* * *
The colloquy came to order.
Maybe Grantville’s ELCA members should have thought again before they elected a delegate whose maiden name was Unruh. Her responses to the colloquy discussions had been—disturbing. “Unrest” was a pretty mild description of the reactions that Carol’s contributions to the dialogue at the Rudolstadt Colloquy had caused.
As in the matter of what she now presented as the ELCA response to Professor Osiander’s exposition of the doctrine of ubiquity. The ELCA delegate’s response was, as usual, brief. Carol Koch’s maternal grandfather had been a pastor, but her father had been a newspaperman.
“We thank Professor Osiander for his extensive explanation of the doctrine of ubiquity. Jesus said, ‘Unless you become again as a little child, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’ I’m pretty sure that no little child has ever understood all the fine points that are so important to Professor Osiander. I’m pretty sure that no little child ever will. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill!”
Carol sat down.
* * *
Joachim von Thalheim’s eyes were glittering with enthusiasm. He had thrown himself into Committee of Correspondence politics wholeheartedly—but even among his colleagues, there were so few who really appreciated what he was trying to do. Most of them just didn’t see political propaganda as an art form. Not even Gretchen. He looked across the breakfast table at the guy Benny Pierce had sent over to his room the evening before.
“So, you see, just look here.” Joachim pulled out the English and German words to “When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland” and placed them side by side. “Down here.”
I’ve been saving all my money, to buy a little cabin home for two.
“Now,” he said, “I’ve translated it as, ‘Ich werde all mein Geld ersparen.’ That’s good, in itself. Most people will understand it that way, literally, just like the original words. But for a mercenary, his pay is his ‘Gelt’ and they sound exactly alike. If we’re lucky, he’ll hear the song somewhere and start thinking that he can save up, and then when he’s discharged, he can go home and see if there’s a girl for him to marry instead of turning to banditry.”
“Isn’t that expecting a bit of deep thought from your average mercenary?” Cavriani asked sardonically.
“Oh, I don’t expect that it will have any effect on most of them. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained. It’s not as if it costs us anything. And every mercenary who does go home and settle down after the war will be one less problem for Gustavus Adolphus. One less problem for Grantville. One less problem for all the rest of us.”
Joachim, clearly, would have been more than happy to explain all the ramifications and potential multiple subliminal levels of meaning, allegorical and anagogical, of every single line. He was a product of the same educational system that had produced Professor Osiander.
“I’d love to talk about it again,” said Cavriani. “But I have to get over to the meeting. Perhaps this evening?”
“That’s fine. I’ve got some people to talk to this afternoon, and that could run into supper. Eight-ish to nine-ish, at my place?”
“I’ll be there,” said Cavriani. “Probably closer to nine-ish.” He started to leave; then turned back as if something had just casually crossed his mind. “‘Geld’ versus ‘Gelt’ may not cost your organization anything. But you and your friends still have to eat. I know some people who might be willing to pay a fee for Italian translations of your German versions of these songs. If you’re interested, I’ll be glad to put you in touch.”
* * *
Count Anton Guenther of Oldenburg called upon Count Ludwig Guenther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Upon behalf of his cousin Emelie of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst, who freely consented, he announced that she was delighted to accept Count Ludwig’s marriage proposal.
With the foundation of the long-standing ties of blood between the two families reinforced and renewed for another generation, the two counts were able to proceed to further discussions. Each realized that the other had a problem; each realized that the other had something to offer in the way of a solution.