairs. Then, with a sigh, she picked up the statement and filed it.
December 1633, HDG Enterprizes, Jena.
"I have called you all to meet here to address an emergency situation." Frau Mittelhausen looked around the collected faces of Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz's senior laborants. All of them had started with the original baking soda production line. These were the smart ones. Some of them were responsible for the production lines producing the various products of HDG Enterprizes and Kubiak Country Industries.
"Recently, at considerable cost, Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz took delivery of ten thousand Pfundt of premium quality sphalerite. That purchase has created an enormous hole in the accounts. Such a big hole that, unless something is done, we will not be receiving any bonus this year, and probably not next year either."
"Why would Dr. Gribbleflotz purchase so much ore, Frau Mittelhausen? That is much more than he would ever need for his experiments," Michael Siebenhorn asked.
Frau Mittelhausen looked everywhere but at Michael. "A trifling mistake was made in the preparation and confirmation of the order. But the how is no longer important. The Herr Doctor has barely left his laboratory for the last two weeks. Isn't that right, Hans?"
Hans Saltzman, Dr. Gribbleflotz's trusted personal laborant of nearly two years nodded. "Yes. Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz feels that he is responsible for the problem. Even as we speak he is driving himself hard making the zinken and oil of vitriol."
"Zinken?" Maria Anna Siebenhorn, Michael's younger sister, looked up with some excitement. "Chemical symbol Zn?" They were all aware of the way Dr. Gribbleflotz used his own naming methodology.
"Yes. 'Zn.' Why? Is it important?"
"Yes, Hans. It is important." Maria Anna looked around the dinner table. "You all do know that I'm working for a company making percussion caps?" The people at the table nodded. "What you might not know is that the company has up-timer partners."
Kurt Stoltz lifted his eyebrows in a scowl. "Some of us know, and are fully aware that the up-timers are happy to let down-timers risk their lives with fulminate of mercury. You don't see them risking their own lives."
"Kurt, settle down. They pay well and they provide the best safety equipment they can. I earn over a hundred dollars a day for less than five hours work. Where else can I earn that kind of money, plus free bed and board in an up-time house?" Maria Anna turned back to the group. "Anyway, the up-timers are really interested in zinc. Hans, can the Herr Doctor really make pure metallic zinc?"
"Zinken, Maria Anna. He calls it zinken. Apparently his great grandfather Paracelsus first used that name for the metal. Yes, he has managed to make zinken and oil of vitriol. However, he will take years to convert all of the ore to zinken and oil of vitriol."
Frau Mittelhausen stood to attract attention. "That is why I asked you all to meet here. The Herr Doctor is good at what he does. However, he works only in small amounts. I have been following the progress of all of you and the facilities you are running. I have noticed that production volumes have increased while running costs have declined." Frau Mittelhausen looked almost fondly over the young faces. "I can only assume you have been able to modify the processes so as to increase batch sizes."
"We have introduced a few continuous processes, Frau Mittelhausen," Kurt admitted. Michael and a couple of others nodded. The up-timers had been very helpful when it came to improving the production techniques.
"My question of all of you is: can you take whatever process Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz has created and increase the volumes?"
"Will Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz let us help him?" Maria Anna asked.
In silence everybody waited for Frau Mittelhausen to respond. Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz was a proud man. Would he accept help from his students?
With a resigned sigh, Frau Mittelhausen looked up the stairs towards Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz's laboratory. "I will ask."
February 1634, Kubiak Country
"Hey, Tracy. Wasn't the geek working on zinc?"
"Tasha, please don't call him 'the geek.' Yes, Dr. Phil was interested in zinc. Why do you ask?"
"But he is a geek. Okay, I'll try not to call him a geek. Anyway, there's an article in the newspaper by one of those Jena doctor guys. He's written something about how to make zinc. Do you think he's beaten Dr. Phil to the punch?"
"Could you show me the article, Tasha?" Tracy looked over Tasha's shoulder.
"There, that one." Tasha pointed out the article before she passed the folded newspaper to Tracy.
It took only a few minutes to read the article. Tracy grimaced. Dr. Phil was not going to be happy. It was possible that the author had only been interpreting what he had found in up-time books, but the way the article read did suggest the he had actually tried the process.
"Oh, heck. I think a trip to Jena might be on the cards. Dr. Phil isn't going to be happy having a Jena academic alchemist beating him to produce zinc."
February 1634, HDG Enterprizes, Jena
"Ted. Why do you suppose everyone is looking at us so guiltily?"
"I have no idea, dear. Do you suppose we could just ask Frau Mittelhausen how Dr. Phil is taking the publication of that article on the secrets of zinc?"
"But, Ted. Haven't you noticed the people? There are too many laborants. I'm sure there weren't this many last time I visited. What about when you last visited?"
"Pardon? Oh, the new faces. Well, Dr. Phil was working on his fuel tablets. I'm sure he's just training up some more people to work on them."
"The fuel tablets…" Tracy nodded as if the information confirmed something, "Yes. That would explain why I saw Michael Siebenhorn and Kurt Stoltz."
"What?" Ted searched around the central compound of the HDG Enterprizes facility. "Both Michael and Kurt?"
"Yes. Over by the west wing. Why? What's so special about those two being here? I thought they were two of the company's best production alchemists."
"They are. But converting Dr. Phil's test tube level production to volume production shouldn't need both of them. Besides, if they're here, who's minding the store back in Grantville? No. Something is going on. Come on. I want to talk to Dr. Phil and find out." Ted strode off toward Dr. Phil's office.
***
"Herr Kubiak, Frau Kubiak. How can I help you?" Frau Mittelhausen's not inconsiderable bulk blocked their way into the office.
"You can tell us what is going on, Frau Mittelhausen. Why are both Michael and Kurt here in Jena? What is so important that both of them had to be called in from Grantville? And why weren't we notified?" Tracy's voice was cross.
Frau Mittelhausen looked from Ted to Tracy. They were obviously after answers and wouldn't leave without them. With a heavy sigh of resignation, she guided them into the office.
"Frau Kubiak, if you will remember, Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz and I can sign for goods without limit…"
"Yes, yes. I know that. With you both in Jena, it was silly to require everything to go through Grantville. Please get to the point."
"Frau Kubiak, that is the point. If either the Doctor or I sign a contract there is no further check. There is no book keeper to question any purchase…"
Ted frowned. "Hold it. Are you suggesting either you or Dr. Gribbleflotz have ordered something you shouldn't have?"
"No, Herr Kubiak. The order was for sphalerite ore for Dr. Gribbleflotz's zinken experiments. No. The problem was not what was ordered, but rather, how much was ordered."
Confused, Tracy searched Frau Mittelhausen's face. "But why would there be a problem? We have never complained about what Dr. Gribbleflotz has ordered yet."
Frau Mittelhausen went to a cabinet and removed a folder. Opening it sh
e selected a sheet of paper and passed it to Tracy. Tracy took a while to read the invoice, finally reaching the bottom where the costs were tallied. Horrified, she looked at Frau Mittelhausen. "You paid that much for zinc ore?" She waved the invoice in the air. "Why?"
"There was a mistake, Frau. The doctor only asked for a fraction of the amount. Such a quantity, barely a small shopping basket full, should have been easily conveyed by the fastest method for only a few dollars. However, the mistake resulted in ten thousand Pfundt being delivered by pack mule." Frau Mittelhausen stopped speaking, unable to convey in words the significance difference in cost of transporting a small basket of ore as part of someone else's cargo compared with the cost of more than fifty pack mules and their handlers.
"The actual cost of the ore, Frau, was a mere pittance compared with the cost of transporting it all the way from the Harz Mountains."
Tracy slapped the invoice onto a table. "How badly does this effect the books, Frau Mittelhausen? Are we in debt?"
"No, Frau Kubiak. We had sufficient reserves from the sales of Gribbleflotz Sal Vin Betula, although expenses have increased considerably."
Tracy winced. Sales of Dr. Gribbleflotz' Sal Vin Betula, better known as Dr. Gribbleflotz' Little Blue Pill of Happiness, had been very profitable. So profitable that others had started making aspirin in competition. Prices were stable at about a dollar a pill, but they had been forced to invest in advertising to maintain market growth.
Ted read the invoice, then turned to Frau Mittelhausen. "What is being done with the ore?"
Tracy stared at her husband. That was a very good question. Somewhere, there was something like five tons of sphalerite. If Dr. Gribbleflotz could extract the zinc, then maybe all was not lost. "Yes, Frau. What is Dr. Gribbleflotz doing with all that ore?"
"Please, follow me and I will show you."
Tracy and Ted followed Frau Mittelhausen to the wing where Tracy had seen Michael and Kurt.
They were greeted by silence when they entered the building. Young men and women lining the room turned and looked at them. Accusing looks were directed towards Frau Mittelhausen.
Michael Siebenhorn made his way towards them. "Frau Kubiak, Herr Kubiak. How can I help you?"
"We would like to know what is being done with the sphalerite that was delivered here late last year."
With a guilty look at both Ted and Tracy, Michael called for the laborants to return to work. "You know then? It wasn't Dr. Gribbleflotz' fault. It was an honest mistake."
"Michael, what have you been doing with the ore?" Ted asked impatiently.
"We have been refining it."
Tracy perked up. "All of it? You've refined all of that ore?"
"Nearly. We are on the last couple of bushel baskets now. Come, follow me and I will show you what we have."
Bubbling with hope, Tracy dragged Ted along as she followed Michael. Michael unlocked the door to the storeroom and stood back to let them look at the treasure within.
"What's in those big bottles?" Ted asked.
"Strong oil of vitriol. Actually, very strong oil of vitriol. We think it is over ninety percent pure. Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz is still testing it."
"How much do you have?"
"About fifteen hogsheads, Herr Kubiak."
"And the metallic zinc?"
"About four thousand Pfundt of zinken, Herr Kubiak."
Ted laughed. "Zinken? Is that what Dr. Gribbleflotz is calling it?"
"Yes, Herr Kubiak. It is in memory of his great grandfather, Paracelsus. Zinken is the name Paracelsus gave the metal."
Ted nodded. He drew out a pencil and paper and began recording the contents of the store room. "Anything else?"
Michael smiled. "Yes, Herr Kubiak. There is also some four hundred guilders worth of other metals and compounds."
Ted and Tracy tried to calculate the worth of the goods. "The value of everything you extracted from the ore is probably enough to cover the cost of it, with something left over. But, what about the cost of recovery? What were those costs?"
Michael shrugged. "Too much, I am sure, Frau Kubiak. We worked with great haste, and with considerable secrecy. Both of which added to our costs. However, we have been developing our technology. We now know how to recover the metals and compounds from sphalerite."
"And what good is this technology, Michael?" Tracy asked.
Smiling smugly, Michael guided them out of the storeroom. "Frau Kubiak. With our technology we can smelt zinken. Other people…" Michael paused to look at Ted and Tracy. "Did you read about the doctor on the Jena faculty who isolated the zinken?" They nodded. "Other people might know the secret of zinken, but they do not know how to recover not only the zinken, but the sulphur and the other metals and compounds. We at HDG Enterprizes have developed the necessary technology. The more we can recover from the processing of the sphalerite, the more economic the process becomes. We have already sent out feelers for partners. We believe we can construct a smelter outside the city of Halle. There is ample coal near the city that can be used to smelt the ore, and transport of the sphalerite from the Harz Mountains should be affordable, because we can use barges to float the ore down the river to Halle."
"Nice. But why the secrecy? Why didn't you notify Tracy and me?"
"It is the Herr Doctor. We had to prove the technology first, otherwise Herr Doctor Gribbleflotz could have been a laughing stock. At least, that's how it all started." Michael smiled in reminisance. "There is also the fact that we currently hold the largest supply of pure metallic zinken in Europe. We have an agent exploring the prospects of 'selling short.' We think we will be able to maintain the current high price as long as people don't know we are producing zinken locally."
Tracy snorted. "How do you hope to keep your activities quiet? Surely people will see your production facilities?"
Michael smiled. "That is the thing with the new technology, Frau Kubiak. That academic, he talked of calamine. We are using sphalerite. If we used calamine, then people might suspect we were making zinken. But sphalerite? From sphalerite people will see us making and selling oil of vitriol. It is an important and valuable chemical. If we are careful, we can keep the zinken processing secret." Michael's smile grew triumphant. "And, of course, that will keep the local price high. High enough for the maximum profit."
"What about those partners you were talking about?"
"Only a few of them know of the zinken. Most of the potential partners are either miners looking to sell their ore, or people interested in the oil of vitriol and other by-products. Only fifteen people, including you two, know of the zinken."
Ted and Tracy exchanged glances, then turned their attention back to Michael. "You really think you can make a going concern of a zinken smelter?" Michael nodded in answer. "Then…" Ted turned to check that Tracy agreed. She nodded. "How can we help?"
"Money." Michael rolled his eyes. "And if possible, Herr Kubiak, can you get some more of those 'catalytic converters?'"
"How much money?" Tracy asked.
"What do you want the catalytic converters for?" Ted asked.
"The converters improve the yield of the oil of vitriol, Herr Kubiak. Frau Kubiak, we don't know how much money, but it will be a lot. We may have to ask that you mortgage the HDG Enterprizes facility and the ammonia facility. Mining and mineral processing is very expensive. However, the potential returns are enormous."
***
"You know, Trace, I wouldn't have thought Dr. Phil had it in him to build up that kind of personal loyalty."
Tracy looked back over her shoulder at the HDG Enterprizes facility. "It was a bit of a surprise. Maybe there's more to our Dr. Phil than meets the eye."
Essen Steel, Part 1
Crucibellus
Kim Mackey
Chapter One
By early morning they had passed beyond the siege lines and lay hidden in a copse of woods four miles from the Magdeburg gates.
"We will travel only at night for the first few days," Henri said,
"and hide during the day. Best not to tempt fate."
That afternoon, after sleeping most of the morning, they watched the huge pillar of smoke boil up into the sky from the direction of Magdeburg. Henri, her father's friend, and an almost uncle, turned grim. "It is much worse than even I suspected it would be. They should not have set fire to the town. Magdeburg alive could sustain them. Magdeburg destroyed will force them to forage into the countryside. We will have to move as soon as we can tonight."
As Colette Dubois watched the black smoke rise into the sky she imagined she could hear the screams of the women and children on the breeze. She shuddered. Raped and murdered. Thousands of them. And now Tilly's wolves would be scouring the outlying districts for more plunder and victims.
They rode for days, constantly on guard and careful to avoid concentrations of other travelers who might attract the attention of soldiers. Finally they stopped at an abandoned house on the outskirts of a village so that Henri could get more supplies. Colette and Colas, her brother, hid in the woods near the house and waited, tying their horses far enough back so they would not whinny in greeting to any horses passing along the road.
In the late afternoon they heard hoof beats on the road. Colette quickly grabbed Colas before he could jump up and expose himself. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "Wait and see if it is Henri first."
Crouching back down, Colette and Colas watched as half a dozen soldiers kicked in the door of the house and began to ransack it.
So stupid, thought Colette. There was nothing of value left in the house. But the soldiers seemed to delight in smashing what little furniture there was. Two of the men began a more systematic search of the outside yard and were beginning to work their way steadily in Colette's direction. If they came too close… Colette shivered. She knew what her fate would be. Death, if she was lucky. And Colas wasn't strong enough to survive even a week in a soldier's camp, given his recent sickness.