Monastery (3) - Count Hermann visits ...

Count Hermann of Munster, the King of Wittenberg's right hand man (and also 'spymaster'), is visiting the monastery of St Wigberts, he is greeted by the Abbot...

Count: (swishing his hand) There are a lot of bees about.

Abbot: sorry about the bees they are still settling in ..

 

The monks sing to the bees to calm them as they orientate themselves to the environs of St Wigberts...

A monk escorts the Count through the abbey grounds round towards the old seminary..

Count: Whats wrong with that chap over there  ?

Monk: That's brother Ignatious, he's communing with the worms,

part of the Abbots relating to nature program.

 

The monk takes the Count to the entrance to the seminary..

Monk: you'll find Master Cantor and his associates in the courtyard

 

 

The Count meets up with Cantor (the court inventor and leading light in the Wittenberg Royal Society) in the courtyard. There is the sound of musket fire...

(the old seminary has been rented by Count Hermann for Cantor and other scientists and engineers to do research work, at the Abbots request they wear monks habits over their clothes to mask their activities from casual observers ). The Count has come to visit today to check on the new musket cartridges being developed for the army ...

Count: How is the new powder formula doing ?
Cantor: Tests show a 10% increase in range and accuracy, this is the best we can do for now.
Von Braun: The details of the mixture will be sent to the arsenals tommorrow for them to start manufacture
Count:Very good, that will please the King
Von Braun: On another matter, the cartridges from the Wangheim arsenal you sent me for analysis have revealed that the powder has been adulterated - reducing their effectiveness
Cantor: I checked on the recent output from Wangheim - its is all stored for shipping - none has been sent out to units yet.
Count: We'll hold the stock at Wangheim and investigate who's messing with the powder - I have my suspicions on who's to blame. Well gentlemen, lets go inside and discuss progress on other projects....