House of Pieszczoch 2: House of Pieszczoch, #2

By Richard R Lockwood

Karl and his twin brothers have established their claim to their new timeline and freed Poland from foreign domination. It will not be easy setting up a new government and getting the whole Polish nation to agree on how it should work. He plans on working through General Jan Dabrowski, a decorated and long serving Pole, making him King of Poland while he and his brothers pursue other plans. Karl developed a taste for building while working for the High King, now he can build whatever he can dream, and his dreams have few limits now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard R Lockwood
• Release date: Dec 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215914960

Richard R Lockwood

Was born in Miami FL. Worked for the University of Florida until I retired. Been married to the lovely Cecelia for 40 years now, proof that I'm a lucky guy. Now living on the Nature Coast in Citrus County. Enjoy all kind of wildlife, especially reptiles and insects, so I'm pretty sure I'm in the right place. When I'm not writing I enjoy wood carving. Both of the heads beside me in the picture are cedar from the Chassahowitzka Forrest. I also love to walk my dog Bark Anthony. Probably need to go do that now. A Chronology of the Twins Alternate Universe novels and some thoughts and rationales - https://www.ricklockwood.net/Chronology.html My Books on Books 2 Read - https://books2read.com/ap/RaZ9Br/Richard-R-Lockwood  

Book preview

House of Pieszczoch

Volume Two

1

Karl visited Dominik on his way back from dropping off Saumarez at Whitehall. The western division was camped just north of Gryfino on the marshy ground between the two channels of the Oder. A celebration was under way, though Dominik was wise enough to order a dozen platforms to circle around and guard their perimeter.

Karl did not land, he just sent his congratulations and asked for a moment to talk.

Of course, my friend, said Dom from the pilot’s seat of his gunship a moment later. Thank you for giving me such a pleasure. Every Pole has wanted to smash those bastards ... Forgive me, I should not be drinking before lunch.

It’s understandable. I wanted to say, Dabrowski has offered me the post of Finance Minister when he is King. I’d like to have a friend in his cabinet; I was wondering if you would be interested in Agriculture Minister? I think I have enough influence to get it for you, and I know you have an interest in that subject. I have some plans for large scale farming as well.

What about the Director for Security for Phoenix House?

You’ll still have a seat on the Board, but my aide Jerzy can be Captain of the Guard.

Fine, but we’ll need to talk about your plans soon.

You’ll love them. Have you picked out any estates?

I’ve emptied several nice ones on the eastern side of the Oder. I didn’t want to get bogged down with guarding any of them so I haven’t made any decisions yet.

I want the lowlands where you’re camped. Everything between the rivers for five kilometers north and south of you. A platoon should be enough to guard it for now.

Alright. Anything else?

Your transports. When they’re not flying your infantry companies, have them look for Poles on their way from France. I’m sure some of them have started home, they’ll probably be in groups, they shouldn’t be too hard to spot. Metz would be a good place to check every day.

Aye, I’ll tell them.

Good. Ciao.

At the Tatra Mountain Complex Jerzy introduced him to their new Sergeant of the Guard, a former brigade color sergeant named Krzysztof Czarnzinski. Karl inspected the new caverns and noted the small caravan of supplies and furnishings en route from the factory storage park.

In a week I’m going to ask for volunteers to serve in Alaska, he told Krzysztof. Same job as this, but because it’s even more remote the volunteers will get ten rubles more a month.

More remote? I’ll ask the men, sir.

They’ll be able to take families if they have them.

*Karl?*

Excuse me. He walked over to a nearby balcony and took in the view of the valley, *Yes, Freya?*

*Napoleon has ordered Marshal Massena south to Spain. He will follow in a week with the main army.*

*Soult?*

*Recalled for consultations. He was ordered to leave the car behind for the army to use for reconnaissance. Colonel d’Oleron is in charge of it.*

*He seems a talented man.*

*He talks to himself in the car, as if he thinks we can hear him.*

*Suspicious, isn’t he. I’m going to the Danube and play in the mud for a while.*

*Want company?*

*Sokolnicki?*

*He and two of his engineer recruits are having lunch in a Vienna cafe. I’ll let them know you’re there.*

Karl cut the call and turned back to Jerzy and Krzysztof, waiting patiently for the boss to finish. I’m going to Austria. Everything looks good here.

Boss, said Jerzy, I think you should start having a guard. You’ve been a surprise in this time so far, but if anyone is planning something...

Someone big, alert, and quiet?

I’ve got just the man. He signaled a guardsman nearby, Corporal Wojciech Wyspianski. He can handle an airboard and a laser rifle.

Handle? You’ve been training them two days, Jerzy.

I’m not saying he’s a miracle, boss. He’s better than the rest.

Karl looked over the big blond Pole. I’d prefer someone uglier to make me look more handsome.

I’ll let you know when I hire someone ugly enough for that, boss.

At least he doesn’t talk as much as you do. Come on Woj, let’s see if we can both fit on a landing pad.

They ascended to Hop One and Karl spent a few minutes acquainting Wyspianski with things he might need on the bridge and how he was expected to behave. The arms locker is just to the left of the entry iris, the airboard locker to the right. Slap these panels to open either one. He looked him over, You’ll dress just like I do, black utilities, no name or rank. Where are you from?

Kalisz, sir.

Service?

With the Vistula Legion in Italy.

You served with Dabrowski?

Aye, sir.

When we get to the Danube I want you to circle around on the airboard and practice. Don’t worry about me unless there’s a crowd around me. Then come over and just show yourself. The cruiser can stop most people once they draw a weapon, but if you’re there and visible then only crazy people will try something.

Aye, sir.

If anyone does try to kill me, capture them. They’re probably a lunatic, but if they’re a hired assassin I want to know. Shoot them in the legs.

Aye aye, sir.

They arrived and Karl ordered one of the heavy push barges activated from the storage transport floating over the square, Pushing mud around helps me think. You’ll go out first on the air board, then come in after me when we’re ready to go.

While Wyspianski practiced circling and buzzing the boats in the river nearby, Karl got busy with the mounds stacked up in the big square. He thought he’d work for a couple hours and then summon some of the balloon drivers who might want to learn another skill and make some more money. After about half an hour Michal Sokolnicki showed up in his MicroLux and observed for a few minutes, then floated out with his two guests.

The new people were engineers and both eagerly asked if they could try their hand at the push barge. Karl summoned two more of the vehicles and talked with Michal after he had gotten the new men started.

What’s the word in Vienna?

Most people I talk to are glad the war somehow went away.

Napoleon wasn’t nice the last time he was here. God knows why Francis and Charles declared war on him again.

The pride of princes. Speaking of princes, when will Jozef arrive?

Good question. He’s helping Dabrowski smite the Russians now. Go ahead and act as if we have a treaty with the Austrians. I’ll send the money if you want to buy anything.

Anything?

An estate or land to develop. Don’t be too quick with the land, though. If we help the Austrians take back the length of the Danube, we’ll have our pick of some nice spots.

Plenty of work like this, then, Sokolnicki nodded towards his new employees pushing mud around.

And maybe a fortress or two. Radetzki seemed interested in that, even though fortresses are mostly obsolete. They can still make people feel secure.

You know, with the balloons...

Yes, Michal?

You could just plant one of these big foundation pieces upright in the ground and let your troops camp on top. It’s ten meters by ten, room for a couple of men with a tent and a tablet. Call the balloon with an infantry company if they spot anything.

We could do better than that, a little apartment at the top would be simple. A trap door to the roof to let the balloon take men off or deliver them.

At a hundred meters, it would probably be about 85 tall if you plant 15 in the ground. Still, it’s not much of a fortress, Karl. Might not be easy to sell the idea to the Archduke.

True, but a balloon could service a dozen in a few hours. It’s still a good idea, Michal. Put one every fifty kilometers along the Danube, that would take how many, two hundred?

You could even plant them along the river before we own it, said Sokolnicki, like we did here. It would drive the Turks insane.

Yes we could, but it might be better to have an understanding with Francis first.

I don’t see how anyone could stop us.

They couldn’t. It’s just more than I want to manage.

You only want to build things?

Phoenix House will have a management company for the things we don’t want to sell, but you’re right, I developed a taste for building things in my old time. Managing things is for people who don’t mind rules.

Noted. Would you mind if we worked on that tower fortress? My new boys could use a design project. I showed them the first lesson on designing for the factories. They’re hungry for more.

In my old time they had buildings 200 floors and taller. They would put cruiser engines every 20 floors to keep them upright. They were flying the building like a kite! I don’t need anything like that.

Also noted. They seem to be having fun knocking over your mud towers.

If we were in a hurry we could have one of the gun platforms use its air gun on the mud to help settle it. It’s loud, though.

*Karl?*

*yes, Freya?*

*Minister de Nompere is calling. He wants to know if you’ll accept General Oudinot as Ambassador until a more diplomatic person can be appointed. He says he is is under some pressure from the Emperor to have a trusted person in Warsaw now.*

*If he’s an Ambassador then he doesn’t need to bring his division. One company of guards will be allowed over the Oder.*

*I’ll tell him.*

Damn, that sure seems like managing and rule making. Well, we have to build the country too.

Michal was talking about how the Austrians might not mind the noise, but Karl knew better. Noise always draws a crowd, then you have to worry about crowd control. Not so much here, though; the walls stood up ten meters above the river level, people would need ladders to get over them to see what was happening inside, but they would if you gave them time and incentive.

It’s a lot easier building in solid ground, he said to slightly change the subject. We can just blast out the dirt and rock and plant the tower. Have you seen the treehouses on the Gdansk shore?

Not yet.

Go look at them when the boys get tired here. They come out of the factories all folded up, then the branches drop down.

Interesting. I was thinking we might put crosses on the towers as decoration, just to further inflame the Turks, but you think we could have actual cross pieces?

Lots of things you could do. The treehouses could do what you want, they might do for our border with Russia too.

When will we be taking care of that?

Karl wondered if it was worth the effort to create his own news service. He always admired the effort the High King put into shaping the news to his own purpose, but half of the news had seemed half lies; Karl was not concerned with the opinions of anyone outside his own circle. Let Dabrowski worry about the news.

Poniatowski and Dabrowski are chasing them out now. The Prince wanted to enter Vienna as a conqueror, he may prefer to lord it over the Russians in Peter first. You might have to go it alone here for a while.

What would you suggest?

Have your new men look over the plans and play with them, but I’d like you to look at the process of planting them as well. We’ll need a factory complex, just north of the border at Belgrade would be good. Then, once we get started, plant at least ten a day so we’ll need to have men and machines ready.

Would we need a cruiser to blast out the holes?

A cutting barge would do. Work up a plan for the factory site, several designs to choose from, and a schedule for planting them, then call Radetzki. As far as the price, ask for a square like this for every ten towers.

God knows the Austrians don’t have the money to pay us for them. The stories I’m hearing in Vienna... They must have scraped up all the cash in the vaults to pay for the balloons.

Karl snorted, Their silver marks were 84% silver. I put it all in the donation box at a church in Krakow.

So what will we do with all these apartments? Take IOUs for them?

Phoenix employees can have them. What would you do if I gave you ten of them as your share of the project?

Ten squares? Each with two towers like we’re planning here? Hire a manager and tell him to collect the rent and send it to me each month.

Phoenix Management will have to get started soon. If you want to hire some business people as managers, or more engineers, we’ll need them. I have several projects in Poland I want to start soon.

Would you object if I hired Tadeusz Kosciuszko? He’s living in Switzerland.

He has to understand, we’re going to build an independent Poland first. Constitutions will have to wait until the dust settles. I’m hoping Dabrowski will be firm, but I don’t think he’ll be a tyrant.

Even if he is, he can hardly command Phoenix House.

True.

That seemed a good place to end the conversation and Karl ascended to the bridge of Hop One. Freya, has Oudinot released the Poles in his division? he asked as Wyspianski followed him in and stowed his airboard.

He acted as soon as he got the proclamation from Paris.

What’s he doing now?

Making preparations to leave Dresden for Warsaw.

Let him know I’ll come get him if he wants a ride.

Aye.

2

Karl asked Wojciech if he was hungry and after a nod ordered two roast beef on rye from the bridge food unit. Flying does stimulate the appetite, he commented after a few bites, just before Freya announced, Minister Canning is calling. He wants to send an Ambassador to Warsaw; General William Cathcart.

Fine. Will he arrive tomorrow with Hawkley?

I’ll suggest it.

Good. Karl spent a few minutes going over the man’s record and thought he might be a good choice. Cathcart had served with distinction in North America and had been the British Ambassador to the Russians a few years ago.

He spent another few minutes going over his to-do list. Jerzy was helping the Cecilian nuns in their new estate in the Slodowiec district of Warsaw and recruiting house troops from a growing stream of veterans making their way to the estate for healing. Karl Three was recruiting from his friends and drinking buddies in the regiment, and since Karl insisted they accept only reliable and experienced people, no great speed had been required of either man in the effort. He could have summoned either man to assist, but after dealing with the Russians this morning he felt he could focus on one of his easier tasks for the afternoon.

He had committed to the shipping complex on the Vistula. He decided to plant the factories it would require. He had built a similar complex on the Red River for the Texans and expected to make this one bigger and better.

Arriving over the wide stretch of the Vistula southeast of Plock that he had selected for the complex he was met by a transport full of factory seeds that Freya had summoned from their reserve base at South. After selecting a score of spots among the low islands in the river the task was routine. An hour later he had sited and initiated ten of the smaller factory mouths and another ten of the larger combined factories. In a week sea walls would begin to line the river, warehouses would line the shores, and balloon operators would begin to learn the process of picking up and delivering cargoes. Of course the whole scheme would fail if no one in Poland wanted to ship anything in large quantities, but his plan to increase the national wealth rested on many legs, some of them far riskier than the chance that Poles might want to import or export goods.

When he was finishing up and checking the initiation status of the seeds Freya notified him, General Oudinot would be pleased to accept your offer and awaits your convenience.

Where is he?

The Dresdner Schloss.

His company?

He’s bringing a guard of a dozen men. I assured him Poland was friendly territory.

Good. Tell him I’ll be there in ten minutes.

The castle in the heart of Dresden had been the home of House Wettin for centuries; they ruled Saxony from it as Electors, Dukes, and Kings while they filled it with art from Europe and Turkey. Karl was not an art lover, but he appreciated the graceful lines of the structure with a builder’s eye as he circled around it once in Hop One. Oudinot was waiting with his entourage in the courtyard away from the main access gate. Karl floated down after Wojciech took up his observation post on his airboard.

General, he greeted the Frenchman, not feeling any need to introduce himself.

Colonel Pieszczoch, replied Oudinot, a pleasure to make the acquaintance of anyone from heaven, though I am surprised at how eager I am to do so.

I assure you heaven is no closer today, General. Are you ready for your first flight?

I hope so. Your assistant assured me I could bring my men, horses, and a carriage.

I have a transport landing for that purpose out in the street. I’ve found that it’s easier to lead horses aboard if they don’t see the craft fall out of the sky first.

How interesting. I’m sure there must be many such tricks when one travels above it all.

Karl waved an invitation to proceed and they spent about ten minutes getting the carriage and a dozen men on horseback into the transport. Oudinot eyed Woj a few times as the bodyguard slowly circled around them sitting on his heels on the airboard.

Your man has a weapon, he remarked. Is it as unusual as his conveyance?

Yes. Have you heard of Marshal Soult lately?

It’s similar to the lightning weapon Soult used? Marshal Berthier ...

"Asked you to find out everything you can about them,