anyone who might need to have a say needed to be here to speak up . . . just in case. There was a big map spread out over the table, and Kellermann had his ever-present notebook out.
“We have one more week of Oktoberfest, and then we move out,” he said. “And now we need to start transitioning to our winter quarters, the abbey that Giselle has so graciously offered to let us use.”
“I’ve heard from the builders I commissioned,” Rosa said immediately, not mentioning that those builders had been Elementals—dwarves, mostly, she’d said, but with a handful of brownies to make sure things were going to be comfortable. Dwarves tended not to think of comfort when they built, but rather making something substantial, that would last. If dwarves had their way, everyone would be sitting on stone furniture, at least, according to Rosa. “All of the repairs and needed additions are complete. I have a crew in place to start actually getting everything ready for us.”
A crew . . . that would be the brownies? Giselle wondered.
“They are headed up by a relative,” Rosa continued smoothly. “So I know that we can trust that things will be safe there and there will be no pilferage.”
That clarified things a little. A relative. That will be a member of the Bruderschaft. Or an ally, but definitely human, and probably another Earth Magician. Excellent.
“That was my next question. So if I were to start sending supplies, and possibly parts of the show ahead?” Kellermann asked.
“I’ll make arrangements ahead of time from the nearest train depot. You can rest assured that everything will be safely stored in all the proper places by the time you arrive,” Rosa promised. “I’m intending to leave the company at the end of this stint in Freiburg, in any event, and journey on ahead to make absolutely sure nothing goes amiss. I can travel much faster alone, and I intend to go by rail most of the way. Once I leave you, I can be at the abbey in no more than three days. I’m arranging to have a horse waiting for me when I arrive at the station in Meiersdorf.”
“Ah!” Kellermann said. “That is excellent.” Both Kellermann and Cody looked a little surprised and a little relieved at that.
“You sure you’ll be all right alone?” Cody wondered aloud.
Rosa laughed. “I have made journeys across three countries alone and never had a bit of trouble. I’ll be fine, I promise you. And if I do that, I’ll actually be there ahead of the first lot of supplies. It will not be the first time I have been responsible for a task like this. Anyone who thinks to cheat me or steal from you is going to discover that I open every barrel, cask, box and sack and double-check the contents.” She raised an eyebrow and patted the handle of the revolver that Cody had given her. She had proven to be a reasonably good shot with it and it was certainly easier to carry than her coach gun. “They will discover I am not a person to trifle with.”
The Captain laughed. Kellermann just shook his head. “In that case, does anyone have anything to add or object to?” Kellermann looked around the group, but everyone seemed satisfied with the plans, and to have confidence in her competence. “Good. I think the entire scheme is a sound one. After Freiburg, we will run a smaller show. We’ll break down everything we won’t need for that show and ship it on ahead to the station at Meiersdorf.”
Rosa nodded. “I’ll arrange for pickup there and see it all gets brought to the abbey.”
“I’ll do as much purchasing of winter supplies as I can here, where the prices will probably be lower, and also send that on ahead,” Kellermann continued, as the rest of the company’s leaders listened and nodded approval. “The rest of our engagements are no more than three days each. I’d skip them altogether but they’ll offset the expenses of travel. But as I see the opportunity to pick up more supplies, I will, and either send them on ahead or we’ll bring them with us.”
One of the men in charge of the cargo wagons spoke up. “If’n we pack tight for space, instead of fer how easy it’d be to unload and set up, if we pack up the Midway that way fer the year when we break down at the end of this here Oktober thing, we