Chapter 15

We walked around the grounds and inspected the products when most of the hustle and bustle had died down. The sales staff and the guards had to stay because there was just too many people that simply had to see one thing or another one more time.

Claudia looked affectionately at one of the mid range stoves and ran her hand over the cool portion. Julian and I saw this but said nothing. Patricia could cook but I heard that it was not one of her favourite tasks. She looked at the griddles and the frypans.

"Jón we talked about me selling some of your things."

"I was waiting for you to bring this up."

"How can I start this?"

"I mentioned before that you are going to move around a lot." Julian seemed to understand. "If you were to say, live in Rome temporarily you could have someone take care of your businesses there. You can handle either "Woden's Own" or "Thor's Hammer" for the Italian peninsula." You will get the richest area of the empire."

"Why are the two gods mentioned?"

"'Thor's Hammer' deals in the articles of war while 'Woden's Own' is for those things that make our society civilised."

"I would get both?"

"You are getting what is termed a franchise or actually two of them. I am not lying to you when I say that they are worth many millions of aurii."

"Why are you being so generous? I cannot even imagine that amount of gold."

"We are already partners in a way. I want the improved empire to succeed. To do this I need to have powerful business partners. I also can point to you and talk to the patricians that you are an example of a far sighted man that has chosen to make some changes. The Italian peninsula will get so rich that it will surpass what it now brings in from the rest of the empire combined. Along the way slavery is abolished and the people educated."

"You are being honest with your buying of me."

"That is true the other way too. You buy me as a supplier, a friend and a partner. I am going to assist you any way I can."

"What rate does a business partner get when he purchases your products?"

"That we have to discuss. Shipping thousands of tonnes to Rome can be expensive. Shipping some samples here is cheaper. You are talking about a complete line or just a few of the articles?"

"Claudia likes the stove." The women in question hugged her husband's arm.

Julian was to leave with his army in a few days. We had hammered out a rough letter of understanding where he would not branch out to other areas and I would continue to sell him products at a wholesale price. He would take letters for me addressed to Lucius, Licinia, Horatius Postuma and others.

One of the others that had to be written to was Clovis with a note in it to Fidelis Marius and Fálki. All of these were unsealed so I had to watch what I said. I explained how I knew nothing of what had happened during the day of the last battle with the picts. I mentioned that I hoped that everybody was safe and the Frisian lands safe from invasion.

I went on to say what had happened to me and what the gods had done for me. I listed the devices I had and made. The assistance I was giving the Romans was listed in detail and then I said how we were not making cannon or powder because the gods were not letting me remember this. Rome could not take the Frisian lands because of the cannon.

I went on to say how Clovis had once fought for Rome and may be called on to do so again under a new understanding. The use of Frisian cannon working for the Roman empire in the east was a very good possibility after a suitable agreement. I suggested that they reform the army and make a force of cannoneers with only a small force of mounted lancers to protect each battery. The Ctesiphon location was mentioned and I hoped that they would reference this to Sapor II and Julian.

I told Clovis the numbers and size for cannon I wanted made and the quantities and types of shot and powder. My numbers were very high and gave a time frame for this to be done. I mentioned the Persians and the Huns twice and I hoped that Fidelis remembered my talk of the battle that killed the last emperor that believed in the old gods.

The people that ran my foundry received their order forms. Hagen was told about the Alemmani here and what we had to do with this development. I was sure he would understand. Rome was not usually so lenient. I told him about Rufus and the need for larger ships and also the need for improved shipping in the interim. More of my books were needed but paper was still in short supply. I requested additional supplies when they became available.

My order for the last three days and the expected orders for the month were given. I added about the governor of Gaul taxing us at a lesser rate because we did not manufacture here. Julian's name was used as the facilitator and the man that would talk to the governor of Germania Inferior for a similar taxation scheme. Our money would go directly to the government though. Rome sold the rights to taxation to tax farmers that reaped all they could and kept the surplus.

I handed all the pouches of papers to Julian.

"Why have you given me these?"

"I talk about you to Fidelis Marius. He knows of my prediction. He also wants to assist you if he can."

"What are his reasons?"

"He wants the old gods restored. His people persecuted the Christians and now that they are on the receiving end they do not like it. The facts were told him as I knew them before I started to change history. I am quite sure he will accept protection from the state from any unlawful acts. I know he could then work within a framework of the law where all religions are protected as long as the followers obey the law."

"I can see how he would enjoy that protection. I have been hurt by many of the Christians and some in high places."

I knew of his family being put to death by Christians. This was not the reason for the killings, just the religion of the man that commanded the murders. In a moment I quietly added, "These letters may well be read by our enemies. If you read them you will know what they may be trying to incriminate you with and have a defence ready."

"That is almost second nature now." He looked more at the words and said, "This is your paper but I see that your writing is very fine and easily understood."

I smiled and said, "As a man I am happy that you see this but as a physician I am a failure."

"Why is that?"

"The gods have physicians."

"They do?"

"They are the same as us in many ways. Magic is not used much. A physician usually is hurried and scribbles notes so his words are sometimes illegible. I do not want that to happen this time if I can help it. Misunderstandings can kill people."

"That is true, now how did you get your quill to do what it has done?"

"I will bring some paper to you. I have a hard steel end that fits on a quill or a piece of wood. It is split down the centre and pressure parts the two portions to write wide. They do not need to be sharpened and only require cleaning and drying after they are used."

"I would like to try that."

We saw Julian off and I promised to do what I could to assist the guards of his unofficial family.

Religion took up more of my life now that the open house was over. All the ceremonies we did whether it was at a birth of a death had to be written down. This was done in Latin and in Latinised German. All the sermons that humans wanted to hear were put in but done as a whole. One ceremony would reinforce the others much better than any religion made piecemeal.

Again I sat with Iulius, Helvius, Curtius, Atrius and Manlius to get their slant on how it was best to talk to forth century Romans or any other nationality. I also had to consider time. In two thousand years I wanted a common sense religion that could stand the turmoil of an educated parishioner. He or she would be able to see the benefit of religion but still work with an open mind. I also tried to put in safeguards so that politicians would find it difficult to use religion for their own causes.

This is how I started my second book called "Understanding the word of Woden". More parables were added but again Aldúlfr had to say that they were stories and not to be used in later years by those deluded followers that took everything too literally.

There were at least three parables about politicians stirring up the voters so he could go to war or use the voters' pumped up anger to get re-elected or pass a budget.

I expanded on the afterlife and other features so that a person was comfortable with a religion and lead a moral life. The golden rule was not just a Christian precept but something all religions preached. I would too.

Each of the major religions were talked about even if the Romans had never heard of them before. Their strengths and weaknesses were discussed but none were listed or bad or a fraud only that they were a religion with people that believed strongly in them.

Aldúlfr was said to say that Wodenism was not perfect either because it had to be applied to humans that were already far from perfect. This was hoped to cover some of the mistakes I made or actions that I had not foreseen.

Patricia came by occasionally to get me away from pen and paper but this usually meant we went to bed. When her fertile time came she learned some advanced fellatio. Her orgasms became less earth shattering but still very good for both of us.

I was very happy to see that my fingers stimulated her anus but she was not as responsive as what Dagmar was. Given enough time she may give me this virginity but I was not going to push the matter.

The showroom was completed and I started another just to handle 'Woden's Own" products. With enough time I would have more of the wooden construction done here and perhaps custom fitted armour too.

Men had found slate for me and this was ground flat and brought to me. The larger pieces went to the walls of schools I had constructed while the children got the smaller ones. These were wood framed with a stylus tucked into an edge just like a PDA but not nearly as versatile.

Those not working and in my employ had to teach or learn. It was not done by coercion but a way to get a better paying job. I had Tuesday school too that covered ethics much more than religion. When I started to give portions of food to those that attended, I got a dramatic increase in turnout.

Patricia had a lot of competition but I stayed true and even went so far as to have chaperones or witnesses so that she would not hear any lies. It was not always young girls either. I got women of all ages and even some men. The young and pretty ones I figure had been put up to this even if they already had a predilection to this lifestyle.

Forni was remembered when I saw some and wished that if I was wrong and there was a higher power that the boy would be cherished. I had learned that Epje and Dina had died but only because of the Roman spies and the details of their armour that was not recovered by Lucius. I had cried then cried again because Jón had died too in that battle.

The boats sent by the foundry and Licinia arrived a little earlier than expected. The same fat customs inspector came and my letter from the governor got him to leave me alone but he had men counting boxes as they came off the ships. Rufus was not here but I got word of him and his men working on the plans I had left.

The old boxes from the first trip went back along with everything I could find that was cheap here and dear there. The harvest was a long time off but I sent back what hemp I had been able to locate.

Word went out very quickly that our shipment had arrived and after the boxes were unpacked we started to fulfil our commitments. A team of men went with each stove to connect it to a chimney. Most of the pipes were made here and of clay but each stove got one iron pipe to attach to the stove itself. This one had a butterfly valve in it to control the draught the chimney drew.

We could fill almost half of the orders but the rest had to await the next shipment and this one would be larger yet.

One stove went into Claudia's kitchen and I was there to help. She was given the standard recipe book and a few others that I thought of recently. When the job was done it was me that made the meal as I taught the servants about this device.

I challenged Claudia, Aulus and Postuma to make dishes for each other. Patricia had a head start so she taught her sibs and mother what she knew.

I stayed the night because I timed the delivery to be after Patricia's period. Neither of us got much sleep and I was sure everybody in the house knew what was going on.

The next day we worked on a pump for the well but pipe was our problem. I had cast iron pipe with machined ends and connectors that had to be soldered but I had to work with the lengths I received because I could not cut and machine much by hand.

We got this pipe to connect to a barrel in the ceiling after reinforcing the supports. This took all day to do but I found it enjoyable. By day's end Claudia could turn a valve and running water would fill the iron tub she had in the kitchen. Aulus had helped a lot and he was given the job of connecting the drain to a tile bed under a small garden. It was not much of a job but the boy wanted to try.

Julian had ordered a dozen scythes and I gave Aulus one complete unit and directions for bending the wood for the other eleven.

"This way you get a scythe that is built for you."

"This is a slaves' job."

"Aulus, I know that you work hard on the farm. You helped me put in the water. I cut grass too when it is harvest time. I pick grapes and do many tasks. I want you to be a great landowner that is respected by your employees and your peers."

"I do some work."

"You do a lot and that is one of the reasons I like you. Now do you know the directions on how to bend the wood?"

"Tell me again."

The goods we had in stock and for immediate sale did not last long. The money that I got went to more schools and food for the students. The students though were children to middle age. I segregated them according to age and their payment was to be food. I got a lot of the unemployed and some of the unemployable but this was fine. Some men and women could use their minds and what limbs they had left.

I began a glass blowing plant with the intention of capturing all of eastern Gaul. I was not going to make flat glass here yet because this would be kept a secret as long as possible. If the secret did leak out the Romans would even have a harder time that I would to keep the tin from oxidising.

The second night Patricia was very tired and we had slow sex and I let her sleep. I too rested with may arms around her and felt very content.

Lutetia was coming along fine now. I could make more money selling different products but let others make a profit too. I contacted Romans and even some Alemmani with an entrepreneurial frame of mind. I gave them a thirty percent discount to sell my products but most could only deal in the few products we had left. Those travelling were encouraged to buy here where it was cheap and sell further into Gaul. This of course would only last until I set up more distribution centres.

It was only a month after the last shipment that another came in. I was happy to see Rufus. He smiled at me but I saw that he was wounded.

I went immediately to him and said, "Hello Rufus. How badly are you hurt?"

"Just a scratch."

"Let me check."

He didn't argue but leaned against the side of the ship and I began to search out his ills. The scratch was much more and infected. I could even detect wood in his arm and thigh.

"I don't have my instruments. Do you have a small sharp knife?"

"I did but it's in the neck of a pirate. The ingrate even fell into the sea with it."

"Pirates! Were many of you hurt?"

"We lost two ships and twenty seven men."

"How many wounded do you have?"

"Fourteen. One died this morning."

I checked the wounded and began to work on the most severely wounded and stayed at it for hours. My tools were fetched but by then our surgeons were at work. Tuesday came and went but we stayed on the job. We didn't loose anybody but it was close.

The ships were unloaded as we worked and our return cargo fetched. I had to sleep for a day and found myself looking into Patricia's eyes as I awoke.

"Hello, beautiful. You going to lay on the bed with me?"

"I am going to stay safely out of your grasp. You are supposed to be healing."

"I heal better holding onto you."

"You will not just hold."

"You do get me to change my mind. All I have to do I see or smell you. Touching you works even faster."

"That is why I am staying here."

"Then tell me about my patients."

"They are all alive and recovering thanks to you and your physicians. Word of this is all through the city."

"The people are not angry at me missing Tuesday's service?"

"They understand. They had people here watching you and then reporting what was happening so everybody was informed."

"Rufus was not that badly hurt. What did he tell about the pirates?"

"He was very graphic and told of the fighting, the deaths and then your healing them all."

"That does not help me. What does he know about the pirates?"

"It is better that he tells you."

"I guess you're right. Come here for a kiss Sweetheart."

I tried to look innocent but once I got her she couldn't get away for a few hours.

Patricia went for Rufus and I found that he was very close. I learned the details of the attack and I was glad that as many ships had managed to get through. Rufus had come with eight ships and managed to keep six of them. It was fire arrows that kept the thirteen pirate ships at bay long enough for his ships to escape.

The Romans didn't like pirates and now I was angry at them too. They had taken my cargo and one of Rufus' ships as well as another captain's. They had killed twenty seven sailors that were working for me either directly or indirectly.

I wanted vengeance but I called it my civic responsibility to get rid of the pirates. The acid and other supplies I had, was converted in three days to nitroglycerine and guncotton and the mixture made into a type of plastique.

Quick silver was converted to fulminate of mercury in another process. Processes that I was going to use to help Julian would have to be used now.

There were enough stock to cover our orders and in a few more days my war chest was replenished.

Iulius and Atrius were asked if they wanted to go home for a visit to their families and they agreed. Both men knew I had plans from the way I closeted myself for the last week.

Rufus and his men had no problem sailing the same route they had used to come here. They figured I had a rabbit to pull out of my hat. Patricia was only one of the people that wanted me to stay but I explained that this had to be done.

I waited until Wednesday so I could have a Tuesday service and explain about the pirates and how they hurt all of us one way or another. Those that had been cured completely had come on the stage and then had some of the sailors that we had treated. This was to show that we could not be defeated but also to remind a crowd that had a notoriously short memory.

Helvius, Curtius and Manlius stayed behind to mind the store. They were a problem too. They also wanted to come.

We sailed back down the Seine but Rufus' ship was the least loaded. I needed speed and we could not get this with a heavy cargo. In three days we had cleared the mouth of the Seine but we had to sail at night. There was enough of a moon to do so and I was at the bow of the lead ship to give directions if needed.

I took out my bow and practised with my new long arrows that had a weight near the tip. I had done the same practice in Lutetia but now I was on the deck of a rolling ship. I was not bad because the seas were not rough. I changed arrows and put on the new ones with the actual explosives. A wood rod suck out the front which was held in place with heavy wax. It would strike a target and the small steel tip on the wood would strike the mercury fulminate and detonate the plastique.

This was my version of a shaped charge that was ignited just in front of a target. The wood shaft was short because the arrow was not going to be going that fast. It didn't even had a head on it.

We dropped back and one of Rufus' ships towed a target on a long rope. We came charging at it and the first arrow hit the water without exploding. The second did the same thing. The third though hit the log and blew it in two with a giant geyser wetting us.

Everybody on the ship was quiet now because they had never heard anything like this before. Those that were able to view the destruction had never seen anything like it either.

"This idea was given to me by Aldúlfr. He told me that Thor wanted this power to be put into my hands. There is little to fear but think of what it will do to a pirate ship that tries to take us this time."

Rufus started to roar his approval though he didn't seem to really feel that enthusiastic. He was doing it to get his crew behind me.

The last arrow destroyed the smaller piece and I let Rufus shoot it. He smiled though he was soaked and nearly deaf.

I put disks on the heads of the wooden pins now and the next day they would detonate on hitting just the water.

It was four more days until we were in the area of the attack but we found nothing. We picked this as a centre and we searched in the land in every direction. There were a lot of villages but none had the craft Rufus described nor did it have our ships. Rewards were offered for information but I only got bullshit from those trying for the gold.

We headed to England and we patrolled this area. We started around what would some day be Portsmouth and headed east along the coast.

I saw Roman ships and pulled into some ports to explain my search. These men gave me a lot of grief and wanted to be paid. I just left and a ship pursued until an arrow hit the water in front of it. I had no more problems.

We stopped to hunt and fish as well as pick up water. We saw a few ships and gave chase. They fled but we caught them because we were lighter. We made our demands for knowledge and one captain claimed that the area around Dubris or modern day Dover may be what we sought.

An arrow hit his deck with four gold coins in a small pouch.

It was two days to Dubris. The famous white cliffs were at this location. It was nearly night when we came on a harbour. It was very dangerous to enter with the tide and we had neither charts or information about shoals. We used weighted lines and proceeded as slow as we could while the five other ships stayed well offshore with five of my arrows for protection that they had to be forced to take.

There was no moon but the night was clear even for England. We anchored within easy reach of the shore and used a small boat to make multiple trips to land all twenty one of us. It took only a few minutes to for Rufus to confirm that one of the ships were his. Ships at anchor or pulled onto the land were also confirmed to be some of the pirate ships.

None of the ships in my opinion were very large and pulling them ashore was a practical solution unless they needed to leave at low tide. This did not mean that they were untenanted. Some had men on the large boats as they floated and other men were clustered around fires on land. The boats were expensive and labour was cheap.

The two ships were in a cluster with four others and the two we wanted were still floating. There were a lot of plans of what to do when we found the boats. Some were more rational than others but basically I had to think of what I was going to do with the pirates. Thirteen ships that were loaded with fighters instead of cargo could mean up to four hundred men. Some could be slaves but I had no way of knowing.

Killing or incarcerating four hundred men would mean having four hundred families without a father and husband. It could also mean many more men killed when other ships were attacked at some future time.

Taking these men in the first place would be difficult because the town looked to hold one to two thousand men.

One plan could fit this situation and Rufus was eager to try it. Before this began though we had to get some information from the locals. When we took back the ships there would be a lot of noise.

Rufus and two of his brawniest men and I went closer to the wall surrounding the city. Two men were sitting alone and talking while drinking from a keg. I was the one to pick up some good driftwood and slip up on one man. I hit him on the head and jumped on the other before he had a chance to call out. My fist hit his throat and he was not able to then.

In seconds we had our two captives. They were bound and I worked on their vocal cords to nearly paralyse them. They could not yell above a whisper. It was not the regular type of healing but it would do.

We all sat around the fire and Rufus started to sample the wine and offered his men some.

I said to the captives, "Hello. I am sorry for attacking you but I need information and you gentlemen will have to supply it." They didn't look ready yet to help me. "My name is Jón of Germania." They didn't flinch so I assumed that they had not heard of me. "The gods have favoured me with their power and their knowledge. I used this to keep you from calling out and you will find that your bodies will not obey you now."

Rufus and his men removed the bindings and the men struggled to move but could not. "Most of the time I heal people with my power. In a moment I am going to work on your body to make your hands very sensitive. That means that anything touching them can be felt. This also means that a small pain is made much greater. You would call out but you cannot yell and you cannot get away."

I went back to work on the men and the first one started to moan as his hands were touching the rocky land. In a few moments his friend was moving desperately but only in small amounts. Tears were coming to their eyes it was so bad.

"A simple question will allow us to start." I gave the information about the thirteen ships and the two that were taken.

The men professed ignorance in their odd speech. A town like this could not have secrets even if it was to where the two ships had come from.

Rufus took a twig and drew it along one of the men's hands and he thrashed as if it was a burning poker.

The next man got the tip of a seabird's feather but then the answers started to come. We learned the names of the thirteen men and then a little about both of them. Three were not here but out fishing or pirating.

The make up of the crew were sought and I happily found that many were slaves. That did not mean that they were innocent but I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

There were three locations within the city walls that held the slaves and their slave families. More slaves though were held at individual homes. I got an idea of their numbers and this was enough.

Rufus reminded me of his men and I said, "Did any of his men survive?"

"Six lived. There were more and we tried to save them but they were hurt too much." Rufus wanted to hurt these men now but he controlled himself. We found their location in the city.

"I am going to be nice now. You will go to sleep and wake up with your body back to normal. If you lied we will just pick you up on our way home and have all eternity making you regret any lie you mentioned. Is there anything you want to add?"

We found that there were more pirate captains but they had not partaken on the raid. More details came out to clarify points and they even suggested a way to gain access to the slaves we were after.

With the men asleep for a few hours we went back to the rest of the men. They were informed of the plan. We gained the wall easily and just avoided the guards at the gate. We split up into threes and worked toward one of the slave quarters.

There was only one guard on duty and he was half drunk. The door though would be difficult to open if the man had not had the key. I was the one to find the men I recognised because nobody could see in the large room.

The slaves began to awaken and I said in a calm voice, "My name is Jón of Germania. We are taking you away from your masters. If any wish to stay they are free to do so. I have taken hundreds of slaves and made them free. Depending on the situation this should happen to each of you."

There were thirty eight men that wished to accompany me. Five of the six were of course Rufus' men.

The slaves now were very anxious to leave and we worked our way back to the gates in small groups but sixty men were hard to hide. The watch came onto some of the groups but they were outnumbered quickly and their unconscious forms placed in the alleys.

Three of us took the guards at the gate but we had made a lot of noise in doing so. Near the shore Rufus got his men broken up into groups that would take each of the four ships and the two of ours. Men were rowed to the ships and we all attacked at once. There was a lot of noise and fires sprang up all along the shore.