26 Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?

I read the list provided to me by secretary Kowalski, it included three blacksmiths, three carpenters, two brickmakers, one potter, one saddler, three tar makers, one stove fitter, one cooper and four builders ... it was not my dream job, but for sure I'll find a job for them. Brickmakers will be especially useful in the later period, when I start rebuilding Jazłowiec.

I called Secretary Kowalski back to my office.

"In a week or two, you will go back to Lviv. I wrote the book, it is almost finished. You will order printing of one hundred copies in Polish and one hundred in German. You will also bring people from this list to Jazłowiec, maybe by then there will be other people willing to settle here." (MC)

"Lord wrote a book? ... reason cannot comprehend it." (Secretary Kowalski)

"My father took care of my education, maybe I did not study in Paris, Vienna or Krakow, but ... Never mind. When it is printed, you will read it and evaluate it, but before it happens, you will take a few people and prepare the area for a new settlement, north of Jazłowiec and less than a kilometer from the city. In the future, I intend to open many workshops there. (MC)

"How many people should I take with me?" (Secretary Kowalski)

"As many as you need, cut down the trees, level the ground, do whatever it takes to prepare the site for construction, you can now also pave the road to this settlement." (MC)

After the instructions was issued, I went back to writing the book, the Polish version was almost finished, but I had to spend more time on the German version.

The following days passed at the same pace, in the morning I got up, did my morning training, usually it was running or swimming and a short series of exercises with the saber. Then there was breakfast and work on the book, then lunch and time to run errands.

I finally finished matters with Jankiel and Aram, I gave them a total of 30,000 ducats and ordered them to buy oil, tar, sulfur, saltpetre, quicklime, resins and rock salt. Maybe I didn't have a gunsmith or a bell-founder, but I could make Greek fire, which will probably be helpful.

Sveta has returned to work, but I haven't tired her yet, let her feel more confident ... and only then will another misfortune befall her.

I was also thinking what to start producing to start making money. Among the nobility, or at least the wealthy part of it, the most popular were Persian and Turkish carpets, furniture from Gdańsk and exotic spices, from this list I could only choose furniture, having several centuries of advantage, I will certainly find some interesting styles... perhaps it will not be a great leap forward, because only by a hundred years, but I always thought that the baroque furniture had its own charm, which should rather be well accepted in these times.

There was also relatively little entertainment, alcohol, music, theater, hunting, feasts, horse racing, chess and a few party games ... I could try to spice things up a bit, but there was no money in it, just like publishing books, there was no copyright and anyone could do whatever he wanted... the author's reward was respect and recognition, not money.

The next days passed. Secretary Kowalski went to Lviv again, this time with my manuscript and 400 ducats, for safety he was accompanied by two soldiers and ensign Olszewski... In the evening of the same day I went to a local inn, it was just to get another alibi, my presence was easily noticeable, but to be even more characteristic, I announced that I had written a book and that today everyone drinks at my expense ... of course, information about the book it did not arouse much interest, but the free alcohol made people drink a few toasts to my health. After a while, pretending to be drunk, I left the inn and headed towards Sveta's house.

It took me a few minutes to reach it, there weren't many night lights in this area, and the moon was new, unfortunately the downside was the silence, when I took out the tinder and used it the first time, I thought I would wake up the whole area, but nothing like that it happened ... it took me maybe two minutes to strike the fire, When I had everything ready, I lit a few pieces of wood and threw them on the roof of Sveta's house ... waited a few minutes to see if there were any flames, and when I saw them I walked away from the crime scene.

I was standing several dozen meters from her house, covered with another building, the flames were getting bigger and bigger, but no one left the house. Perhaps Sveta or her children have not yet noticed the fire... Just in case, I changed my voice and shouted fire, then headed to the castle with a drunken step.

I woke up in the morning and called Sveta to my bedroom like every other day ... no one came. I got dressed and went to my office, called another servant to serve me breakfast, asked her about Sveta, but she didn't know anything.

Sveta showed up in my office only in the afternoon, her face was swollen from crying, there were traces of soot on her cheeks and hands, she smelled of smoke.

"Lord, at night ... my house burned down." (Sveta)

She gasped out tiredly. I looked at her with mock concern.

"Are you okay? Children safe and sound?" (MC)

"Yes, nothing happened to them or me, but I lost everything ... why is God punishing me so hard? My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Sveta)

"When God closes one door, he opens another, maybe he is testing you now to reward later, remember whatever happens in the future, accept it with gratitude ... Do you have where to go?" (MC)

"My relatives ..." (Sveta)

"I have decided and I do not accept any objection, you and the children will live in the castle. If I remember correctly, your son is 10 years old, and your daughter is 7. If you want, your son will become a stable boy. Your daughter is too young to work." (MC)

"Lord ..." (Sveta)

"This is my will and you will submit to it. Choose two rooms, one for yourself and one for the children. Bring your belongings that survived the fire by the end of the day." (MC)