Read Online 1635: The Eastern Front by Eric Flint - Free Book Online
Authors: Eric Flint
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), American Science Fiction And Fantasy, Alternative History, General & Literary Fiction, Science Fiction - Military, Graphic novels: Manga
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lifted his hand. "I may as well save it for the hetman. No point giving the same speech twice. It'll probably be wasted on you anyway, dull-witted soldier that you are."
Lukasz called him a very unfavorable term in Lithuanian.
Jozef grinned. "I have the most marvelous American expression."
After he spoke it a few times, Lukasz began practicing the pronunciation. "Modderfooker . . . mudder—yes, it is nice."
Chapter 5
After Jozef finished presenting his case for staying out of the coming war between the USE and the Saxon-Brandenburgers, Koniecpolski leaned back in his chair. It was a very large and comfortable chair in a very large and comfortable chamber in his manor. Americans would have called it a living room on steroids.
For a few seconds, he stroked his large and prominent nose. Then, as Jozef had expected he would, the hetman sidestepped the issue. "I keep hearing rumors that the Americans are well-disposed toward Poland," he said. "Is that true, Nephew?"
"Well . . . It's complicated. On the one hand, yes. They tend to have a favorable attitude toward Poles. Quite favorable, actually."
"Why?" asked Lukasz.
"Several reasons. The first and simplest is that the country they came from was a country created by immigrants. Many of those immigrants were Polish."
The hetman grunted, and hefted a wine glass. "So I've heard. But I would assume many of them were Swedes also."
"There were immigrants from Sweden, yes, and other Scandinavian countries. But most of the Scandinavian immigrants settled elsewhere in America. Places called Minnesota and Wisconsin. There were many more Poles in the area from which Grantville came."
He made a little wagging gesture with his hand. "But that's only one reason, and perhaps not the most important. Some Poles, including noblemen, helped the Americans in their war of independence with England. And, in much more recent times—‘recent,' at least, as Americans see it—their principal antagonist was Russia. And since Poland was under Russian control—"
He restrained himself from adding: because of idiots like those who control the throne and Sejm.
"—and Poles chafed at the situation, the Americans were favorably disposed toward us."
Koniecpolski finished drinking from his cup. "And on the other hand?" he asked.
Jozef shrugged. "Despite their reputation for fanciful notions—what they themselves call ‘romanticism'—the Americans are every bit as inclined toward being practical and hardheaded as anyone else. The fact is, whether they are favorably disposed to us or not, they have formed a close political relationship with the king of Sweden. There are some aspects to that relationship which do not particularly please them, true. Still, by and large, most Americans think their bargain with Gustav Adolf has worked quite well for them. They are not going to jeopardize it because of some favorable sentiments toward us—which, when you come right down to it, are rather vague and nebulous sentiments in the first place."
Koniecpolski nodded again. His eyes never left Jozef's face, though. "And there's something else."
Jozef took a deep breath. "Yes, there is. Whatever favorable sentiments may exist among the Americans toward we Poles as a people, there are no favorable sentiments—not in their leadership, at any rate—toward the Commonwealth as it exists today. I have heard some of their speeches, Uncle, and read a great many more of their writings. That includes, for instance, a speech given by Michael Stearns in which he states that the two great evils which loom before the world today are chattel slavery in the New World and the second serfdom in eastern Europe. Both of which must be destroyed."
"His term?" asked Koniecpolski. "Destroyed?"
"One of his terms. Others were ‘eradicated,' ‘crushed,' and ‘scrubbed from existence.' He is quite serious about it, Uncle. He believes the great evils that afflicted the world he came from were caused, in large part, by the
Lukasz called him a very unfavorable term in Lithuanian.
Jozef grinned. "I have the most marvelous American expression."
After he spoke it a few times, Lukasz began practicing the pronunciation. "Modderfooker . . . mudder—yes, it is nice."
Chapter 5
After Jozef finished presenting his case for staying out of the coming war between the USE and the Saxon-Brandenburgers, Koniecpolski leaned back in his chair. It was a very large and comfortable chair in a very large and comfortable chamber in his manor. Americans would have called it a living room on steroids.
For a few seconds, he stroked his large and prominent nose. Then, as Jozef had expected he would, the hetman sidestepped the issue. "I keep hearing rumors that the Americans are well-disposed toward Poland," he said. "Is that true, Nephew?"
"Well . . . It's complicated. On the one hand, yes. They tend to have a favorable attitude toward Poles. Quite favorable, actually."
"Why?" asked Lukasz.
"Several reasons. The first and simplest is that the country they came from was a country created by immigrants. Many of those immigrants were Polish."
The hetman grunted, and hefted a wine glass. "So I've heard. But I would assume many of them were Swedes also."
"There were immigrants from Sweden, yes, and other Scandinavian countries. But most of the Scandinavian immigrants settled elsewhere in America. Places called Minnesota and Wisconsin. There were many more Poles in the area from which Grantville came."
He made a little wagging gesture with his hand. "But that's only one reason, and perhaps not the most important. Some Poles, including noblemen, helped the Americans in their war of independence with England. And, in much more recent times—‘recent,' at least, as Americans see it—their principal antagonist was Russia. And since Poland was under Russian control—"
He restrained himself from adding: because of idiots like those who control the throne and Sejm.
"—and Poles chafed at the situation, the Americans were favorably disposed toward us."
Koniecpolski finished drinking from his cup. "And on the other hand?" he asked.
Jozef shrugged. "Despite their reputation for fanciful notions—what they themselves call ‘romanticism'—the Americans are every bit as inclined toward being practical and hardheaded as anyone else. The fact is, whether they are favorably disposed to us or not, they have formed a close political relationship with the king of Sweden. There are some aspects to that relationship which do not particularly please them, true. Still, by and large, most Americans think their bargain with Gustav Adolf has worked quite well for them. They are not going to jeopardize it because of some favorable sentiments toward us—which, when you come right down to it, are rather vague and nebulous sentiments in the first place."
Koniecpolski nodded again. His eyes never left Jozef's face, though. "And there's something else."
Jozef took a deep breath. "Yes, there is. Whatever favorable sentiments may exist among the Americans toward we Poles as a people, there are no favorable sentiments—not in their leadership, at any rate—toward the Commonwealth as it exists today. I have heard some of their speeches, Uncle, and read a great many more of their writings. That includes, for instance, a speech given by Michael Stearns in which he states that the two great evils which loom before the world today are chattel slavery in the New World and the second serfdom in eastern Europe. Both of which must be destroyed."
"His term?" asked Koniecpolski. "Destroyed?"
"One of his terms. Others were ‘eradicated,' ‘crushed,' and ‘scrubbed from existence.' He is quite serious about it, Uncle. He believes the great evils that afflicted the world he came from were caused, in large part, by the
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