Chapter 5

China and India as well as all the major cities in Europe and North America had to be monitored. In the case of the Far East, more satellites had to be put in orbit. Our units were very crude by Pack standards because we had to use the information we had in out data storage. Sometimes we could make logical deductions and improve in what the natives of today would call civilian equipment.

Monitoring the cities from orbit gave us little information but drones were made by the thousands that flooded the area to secure the data we needed.

Important individuals had a drone dedicated to them. This was spying on a person's private life and was abhorrent to me. I rationalised what was happening by telling myself that Harpo and the other computers were monitoring the situation, not me. I felt pain when my conscience told me that I would be informed of important events or a verbal summary of what was happening in the world.

One thing I learned was that Hector had miraculously sold all his books and could sell more. He had to get the next twenty-nine volumes of the medical encyclopaedia. This was selling so well that we had to do a reprint of the first volume as well. All together seventy-five thousand sets would be sold or put on the market.

Other books were printed and readied for shipment. Dictionaries of all the major languages as well as ones that converted one language to another.

The book on British aristocracy almost got Hector put in jail but he had taken my advice and found barristers ready to fight for his rights. The common people could not read the history but they could hear what others said about this. Hector even solicited funds from the poor and had people read chapters from the book.

The population simply loved to see how their betters had feet of clay.

When the aristocracy clamped down on this, there was a howl of outrage. When Hector was jailed, it was the English mob that cried for his release.

Harpo and the other computers had studied English law and put forward arguments to shield Hector. When this did not work well enough other portions of the history book were read where innocent men were railroaded into jail by the powers that be.

The screaming of the crowds convinced the courts to try to do justice instead of the mob justice that could come about if the populace was not satisfied.

Hector was released and he spent his time in London talking about the excesses of the English lords and comparing them to those across the channel.

This also had the benefit of advertising his books. During his arrest, he admitted that the books came from a salesman in the Ottoman Empire. These people were already well known for making excellent paper and having great printing ability.

Our warship was still in the Appalachian Mountains waiting to be used. A much smaller wooden sailing ship was constructed that relied on wind power. It was still much larger than any ship of this time apart from our steam powered ship. This design like the other could be deduced from information we had gathered before I was thrown into my past.

This ship, with wind power alone, crossed the Atlantic in just three weeks with a crew of Cherokee, Chickasaw and Scots. In the hold were many ceramic cases containing the latest shipment of books, cloth and a sewing machines.

The Scots knew all about smuggling and the cargo was brought ashore without incident by Hector's family. This whole act was to show Hector's family that the books did not magically appear in a barn one night. It also served to promote the North American native as an educated man because none of the Scots on the ship were the Captain.

The contents of the packing cases could possibly start a revolution. These were poorly printed books attacking all the religions except the Church of England. It quoted unnamed members of the English aristocracy. The author came across as conciliatory and truthful. Many instances were documented where the facts the other religions wished to hide, could be found and proved in public records. The high living clergy were mentioned by name and what really happened to the money they gathered.

A Catholic that nobody would be able to find would attack all religions but his own. It was particularly aimed at the Anglicans in retort to what the other book divulged.

This book was printed in both Spanish and French so there was twice as many. This Catholic author was frothing at the mouth but everything he said was truthful too. Since the mainland clergy were more guilty than the English, the author made arguments to protect the immoral Church members. His defence was faulty and a reader could see this if they looked.

The paper in all these books was poor and so was the choice of typeface and more importantly, both looked very different as if printed on different machines.

I arrived on the ship as the owner and thanked Captain Hawk of the Chickasaw for the comfortable trip in front of Hector's family.

Hector was coming back to Glasgow from his incarceration to be presented with the latest shipment. I could feel his worry because of the trouble he had been through.

Hector read both of the books on religion and frowned, "This second book would get me hung not thrown in jail."

"I know Hector. Don't start until you have the second book safely in the another countries. Remember, you have to have enough time pass for an author to write a rebuttal and get it into print then distribute it."

"I know. I had seen this trouble before but I had never thought the English would actually throw me in jail."

"Are you using the courts to press a case for abuse of power?"

"The lawyers said it would not come to much and I would be years at it."

"Just keep yourself safe. The storm that will come will have all printing presses monitored or possibly destroyed."

Hector was very distraught now. "Those presses of mine are printing money. I sell every book I make almost as soon as the ink is dry."

"That's good to hear. I also hear that your schools are doing very well."

He smiled at me now. "It could be because some donor gave me thousands of books for those that could not read with beautiful pictures. I have people coming to me an beg to get to go to school."

This was the normal state of affairs. Most people saw the rich as educated and tried to learn but had no way of doing so.

Hector added, "The wee lassies distract the lads. I should have them in separate schools."

"This is a fact of life. It's best for them to get used to this now."

"I know."

Schools in North America had cropped up in many of the native villages. It was not just the Cherokee but the other tribes that were doing the teaching. The school buildings were constructed under the watchful eyes of the villages. A clinic, gym, food storage areas, water storage and a septic system were added and all was constructed out of benasso.

The doctors were newly minted and had to consult the medical texts regularly. It was easy for the youngsters to see the respect the doctors got and want to learn for themselves.

The North America army had begun and after the visit of Captain Fustian, it had gained momentum. There were lots of aspirants but we chose carefully. Some individuals were better off in the army where they could be controlled. The most brutal were monitored carefully and given jobs to instill discipline.

These people were marked with a helmet and a communicator so that they could be coaxed by one or more of the computers to do what was needed. Along the way, those wearing the communicators learned to obey too.

The military bases were placed in strategic locations but were usually empty. Large training bases were made. Here the recruits were shown unimaginable luxury but had to work very hard to enjoy it. Rivalry was encouraged through sports and war games but never along tribal lines. Colours were used instead of animal names. The latter denoted some native races more than others.

The biggest help was the way the local natives expanded our reach. They took holographic units and drones in every direction to reach the villages.

The negotiations with the French and the Spanish crown did not go far. I visited often but still had to find representatives to assist me. These were usually members of the enlightenment. I was offered a place in their number and accepted it.

I was also offered induction into the Illuminati and the Freemasons. These were powerful underground movements that would shape human progress for centuries to come. Neither looked good from my place as a person from the twenty-third century but both were certainly better than what was in place in the eighteenth.

I propose my own written oath. A man's word was important to him in my time and in this one but there was a difference in the criteria. It was not that one was better than the other but that I wanted it clear what I would and would not do.

Both organisations tentatively accepted me and I them but meetings would be a problem.

I saw the benefit of their organisation and the power of some people near the world leaders. In turn I could assist both organisations to further their aims and perhaps guide them into a path I considered better for mankind.

The onboard encyclopaedia said that a smallpox epidemic was going to sweep Boston. We had to let it start and be recognised before we began large scale inoculations by the native doctors. There was a lot of opposition to this but those given an injection did not die.

In the spring of 1722, I made a point of finding a sixteen year-old boy by the name of Benjamin Franklin. He was currently employed as an apprentice in his brother James printing firm. History showed that James would get in trouble with what he printed and Ben would not be popular with the city fathers. In September of next year, he would run away to Philadelphia. It would be better to meet him first.

He was one of the future members of both organisations. The man was a genius with charm, determination and a great thirst for learning.

I entered the front door of The New England Courant and met the boy for the first time. From the way he reacted, I knew that he knew who I was.

"Hello Mr Stuart. How may I help you, Sir?"

"Hello Ben. I saw you squinting over your work from the street."

The boy was surprised, probably since I knew his name. He confirmed my suspicions by saying, "How do you know me, Sir?"

"You are in my library enough that I recognised you."

He blushed and looked down then up again. "I thank you very much for allowing me to read your books."

I had been doing a lot of book buying in Europe simply because so many books were lost. The duplicates were put in my library along with some ringers. The ringers were books made to look old but propounded ideas I wanted known. These ideas would reinforce my own teachings. "You're very welcome, Ben."

"What can I do for you, Sir."

"I would like to get a book printed."

"A book, like in your library?"

"Yes. It is my opinions of the moral decay I see. It does not touch on religion so it can be safely printed or at least I think so."

"I'd be happy to get my brother."

"In a moment please." Ben stopped and I said, "I'm working on another book. This one carries on after Newton's Opticks. There is a lot more detail and much more mathematics involved. You are wearing a simple form of spectacles. Ours will be different in that we grind the lower portion different than the upper portion. This will correct some of the problems we have found."

"Is that why you said I was squinting?"

The boy was smart and I said so. "I'm also looking for a smart young man to work in my R & D facility. R & D means research and development. We are doing experiments on light, we are making steam engines of a radically new design and we are using a form of lightning that could be used for communications. Each idea is worth many millions of pounds."

"You want me?"

"You are bright, inquisitive and I think honourable. You can decide after you publish the first book."

"I can't abandon my brother."

"I have a replacement in mind. He does not have your gifts but he's dedicated."

"I certainly will think on this. Would you like to talk to my brother?"

"I would." I handed over a hand written book that discussed man's inhumanity to man.

Ben had to go back to work but I knew he wanted to read the book. His brother was out and I would have to come back later to iron out the details.

A month later Ben quit his job and Tall Tree took his place. The Creek was bright and could speak fairly good English. He would work for James and try to keep him out of trouble while suggesting improvements to the business.

I did my part by purchasing advertisements in the newspaper about my products. Charles did the same. With a little chiding, Molly advertised her seamstress business which boasted one of the few real sewing machines in the province.

Ben was unaware that everyone in the lab he worked for was taught by the computers. They communicated with the machines daily to further their education. The purpose was manifold. The natives and the Scots promoted native innovation. When something was presented, we would have a ready team of people that could describe what had been built so it was not branded as witchcraft.

One of the first devices was our hang glider. To prepare the way I posted a prize for any glider. I got the city fathers to add to it. This would force them accept what would happen. European and native North America people participated. Here we had ringers too because many ideas were good but not quite ready for introducing flight. They would show a divergence of ideas though as well as show off the natives as thinkers.

Tall Tree did a very good article on the entire event. This was published in the newspaper and copies would reach all the major British cities like Halifax, Philadelphia, New York and Williamburg within a few weeks.

Ben was there too with his own invention. It was not very good but all the contestants got a pound for trying hard. This was a lot of money for the time.

The winner of course was a Cherokee girl that used silk and some thin oak strips. I publicly talked to her parents who were both doctors if I could get the child to help making a kite for a man. They agreed. Three weeks later, the girl, Rainbow successfully flew from the top of my warehouse in front of the town fathers.

Tall Tree and Ben both did articles that would go into the paper. The Church was not impressed but they could not bitch because many of the previous contestants had been their children.

Ben worked on the kite until I pulled him off and showed him how a hard needle on a taut diaphragm would sound quite loud. The reverse was used to make indentations in a plastic compound we made that was similar to vinyl. Within a week we had our first phonograph record.

The young man lived with the rest of his group. I had made Judo compulsory as it was in my time. Ben was determined but did not match up to the natives that were much stronger.

I approached him as he got up from the mat where Blossom had thrown him. I smiled at the girl and waited for Ben. Ben got up quickly when he saw me and hurriedly approached.

"Hello Sir. Did you wish me to do something for you?"

"Yes I do Ben but let me ask some questions first just to set the stage?"

"Certainly Sir." A big smile came out. I usually gave him a task at these times that pushed back the boundaries of knowledge so he was well ready.

"I'll ask the questions all at once. What is your opinion of your present circumstances? Is the organisation you are now employed by elitist, evil, arrogant, foolish, dangerous, or mismanaged? I wish the facts. I will think less of you if you colour your answers for me."

Ben thought for a while. I could feel his consternation then it stopped as he thought. "I think Stuart Trading Company is the best company I can imagine. They help the poor and the sick. They build to help the community. They do not even work to overcome other merchants. As for me, I'm the happiest I have ever been. I get to read and study and then put what I learn to work. The only thing I might change is your insistence on this physical activity."

I had to smile at his eagerness. "In a year, your brother James will not be able to slap you around. You are stronger and leaner. You are also more healthy. You move with grace and not like a proper gentleman."

Ben frowned so I added, "You are like a predatory cat looking for a fight. The women respond to this."

He brightened and said, "Thank you for the compliment but I have had little time to let the fine ladies of the town see me. Here I am just a kitten among the older cats. They teach me and perhaps play with me. I am more of a kitten playing a stalker to an indulgent mother cat."

"If there is no pain, there is no gain."

"I like that turn of phrase, Sir."

"You may use it with my blessings and this brings me to the reason I'm talking to you now."

"Yes, Sir?"

I would like some articles published that talk about what we do so the citizens of this land know more about us."

"I can do that easily, Sir."

"I know you can but I want Mrs Dogood to also write her own summary. I'm sure she came here at one time or another to visit. I'm equally sure Silence Dogood would find something amusing about us. Two opinions are better than one and humour even if it is self-deprecating is a good idea."

Ben was red. "You know?"

"Certainly. That was one of the many reasons I hired you. Humour and wit you have as well as a keen mind."

Ben wrote letters under the name Silence Dogood. The character was a widow of nearly forty with three children. The city fathers, merchants and others were poked fun at. The men did not like this and would try to do some unpleasantness to the author.

Ben's letters were funny enough to be published in the leading newspaper in London. In a way it was a shame that I hired him because the letters stopped. Perhaps he would start up again.

By Christmas, we had him wearing the new bifocal spectacles and also a quite a few of the local citizenry. For his birthday, I put him on the Celeste to register the patents we made in London, Paris and Spain. This would also serve to broaden his education and expose the ship and crew to the continent. He had to make a good will visit to Halifax and deliver some of our books before carrying on to Britain.

Near the end of summer, Captain Marshal Fustian had come back to Georgia with another ship but was denied the privileges to land. The natives were in smart looking uniforms and wore sidearms and rifles. The armoured car was present and most people on the ships knew just what it was. They did not push to land but went further south.

The vehicle was moved and a new crew met the ships and again they had to leave. This happened one more time. It was hard for the English to argue with people that were so common as to be everywhere the ship tried to put in or with so many armoured vehicles.

Right after Ben left. I went to Madrid on my twelfth talk with Philip.

After our usual flowery greeting, he said, "I have learned that you are beginning to loan money to the lower class in Paris and London. You constructed two giant structures to work from. Why have you not done this here?"

"Your banking laws are more restrictive. I see no profit in doing so."

"Would you loan to the gentry?"

"I would loan some if the laws were changed."

"How much?"

"Five hundred kilos I think are enough."

"I cannot get over your way of counting."

"It's fast and accurate. It does not deal in base metal in the gold or the wear and tear on a coin."

"Some of my advisors point out that I should sell Georgia."

"That may be a good idea, especially since England now claims it too."

"Would you take this land?"

"If I got both east and west Florida I would take it."

"What would you offer?"

"Three tonnes. The present owners of the land will keep their property. They will have to follow the new laws but they are more relaxed than your laws."

"I will take five tonnes and five hundred tonnes of sugar each year."

"If you change the banking laws here, I agree to build a bank here that is the equal to London and Paris. I will further offer you four tonnes of pure gold for the land. I will have to fight the English and you can sit back and watch."

"My wife wants more of your plates."

"I will give you a set for one hundred. These ones will be in chased gold with the likeness of you and your wife on them. Nobody in the world has this yet."

"Let's see what my ministers think."

The contract was made to my satisfaction in four weeks. During that time, construction was started on the bank and on a large warehouse that would sell our products. I would get my gold back and Philip would be then ready to sell me more.

On February the sixth of 1723, the Celeste pulled into port and the crew casually carried four thousand one kilo blocks of gold from the hold.

Philip got the reports of the sampling and signed the papers. I was now a legitimate ruler but nobody knew of Alaska yet anyway. The gold made Philip's eyes almost glow but his eyes were even more attached to the porcelain with the features of he and his wife on it.

The rest of the year was devoted to informing the present tenants that they were now subject to the laws of Mu. This meant that slavery was illegal. The landowners were offered gold for their land and property but few accepted it. An ombudsman was appointed to interceded in some matters where unseen situations arose. We agreed to buy back the slaves of those that left at a fair price.

There was a short war with the landowners that was fought by our small army. The slaves rebelled as well. Spies from all the major nations were in both Floridas to see how the country was shaping up.

Some were here to give me trouble and gave advice to the slaveholders. Harpo just kept monitoring and prepared. The owners tried to ship their slaves to Cuba but this was not allowed either.

Some owners killed their slaves but we assassinated the owners when it looked like this was their plan. The scots were better at this and taught the natives the technique.

It would be another year before all the slaves were released. The majority of the landowners accepted our offer of gold and went back to Spain. More still were killed by former slaves.

Construction units built small forts in the ocean but near the shore. We boasted some long range black powder cannon.

The former slaves were put into communes and educated by teachers. It was not time for them to learn about Harpo or the drones.

The banks were doing well in the three major countries. We made sure every loan was secured by property. We verified each of the loans.

It was our warehouses that brought in the most wealth. Philip took a portion of each sale but I was comfortable with this. Native North Americas did the work in most places.

A hospital was usually affiliated with each business and we did a good business here too. The rich landowners had to pay for us to treat the poor as well as them. Drugs always sold at exorbitant prices to the rich but ours worked.

The reigning monarchs all had their personal doctor but those men all had read our books and now did a better job.

During the times of our troubles in Florida, the pro Anglican book came out. It was accepted so well in Britain that we had to send Hector twenty thousand more.

Some of those books made their way to North America and were soon seized and burnt. Men were thrown in jail and I felt compelled to send them aid anonymously in the form of legal help.

Eight months after this book first came out, the other two books arrived. There were still a lot of Catholics in Britain and they too read the retorts. The Church of England now burnt the books. All the book sellers were questioned as to where the books came from.

Life was bad for strangers preaching any religion other than the one the community favoured. Mobs had killed a few of the upper echelon French clergy and the rest of the church was shaken.

Strange newspapers came out that talked about some of the particularly bad individuals but nobody knew where the newspapers came from. There was a listing of their wealth when we could find it. Some stories mentioned sexual deviance and this was brought out with pictures of the men doing their despicable acts. When the clergy fled to safer surroundings, pamphlets gave the information to the public.

Into all this, the English were testing the new cannon the Scot had developed. The process for making the cannon was much more expensive and difficult than simply casting them. The Spanish and the French were kept well informed of the developments. New taxes were introduced and the two countries began to build war ships.

England saw this and prepared for war too. My own ships were nearing completion and these were offered to the crown at a premium price. They did not like it but they paid.

The European people in North America were not colonies yet but they felt the pinch too. Most of the taxes were based on imported goods. I just happened to have a lot of goods that I had purchased in China and India. The English in North America learned to their detriment that they could not compete. Ships that came here to trade had to drop their prices for their cargoes if they wanted to buy our produce. This would discourage trade.

Louis XV of France attained his majority and I was on hand to congratulate him and give him a small gift or bribe. He was young and full of vigour and perhaps foolishness too. If he went to war, he would need gold to buy ships and hire men.

I built four warehouses that resembled locally made structures in each of the three countries. I stocked them with various kinds of alcoholic products. Our wares were far superior and sold very well. Cloth was taxed but we smuggled better than anybody had before. Again, this discouraged trade.

The London bank issued paper money that was impossible for current technology to duplicate. At the same time we introduced counterfeit bills of other kinds. Ours were so good you could not tell them from the real ones.

When this worked well, we tried to do the same thing in the other two countries but I could not make my own currency. The English Exchequer wanted my bank to print their own new bills but we avoided the issue as much as possible.

The Exchequer retaliated and called in all our paper money and we cheerfully redeemed it in gold. In fact they were shocked to get the bullion immediately. They then had to call out a the military to protect their burden.

We issued our own gold coins with an alloy to make them strong but the gold content was still a full troy ounce. They were punched out on a giant press. It would be difficult to scrape small amounts of gold from each coin as what was usually done. Our coins actually said their gold content so they were readily accepted.

To add to the problems, some strange ships started damaging English, French and Spanish ships that came to Africa to purchase slaves. We tried to reduce the lose of life as much as possible. Hemp cloth, inferior to what we usually made, was sold to the Africans. I did not want the Europeans to think that I was the one attacking them. Whiskey was sold too and again it had to be different from what was sold in Europe.

Some of those same ships we destroyed, were church owned vessels. Most were European but some were from North America. These particular ones were destroyed outside their own ports. The Admiralty had to pay a lot more money to protect the shipping from pirates.

Georgia was turned into one large checkerboard of farms. Animals had their place and so did man. Automated machinery stripped out much of the trees in the sections we chose and in some, seedlings were planted. By the fall of 1723 there had been a good harvest of local grains.

Britain always had problems feeding itself, so this grain was sold to Britain for gold. The harvest of 1724 looked even better.

The great powers had problems in China. The Chinese Emperor said that all foreign traders had to do business in Guangzhou and not where they chose. If I had not disturbed history too much then all foreign missionaries would soon be expelled as well. Also in 1724 Philip V would step down in favour of his 17 year-old son Louis I. The boy was the son of his first wife Maria Louisa of Savoy. This son had died of smallpox in my history but now would make it because of the vaccines we made.

I was now in uncharted territory because I would not know what Louis I of Spain was like. I hoped he acted like so many other aristocrats of this time and had a war or two thrown in their honour.

I had to trade through Guangzhou unless I was going to smuggle but I had nothing against China other than it was not responding to the threats. I had sent mail to the old and the new Emperor about the what would happen.