"Pardon my ignorance, nephew, but I don't know much about military matters. Could you tell me what is going on? For example, what regiment are you with?" They were approaching the entrance to the north wing of the Monastery where Napp had his rooms and where guests were housed. They had just passed the garden shed on their right, and Napp was conscious of the monks looking at them from windows in their quarters on the left.

"We are Das k.k. Infanterie - Regiment Ritter von Frank, Nr 79," Reishach replied, pointing to the sea-green facings and white buttons on his uniform. "We are one of the new regiments raised in 1860, and we have only had one Inhaber, Ritter von Frank, so far." Each regiment had a ceremonial Colonel-in-Chief, and the regiment was named after him.

"Our Oberst is with the main body of our troops moving on Olomouc, but my battalion was told to assemble here, and I was ordered to bring the Abstimmungreservelistes to Brno and carry out the conscription of our fourth battalion as quickly as possible. Once the extra men have been sworn to colors, we will join the main forces and wait for Bismarck to make his move."

By now all the monks knew something about the conscription lists, so they tactfully said nothing about the simmering resentment around Brno that only Czechs were being conscripted and the Germans allowed to buy their way out of service.

"We have put you in one of our best rooms," Napp said, trying to change the subject, "it is on the south side, over there." He pointed to the second floor of the Prelate's wing. "Come, I'll show you the way."

If Abbot Napp had intended the last phrase to be a subtle signal for Brothers Timothy and Gregory to leave, both of them failed to take the hint, and continued to follow the Abbot and his nephew up to the guest quarters. When they all entered the assigned rooms they found Steefel still organizing a Korporal and two privates. Several boxes were piled against one wall, and a trunk of clothes was open by the bed, but all attention was drawn to the flat topped table and desk by the window.

Here Steefel had placed a large, leather bound folder, which he had opened to show a stack of official papers covered in long columns of names and dates. Seeing his superior officer arrive, Hauptman Steefel gave one of his characteristic nervous jerks, then said, "Herr Oberst, here are the Abstimmungreservelistes, ready for your attention. I've taken the liberty of asking Hauptman Eyck, to await your convenience so we can start distributing them at once."

"Good, soon. Now, open that window and get some fresh air in here - the place is stuffy."

Hauptman Steefel wriggled round the desk, which was pushed close to the window to take advantage of the south light, and moved an articulated reading glass off the window sill so that he could tug on the catch and open the leaded frame. He placed the reading glass on the desktop, and almost knocked it off as the window came open suddenly and he fell backwards.

Brother Gregory, who was the closest, rescued the antique before it hit the floor, and examined it for damage. The reading glass was nothing more than a very large, convex lens, about 8 to 10 centimeters in diameter, set in a carved wooden holder. The holder was, in turn, attached to a turned wooden spindle, or arm, that was jointed to the stand so it could swivel and hold the lens in almost any position. Readers with poor eyesight could sit at the desk with their book on its surface, and them place the lens over the page so the type was magnified.

a reading glass

"Nothing broken," Mendel said, putting the stand on the desk and adjusting the magnifying lens so that it could be used to read the Abstimmungreservelistes. Napp's nephew was about to admonish his careless adjutant, when Brother Timothy was heard to exclaim from the other side of the room.

"What a wonderful piece of glasswork!" he said loudly, and all heads turned to see Brother Timothy pointing to the mantel over the fireplace where the Korporale had placed a tall, greenish, vase-like beaker whose outer surface was covered in strange, knob protrusions. "What is it?"

Reishach went over to the fireplace and gently took down the ugly piece of glass. "This is my Krautstrunk Becher," he said proudly, "it was my great-grandmother's and I take it everywhere with me." He did not notice Brother Gregory start at hearing the name of the piece of glass work. It was the second time the monk had heard that name in the last couple of days.

a Krautstrunk Beaker

"I am told that such a beaker is very valuable," Brother Gregory said, looking closely at the hollow cylinder of glass with the strange, cabbage stalk appearance. "Isn't it risky taking such a delicate object on a military campaign?"

"Hah!" was his reply, "my men keep it well protected when we travel, and I won't take this anywhere near a battle. But it is my good luck charm, whenever it is near, I feel lucky. If we are going to fight Moltke and Bismarck, I want it close by."

"But is it valuable?" Abbot Napp wanted to know. He was worried about anything that delicate and breakable in his care and charge.

His nephew shrugged. "I have no idea," he admitted, "but don't worry. While I am here with you, I'll post a company of guards around the Monastery. That will keep you all safe from attack." He laughed at his own joke, and didn't notice that no one laughed along with him.