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.Jabe saw the painting hanging above General Jackson's desk and smiled.Frank noticed thelook and looked at the painting again himself, nodding approvingly."That young lady of yours can paint, Private, and that's a fact.It was bad enough that MarySimpson was on my case about decorating the office, but she threatened to pick the paintingsherself if I didn't do it.And Diane agreed with her!" Frank still couldn't believe this act of spousaltreason.Though, in truth, he got along with Admiral Simpson and his wife reasonably well thesedays.Frank knew next to nothing about art.He'd been content to let Diane decorate their housewith works from her native Vietnam, which he rather liked even if he was loath to admit it.Ashe was fond of saying, he didn't know much about art, but he knew what he liked.And he'd liked Ripper's Repose when Diane and Mary had shown it to him.Taken from ascene of the movie Dr.Strangelove, the painting wasn't dogs playing poker, but it was art Frankcould live with.It was a simple study of General Jack D.Ripper sitting at his desk, pensivelystudying his lit cigar.Prudentia Gentileschi, the painter of the piece, had infused General Ripperwith a humanity that he lacked in the film.That Prudentia was the daughter of famed ArtemisiaGentileschi painter to royalty and was becoming a renowned artist in her own right, botheredhim not at all.Frank Jackson was not ashamed of being a hillbilly, and he liked confoundingpeople's expectations.In this case, specifically, Lennart Torstensson's expectations.Plus, MarySimpson said the work was a fine example of "chiaroscuro," whatever the hell that was."I don't know if she's 'my lady' or not, sir," said Jabe, coloring with embarrassment."I guesswe do spend a lot of time together.""So I hear," said Frank."But I didn't ask you here to talk about your love life.I have aquestion to ask you, and for the moment I want you to forget I'm a general and you're a private.Iwant your honest answer.What do you think about being in the Signal Corps?""It's okay, I guess," said Jabe.He shrugged a noncommittal shrug.Frank flipped through the pages in Jabe's service jacket."You must not like it all that well,son.Your commanding officers like you, but they all say the same thing you aren't performingto your potential."A mix of emotions showed on Jabe's face: guilt, shame and a little anger."I'm sorry, sir.I dotry.I'll try harder, I guess."Frank smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile."Jabe, if you break a knife because youwere using it as a crowbar, is that the knife's fault?""No, sir.You shouldn't use it like that.It wasn't made for it.""Exactly.I think we're not using you the best way we can.I know you can do great things.People who know more than I do told me that making that documentary a few months ago in thetime you had was the next thing to impossible.But you went ahead and did it.And did a hell of ajob besides.""Thank you, sir.""You're welcome.Now I'm a general again.Private McDougal, General Torstensson has decided to set up a small press corps and asked me to think of some candidates for it.I thinkyou'd do well serving the USE in that role.Is there any reason why I might be wrong?""No sir.""Good." Jackson slid the official orders across his desk to Jabe."You'll be adjutant toLieutenant Kurt von Kessel, who'll be in charge of the press division office in Grantville.Congratulations, Sergeant McDougal." Frank stuck out his hand."Sergeant?" Jabe shook his superior's hand dazedly.Frank grinned."Yup.Forgot to tell you the job comes with a promotion.Report to the maproom at the imperial palace tomorrow morning at nine.Dismissed."Still in a daze, Sergeant Jabe McDougal saluted and left.Frank chuckled.Jabe was a goodkid, as he expected from the son of Pete and Zula.He was also transparent as hell.Frank knewhis newest sergeant was thinking of his girlfriend.Grantville, Early winter, 1634The object of Jabe McDougal's affections was, at that moment, in Grantville staring at a half-empty canvas.Prudentia Gentileschi sighed.She seemed to be lacking inspiration andconcentration in equal measure today.Jabe had been called to Magdeburg on military matters, and Prudentia missed him.It wastheir custom to meet at the recently opened Sternbock Coffee House in the afternoon, and Jabetreated Prudentia to dinner at the Thuringen Gardens when his modest Army pay allowed.Shefelt tense in an odd sort of way, as if she'd been going without something essential even thoughthey never went beyond holding hands and relatively chaste kissing.Their relationship had deepened and grown since October of last year when Prudentia hadspent the night watching Jabe edit a documentary about the heroes of the Battle of Wismar.Evenbefore that night, before they knew each other well, Prudentia had appreciated Jabe's thoughtfulnature.In her experience it was a very rare trait among the male of the species, up-time or down-time.On the night of October 10, 1633, Prudentia had seen in Jabe the soul of a true artist, workingin a medium that was about to disappear from the world for a good many years.She hadn'tthought that possible from the son of a laborer.Her first real meeting with Jabe's parents hadn't gone particularly well.Not long after theBattle of Wismar, Zula decided to move to Magdeburg with her two younger children to be withher husband.Pete had been granted a brief leave in early November to help Zula pack up thehouse.Mrs.McDougal had only briefly met Prudentia, so she more or less insisted that Jabebring his new girlfriend to dinner.The first problem had been with the food.Zula prided herself on being able to set out a goodspread when she had the time.But the traditional West Virginia fare, with an emphasis on lots ofgravy, was not to Prudentia's taste.Try as she might, Prudentia couldn't quite hide her dislike ofit.Zula was not too pleased at this, but had this been Prudentia's only mistake, it would have soonbeen forgiven and forgotten.The critical misstep came later in the evening.Pete McDougal was still nursing wounds fromJohn Simpson's initial visit to Magdeburg, shortly after Mike Stearns had prevailed upon Simpson to resume his naval career.Pete, at the time, was representing the New United States'interests in Magdeburg.Simpson had been critical of Pete's operation from the start.That eventshad validated Simpson's criticisms was bad enough.Jabe had told Prudentia that, for Pete, itseemed there was a cloud over him.In his father's mind, Jabe had said, the fact that he hadn'tbeen appointed to one of the administrator positions in Thuringia was all Simpson's fault [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Jabe saw the painting hanging above General Jackson's desk and smiled.Frank noticed thelook and looked at the painting again himself, nodding approvingly."That young lady of yours can paint, Private, and that's a fact.It was bad enough that MarySimpson was on my case about decorating the office, but she threatened to pick the paintingsherself if I didn't do it.And Diane agreed with her!" Frank still couldn't believe this act of spousaltreason.Though, in truth, he got along with Admiral Simpson and his wife reasonably well thesedays.Frank knew next to nothing about art.He'd been content to let Diane decorate their housewith works from her native Vietnam, which he rather liked even if he was loath to admit it.Ashe was fond of saying, he didn't know much about art, but he knew what he liked.And he'd liked Ripper's Repose when Diane and Mary had shown it to him.Taken from ascene of the movie Dr.Strangelove, the painting wasn't dogs playing poker, but it was art Frankcould live with.It was a simple study of General Jack D.Ripper sitting at his desk, pensivelystudying his lit cigar.Prudentia Gentileschi, the painter of the piece, had infused General Ripperwith a humanity that he lacked in the film.That Prudentia was the daughter of famed ArtemisiaGentileschi painter to royalty and was becoming a renowned artist in her own right, botheredhim not at all.Frank Jackson was not ashamed of being a hillbilly, and he liked confoundingpeople's expectations.In this case, specifically, Lennart Torstensson's expectations.Plus, MarySimpson said the work was a fine example of "chiaroscuro," whatever the hell that was."I don't know if she's 'my lady' or not, sir," said Jabe, coloring with embarrassment."I guesswe do spend a lot of time together.""So I hear," said Frank."But I didn't ask you here to talk about your love life.I have aquestion to ask you, and for the moment I want you to forget I'm a general and you're a private.Iwant your honest answer.What do you think about being in the Signal Corps?""It's okay, I guess," said Jabe.He shrugged a noncommittal shrug.Frank flipped through the pages in Jabe's service jacket."You must not like it all that well,son.Your commanding officers like you, but they all say the same thing you aren't performingto your potential."A mix of emotions showed on Jabe's face: guilt, shame and a little anger."I'm sorry, sir.I dotry.I'll try harder, I guess."Frank smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile."Jabe, if you break a knife because youwere using it as a crowbar, is that the knife's fault?""No, sir.You shouldn't use it like that.It wasn't made for it.""Exactly.I think we're not using you the best way we can.I know you can do great things.People who know more than I do told me that making that documentary a few months ago in thetime you had was the next thing to impossible.But you went ahead and did it.And did a hell of ajob besides.""Thank you, sir.""You're welcome.Now I'm a general again.Private McDougal, General Torstensson has decided to set up a small press corps and asked me to think of some candidates for it.I thinkyou'd do well serving the USE in that role.Is there any reason why I might be wrong?""No sir.""Good." Jackson slid the official orders across his desk to Jabe."You'll be adjutant toLieutenant Kurt von Kessel, who'll be in charge of the press division office in Grantville.Congratulations, Sergeant McDougal." Frank stuck out his hand."Sergeant?" Jabe shook his superior's hand dazedly.Frank grinned."Yup.Forgot to tell you the job comes with a promotion.Report to the maproom at the imperial palace tomorrow morning at nine.Dismissed."Still in a daze, Sergeant Jabe McDougal saluted and left.Frank chuckled.Jabe was a goodkid, as he expected from the son of Pete and Zula.He was also transparent as hell.Frank knewhis newest sergeant was thinking of his girlfriend.Grantville, Early winter, 1634The object of Jabe McDougal's affections was, at that moment, in Grantville staring at a half-empty canvas.Prudentia Gentileschi sighed.She seemed to be lacking inspiration andconcentration in equal measure today.Jabe had been called to Magdeburg on military matters, and Prudentia missed him.It wastheir custom to meet at the recently opened Sternbock Coffee House in the afternoon, and Jabetreated Prudentia to dinner at the Thuringen Gardens when his modest Army pay allowed.Shefelt tense in an odd sort of way, as if she'd been going without something essential even thoughthey never went beyond holding hands and relatively chaste kissing.Their relationship had deepened and grown since October of last year when Prudentia hadspent the night watching Jabe edit a documentary about the heroes of the Battle of Wismar.Evenbefore that night, before they knew each other well, Prudentia had appreciated Jabe's thoughtfulnature.In her experience it was a very rare trait among the male of the species, up-time or down-time.On the night of October 10, 1633, Prudentia had seen in Jabe the soul of a true artist, workingin a medium that was about to disappear from the world for a good many years.She hadn'tthought that possible from the son of a laborer.Her first real meeting with Jabe's parents hadn't gone particularly well.Not long after theBattle of Wismar, Zula decided to move to Magdeburg with her two younger children to be withher husband.Pete had been granted a brief leave in early November to help Zula pack up thehouse.Mrs.McDougal had only briefly met Prudentia, so she more or less insisted that Jabebring his new girlfriend to dinner.The first problem had been with the food.Zula prided herself on being able to set out a goodspread when she had the time.But the traditional West Virginia fare, with an emphasis on lots ofgravy, was not to Prudentia's taste.Try as she might, Prudentia couldn't quite hide her dislike ofit.Zula was not too pleased at this, but had this been Prudentia's only mistake, it would have soonbeen forgiven and forgotten.The critical misstep came later in the evening.Pete McDougal was still nursing wounds fromJohn Simpson's initial visit to Magdeburg, shortly after Mike Stearns had prevailed upon Simpson to resume his naval career.Pete, at the time, was representing the New United States'interests in Magdeburg.Simpson had been critical of Pete's operation from the start.That eventshad validated Simpson's criticisms was bad enough.Jabe had told Prudentia that, for Pete, itseemed there was a cloud over him.In his father's mind, Jabe had said, the fact that he hadn'tbeen appointed to one of the administrator positions in Thuringia was all Simpson's fault [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]