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And:
"My family has owned that Singer since before I was born. I have repaired it countless times, and I have
learned more about the how and the why of its inner workings in the last few days than I had learned in
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the preceding fifty-nine years, mostly from Brent and Trent. I've watched Brent sketch out a machine to
build a part of the Singer one that I am sure will work and then seen Trent tear apart the design and
add or change details that make it work better. It's been a privilege to watch the kids work."
* * *
For the next four days, as the parents had time to look them over, the kids showed their parts of the
proposal to their parents.
Kent Partow, a tallish heavyset man with sandy brown hair and brown eyes, was impressed by the work
and the skill his twin sons had put into the designs. He told them so, briefly: "Basically a good job, boys."
He then spent the rest of the four days when not busy at work or sleeping telling them in detail each and
every place where their designs fell short. The focus of his criticisms didn't have much to do with things
that would actually keep the designs from working. He readily admitted there weren't many of those. No,
he dealt with ways that their designs made extra work for the person making the machine, or the person
who would be using it.
Mr. and Mrs. Wendell lavished their praise rather more generously, almost uncomfortably so. Certainly
enough to produce resentment in Judy the Younger. Well, more resentment. The real focus of Judy's
resentment was that she wasn't getting to play.
They did suggest several small changes, and one monster.
The monster was this: Normally, in a project like this, you would make your estimate and add say,
twenty percent for the unforeseen. In this case, because of the fluidity of the situation, and the large
number of unknowns, they suggested a fudge factor of one hundred to two hundred percent of the
original estimate.
June 26, 1631: Delia Higgins' House
They met again for a formal presentation of the whole package. David was the primary presenter.
"The first and most important point, I guess, is that we're not trying to just build sewing machines, not
anymore. That's sort of what we started out with. But Sarah pretty much put paid to that notion even
before we were firmly settled on sewing machines. What we want to build is a company that will build
sewing machines. The company will have two major branches. Outsourcing for parts that can be made
by the down-time craftsmen, and a factory that will have an internal technological level somewhere
between 1850 and 1920. With a few gadgets from later.
"We decided on outsourcing rather than hiring down-time workers . . ."
And they were off. Over the next three hours David went through the organizational chart, cost analysis,
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machines and tools needed, potential market, the works. He called upon Sarah, Brent and Trent as
needed, to explain details and answer questions.
Their parents were genuinely impressed. The Wendells had seen the money end, but not really the
technical end. The Partows had seen the technical end, but not the money end. And neither had seen how
it all fit together. There was room in the plan for mistakes, and ways to handle it if things went wrong.
While the Wendells and the Partows had jobs, they didn't have much in the way of available capital.
Both their houses were primarily owned by the bank, and regardless of the kids' good work, it had to be
acknowledged that this was a risky venture.
They would allow their kids to participate, but could offer little more than that. Delia had been prepared
for that response and was willing to support the project. She would attempt to get a loan. Fletcher
Wendell would support the loan to the extent he could, but he could not offer too much hope.
June 30, 1631: Delia Higgins' House
David was sitting at the dinner table. "They're going to fight a battle, Grandma," he said, "Not ten miles
from here. At that nearby town called Badenburg."
"Well, are you upset or pleased?" Delia wasn't criticizing, she was just helping him figure it out. It was
one of the things about Grandma that David liked. She let him feel about things the way he felt about
them, not the way he was "supposed" to feel about them.
"I don't really know." He gave the matter some thought. "I figure, the battle itself will be a cakewalk, and
it's kind of exciting. What it means, though, that bugs me some. We're in the middle of a war! I worry
about Mom. She's not good at tough situations."
Delia suddenly realized that he was right. War! With refugees, armies and bandits, and generally
desperate people. "These are the times that try men's morals," when the rules get forgotten. They had a
house full of things of value and a storage rental lot with lots of steel containers. People would want what
was in the containers for that matter, they would want the containers for the steel. How could she have
gone a month without realizing it?
Before the Ring of Fire, Grantville had been a low crime area. They had been able to get by with a chain
link fence and a padlock. But now the value of much that was in those storage buildings had gone up
immeasurably, and as for crime, they might as well be in the Wild West, or next door to a crack house. It
had been pure dumb luck that they had not already been looted and Ramona killed in the bargain.
Or so it seemed to Delia. In fact, the luck had a large modicum of fear in it. To the people outside the
Ring of Fire, it was a matter of dangerous and unknown powers. Who knew what might be protecting
the storage lot, or any other property inside the Ring of Fire for that matter.
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Almost, Delia rushed out to find guards right then, but not quite. Today wasn't the day to go out hunting
new employees, not on the day of the battle. Not when she had no way to pay them. Della worried the
problem the rest of the day.
Up to now the storage lot had been a reliable source of income. A small source, true, but it had very
little in the way of expenses attached to it. The lot was paid off when Ray died, and the only bills were
electric, telephone, and taxes once a year, but with a guard or guards, that would change. With most of
the containers not rented, it would cost more every month than she got in rent. Still, there was really no
choice.
June 30, 1631: Partow House
For once even Heidi was quiet. Everyone was quiet. Caleb would be in a battle today. Brent tried to
work on the gearing for the sewing machine, but he couldn't keep his mind focused. It kept veering off to
the battle. Logic said that it would be an easy victory. The good guys even had a machine gun, but
people would be shooting at his brother, and Brent's traitorous mind seemed insistent on pulling up every
nasty thing he had ever said to, or thought about Caleb, and wishing he could take them back. Brent
looked at his twin. Trent was probably doing the same thing, only more so. Trent worried more.
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