With the basement laboratory thoroughly cleaned to the standards set by Frau Smejkalova, and with the glassware removed from it's cases, work finally began on making the dye soluble.

It was with considerable pleasure that Grete Dabrowska put away her books and picked up her first beaker. There had been a certain amount of tension in their library discussions of chemistry and the nature of carbon compounds. Males, she had frequently found, did not like feeling inferior to females, especially in the manly arts of knowledge and intelligence. There had been many times in the past when she had not been given sufficient credit for a particular discovery because her husband's colleagues did not believe a woman could have anything useful to contribute.

She liked her three companions, but each of them treated her differently and for different reasons. Brother Gregory was painfully shy around women in a social context and had considerable difficulty in even looking her in the face. But once they started reading and studying the properties of linked carbon compounds, she found that his shyness vanished and he could argue and debate and question her as an equal.

Brother Matthew had no social problems or shyness, but he was easily bored and took very little interest in their work. He vanished at odd times and when he showed any inclination to help at all, it was always a trifle condescending and his offers were frequently mocking. However, he was an important member of the group as he was not easily discouraged and kept his less assured colleagues at their tasks even when they seemed to be making no progress at all.

Bropther Joseph was a theoretician and of very little value in the laboratory. His head was clearly in the books and not at the bench. His attitude towards her, and women in general, was that they were a necessary evil that had to be tolerated for the benefit of the human species, but not taken too seriously when it came to learning and thinking. Never-the-less, he was honest enough to praise her work when she made a significant contribution and give her credit when she was able to apply the theory to the practice.

It was during the third day of their labors that a double dark cloud drifted over their group and their work. Without warning, or knocking, Brother Timothy came into the laboratory to speak with the three monks. At first he tried to ignore her presence, but when Brother Gregory forced an introduction on him, he responded coolly and the touch of his hand was brief but obnoxious.

It appeared that some sort of election was about to take place, and Brother Timothy was clearly trying to promote his own candidacy. At least that is the way the insightful Grete Dabrowska read the conversation, and she was pleased when Brother Matthew confirmed her opinion after the candidate had left.

"We are doomed if that man becomes our next Abbot," he said forthrightly after the door had closed, but before Brother Timothy was completely out of earshot. To her surprise Brother Gregory did not agree wholeheartedly with his friend. "It will be a difficult job for anyone to take on," he said, "and Brother Timothy is at least well prepared for the task. Abbot Napp made quite a favorite out of him, and trained him well".

Brother Matthew just snorted, and it was clear that the three friends were not of one mind when it came to the choice of the next Abbot.

Hardly had the candidate departed when news came that Grete's father was at the monastery gate asking to see her and the three Brothers. Since she had only left her father at the pharmacy a few hours earlier, this unexpected visit could only be due to some crisis or emergency, so word was sent to bring him to the laboratory at once.

When Theimer arrived it was clear that he brought bad news. "My friends," he said after taking off his coat and refusing refreshment. "I have just exchanged an expensive bottle of painkilling laudanum for a serious piece of intelligence. But I have to admit that my conscience is hardly clear on this matter, and I part with this information with less than complete ease of mind".

As no one in the room knew what he was talking about, they could only stare at him and wait for him to speak again, which he did slowly and with much shaking of his head.

"Klacel, I've always treated you fairly, even though you hold opinions and values that are not my own," he said and his daughter detected a tone in his voice that he had not used since she was a small girl. "But this current foolishness in which you are engaged borders on the treasonous, and if my daughter were not here and possibly involved, I would have seriously considered keeping this information to myself".

By now everyone in the room was starting to worry and Grete began to speak, but her father waved her in to silence.

"It appears that the Staat Polizei are aware that you are harboring the criminal Hussite Katerina Novotna, and they are preparing to arrest you when the time is ripe. You have gone too far this time, Klacel, and now that Napp is not around to protect you they intend to strike. I hate to say this, but your extreme views, and your hot head, have finally got you into serious trouble".