Chapter 10D

"Wait," Gwen said. "Go back."

"How far?" asked Seven. "Explosives?"

"Not that far."

"German submarine?"

"Yeah."

"U-Boat. 3523."

"No ... the part about the gold."

"Damn ... thought I passed that by you."

"How did you find the sub?"

"When we raised the sea floor."

The Archbishop of Canterbury gabbled.

"Shut up old man," said Seven. "We realized ... what with the rise in sea level ... that you needed more land ... so we made some. Not a lot... 4 or 5 square miles ... or is that 4 or five miles square? Anyway ... it's bigger. There's no passage between the Weymouth shore ... it's not deep, not wadeable. A couple of hundred yards and a nasty rip. We put up a couple of lighthouses, desalinated the land, planted trees and hedges. And the castle and village ... you should go see."

"What about the gold!"

"It's in your bank vault. Oh ... you have a bank."

"Cool."

"You need people. We made a list," Seven waved it and started reading, "Peasants, shop keepers, a couple of butchers, lighthouse keepers, Coast Guard crews for the launches, helicopter crew, a volunteer army. You should set up an embassy. There's a couple of fishing boats ... and a couple of smugglers boats.

"It's a pretty neat place. Has a couple of good harbors ... and a marina."

She smiled at Gwen, "The airport is smallish. You'll need people to run it. We suspect the gold from the sailing ship wrecks can pay everybody until they become an economy. The fort guarding the castle harbor is antique. That whole side of the island is medieval. the other side of the mountain chain is all business."

"Just how big is this island?" asked the Queen.

"Hold on ... I think they've finished." She held the palm of her hand to her ear, mumbled a bit and had the courtesy to look shocked. "That big?"

"No, but it's bigger than I'd planned."

"Too much stuff and not enough room?"

"Sorry, you know my wanter is bigger than my needer."

"It's done?"

"Just the cattle and sheep to go?"

"That's awfully big."

"Ok ... I'll tell her."

She turned to the Queen, "You heard?"

"How big is it!?!"

"One hundred thirty thousand acres ... give or take a few ... miles." Seven had to grin. "The gods went overboard. It's just a little bigger than the Isle of Wight."

Gwen said, "Holy shit! It's mine?"

"And Davids."

I asked, "How tall is the mountain?"

"Just a second, I'll ask."

"The hand cupping the ear trick is cute, Seven," Gwen said.

"I saw it on TV... Rowan and Martin's Laugh In.

"Just a second. That tall?"

"Borrowed it from asteroid belt?"

"Skiing?"

"David, it's tall enough for skiing ... hold on."

"Really?"

"Nickel vanadium?"

"Seven miles long?"

"You guys do good work."

"You're welcome."

"Love you too."

She dropped her hand, blushing like crazy. "Little personal there, at the end.

"Ok ... the mountain range is almost coast to coast and east to west. The exact center is three thousand feet tall and slopes to a couple of hundred on both ends. A miniature Switzerland or coastal Norway. There's more land on the north side of the range and the slope is steeper. The south facing slope is gentle from a thousand feet all the way to the coast. Gwen? They moved the castle."

"What?"

"Ski lodge ... it's going to be so much fun."