Eric Flint: Grantville Gazette.Volume VII

Both Colette and Colas were dressed in typical twentieth-century clothing except for their boots; blue jeans and long-sleeved shirts.

"Yes. Father Mazzare was kind enough to provide us with clothing while ours were washed and the vermin removed." Colette smiled. "Very nice. I think I am in love with… what do you call them… washers and dryers?"

Josh laughed. "Yes, washers and dryers. Have you seen a dishwasher yet?"

Colette nodded. "Oh, yes. Those are wonderful, too. But the shower was even better. It is the first time I have felt clean in many months."

Colette and Colas had picked up the paper bags with their possessions.

"Ready?" Josh asked. "Let's go, then. My grandfather is expecting us."

As they left the parish hall Josh turned to the young boy. "So what do you think of Grantville, Colas?"

Colas laughed. "Colette calls it 'fairy-tale land.' And it is truly wondrous! Are you really from the future?"

Josh nodded. "Yes, about three hundred fifty years beyond the 1630's. The future is quite different from what you are used to. I spent a semester at the University of Paris studying European business history, so I know a bit about the seventeenth century."

"You've been to Paris?" Colas seemed impressed.

"Oh, yes. But it is much bigger than the Paris in this century. Much bigger. Perhaps three to five million people."

Colas had his mouth open. "Three to five million? That's impossible!"

Josh smiled. "You might think so, but that's nothing compared to Tokyo. I think there were fifteen million in Tokyo."

Colas shook his head. "You are joking, yes?"

"Nope. It's the truth. I'll show you an atlas when we get to my grandfather's house. You'll see."

"But how is that possible? Wouldn't the people get sick? What do they do with their… ummm… urine and manure?"

Josh noticed a small smile creep onto Colette's lips, while she listened to their conversation. He winked at her. To his surprise, she winked back. As they approached the door to Joe's house, Colette put her arm through his. "Thank you," she murmured softly, moving closer to him. "Colas has been very bored with talking only to me these past few days."

God, she smells good, thought Josh. Down, boy. Down!

"Welcome, strangers!" Joe threw the front door open. "Welcome to our humble home!"

When Henri Bex showed up that evening, Josh smiled to himself. Okay, this guy is huge. And he's got a sword. Do not piss off the chaperone.

The next morning Josh woke up on the couch and for one disorienting moment didn't know where he was.

"Check, you scoundrel," he heard a woman say.

"Ha! Ha! That won't save you."

Josh got out of the sleeper couch and put on his sweat pants before padding barefoot into the kitchen. Colette and Joe were playing chess.

Joe looked up at him. "Good morning, boy. Sleep well?"

Colette was brushing her hair, her attention focused intently on the chessboard. She glanced up at him and smiled.

"Good morning, Josh."

"I thought you didn't know English," he said accusingly.

Colette sighed. "I'm sorry, I was…" She switched to French. "Dissembling? I wanted to learn more about Grantville and thought it would be better to pretend not to know English." Colette switched back to English and patted Joe's hand. "But your grandfather is too nice a man to keep secrets from. He lets me win at chess."

Joe flashed a smile at her. "Ha! Not likely, young lady. Not likely! You're a great player! I won the first game but she's beaten me three games in a row, Josh. Great moves. Great! Maybe better than yours!"

"Sounds like a challenge is in store," Josh murmured.

Colette's smile was now more of a grin. "Ah, but Joe has warned me about you, Josh. He's told me all of your secrets!"

"Well, then. I'll just have to pull a few rabbits out of the old chess hat."

Joe stood up. "Good, good. You two play. I'm getting hungry. Anyone else?"

Both Colette and Josh nodded vigorously. Colette began to reset the chess board. Colas and Henri appeared in the entrance to the kitchen. "We're hungry."

"Colas and Henri are hungry, too, Gramps. Make plenty."

"Flapjacks okay with you? Or should we make waffles? I have some strawberries in the freezer."

Colette looked pleased. " Waffeln?"

Josh laughed. "Oh yeah, Gramps. Definitely waffles."

An hour later, with a dozen waffles demolished, Josh knew three things. Colette was indeed an excellent chess player. She absolutely loved waffles. And if he wasn't careful he was going to fall in love with a woman he had just barely met.

On Saturday Colette and Henri participated in the lunch time discussion about iron, steel, mining, metal working and the conduct of business in the seventeenth century. Many of their insights were invaluable and Josh took copious notes. As the discussion wound down, Amy Kubiak, Bart's daughter, stopped by.

Bart was justifiably proud of his daughter. Energetic, vivacious and intelligent, Amy Kubiak had been one of the brighter stars in the academic firmament of Grantville High School the year before. With her high SAT scores and strong grades in math and science, she'd gotten a four year full-tuition scholarship to West Virginia University in Morgantown.

"Hi, Dad! Hi, guys!" Amy gave Bart a quick hug. "Are you about done? Mom's got some errands for you." The Kubiaks lived just four blocks from Joe's house.

"Josh, anything else?" Bart asked.

Josh waved his hand. "Nah, I think that's enough for now. But I'd like to look at that book on the history of metal casting you mentioned. I'll stop by on Monday."

Josh saw Colette motion her head at Amy. "Amy, I'd like you to meet Colette Dubois and Henri Bex. They're from Liege. You can try out your French on them." Amy had taken four years of French at Grantville High School with Nicole Hawkins.

"Cool!" Amy said. She switched to French. "I'm Amy Kubiak. Pleased to meet you." She shook hands with Colette and Henri. "So you're from Liege? How does it compare to Grantville?"

Colette smiled. "About four times the population, at least. But the people live much closer together and the streets are narrower."

Josh suddenly snapped his fingers. "Amy, do you have any spare dresses? Colette doesn't have any nice clothes for church tomorrow. You two seem about the same height and build."

Amy stood back from Colette and eyed her critically, motioning for her to turn around. "Sure. I think I've got just the thing. Maybe two. Want to come over and try them on, Colette?"

"That would be wonderful." Colette paused a moment. "Are you sure you can spare them?"

"Oh, yes." Amy grinned. "I'm not into dresses these days and I've got a nice pants suit for church. Come on, let's go try them out."

Over the next four hours Amy and Colette talked about many subjects. Men. Family. Grantville. Books. Clothes. Men. Sex. It took them two hours to get to the sex. By then, with that innate social sense that women tend to take for granted and that men find mysterious, they knew they could trust each other with their secrets. In Amy's words, "They were buds." Simpatico.

Except for Marie de Gournay, a Frenchwoman who had written "The Equality of Men and Women" in 1624 and with whom Colette had corresponded with for years, she had never had a female friend she could confide secrets to. But Marie was considerably older and letters were an inadequate communications medium anyway.

"I had two love affairs this past year at college." Amy had her legs curled underneath her as she sat on her bed. "Dad would have a fit if he knew. I swear he glared at every single boyfriend I ever brought home from high school." Amy sighed. "The first one was to just get over my virginity, but the second… Hank was a great lover. I miss him. A lot."