Part 3 (1/2)
”Well, thank you, but I'd hate to impose on a man I've never met Anyway, there are plenty of people out of work in Cieszyn I think our best bet would be to go there and put together a construction crew before going to Three Walls”
”Three Walls?”
”I've decided on the name because the valley we'll build in is boxed on three sides by high mountains God has built three of our walls We need only build the fourth”
”A nice thought Hhtfall”
”Right The girls couldn't stay in the saddle that long anyway I think we'll call on Sir Miesko and Lady Richeza for the night There's a stream and a meadow an hour ahead We'll break there for dinner”
Sir Conrad's language was always colorful At the meadoe helped the ladies off their palfreys, unsaddled the mounts, unloaded the mules and hobbled all the animals save Conrad's Anna, who refused it Conrad treated Anna as an indulgent father treats a favorite daughter, per her to race about the woods around the meadow Only after she had completely circled the meadoice, once near and once far, did she corass It was just exuberance on her part, I know, but I had the uncanny feeling that she was searching for possible a to find the ladies preparing dinner, but the fact was that they could barely walk Conrad hi wood and in a re He see hiestion that any should aid hie in this woirls such that they limped up and took over the preparation of food frorass
He was silent for a while, so I said, ”Share your thoughts,about that coal mine It's filled ater and we'll need some sort of pump to empty it”
”Another of your windmills?”
”I don't think so The valley is surrounded by fairly tall mountains with only a small entrance between the two cliffs There won't be much wind there”
”It sounds easily defended”
”There is that advantage But pu to be a problem Wind power is out There is no stream, so water power is impossible Animal power?
The area is heavily forested and it will be years before we're self-sufficient in food
I animal feed would be expensive But, if we have coal, I wonder if we couldn't coh- pressure boilers are well beyond us, but perhaps a condensing steaain Please explain hoere possible to raise water with vapors”
”Let's see I've explained that as If you heat a solid enough, it h, it boils”
”That as phase is iven amount of material takes up much more room”
”I'll take that on faith”
”You don't have to take it on faith You have observed it! You've watched a pot boiling Look there, where the girls are cooking Stea it Further, that steam was once water, as, is proved by the way the water level in the pot gets lower as oes out”
”I said I believe you!” I sat bolt upright
”You said you had faith! What I tell you about science should never be taken on faith! Each and every step should be proved by direct observation I a to teach you how to understand andto teach you a religion! That's not my job!”
”I'm sorry, Sir Conrad Please continue” He has such a teh wine
”No, I owe the apology, Sir Vladiious aspect to science You see, God s, the whole of existence He is the Grand Planner, the Master Designer, the Chief Engineer When we study the world around us, we are studying His works, His thoughts It's alnore that and have faith in the words of a mere ht! That it were possible to study theHis works-in the sa your mills and loo time to absorb it”
We were silent for a while and then our ladies called us to dinner They were still walking stiffly and were not at all cheerful
”Why such downcast faces?” I asked
”My love, it is notme,” Annastashi+a replied
”Well, cheer up! We shall be at Sir Miesko's in four more hours”
”Four more hours!” came five simultaneous feminine cries
”Well, I' for it The fault is all in those sidesaddles you persist in using With the possible exception of teats on a stallion, they are the stupidest things i to keep the rider in place but the horse's good intentions, an untrustworthy thing at best Look at that rig! The rider ned to nu, put her left foot into an inadequate stirrup and then put her right toe under the back of her left knee to obliterate sensation in that member as well Its sole purpose see a dress and destroying her body”
”Well what are we supposed to do about it?”
”Don't ask hter and a lover Sir Conrad is our master of technical devices”
Five pairs of eyes turned on Conrad
”It's obvious Put on pants and ride on a man's saddle”
”That's scandalous!” Krystyana said ”The very thought that a lady would be seen in a irl, 'seen' Make an outfit that looks like a woman's dress but functions like a man's pants”
”Uh I don't follow you”
”Take one of your dresses Slit it hem to crotch in front and behind Sew in a fold of cloth between them If you're careful about it, you can make it look acceptable but still be able to fork a horse”
The girls looked at each other anxiously and then grew a corin
Suddenly, Krystyana said, ”But hoould you get into it?”
”Well you could make it in two pieces, top and bottom, blouse and skirt; or you could slit it down the front and button it up like one of rins returned
”But that's not going to get us to Sir Miesko's You girls clean and pack the gear while we saddle the horses”