Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
The revolving chamber vs. revolving barrel debate. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. Gatling type weapons have to spin up, require electric motors but don't have as many issues with heat. Revolving chamber weapons use less mass and a less demanding blowback or recoil based system. At the same time, I am sure you noticed the cooling jacket in the video. Typically, most nations went with what they were most familiar with in developing this sort of system.
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Part 135, Chapter 2308
Chapter Two Thousand Three Hundred Eight
24th July 1974
Mitte, Berlin
“I don’t see what the big deal is” Anna said, her voice full of insolence and Nancy really wanted to slap her. Tilo’s mother was listening in on the conversation because she was visiting much to Nancy’s annoyance.
“Do you understand how institutions that pride themselves on academic excellence maintain that excellence?” Nancy asked, “They do it by getting rid of those who let their grades slip.”
“Then I will just go to a different school like Gretchen did” Anna replied, completely indifferent to what Nancy had just said.
The Tzschocha School had given Nancy an earful about how about Anna having become an indifferent student over the course of the last school year and how she frequently mistreated her fellow students. They had told her that if Anna didn’t return with better attitude in September, then she would be well advised attend school elsewhere.
This came at a time when Marie Cecilie, or Rea as her family called her, had decided to shake things up. For years, much of the public had assumed that she was gay while Nancy was aware of the minor detail that Rea never had been gay. Now she was about to clarify the truth about her existence and make some arrangements that would leave the Government of Denmark fuming. Having Anna’s problems added on top of that was the last thing that Nancy needed at this moment.
“It is easy to be lazy and careless, at first” Nancy said looking Anna right in the eye. “But it seems like every time I did that, I paid a price for it until I learned better.”
“What? Missed an appointment at a hair salon?” Anna said with a sneer. Nancy knew that this was the side of her daughter that Tzschocha saw as a huge problem. Once again, she wanted to slap Anna but knew that would solve nothing. That was when Helga saved her the trouble. Nancy heard the sound of the blow that sent Anna sprawling and a few seconds later she stood back up, a red mark across her cheek and a shocked look on her face.
“Oma!” Anna exclaimed.
“Don’t you Oma me” Helga said, “Your mother has bent over backwards to persuade you to stop being such a stupid little bitch. Tell her about the times you were careless Nancy, what the consequences were. All three of them.”
Nancy had no clue as to how Helga had figured out what she had been referring to so quickly.
“It was more than just three times” Nancy said, “But those were the big ones.”
“What are you even talking about?” Anna asked, hurt, and bewildered by this turn of events.
“Every time I left things to chance, I lost” Nancy said, “And a few of those times, I ended up with a baby to care for as a result.”
“You are saying that I was a mistake?” Anna asked, totally aghast that Nancy would say such a thing.
“What I said about you being a stupid bitch” Helga said, “You, your brother and sister were never mistakes. Though there are times when you seem hellbent on making yourself into one. Constantly being a pain in the ass, I would have thrown you out on your ear for far less than you mother has put up with.”
Anna was completely appalled hearing the sharp tone that her grandmother was using. All the times that she had deliberately shoved her thumb into the eye of the adults in her life it must have never occurred to her that they had opinions of their own about her that were decidedly not complimentary.
Boston, Massachusetts
This was not what Tatianna had in mind when she had gotten involved with the BND. The summers spent in Ireland had been enjoyable and the efforts to speak with the appropriate accent had been a challenge. Now though, things were not as simple, and she found herself waiting tables in an Irish themed restaurant knowing that her family was traveling to Montreal at that very moment to visit her grandparents. The absurdity of her situation wasn’t lost on her as she found herself talking to tourists whose knowledge of Irish food and culture was limited to say the least. The owner of the place made a point of hiring young women from Ireland, mostly those wanting just to take a look around in America, make some money and then go home. It was perfect for Tatiana’s purposes in familiarizing herself with Boston. Though as she was finding out, it was an actual job and there were very real expectations that she would do it.
Needing to take a quick break, Tatiana entered the restroom and locked the door. Splashing water from the sink onto her face, she looked at herself in the mirror. “Your name is Anne Morgan, and you are a University student in Belfast when you are not doing this” She whispered to herself. There had been a few times when she had wanted to go off on a particularly boorish customer, but she had already figured out that when she got angry, she reverted right back into being herself. It was something that would be disastrous here because the other people who worked here would instantly know she wasn’t who she said she was.
Opening the door, Tatiana forced herself to smile as she faced another group sitting around a table as they puzzled over the menu. In her preparations for this she had heard a comedian once joke that the Irish didn’t do cuisine or culture, they did penance. She was being given a full understanding as to what exactly that meant.
24th July 1974
Mitte, Berlin
“I don’t see what the big deal is” Anna said, her voice full of insolence and Nancy really wanted to slap her. Tilo’s mother was listening in on the conversation because she was visiting much to Nancy’s annoyance.
“Do you understand how institutions that pride themselves on academic excellence maintain that excellence?” Nancy asked, “They do it by getting rid of those who let their grades slip.”
“Then I will just go to a different school like Gretchen did” Anna replied, completely indifferent to what Nancy had just said.
The Tzschocha School had given Nancy an earful about how about Anna having become an indifferent student over the course of the last school year and how she frequently mistreated her fellow students. They had told her that if Anna didn’t return with better attitude in September, then she would be well advised attend school elsewhere.
This came at a time when Marie Cecilie, or Rea as her family called her, had decided to shake things up. For years, much of the public had assumed that she was gay while Nancy was aware of the minor detail that Rea never had been gay. Now she was about to clarify the truth about her existence and make some arrangements that would leave the Government of Denmark fuming. Having Anna’s problems added on top of that was the last thing that Nancy needed at this moment.
“It is easy to be lazy and careless, at first” Nancy said looking Anna right in the eye. “But it seems like every time I did that, I paid a price for it until I learned better.”
“What? Missed an appointment at a hair salon?” Anna said with a sneer. Nancy knew that this was the side of her daughter that Tzschocha saw as a huge problem. Once again, she wanted to slap Anna but knew that would solve nothing. That was when Helga saved her the trouble. Nancy heard the sound of the blow that sent Anna sprawling and a few seconds later she stood back up, a red mark across her cheek and a shocked look on her face.
“Oma!” Anna exclaimed.
“Don’t you Oma me” Helga said, “Your mother has bent over backwards to persuade you to stop being such a stupid little bitch. Tell her about the times you were careless Nancy, what the consequences were. All three of them.”
Nancy had no clue as to how Helga had figured out what she had been referring to so quickly.
“It was more than just three times” Nancy said, “But those were the big ones.”
“What are you even talking about?” Anna asked, hurt, and bewildered by this turn of events.
“Every time I left things to chance, I lost” Nancy said, “And a few of those times, I ended up with a baby to care for as a result.”
“You are saying that I was a mistake?” Anna asked, totally aghast that Nancy would say such a thing.
“What I said about you being a stupid bitch” Helga said, “You, your brother and sister were never mistakes. Though there are times when you seem hellbent on making yourself into one. Constantly being a pain in the ass, I would have thrown you out on your ear for far less than you mother has put up with.”
Anna was completely appalled hearing the sharp tone that her grandmother was using. All the times that she had deliberately shoved her thumb into the eye of the adults in her life it must have never occurred to her that they had opinions of their own about her that were decidedly not complimentary.
Boston, Massachusetts
This was not what Tatianna had in mind when she had gotten involved with the BND. The summers spent in Ireland had been enjoyable and the efforts to speak with the appropriate accent had been a challenge. Now though, things were not as simple, and she found herself waiting tables in an Irish themed restaurant knowing that her family was traveling to Montreal at that very moment to visit her grandparents. The absurdity of her situation wasn’t lost on her as she found herself talking to tourists whose knowledge of Irish food and culture was limited to say the least. The owner of the place made a point of hiring young women from Ireland, mostly those wanting just to take a look around in America, make some money and then go home. It was perfect for Tatiana’s purposes in familiarizing herself with Boston. Though as she was finding out, it was an actual job and there were very real expectations that she would do it.
Needing to take a quick break, Tatiana entered the restroom and locked the door. Splashing water from the sink onto her face, she looked at herself in the mirror. “Your name is Anne Morgan, and you are a University student in Belfast when you are not doing this” She whispered to herself. There had been a few times when she had wanted to go off on a particularly boorish customer, but she had already figured out that when she got angry, she reverted right back into being herself. It was something that would be disastrous here because the other people who worked here would instantly know she wasn’t who she said she was.
Opening the door, Tatiana forced herself to smile as she faced another group sitting around a table as they puzzled over the menu. In her preparations for this she had heard a comedian once joke that the Irish didn’t do cuisine or culture, they did penance. She was being given a full understanding as to what exactly that meant.
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Let's hear it for Oma Schultz, while she was shown to be wary of the relationship between her son Tilo and Nancy she is very respectful of Nancy's role of mother and has Nancy's back with her Will Smith slapping of Anna.
This may be the beginning of Anna righting herself or Anna finding herself in a Co-ed military school.
Queen Marie Cecilie of Galicia-Ruthian marrying the son of the Pretender Grand Duke of an obscure Danish island is going to more of a thing of amusement if handled right.
The fact that the said son of the phony Grand Duke doesn't buy into his father's delusion could be communicated to the Danish government discreetly and nothing more needs to be said or done except to express good wishes to the happy couple and pick something from the bridal registry.
Anne Morgan is finding out that being a deep cover agent is basically very boring and if things do get exciting that means something has gone serious wrong.
This may be the beginning of Anna righting herself or Anna finding herself in a Co-ed military school.
Queen Marie Cecilie of Galicia-Ruthian marrying the son of the Pretender Grand Duke of an obscure Danish island is going to more of a thing of amusement if handled right.
The fact that the said son of the phony Grand Duke doesn't buy into his father's delusion could be communicated to the Danish government discreetly and nothing more needs to be said or done except to express good wishes to the happy couple and pick something from the bridal registry.
Anne Morgan is finding out that being a deep cover agent is basically very boring and if things do get exciting that means something has gone serious wrong.
Ha Ha Ha Ha
Tatianna, oh how the service industry never changes.
Sometimes I just went behind the counter and silent-screamed into my hands.
Why did you order egg noodles... with the F*****ing pictures on the menu... and b***** me out when they arrived? Look like vomit? Why did you order them?
Rice has gluten? Glutinous rice is an advertising gimmick, rice does not have gluten.
Aghhghghg. Suffer Tatianna, suffer as we all have.
Tatianna, oh how the service industry never changes.
Sometimes I just went behind the counter and silent-screamed into my hands.
Why did you order egg noodles... with the F*****ing pictures on the menu... and b***** me out when they arrived? Look like vomit? Why did you order them?
Rice has gluten? Glutinous rice is an advertising gimmick, rice does not have gluten.
Aghhghghg. Suffer Tatianna, suffer as we all have.
Part 135, Chapter 2309
Chapter Two Thousand Three Hundred Nine
26th July 1974
Boston, Massachusetts
It was Friday night. The restaurant was packed, Tatiana felt like she had already run a marathon and the evening was only half through. The front room was packed and there was a private party in the banquet room. She had only worked here for a week, and she was already starting to hate the smell of the food. Then there was the music which she mostly tuned out except when people wanted to strangely sing along with it. These people couldn’t sing in key if they were cold sober, and most of them were already plastered before they set foot in here due to the many bars and taverns throughout downtown Boston. It being Boston in the summertime, the weather was hot and humid. She could feel sweat trickling down the back of her neck and soaking into her clothes. As much as her mother had hated for her to have done it, Tatiana was grateful that she had had the foresight to get her hair cut short before she had left Berlin. Otherwise, this would have been even more unpleasant.
Oddly, no one had questioned her authenticity in this job though she was surrounded by young women who actually were what they claimed to be. An offhand comment that she had overheard referring to her as “That Ulster girl” oddly explained everything. Their understanding was that she was studying in Belfast and had grown up in County Antrim when the truth was that Tatiana had only spent time in those places over the last few years. They were mostly from the West Counties and attributed any mistakes made Tatiana as the result of regional differences. Still, that was exactly the sort of thing that Frau Sagen had warned her to be cautious of. If someone else from Antrim turned up here, just how long would it take them to see through her cover? It was something that she would need to work hard to avoid.
“Are all the girls as pretty as you are where you come from?” A middle-aged customer, a businessman from the look of him asked, his was voice slurred and he was staring lewdly at her as she was placing drinks from a tray onto the table.
Tatiana just gave him a look that froze him in place once she caught his gaze. “Never you mind about that, Sir” She said pleasantly as she fought the urge to slam the edge of the tray into the bridge of his nose. Her mother had once told her that most men were pigs and that like all herbivores pigs knew instantly when they were in the presence of a predator. This man went pale as soon as Tatiana spoke as everyone else at the table laughed unaware of the actual interplay.
Plänterwald
It hadn’t been an argument, but it was certainly a terse conversation. Once the idea of them having another child had been put out there, it had become something that neither Kiki nor Ben could let go of. When she had discussed the matter with Zella and Aurora, they had very different opinions. Zella was sort of against the idea of having children generally, with her younger brother having a family wasn’t under a whole lot of pressure on her in that regard. Aurora and her husband had been struggling to conceive though and the entire subject was upsetting for her.
The conversation between Ben and Kiki had been terse. Not only because he worried about what he feared was rewarding bad behavior on his mother’s part, but what about Kiki herself? Yes, there were many concerns, but he had pointed out that she had never actually said what she wanted. That she had been largely quiet. The trouble was that her answer was both yes and no. She didn’t want to put her whole life on hold for a year again, but when she looked at her career, she saw that there really had nowhere to go in it. Eventually she was going to be promoted to Oberstarzt, but it was like her brother Louis getting promoted to Kapitan-zur-See. To rise any higher than that would bring politics into the picture, the brother and sister of the sitting Emperor would be unlikely to be allowed to become Flag Officers because of the optics involved. It seemed that the institutional memory of the Reichstag included members of the Empire’s various royal families being appointed to command entire Armies, too often with unacceptable results. These were same members of the Reichstag who would need to approve any such promotion barring wartime emergency.
Ben, bless him, was outraged by that. He felt that Kiki had shown countless times her own competency and had never taken any shortcuts. Of course, Kiki also had to explain how she remembered that giving birth to Nina had been terrifying because of the less-than-ideal circumstances. Him being gone and having had only a few weeks to process things had made it especially difficult. There were also the risks that Kiki understood were inherent in pregnancy. She saw them often professionally and that was enough to send her scrambling in the other direction. Finally, there was the emotional aspect and that was all over the place. She had done her level best to explain all of that to Ben. Mostly though she felt as if she had spent a lot of that time babbling.
Laying in bed listening to Ben’s even breathing as he slept just a few centimeters away, she thought about the pall that the conversation had cast over the evening as they had prepared for bed. Nora Berg, whose opinion Kiki had not shared with Ben had warned her that there was no contraception more effective than frank discussions about reproduction. Kiki and Ben had managed to prove her right on that score.
26th July 1974
Boston, Massachusetts
It was Friday night. The restaurant was packed, Tatiana felt like she had already run a marathon and the evening was only half through. The front room was packed and there was a private party in the banquet room. She had only worked here for a week, and she was already starting to hate the smell of the food. Then there was the music which she mostly tuned out except when people wanted to strangely sing along with it. These people couldn’t sing in key if they were cold sober, and most of them were already plastered before they set foot in here due to the many bars and taverns throughout downtown Boston. It being Boston in the summertime, the weather was hot and humid. She could feel sweat trickling down the back of her neck and soaking into her clothes. As much as her mother had hated for her to have done it, Tatiana was grateful that she had had the foresight to get her hair cut short before she had left Berlin. Otherwise, this would have been even more unpleasant.
Oddly, no one had questioned her authenticity in this job though she was surrounded by young women who actually were what they claimed to be. An offhand comment that she had overheard referring to her as “That Ulster girl” oddly explained everything. Their understanding was that she was studying in Belfast and had grown up in County Antrim when the truth was that Tatiana had only spent time in those places over the last few years. They were mostly from the West Counties and attributed any mistakes made Tatiana as the result of regional differences. Still, that was exactly the sort of thing that Frau Sagen had warned her to be cautious of. If someone else from Antrim turned up here, just how long would it take them to see through her cover? It was something that she would need to work hard to avoid.
“Are all the girls as pretty as you are where you come from?” A middle-aged customer, a businessman from the look of him asked, his was voice slurred and he was staring lewdly at her as she was placing drinks from a tray onto the table.
Tatiana just gave him a look that froze him in place once she caught his gaze. “Never you mind about that, Sir” She said pleasantly as she fought the urge to slam the edge of the tray into the bridge of his nose. Her mother had once told her that most men were pigs and that like all herbivores pigs knew instantly when they were in the presence of a predator. This man went pale as soon as Tatiana spoke as everyone else at the table laughed unaware of the actual interplay.
Plänterwald
It hadn’t been an argument, but it was certainly a terse conversation. Once the idea of them having another child had been put out there, it had become something that neither Kiki nor Ben could let go of. When she had discussed the matter with Zella and Aurora, they had very different opinions. Zella was sort of against the idea of having children generally, with her younger brother having a family wasn’t under a whole lot of pressure on her in that regard. Aurora and her husband had been struggling to conceive though and the entire subject was upsetting for her.
The conversation between Ben and Kiki had been terse. Not only because he worried about what he feared was rewarding bad behavior on his mother’s part, but what about Kiki herself? Yes, there were many concerns, but he had pointed out that she had never actually said what she wanted. That she had been largely quiet. The trouble was that her answer was both yes and no. She didn’t want to put her whole life on hold for a year again, but when she looked at her career, she saw that there really had nowhere to go in it. Eventually she was going to be promoted to Oberstarzt, but it was like her brother Louis getting promoted to Kapitan-zur-See. To rise any higher than that would bring politics into the picture, the brother and sister of the sitting Emperor would be unlikely to be allowed to become Flag Officers because of the optics involved. It seemed that the institutional memory of the Reichstag included members of the Empire’s various royal families being appointed to command entire Armies, too often with unacceptable results. These were same members of the Reichstag who would need to approve any such promotion barring wartime emergency.
Ben, bless him, was outraged by that. He felt that Kiki had shown countless times her own competency and had never taken any shortcuts. Of course, Kiki also had to explain how she remembered that giving birth to Nina had been terrifying because of the less-than-ideal circumstances. Him being gone and having had only a few weeks to process things had made it especially difficult. There were also the risks that Kiki understood were inherent in pregnancy. She saw them often professionally and that was enough to send her scrambling in the other direction. Finally, there was the emotional aspect and that was all over the place. She had done her level best to explain all of that to Ben. Mostly though she felt as if she had spent a lot of that time babbling.
Laying in bed listening to Ben’s even breathing as he slept just a few centimeters away, she thought about the pall that the conversation had cast over the evening as they had prepared for bed. Nora Berg, whose opinion Kiki had not shared with Ben had warned her that there was no contraception more effective than frank discussions about reproduction. Kiki and Ben had managed to prove her right on that score.
The main concern of some of the members of the Reichstag especially those who have republican leanings is the personal oath of loyalty that every member of armed forces swears to the Kaiser and if the Kaiser who is a figurehead decides to go against the elected government, having a family member who is the head of one the services (like the KLM and the Marine Infantry) could join in with the Kaiser and could conceivably overthrow the government.
This brings us to the Succession Issue in Romania where the issue could be solved easily by letting daughters in the direct line of the King inherit the throne and this could also solve the problem of having the brother of the Kaiser who at this point is head and shoulders above any other officers in his peer group in the Chase for the Grand Admiralship.
Louis Ferdinand could be to Margareta what Suga is to Freddy and that will remove him from the KLM.
Having Louis Ferdinand as Prince Consort is a much better option then the current rule that has the Head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmarigen becoming the next King.
The main roadblock in all of this is the question on how Louis Ferdinand and Margreta really feel about each other because I doubt that they will settle for "Political Marriage".
As for Kiki the JMS has served a purpose and an entry way for her ambitions to become a doctor but now, she doesn't need them anymore and quite frankly the JMS doesn't need her anymore as their "Poster Girl" as they are meeting their recruiting goals and is getting the funding levels up.
Once Kiki realizes this, she can now have the freedom to do what she really wants, write books about her varied experiences, have another child and enjoy the pregnancy this time around, do part time work at a smaller hospital, do some travelling for pleasure and get a little work in at the same time, and probably what she really wants to is just veg out in front of the T.V. in her Hertha jersey watching cartoons with Nina.
This brings us to the Succession Issue in Romania where the issue could be solved easily by letting daughters in the direct line of the King inherit the throne and this could also solve the problem of having the brother of the Kaiser who at this point is head and shoulders above any other officers in his peer group in the Chase for the Grand Admiralship.
Louis Ferdinand could be to Margareta what Suga is to Freddy and that will remove him from the KLM.
Having Louis Ferdinand as Prince Consort is a much better option then the current rule that has the Head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmarigen becoming the next King.
The main roadblock in all of this is the question on how Louis Ferdinand and Margreta really feel about each other because I doubt that they will settle for "Political Marriage".
As for Kiki the JMS has served a purpose and an entry way for her ambitions to become a doctor but now, she doesn't need them anymore and quite frankly the JMS doesn't need her anymore as their "Poster Girl" as they are meeting their recruiting goals and is getting the funding levels up.
Once Kiki realizes this, she can now have the freedom to do what she really wants, write books about her varied experiences, have another child and enjoy the pregnancy this time around, do part time work at a smaller hospital, do some travelling for pleasure and get a little work in at the same time, and probably what she really wants to is just veg out in front of the T.V. in her Hertha jersey watching cartoons with Nina.
Tatiana is being tested right now by the BND by working a stressful, monotonous, tedious, repetitive job with very little personal and monetary satisfaction.
I would not be surprised if the restaurant is owned by a "Friendly" associate who allows the BND to place certain people to help establish a cover story like the one Anne Morgan is creating right now.
One of the things that "Anne" is learning how to live off the land so to speak by earning the money to pay rent, buy clothes for herself instead of relying on an expense account for her daily living, that way she is not drawing attention to herself by living in a style that someone like "Anne" can not afford.
I would not be surprised if the restaurant is owned by a "Friendly" associate who allows the BND to place certain people to help establish a cover story like the one Anne Morgan is creating right now.
One of the things that "Anne" is learning how to live off the land so to speak by earning the money to pay rent, buy clothes for herself instead of relying on an expense account for her daily living, that way she is not drawing attention to herself by living in a style that someone like "Anne" can not afford.
I doubt it. It's unnecessarily complex. What would be the worst that could happen if the other girls discover she is lying? That she hides her identity because is fleeing from the law or from somebody? I doubt this would be a danger for her, only it would fail the test.
The problem is that that generates questions. What sort of trouble, (translation: does this mean trouble for me)? Who is she in trouble with?
Anna/Tatiana is in trouble if that happens. Irish tend to be a close knit community wherever they are, and someone always knows someone who knows somebody.
Those questions are likely to reach the ears of the FBI, especially around Boston.
And by removing the Troubles, the inclination that Irish people around Boston might have for not saying anything to the authorities are gone as I can assure you that the people who now feel they need to resort to terrorism in Northern Ireland are not the type that would be getting support from around Boston.
To say nothing of the idea of a German girl, especially one who spoke English from birth, trying to pass off as someone from Antrim accent wise, would be a bad idea at the best of times. She can claim a cover story of having a Canadian father, not that unusual, for her accent, but the problem is, every identifying characteristic is another way for her story to be caught up on. She might not be caught out because of the communication lag from before the internet, but there is no way if she is working with actual Irish people, even ones from Connaught while she's claiming to be from Ulster, that there won't be someone who realizes she isn't real when wherever she claims to be from finds out about her. The important question is if she is bugged out by then or not.
Part 135, Chapter 2310
Chapter Two Thousand Three Hundred Ten
1st August 1974
Montreal, Canada
No one had any idea where Tatiana was, but neither Katherine nor Douglas was acting like this was out of the ordinary. She was the only one absent as they gathered for an impromptu family reunion. Sir Malcolm had found that talking to his grandchildren was frequently difficult, there was a lot of technical jargon used by his namesake grandson and Marie Alexandra was fluid in her use of language to an astonishing degree. Young Malcolm had tried to explain what he was doing at the Computer Sciences Department at the University of Berlin, and it had swiftly sounded like Greek to him. All Sir Malcolm had been able to understand was that it had something to do with making computers a consumer product, that he was presently the equivalent of a Graduate Student and that he had applied for a Doctoral Program at one of the Technical Universities in Germany. When Sir Malcolm had pointed out that it was wonderful that there would be a Doctor Blackwood in the family in a couple years and that it was something that they could all be proud of. Not even Margot could take issue with that.
Sir Malcolm had also watched with considerable amazement as Douglas’ youngest daughter had chatted with a Chinese woman Downtown in what she said was Cantonese. It made him happy that this was the same granddaughter who he had gone to great lengths to ensure that she would get accepted into McGill University. It had not been difficult because Sir Malcolm and Douglas were both Alumni and this was keeping up that family tradition. All of Emma’s children were attending school in distant British Columbia and much to Margot’s annoyance, they were members of the Fosse family whose money was from timber and woodchips. Entirely too pedestrian for Margot’s tastes. As opposed to the Mischner family whose apparent fortune came quite literally from not just train robbery but controlling just who was allowed to rob the trains or smuggle what into Europe. Margot had forbidden anyone to ever talk about that in her house.
Still, the thought of having Marie Alexandra coming here to live warmed Sir Malcolm’s heart. While her red hair and piercing blue eyes left little doubt as to who her mother was, the shape of her face and chin really did favor Douglas to a large degree. So much so that she reminded Sir Malcolm of what Margot herself looked like sixty years earlier when they met just before the First World War. Where does the time go? He thought happily to himself. To look back on a long life required one to have lived it.
The other two girls, Sophie Sommers, and Angelica de Medici who Kat and Doug had brought were interesting. Apparently, Sophie was an aspiring competitive cyclist and Angelica was mostly interested in learning about the world outside the small corner of Italy where she had spent most of her life. Sir Malcolm was aware of how Kat had a habit of taking in young women who had nowhere else to go and encouraged them to be far more than their frequently painful origins. He was also aware that one of them had been the Princess Royal of Germany, but Margot hated mention of that. She hadn’t recognized the girl at the time.
Tempelhof, Berlin
Having an IUD removed was a simple procedure, with massive implications that were weighing on Kiki as she was sitting in recovery waiting to be released. Of course, this being a teaching hospital it was complicated. There was a lot of interest in one of the Assistant Department Heads being a patient, especially by her students. For once, Kiki wasn’t objecting to the presence of her personal security. They were more than capable of keeping the curious at bay. However, there were those who not even the First Foot could keep away while Kiki was recovering.
“You are really going through with this?” Berg asked as Kiki finished explaining her reasoning. It wasn’t lost on Kiki that Nora Berg had waited until Ben was elsewhere before she had entered the room. It wasn’t that Berg was suspicious of Ben, it was that she was worried that Kiki wasn’t making an informed choice.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Kiki asked in reply.
“Because it is a major decision that will have bearing on the rest of your life” Berg replied, “I’m sure that you will have plenty of opportunity to regret it in the months and years ahead, regardless of what happens.”
“We all can’t be as optimistic as you are” Kiki said sarcastically, which Berg seemingly ignored.
“I am just stating what I have seen over the course of my career” Berg said, “And on average you have eighteen months.”
“That is so typical of you” Kiki replied, “Everything is averages and odds.”
“We both see it all the time Kiki” Berg said, “It is a wonder that any of us make it into this world considering the risks involved, ask your sister about that.”
“I saw what happened to Vicky” Kiki said, “And that is a terrible thing to mention.”
“It is an old argument” Berg replied, “The head versus the heart, the heart wins almost every time. Here you are, perfectly aware of the risks involved yet you are taking this chance.”
“Have you ever thought that life is never as simple as you make it out to be?” Kiki asked.
“Or is it that you make it too complex?” Berg asked in reply.
Neither of them had an answer for that.
1st August 1974
Montreal, Canada
No one had any idea where Tatiana was, but neither Katherine nor Douglas was acting like this was out of the ordinary. She was the only one absent as they gathered for an impromptu family reunion. Sir Malcolm had found that talking to his grandchildren was frequently difficult, there was a lot of technical jargon used by his namesake grandson and Marie Alexandra was fluid in her use of language to an astonishing degree. Young Malcolm had tried to explain what he was doing at the Computer Sciences Department at the University of Berlin, and it had swiftly sounded like Greek to him. All Sir Malcolm had been able to understand was that it had something to do with making computers a consumer product, that he was presently the equivalent of a Graduate Student and that he had applied for a Doctoral Program at one of the Technical Universities in Germany. When Sir Malcolm had pointed out that it was wonderful that there would be a Doctor Blackwood in the family in a couple years and that it was something that they could all be proud of. Not even Margot could take issue with that.
Sir Malcolm had also watched with considerable amazement as Douglas’ youngest daughter had chatted with a Chinese woman Downtown in what she said was Cantonese. It made him happy that this was the same granddaughter who he had gone to great lengths to ensure that she would get accepted into McGill University. It had not been difficult because Sir Malcolm and Douglas were both Alumni and this was keeping up that family tradition. All of Emma’s children were attending school in distant British Columbia and much to Margot’s annoyance, they were members of the Fosse family whose money was from timber and woodchips. Entirely too pedestrian for Margot’s tastes. As opposed to the Mischner family whose apparent fortune came quite literally from not just train robbery but controlling just who was allowed to rob the trains or smuggle what into Europe. Margot had forbidden anyone to ever talk about that in her house.
Still, the thought of having Marie Alexandra coming here to live warmed Sir Malcolm’s heart. While her red hair and piercing blue eyes left little doubt as to who her mother was, the shape of her face and chin really did favor Douglas to a large degree. So much so that she reminded Sir Malcolm of what Margot herself looked like sixty years earlier when they met just before the First World War. Where does the time go? He thought happily to himself. To look back on a long life required one to have lived it.
The other two girls, Sophie Sommers, and Angelica de Medici who Kat and Doug had brought were interesting. Apparently, Sophie was an aspiring competitive cyclist and Angelica was mostly interested in learning about the world outside the small corner of Italy where she had spent most of her life. Sir Malcolm was aware of how Kat had a habit of taking in young women who had nowhere else to go and encouraged them to be far more than their frequently painful origins. He was also aware that one of them had been the Princess Royal of Germany, but Margot hated mention of that. She hadn’t recognized the girl at the time.
Tempelhof, Berlin
Having an IUD removed was a simple procedure, with massive implications that were weighing on Kiki as she was sitting in recovery waiting to be released. Of course, this being a teaching hospital it was complicated. There was a lot of interest in one of the Assistant Department Heads being a patient, especially by her students. For once, Kiki wasn’t objecting to the presence of her personal security. They were more than capable of keeping the curious at bay. However, there were those who not even the First Foot could keep away while Kiki was recovering.
“You are really going through with this?” Berg asked as Kiki finished explaining her reasoning. It wasn’t lost on Kiki that Nora Berg had waited until Ben was elsewhere before she had entered the room. It wasn’t that Berg was suspicious of Ben, it was that she was worried that Kiki wasn’t making an informed choice.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Kiki asked in reply.
“Because it is a major decision that will have bearing on the rest of your life” Berg replied, “I’m sure that you will have plenty of opportunity to regret it in the months and years ahead, regardless of what happens.”
“We all can’t be as optimistic as you are” Kiki said sarcastically, which Berg seemingly ignored.
“I am just stating what I have seen over the course of my career” Berg said, “And on average you have eighteen months.”
“That is so typical of you” Kiki replied, “Everything is averages and odds.”
“We both see it all the time Kiki” Berg said, “It is a wonder that any of us make it into this world considering the risks involved, ask your sister about that.”
“I saw what happened to Vicky” Kiki said, “And that is a terrible thing to mention.”
“It is an old argument” Berg replied, “The head versus the heart, the heart wins almost every time. Here you are, perfectly aware of the risks involved yet you are taking this chance.”
“Have you ever thought that life is never as simple as you make it out to be?” Kiki asked.
“Or is it that you make it too complex?” Berg asked in reply.
Neither of them had an answer for that.
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Once again this entry of SL&H shows the truth of the song lyric written by one of IOTL's Beatles (and one TTL's Moondogs): "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans". I wonder if old Sir Winston Legthigh is having his 'Lost Weekend' ITTL? Maybe Zella has the inside goss?
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She is Cosimo di Medici's daughter who he had with a much younger mistress. Angelica came to live with Kat when her mother basically dumped her in her father's lap when she got involved with someone else.
Part 135, Chapter 2311
Chapter Two Thousand Three Hundred Eleven
3rd August 1974
Zoppot, West Prussia
“I had Walter when I was thirty-five” Maria said to Emil as they watched Zella as she was returning with Yuri along with her niece and nephew who she had taken to get ice cream. “She is thirty-three and I would say that it is only a matter of time before she starts hearing the ticking of her biological clock if she isn’t already.”
“Perhaps” Emil said, “But that is something that you might want to keep to yourself. You know how Zella gets, if confronted she will just dig in her heels regardless of what she actually thinks.”
The night before, Zella had expressed disbelief about her friends, Kiki, and Aurora trying to get pregnant at the same time. The attitude that she displayed had been a bit too defensive about the subject. Maria understood that her daughter had a terrible experience when she had been at University. At the time Zella had clearly not been prepared to have been a mother and the career that she had carved out for herself would never had happened if she’d had a child depending on her. Now though, watching Zella with Annika and Peter, Maria thought that perhaps Zella was rethinking her hard stance. If Maria were wrong, then so be it, but she would love it if Zella ever changed her mind. She wondered if Yuri had ventured any opinions about the future of their relationship. Maria knew that it was only a matter of time before he did, and she just hoped that Yuri was prepared for how Zella tended to react without thinking at times.
“I know that side of Zella extremely well” Maria replied.
“You raised her to be a tough, independent woman” Emil said, “And you were successful. Many might say a bit too successful.”
“Don’t give me that Emil” Maria replied, “Somehow we ended up with a version of you who just happened to have been born a girl.”
Emil just smirked at that. They both knew what he was like as a young man. He still had that scar on his cheek where his mother had slapped him when he finally came home after running away to go to war when he was fifteen. Then he had led a revolution before being a key player in the formation of the Fallschirmjäger. He had often been described as having been the original Green Devil having gone from a Soldat in the trenches of Verdun all the way to being the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces High Command. Now at the age of seventy-four he was faced with the prospect of retirement again, this time from BMW where he had revolutionized their motorcycle development and production. Keeping them competitive with far larger Japanese corporations at a time when it seemed like nearly every other manufacturer was falling into insolvency. Maria had no doubt that Emil would find something else to do with his time.
Montreal, Canada
For Marie Alexandra, her first visit to the University had been like all the school trips and club events combined. The instant that she had arrived in the vast auditorium where Freshman Orientation was to begin, she had seen the massive banner that read Bienvenue à la promotion de 1978 de l'Université McGill and had known that she had made the right choice. Listening to the University’s Principle/Vice-Chancellor speak, Marie had realized that she was just one of thousands of students who would be starting there in just a few weeks. Until that moment, she had just sort of assumed that she would be going home at the end of the holiday. She had realized that she wouldn’t be, instead her family would be leaving her here in Montreal. Then had come the tour of the University and Marie had found the experience to be completely mind blowing. Her being fluent in French and English had smoothed out any issues she might have had. That was a bigger deal here than she had realized and it wasn’t just that she spoke French, but the right kind of French.
Her mother had told her that if she attended McGill then she was prepared to set up an allowance, enough to give her spending money and allow her to pursue her studies without the need to have outside employment unless it was what she wanted. It was all dependent on her keeping her grades up. Momma also said that she would arrange to ship some of Marie’s things to her, but she would probably have to assemble her collection here in in Canada from local sources. Oddly, that actually sounded like it would be a lot of fun.
Opa and Oma Blackwood, well, Opa Blackwood anyway, said that Marie could stay in the room she had always occupied when she visited Montreal so long as she didn’t run wild. Of course, Marie had no idea what running wild would even look like. It was also not a secret that Oma Blackwood didn’t like her very much, but perhaps this was finally an opportunity for Oma to finally get to know Marie as a person as opposed to how she tended to think of her solely in the context of her as Katherine von Mischner-Blackwood’s youngest daughter. She was also Douglas Blackwood’s daughter and that was reflected in how it had been swiftly arranged for her to get all the proper documents as a resident of Montreal. She had even been asked if she wanted for arrangements to be made for her to get a driver’s license. That had not occurred to her until she had been asked.
Amazingly, Marie realized that she would probably be happy to spend the next few years here.
3rd August 1974
Zoppot, West Prussia
“I had Walter when I was thirty-five” Maria said to Emil as they watched Zella as she was returning with Yuri along with her niece and nephew who she had taken to get ice cream. “She is thirty-three and I would say that it is only a matter of time before she starts hearing the ticking of her biological clock if she isn’t already.”
“Perhaps” Emil said, “But that is something that you might want to keep to yourself. You know how Zella gets, if confronted she will just dig in her heels regardless of what she actually thinks.”
The night before, Zella had expressed disbelief about her friends, Kiki, and Aurora trying to get pregnant at the same time. The attitude that she displayed had been a bit too defensive about the subject. Maria understood that her daughter had a terrible experience when she had been at University. At the time Zella had clearly not been prepared to have been a mother and the career that she had carved out for herself would never had happened if she’d had a child depending on her. Now though, watching Zella with Annika and Peter, Maria thought that perhaps Zella was rethinking her hard stance. If Maria were wrong, then so be it, but she would love it if Zella ever changed her mind. She wondered if Yuri had ventured any opinions about the future of their relationship. Maria knew that it was only a matter of time before he did, and she just hoped that Yuri was prepared for how Zella tended to react without thinking at times.
“I know that side of Zella extremely well” Maria replied.
“You raised her to be a tough, independent woman” Emil said, “And you were successful. Many might say a bit too successful.”
“Don’t give me that Emil” Maria replied, “Somehow we ended up with a version of you who just happened to have been born a girl.”
Emil just smirked at that. They both knew what he was like as a young man. He still had that scar on his cheek where his mother had slapped him when he finally came home after running away to go to war when he was fifteen. Then he had led a revolution before being a key player in the formation of the Fallschirmjäger. He had often been described as having been the original Green Devil having gone from a Soldat in the trenches of Verdun all the way to being the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces High Command. Now at the age of seventy-four he was faced with the prospect of retirement again, this time from BMW where he had revolutionized their motorcycle development and production. Keeping them competitive with far larger Japanese corporations at a time when it seemed like nearly every other manufacturer was falling into insolvency. Maria had no doubt that Emil would find something else to do with his time.
Montreal, Canada
For Marie Alexandra, her first visit to the University had been like all the school trips and club events combined. The instant that she had arrived in the vast auditorium where Freshman Orientation was to begin, she had seen the massive banner that read Bienvenue à la promotion de 1978 de l'Université McGill and had known that she had made the right choice. Listening to the University’s Principle/Vice-Chancellor speak, Marie had realized that she was just one of thousands of students who would be starting there in just a few weeks. Until that moment, she had just sort of assumed that she would be going home at the end of the holiday. She had realized that she wouldn’t be, instead her family would be leaving her here in Montreal. Then had come the tour of the University and Marie had found the experience to be completely mind blowing. Her being fluent in French and English had smoothed out any issues she might have had. That was a bigger deal here than she had realized and it wasn’t just that she spoke French, but the right kind of French.
Her mother had told her that if she attended McGill then she was prepared to set up an allowance, enough to give her spending money and allow her to pursue her studies without the need to have outside employment unless it was what she wanted. It was all dependent on her keeping her grades up. Momma also said that she would arrange to ship some of Marie’s things to her, but she would probably have to assemble her collection here in in Canada from local sources. Oddly, that actually sounded like it would be a lot of fun.
Opa and Oma Blackwood, well, Opa Blackwood anyway, said that Marie could stay in the room she had always occupied when she visited Montreal so long as she didn’t run wild. Of course, Marie had no idea what running wild would even look like. It was also not a secret that Oma Blackwood didn’t like her very much, but perhaps this was finally an opportunity for Oma to finally get to know Marie as a person as opposed to how she tended to think of her solely in the context of her as Katherine von Mischner-Blackwood’s youngest daughter. She was also Douglas Blackwood’s daughter and that was reflected in how it had been swiftly arranged for her to get all the proper documents as a resident of Montreal. She had even been asked if she wanted for arrangements to be made for her to get a driver’s license. That had not occurred to her until she had been asked.
Amazingly, Marie realized that she would probably be happy to spend the next few years here.
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Emil Holz is not immortal, however, as I have hinted he will be among the last of the veterans of WW1 to survive. To put that in context, the last German soldier who fought in WW1 in OTL was Erich Kastner who lived until 2008. The last known veteran of WW1 was Frank Buckles who died in 2011.
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