Grantville Gazette - Volume V Read Free Page A

as little more than a hobby.

    But it was a serious hobby, so Jabe knew that the rule of thumb for editing footage was that one hour's work yielded one minute of usable footage. Cutting hours of footage down to sixty minutes in less than a day?

    Insane.

    For this, though, Jabe couldn't say no. "You'll have it, sir, Ms. Ambler. It'll be ready."

    "Would you mind if I observe you?" Prudentia had been so quiet her presence had been forgotten.

    Jabe crimsoned. "Sure, Prudentia. I wouldn't mind."

    Frank told Jabe he would clear the young man's absence from the barracks. All of Jabe's video gear was at his house, in his old basement room. Frank continued to talk to Janice; his statement would be simulcast on VOA radio. Jabe and Prudentia left.

    Jabe was preoccupied enough not to be nervous around Prudentia—at least not nearly as nervous as he usually was. Without even thinking, he broke the ice.

    "What were you sketching, Prudentia?" he asked.

    "A scene from Dr. Strangelove . General Ripper sitting at his desk, looking at his cigar. A lot of interesting play with light and shadow. It would, I think, make a good painting."

    Without wanting to, Jabe blurted out the question that had really been bothering him. "Why did you want to come with me?"

    "I grew up around artists, you know. I love to watch them work. I find it very inspirational for my own art."

    "I'm not an artist."

    "It may be so, but from my understanding of this Orbis Incindiae it is unlikely I shall ever see an artist in this medium of film, not anytime soon. Besides," she added, "you have a good eye and good sense of the beautiful."

    Jabe flushed. Hastily, he decided the best course of action would be to shift the conversation away from himself. "How have you liked Grantville? It must be a lot different than the places you've lived."

    "It is. I miss Napoli and Roma, but Grantville is a fascinating place. And the things I've learned, especially about the science of optics and behavior of light, have been magnificent. It's been most useful to me. But your beliefs and customs are rather shocking. Mother would not approve of me walking home with you."

    "Why not? It's not like we're going to, you know, um, well . . ." That sentence trailed off into confused oblivion.

    Prudentia smiled. "I trust you, Jabe. It's just that my mother's experience with men, especially when she was young, has led her to be . . . wary."

    * * *

    The McDougal house was empty, save for the dogs. Zula McDougal was still at work, Karin Jo and Kyle were still at school.

    Hatfield, Llewellyn, and Dottie greeted Jabe with their usual enthusiasm. Hatfield, a golden retriever-husky mix, made his usual strange Chewbacca noises, with Llewellyn—Lew, for short—and Dot, both Pembroke Welsh corgis, adding to the din with their barking. Hatfield had been adopted from a shelter. Lew and Dot were originally only going to stay with the McDougals for a short time, until they found homes, but the Ring of Fire had made them permanent residents. Jabe's younger brother Kyle was trying to train the dogs to do useful work.

    Jabe gave Hatfield a quick tummy rub and then scribbled a note, leaving it on the table where the first person home would see it. Prudentia phoned the Nobilis. Jabe escorted his guest to his basement room. He had originally shared a room with Kyle until the two brothers decided that absence would make the heart grow fonder and Jabe fled to the basement. It could get damp and chilly down there, especially since the Ring of Fire, but Jabe was more than willing to sacrifice a few comforts for privacy.

    Jabe turned on his computer and pulled an extra chair up to the desk, while he looked through his tapes and got his camera.

    * * *

    Prudentia admired Jabe's computer, caressing its curved lines. She had seen many computers since coming to Grantville and they usually struck her as ugly in their design, even if they were quite useful things. This one was different, though. It seemed to