The Unexpected Sales Reps, page 1
THE UNEXPECTED
SALES REPS
Virginia DeMarce
Copyright © 2022
The Unexpected Sales Reps by Virginia DeMarce
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Cover designed by Laura Givens
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Published by 1632, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-956015-47-8
Dedication
To those in historic preservation offices who work tirelessly to
preserve the remnants of our material past from the ravages of
destruction and redevelopment.
Acknowledgments
The major acknowledgment, of course, is to Eric Flint for writing 1632, which spawned this fictional universe, and for inviting me to be a part of it. Specifically, for this book, I appreciate the loan of a character he created, Werner von Dalberg.
Many thanks to Walt Boyes, the editor in chief of the Ring of Fire Press, for struggling with my manuscripts, and to Gorg Huff for turning them into something that is e-book friendly.
Contents
THE UNEXPECTED
SALES REPS
Copyright © 2022
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Cast List
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Research sources
Foreword
The maps depicting the boundaries between the State of Thuringia-Franconia (USE) and the Province of the Upper Palatinate (USE) that Sebastian Kellermeister references in Chapter 9 are, essentially, those that appeared sequentially in: Eric Flint with Virginia DeMarce, 1634: The Ram Rebellion (Baen Books, 2006); Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce, 1634: The Bavarian Crisis (Baen Books, 2007); and Eric Flint, 1636: The Ottoman Onslaught (Baen Books, 2017).
Those three books, along with Flint’s novella “Four Days on the Danube” (Ring of Fire III, Baen Books, 2011) are the works in the 1632 series most closely connected to Sales and Services.
The USE Province of the Upper Palatinate includes more than the historical Oberpfalz proper. It incorporates three smaller Junge-Pfalz territories (Neuburg, Sulzbach, and Hilpoltstein) formerly held by cadet branches of the Wittelsbach counts Palatine, the former imperial city of Regensburg, the former Bavarian fortress city of Ingolstadt, and a half-dozen or so even smaller previously independent or quasi-independent jurisdictions. It sprawls along the north (mostly) side of the Danube River, shaped essentially like a boomerang with the points to the south, from Donauwörth to Passau, about 120 miles west to east. North-south, the distances range from a few miles at the narrow Donauwörth end to about seventy-five miles going north from Regensburg to the border beyond Tischenreuth and Waldsassen. As of 1636, on the east, the province borders Bohemia; to the north, Saxony; to the west, the State of Thuringia-Franconia.
Cast List
Key:
fi-dt - fictional down-timer
hi-dt - historical down-timer
fi-ut - fictional up-timer
hi-ut - historical up-timer
Abrazamontis, Piero – see Fucilla
Alcom, Garland (fi-ut), explosives manufacturer in Grantville, SoTF, in 1632-1633
Bageot, Walter (hi-ut), nineteenth-century English writer on political theory
Balde, Jacob, S.J. (hi-dt), playwright and poet, dividing time between the faculties of the Jesuit Collegium in Amberg, Upper Palatinate, and the University of Ingolstadt
Bamberg, Franz von Hatzfeld, bishop of (hi-dt), residing in the Rhineland; Catholic
Barlow, Barbara “Bibi” (fi-ut), pharmacy clerk in Grantville 1633
Baumschlager, Hans (fi-dt), sergeant, Upper Palatine Grenzjaeger regiment
Bavaria, Albrecht, duke of (hi-dt), younger brother and heir to Duke Maximilian
Sigmund Albrecht, duke of (hi-dt), younger surviving son of Duke Albrecht
Maximilian, duke of (hi-dt), ruler of Bavaria; opponent of the USE
Maximilian Heinrich, duke of (hi-dt), older surviving son of Duke Albrecht
Bellamy, Arnold (fi-ut), USE Government, Department of State, 1634-1635; formerly NUS government, Department of International Affairs
Böcler, Johann Heinrich “Heinz” (hi-dt), private secretary to Duke Ernst
Bozarth, Brick (fi-ut), NUS and then SoTF trade delegate in Regensburg
Coppola, Giovanni – see Fucilla
Dalberg, Werner von (fi-dt), lawyer and head of the Fourth of July Party in the Upper Palatinate
Denmark, Auguste, princess of (hi-dt), widow of the duke of Holstein-Gottorp, mother of the countess of Pfalz-Sulzbach
Christian IV, king of (hi-dt), brother of Auguste and Hedwig
Hedwig, princess of (hi-dt), childless widow of John George of Saxony’s older brother
Dewitz, Georg von (hi-dt), commander of Swedish garrison in Ingolstadt 1635
Domicilla (fi-dt), cook for Fucilla and Rugatti, widow, originally from Ragusa (now Dubrovnik)
Donhauserin, Mechthilde (fi-dt), innkeeper in Amberg, Upper Palatinate; married to Dionys Prohorsky
Ebeling, Jacob (fi-ut), major in SoTF National Guard
Vanessa (Jones) (fi-ut), instructor at normal school in Amberg
Eckenberger, Georg (hi-dt), Lutheran pastor
Eichstätt, Johann Christoph von Westerstetten (hi-dt), bishop of; enthusiastic witchcraft persecutor; Catholic
Ernst, duke – see Saxe-Weimar
Esposito, Lorenzo – see Rugatti
Ferdinand II (hi-dt), deceased; Holy Roman Emperor
Fuchs von Walberg auf Winklarn, Johann Friedrich (hi-dt), exile, speaker of the Upper Palatinate Estates; Lutheran
Fucilla, Paolo (fi-dt), sales representative for Vignelli Business Machines, ex-mercenary in the service of Spain
Grube, Stanislas “Stentzel” (fi-dt), reporter in Amberg, Upper Palatinate
Gundelfinger, Helene (fi-dt), vice president of the State of Thuringia-Franconia; succeeds Ed Piazza as president in July 1636
Gustav II Adolf (hi-dt), king of Sweden, emperor of the United States of Europe
Hart, Dexter “Ape” (fi-ut), employee of Garland Alcom in Grantville 1633
Hart, Arthur “Monkey” (fi-ut), employee of Garland Alcom in Grantville 1633
Hardy, Deirdre “Dee” (fi-ut), student at the normal school in Amberg beginning fall 1635
Hatzfeld, Franz von – see Bamberg
Heinzerling, Augustus “Gus” (fi-dt), ex-Jesuit; Roman Catholic priest at St. Mary’s, Grantville
Hell, Caspar, S.J. (hi-dt), rector of the Jesuit Collegium in Amberg, Upper Palatinate
Holstein-Gottorp, Hedwig, duchess of (hi-dt), widow of Count August of Pfalz-Sulzbach; regent for and subsequently guardian of her children; Lutheran
Hopfenbeck, Thomas (hi-dt), member of the Committee of Correspondence in Amberg, Oberpfalz
Jülich-Cleves-Berg, Anna, duchess of (hi-dt), deceased; widow of Philipp Ludwig, count of Pfalz-Neuburg; mother of Wolfgang Wilhelm, August, and Johann Friedrich; Lutheran
Keitel, Theodor (fi-dt), head of the Committees of Correspondence in the Upper Palatinate
Kellermeister, Sebastian (fi-dt), reporter in Amberg, Upper Palatinate
Kienitz, Charlotte (fi-dt), head of the Fourth of July Party in the Province of Mecklenburg
Koch, Ronella (fi-ut), wife of Jonas Justinus Muselius; instructor at the normal school in Amberg
Korn, Lutz (fi-dt), member of the Committee of Correspondence in Amberg, Oberpfalz
Langenfeld – see Spee
Leitsinger, Erdmann (fi-dt), member of the Committee of Correspondence in Amberg, Oberpfalz
Lena (fi-dt), sister of Erdmann; CoC member in Amberg, Oberpfalz
Lodron, Paris von – see Salzburg
Lux, Jurgen (fi-dt), captain, Upper Palatine Grenzjaeger regiment, recently promoted spring 1635
Manrique, Miguel de (fi-dt), Spanish commander at the Wartburg; 1636 in the employ of Fernando, king in the Low Countries
Mechthilde – see Donhauserin
Medici, Claudia dei’ (hi-dt), regent of Tyrol for her sons; marries Bernhard of Saxe-W
Muselius, Jonas Justinus (fi-dt), rector of the new Imperial Normal School in Amberg, Upper Palatinate; former village school teacher; then teacher in Grantville 1631-spring 1635
Nasi, Francisco (fi-dt), chief of espionage for Emperor Gustav Adolf
Palatinate, Karl Ludwig, count of the (hi-dt), oldest son and heir of the Winter King, in polite custody in Brussels
Pfalz-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler, Christian, count of (hi-dt), appointed interim administrator of the Upper Palatinate by Gustav Adolf, November 1635-July 1636
Pfalz-Hilpoltstein, Johann Friedrich, count of (hi-dt), former ruler of one of the formerly quasi-independent jurisdictions incorporated into the Upper Palatinate; Lutheran
Pfalz-Neuburg, Anna, dowager duchess – see Jülich-Cleves-Berg
Pfalz-Neuburg, Wolfgang Wilhelm, count of (hi-dt), deceased; former ruler of one of the formerly quasi-independent jurisdictions incorporated into the Upper Palatinate; older brother of August and Johann Friedrich; Catholic
Pfalz-Sulzbach, August, count of (hi-dt), deceased; former ruler of one of the formerly quasi-independent jurisdictions incorporated into the Upper Palatinate; Lutheran; for his wife, see Holstein-Gottorp
Christian August, count of (hi-dt), minor heir of Count August
Piazza, Edward (fi-ut), president of the State of Thuringia-Franconia; prime minister of USE as of July 1636
Pichtel, Konrad Balthasar (hi-dt), lawyer, hired by the Upper Palatinate Estates spring 1636; Lutheran
Pilcher, Keith (fi-ut), NUS and later SoTF delegate to the iron industry in the Upper Palatinate
Maxine (Maddox) (fi-ut), instructor at normal school in Amberg, Upper Palatinate
Megan (fi-ut) daughter of Keith and Maxine
Prohorsky, Dionys (fi-dt), innkeeper in Amberg, husband of Frau Mechthilde
Prohorsky, Lambert (fi-dt), oldest son of Dionys and Mechthilde
Radke, Wolfgang (hi-dt), SoTF Secretary of Education; prominent educational reformer
Ranke, Jacob (fi-dt), reporter in Amberg, Upper Palatinate
Ratichius – see Radke
Regensburg, Albert von Törring-Stein (hi-dt), bishop of; Catholic
Richards, Preston (fi-ut), chief of police in Grantville, SoTF
Richter, Annalise (fi-dt), granddaughter of Kilian Richter (deceased), who was the former owner of the premises in Amberg, Upper Palatinate, where the Jesuit Collegium is located
Rickel, Jozef (fi-dt), CoC member in Amberg, Oberpfalz; manages shop for Fucilla and Rugatti when both are out of town
Richius, Neidhardt (fi-dt), private secretary to Count Christian of Pfalz-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler
Rubenbauer, Hans (fi-dt), member of the Committee of Correspondence in Amberg, Oberpfalz
Johann Thomas (fi-dt), brother of Hans; student at the University of Ingolstadt
Rugatti, Carlo (fi-dt), sales representative for Vignelli Business Machines, ex-mercenary in the service of Spain
Salzburg, Paris von Lodron, archbishop of (hi-dt), archbishop of Salzburg; Catholic
Sardella, Tomasso – see Rugatti
Saxe-Weimar, Albrecht, duke of (hi-dt), brother of Wilhelm and Ernst, runs the family properties
Bernhard, duke of (hi-dt), subsequently grand duke of the Free County of Burgundy
Ernst, duke of (hi-dt), appointed by Emperor Gustav Adolf as administrator of the Upper Palatinate and subsequently of Saxony
Wilhelm, duke of (hi-dt), aka Wilhelm Wettin, Crown-Loyalist prime minister of the USE between July 1635 and July 1636
Schwandorfer, Achaz (fi-dt), head of the Committee of Correspondence in Amberg, Oberpfalz
Schupp, Johann Balthasar (hi-dt), educational reformer; instructor at the normal school in Amberg
Spee von Langenfeld, Friedrich, S.J. (hi-dt), author of the Cautio Criminalis against witchcraft persecutions
Stearns, Michael (fi-ut), prime minister of the United States of Europe 1633-1635; subsequently general
Rita (fi-ut), sister of Michael Stearns, married to Tom Simpson; ambassadress to Bavaria
Törring-Stein, Albert – see Regensburg
Vignelli, Arno (fi-dt), business machines entrepreneur, headquartered in Tyrol
Wallenstein, Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von (hi-dt), aka Venceslas V Adalbertus, king of Bohemia
Wettin, Ernst – see Saxe-Weimar
Westerstetten, Johann Christoph von – see Eichstätt
Chapter 1
Amberg, Upper Palatinate
August 1634
“The archbishop thinks that Duke Albrecht is too calm.” Paolo Fucilla waved the knife with which he had been peeling a still rather green apple. A ray of the setting sun slid through a thin spot in the tree that shaded the old barn and highlighted the silver threads that usually weren’t so visible in his black hair.
Carlo Rugatti scratched, first his nose and then his privates. His own hair hadn’t done so well. Whenever he looked at his reflection, whether in water or metal, or in the incredibly clear glass mirrors so numerous in Grantville, as good as seeing one’s portrait immortalized in oils by the greatest of painters, he saw his uncle. “Damned bedbugs. There must have been ten thousand in that mattress last night. Stinking, backwards, country innkeepers.” He scratched his nose again. “You mean?”
“Duke Albrecht doesn’t know where his sons are. At least, that’s still the official line in Prague. Whenever a reporter holding a clipboard pops up, he says he doesn’t know where his sons are. Wallenstein says he doesn’t know where Duke Albrecht’s sons are. Same thing from Munich, too. Duke Maximilian says he doesn’t know where Duke Albrecht’s sons are – except he adds that almost certainly some dastardly minion of the emperor, or of Stearns, has done them in.”
“So?”
“So why isn’t Albrecht rushing around to find another wife and beget some more sons? His wife is dead. He’s young enough. Why is he sitting on his rump in Prague and...”
“Don’t say it.”
“So I won’t say it.”
“The man’s only been a widower for six weeks.”
“Even so, he should be putting out feelers. If, that is, he doesn’t know where his sons are. But he isn’t putting out feelers. Ergo, Duke Albrecht knows where his sons are and has at least some reason to think that they’re alive. So Paris von Lodron wants to know the same thing, and why. Preferably before Claudia dei’ Medici finds out first and sticks her elegant finger into the pie. She could probably think of a dozen reasons why those boys, wherever they are now, would be a lot better off in Innsbruck or Bolzano.”
“Speaking of pots...’ Paolo took the lid off the little copper cauldron. ‘Get out your bowl.”
“I don’t care what you say. I can’t stand that stuff.” Carlo frowned at the bubbling contents and shook his head. “It’s worse than the barley that the damned Scots make into porridge. Twenty years ago, in the Netherlands, we were on short rations. The quartermaster imported it and tried to make us eat it instead of decent bread. It practically caused a mutiny.”
“Wait. If you boil it in milk instead of water and put a little honey on top, you’ll never even recognize that it’s rice. Takes longer than boiling it in water, but it’s a lot better.”
Carlo nodded toward the house at the edge of the village. “I say it’s worse than oat porridge. Worse than polenta. You paid her for the milk. I saw you.”
“We’re respectable now. Even our aliases are respectable now. After the debacle at the Wartburg, we saw the light. After what we went through there, we left the mercenary trade, found paying civilian jobs that didn’t require nasty things like apprenticeships and actual, measurable, competence, and made good. We are factors representing Arno Vignelli of Bolzano. Marketers. Peddlers of inexpensive duplicating machines and other useful office supplies. No need to bring up that the archbishop of Salzburg is also paying us. We are not foragers. We pay for what we eat.”
“Respectable factors sleep and eat at inns every night, not just sometimes. They don’t sleep in barns and cook their own food over a fire, not even sometimes.”
Paolo let out a short laugh. “At least the hay won’t have bedbugs. Other bugs, maybe, and prickly stems, but not bedbugs.”
“Respectable factors can afford inns that don’t have bedbugs.”
