The day is more of a happy rush, but many of us share a similar feeling. Olafr is beaming. We're definitely going to design and make a much better gearbox and clutch system for future steamboats, and try to use some of the steams power to blow air into the fire. Or maybe use some steam spraying up the chimney to increase air suction into the fire. It's a simple effective system, I just don't like wasting the water and heat. But future steamboats will be built as steamboats from the start, and the question is whether a stern paddle wheel is easier to do on certain ships even though it becomes less manoeuvrable and the stern needs to be wide. It avoids the problem of people on one side of the boat, and the side wheels being in the way while against a pier. The steam boats power and engine running duration and fuel consumption will still be severely impacted by the size of the ship and its design, and it is possible to make a mechanical system that lifts the stern paddle wheel out of the water, so that sails can be used without the paddle wheel acting as a brake. I can be done on side paddle wheels also, but might be more difficult.

  We have a discussion and lesson in why buckets like on the water wheel won't make paddle wheels better, because the paddle on the wheel and the boat are moving through the liquid instead of the weight of the liquid making the wheel rotate. A bucket pulled through water has no more resistance than a plate of the same surface and angle as the buckets opening. It's just more weight and mass in motion and more work to do. A linkage system that keeps the paddle blades vertical throughout the movement in the water would probably be more efficient, but is an unnecessary complication. I just can't see it worth the effort in complexity and maintenance, especially not in this world and the tech level here. Still I would prefer a propeller.

  I've already made sketches that have been fetched, and we're discussing the construction of everything about steamboats, but above all we are talking about making a better steam boiler, engine, propeller and other parts. The steam system needs to be more powerful for larger ships, but for most near future ships the engine power will be underpowered because the boiler will be relatively small, and steam will not be the primary propulsion for larger ships. Sails are powerful, doesn't consume fuel, and this will be experimental technology for a long time. The machine parts that will be exposed to salt water need to be marine brass to be more corrosion resistant, so Digraldi will have a lot of work moulding parts that will then be machined or worked by the craftsmen here. Everyone wants to see a big ship like the Millennium Eagle moving forwards and backwards with no sails or oars, and preferably without anything like paddle wheels visible, and Asta has definitely gained another interest.

  A couple of the photos Bodil took of the steamboat travelling towards and away from the bridge turned out really well, and Jane is sketching and along with other sambos, planning paintings Jane will do. Jane's sketch and talk of a riverboat with a Mississippi style stern paddle wheel, is not particularly surprising given that she likes the Southern Belle style. There is just no really suitable river for a ship like that except the Borgarsandr river, and it is a short distance of only about 50-60 km from Borgarsandr until the rapids in Laxlanda. And in a coastal environment with waves and wind, the riverboat design with low freeboard and a flat bottom is a bad idea. But no matter how practical or impractical it is, it's obvious that my sambos want at least a small 'modern' steam powered boat without sails, as something we can chug around with here in the inner archipelago. Which will be built when everything works better, and a small covered passenger steamboat with glass windows on the sides would be nice if the weather is bad or just cold as there will be heat too. It would be fun and practical to have a small propeller-driven steamer to chug around in front of the public during this summers boat race.

  Jane tells the others that with the steamboat, and especially the next version of it, Alfheim will only be about 150 years behind Midg?rd in the field of steam engines, even though there won't be the huge steamboats of the mid-1800s, and especially not the all iron hulled steam ships crossing the ocean. But it is true that there still are steamboats in use in Midg?rd, just because people find it charming and see a certain romance in it, and it works. If you live in a place where there are abundance of trees, but other fuel have to be important, its not a bad idea. It just take some time to light, and need more space and maintenance.

  Jane knows that steam engines changed the world, although she hasn't really thought about why. Before steam engines, everything was hand power or by animals like oxen or horses, and the most advanced technology were water wheels and windmills, but they are limited in power, space or when they work. Steam engines can just run when needed, move huge loads, and be placed where power is needed. They do not care about weather or wind. Just fuel and maintenance.

  Haera, Skirlaug and Raneigh know more and more what is really in the manor, and they are a bit shocked. The steamboats brass machine isn't even the first of this type of fantastic machine! I've literally had one in my workshop since before the Auction last Autumn. Of course they've somehow learned what it is that makes strange noises in my workshop, heard the words we use in everyday conversation, and that I have machines that move and do things. All three of them now know general information about the designs and stuff I've been working on, and Haera is a bit shocked at all the things created that she and her family had no idea about, and are so much more advanced than what's on display, not to mention how 'sejd' powers so much here, and it's everywhere in the mansion. There is literally sejd in the walls and ceilings, and the little boxes to call for a maid use sejd, not string and bells - there is just a thin copper wire that doesn't move. And we can talk to someone in the guesthouse via a funny shaped piece of wood you hold in your hand. And she has an amazing little magical light in her room. Most of Thrymheim is lit with something much more advanced than the oil lamps and lanterns that everyone else thinks are so new and impressive. Sure, Thrymheim's magical illumination is partly from stuff we brought with us from Midg?rd, but they've seen the incredibly bright light from experiments with arc lights, that is now placed next to the bulb prototypes in the library, so they understand I'm already doing that too, so other houses and places can get magical light. Haera really, really wants magical light in her mansion.

  I'm not going to try to light the prototype lightbulbs again, because I guess the metal-glass seal was bad so there's probably air in the bulbs, and they would just burn up.

  Everyone has been looking forward to try the new exotic dessert of ice cream, and everyone gets a plate with a small scoop of each taste, including staff and bodyguards. Very mixed reactions, and we take notes of what they think of the different flavours, but everyone agrees it is an interesting dish and many like it. Sure, some is grainy and with ice crystals, but it is ice cream. Jane have just enjoyed the moment of sitting on the sofa eating ice cream. Jane do think it is wrong to eat ice cream in the middle of winter, although she understands why it's done now when it's freezing outside. She really hopes that the ice house works well this summer and that we can make ice cream during summer, maybe by salting the water with saltpetre. The saltpetre should be able to be recovered too, so not wasted.

  Personally, I've never let the season stop me from eating ice cream.

  I just sit on the sofa with Jane resting her head on my shoulder while we talk about our favourite ice creams, and unfortunately my go-to favourite is good chocolate, which won't be possible here. We will never taste chocolate again. So this is both a nice and sad moment at the same time. At least the successful steamboat test definitely makes the day a good day, and we do have okay ice cream. The tartan camouflage project has also gone quite well, with Iselin, Kari and Ciara thinking it's perfectly fine in terms of looks, even though prettier colours would be more stylish, but its okay, especially if clothes we wear gets fine woven and decorated edges and collars, which they are absolutely right about. One problem have been that we needed to choose colours that work on wool, linen and preferably silk, which can be a problem, and especially colours that doesn't fade too fast from washing, since the clothes will be washed often compared to the norm here.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Another but smaller problem is if I die in it, because 'Dead men don't wear plaid'. It was entirely expected that I had to explain about the old Steve Martin movie to Jane, who wishes she had seen it. The movie is hardly perfect, but made in the 1980s before computers made such things easy.

  We can actually make uniforms etc for future bodyguards and guards in a very simple camouflage that has the same main colours of grass green and brown, but use really big squares, where the front of the jacket or tabard is divided into several big squares. Shoulders must be their own part to avoid dumb seam placement, then about 20 cm divisions, and right-left division. The shoulders, elbow and forearms become their own 'squares'. Elbows and knees might get durable leather. There is of course a chance that there will be increasing contrast with some equipment worn on the body and arms moving in front of other coloured surfaces, but that is acceptable. No cloth based camouflage pattern is perfect in all situations and nature, and large squares that alternate natural colours are better than a uniform blob of one colour. A distinctive uniform is a good idea, and something reminiscent of my distinct tartan is better, especially if also used on shields, horse covers and possibly tents. It would be nice to be able to add in small yellow squares to further remind of the tartan pattern and its colours, but don't really know how to do that without overcomplicating manufacture. We will try adding decorative borders or trim using my tartan on these green-brown uniforms.

  Alith is very expectant when she sits down on the sofas with Iselin and me to listen to music in my bedroom, and after I have made a description of what she will hear, I start with something 'simpler' which is Van Canto's 'Primo Victoria War drum version'. I've already translated the lyrics to that and a couple of other songs as best I can into something she can understand and read, adding in stuff like reaching Valhalla by fighting through Hel. The Van Canto version and the translated lyrics definitely has Alith's approval, and it warms my heart to see Iselin digging along to the song and throwing her hair around. She can do an absolutely awesome headbanging, but try to hold back. Once it's finished, we listen to the Sabaton version, and Alith is not prepared, but she gets more into it.

  I explain and read the lyrics before to the next song by the same group, Sabaton's '40:1', and it's modern words, guns and cannons, when 700 held a line of defence against a more well-equipped force against 40,000 for three days. About 1 in 15 defenders survived and were captured at the end. They no longer had anything to fight with; the weapons spent and broken. Reading the text beforehand was a good idea, because she understands more, and I also read some of it afterwards. Alith looks in surprise at her arm and its standing hair, so I show her my own which matches. When I read the lyrics to 'Purple Heart', before she's even heard it sung, I see her starting to get tears in her eyes. She thinks it's like beautiful poetry, and it doesn't get any less so when the song plays.

  To make it less sad, the rest will just be music, and I won't really explain the lyrics on some, but some I already have translated and the music will be 'different' and we'll do some of Iselin's favourites like 'Aces High', which works quite well if I replace aeroplanes with warriors on horseback and horse drawn chariots etc. I love seeing Iselin's smile when she hears the intro, because how can I not love that she likes some Iron Maiden songs? It's not long before she starts bouncing around whipping her hair around. A wonderful and smart sexy rebellious metalhead nerd I have the honour of calling my wife! Her enthusiasm makes Alith join in, before I too dance, and I pretend to singing along as I know almost all the lyrics.

  I have also translated the lyrics for 'The Trooper', so Alith gets some appreciation for other lyrics, but I haven't adapted the lyrics to this era. Since both have experienced muskets and cannons, they get being on a horseback attacking a huge firing line blasting volleys.

  Iselin just loves guitar solos!

  Iselin want me to should show the 'Hallowed be thy name' video and explain to Alith that it's common for humans to go to concerts, huge gigs musicians do, but on a completely different scale than here in Alfheimr. She'll understand when she sees, and Iselin explain that the singer sings into a microphone so it can be amplified through huge speakers so it can be heard from far away and be deafeningly loud up close.

  Alith jaw drops as she see the sea of people from their Rock in Rio 2001 show. I think there were 70-80 thousand or so, and she finds it hard to believe so many people gathered to hear music for a few hours. Alith comes to an interesting conclusion, that it must be a huge city or many cities nearby, because not everyone can afford or have the time to see the show, or like the music and consider it worth the time and money. Iselin, on the other hand, already knows this and gets so into the show, and dance along with the audience where she sits in the sofa, and she throws up horns, starts mimicking and playing air guitar, and stretches her hands in the air when the audience does.

  When the video is finished, I confirm that Alith's guess is right. Midg?rd has huge cities, bigger than from here to Borgarsandr, just houses, streets, buildings, people and some nature areas or parks dotted in between. Alith asks if she can see a picture of such a city, so I warn her too about disturbing the world view but she wants to see. She have learned a lot since she came into our service, and want to know.

  I know I have two pictures I took myself from the London Eye towards the Gherkin building and towards Parliament because Jane found them and love that I have them. She of course has pictures from New York and other cities in her mobile. So I say it's just a random direction roughly in the middle of a really big city, where I'm standing on a high building, and Jane has lived in that city for a couple of years. Jane has even pointed out roughly where, and she of course knows London far far better than I do.

  Alith has a bit of trouble just taking in everything she sees in the picture but she starts to understand the scale. She sees the tower blocks and huge buildings disappearing into the distance, after I explain what those things are. That huge cities doesn't have space on the ground for all its inhabitants even in such a huge city, so Midg?rd cities build very tall buildings. Alith realises that in just one building there can be more people than most towns she has seen, perhaps more than even the whole population in Borgarsandr. They like the Parliament building, but I explain that it is not a castle but the Storting ruling the kingdom do meet there. I point out the cathedral behind it and Alith is shocked when she begins to really realise the scale of the small human dots compared to the buildings. I'm guessing there are cathedrals or something down south but Alith has never been outside the north, and her furthest journey so far is with us to Borgarsandr.

  Even Iselin is fascinated by the photos because she hasn't seen these photos before, but I and Jane have shown her a lot. Since Jane know I will answer Iselin's questions and try to make her understand, she is just careful about certain subjects, and Iselin love to talk Midg?rd stuff with Jane.

  We got a bit side-tracked from the musical theme, but I play the video for Evanescence 'My immortal', and Alith is fascinated by it, and how much is not that different. Of course there is a huge city in the background, which also disappears into the horizon, but nice big windows she gets, although huge mirrors etc are of course impressive. Iselin seems to want to learn the piano too and clearly know Jane can play one.

  Iselin starts poking me while repeating, 'Umbrella, Umbrella, Umbrella', so that becomes the next video although the music theme drift away from thoughts of huge cities. The video barely has time to start before Iselin is on the floor, suggestively moving her body and signalling me to dance with her, so we let Alith sit there looking at my tablet on the table in front of her, while I dance with Iselin. It's just some simple free style Swedish 'bugg' dancing that Iselin loves, although she has learned to be careful how she spins and tosses her hair around. The occasional missteps in high heels is not nice, but she is getting good, and we both know that hair whiplashed in the eye is no fun.

  The song ends and Iselin is in my arms staring into my eyes and the way she bites he lip means she have to same idea as I do, so I just ask Alith to leave the room, that I'll see her tomorrow and we can talk then, and to close the bedroom doors behind her. A quick playlist selection later and we continue dancing, first on the floor, then against the wall and finally in bed.

  I am a lucky man.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agWwSsCP6KI

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epeQwq-aYV0

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNwOA84zAcE

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4bgXH3sJ2Q

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocgv6RnEgTg

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5anLPw0Efmo

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvBfHwUxHIk

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugg