When I woke up she was gone of course. Feeling a little used I got out of bed and headed towards the shower….. I had a habit of still doing that. Note to self Indoor Plumbing.

The notes were starting to add up. I needed to delegate. First thing you have to learn about running a business, or any organization, is how to delegate properly. I hope to have found the first Zealot to my cause (I might make that my private nickname for them). I need a group of trustworthy people that I can trust with trade secrets.

I have a couple hundred years of knowledge on hundreds of different subjects on my competition and I want it to stay that way at least until The Anarchy is over. I need every advantage possible over Stepmat even if last night is an indication of his fighting prowess. One of Sun Tzu’s main tenants in his masterpiece Art of War is never underestimate your opponent.

I went out into the Tower looking for the King. Eventually I found a servant who was taking him his breakfast in the throne room. He said he didn’t think the King would mind if I joined him so I followed him. I bet he wouldn’t, he seems to want to know everything about me and America.

The King is smarter than your average Ager, as I had started to call people of the Middle Ages. He could even read and write which was unheard of for a monarch in these days. I would put him even ahead of most of the people ruling superpowers in the 21st but that’s not much of a compliment.

“Soldier Boy! Did ye sleep soundly?” Ribbing me with his elbow. Is that like the universal atta boy?

For a second there I was worried he meant about me giving Matilda the time of her life and her letting the castle know it.

Let’s just say 21st techniques are so much better than no technique at all which is what she was used to. A 12th century man’s idea of foreplay was them saying “Brace yourself”. How many people have ever sat down to breakfast with the King of England with that Elephant on their back?

“Do you want some breakfast? I’m sure you could use some food after all that exercise last night.” He said. Food yes, leftovers on the same nasty plates, not no but hell no.

“No thank you, Your Majesty. I ate before I met your servant. Speaking of Servants may I ask a question of you, Your Majesty?” It’s like you have to ask a question so you can ask a question. Nobility is stupid.

“Speak up. What is it?”

“I have a need for a servant Your Majesty, I was wanting to inquire as to whether you would sell Lawrence to me as my Vassal. I know he seems lazy and a tad untrustworthy but I cannot afford the best servant.”

I was lying of course in a couple of years I’ll be richer than he is and I think neither of those things. At least if I have God on my side.

“That fool you would want him as your vassal? So be it. In fact I will make you a deal. You tell me more of this America and I will give him to you. He is worth less than a good story.” There is little worth in a peasant life to these assholes.

“I gladly accept, your Majesty.”

“Lawrence!” Puff. He’s like a little genie.

“Yes My Liege” Lawrence said

“I have awarded you to Sir Arthur. You are to be his vassal. Serve him well or I shall serve you at the next feast” I only hope he was joking.

“Yes My liege”

I took Lawrence aside. “I will require your oath at another time. For now the King wishes to know more about America. But your first task as my vassal is to find me a replacement for my job at Arthur and Bolt. They should have worked in carpentry, uh working with tools to build houses, for more than 1 year and preferably somewhere in the early 20’s of age. Not too young to be unreliable and not too old to be un-moldable. And remember that criteria.”

“Criteria?”

“Uh, when you search for something or someone, criteria is what sets them apart and makes them more desirable to the task that we need them to do.”

“Yes Sir Arthur. I will try”

“No you will do. Trying is for losers. And you will address me as Sir. If it is a yes or no answer. It is Sir-yes-Sir or Sir-no-Sir. Am I clear” I always hated that crap from my coaches but it works.

“Sir-Yes-Sir” He said.

“Now find me a Carpenter. And if you find one, send him to Bolt and let him try him out and see how he does. I'll let him decide as he will have to work with him. But make sure Bolt knows I will pay him out of my half of the profit. And of course the company is still half mine.”

“Sir-Yes-Sir” He said and literally ran off. I chuckled.

“So about America……”

After talking about America for about the better part of an hour, mostly about its natural resources, we somehow got on football. I say somehow but considering how almost all my interests are technology based that he has no basis of understanding in, Football is about it. Something tells me he wouldn’t want to hear about my tomatoes.

“So you were the leader for your men in this ‘Huddle’?” the King asked.

“I was the QB. His job is to handle all his men and make sure they know their job before the play starts. The huddle is where your men come together and the QB gives the play to them.”

In high school my senior year I lived every guy's dream, my team went to the HS playoffs. I threw for over 3000 yards that year but we lost by a Field Goal in the game before the championship. I was good enough in High school but I didn’t even get a sniff at the college level.

I wasn’t even a big fish in that small pond. But being the QB gets you attention from all the right places in HS even if you’re not going Pro. I miss it, who doesn’t that ever played it.

“And once the play starts what do you do.”

“Well it’s like siege warfare. If you’re on Offense you can run the ball with your RB think of a ram, he usually lines up behind the QB. Or the QB can throw it, think of a catapult. Your goal on Offense is to get to the end zone which gives your team 7 points (I was getting rid of the useless extra point in this timeline). On Defense you’re the Castle you want to try to keep them from moving. You can do this by tackling the person with the ball to the ground or maybe even what QBs fear most the Sack.”

“Sack. Oh I see like sacking a city?”

“I never thought of it your majesty but you are probably right. That might be where the name comes from. A sack in football is where a defender tackles the QB behind where the play started. It is a humiliating loss for the Offense.”

“I see. How many people does it take to play this game?”

“22 minimum sir. 11 for both offense and defense. But really you need that many for each team so you can have dedicated O and D players. And you also need substitution players. It's similar to attrition in battle; you need reserves. It is very good exercise for the Men sir.” My mind was already racing. KFL Knight Football League.

“I think we shall try this game of yours. I will have men assembled on the training ground Monday. I want to see this American Football Game.”

“Sir I’m afraid it takes a fair bit of training in order to play. I would need time”

“Would one months’ time suffice?”

I couldn’t see that being too much of a problem besides I smelled a money making opportunity.

“Your majesty, If I may be so bold I ask that they be fit and be between 18-25 years of age and they be of any birth, even peasants.”

“Peasants?”

“Except for the QBs King Henry. They should be Knights as it is a position of prestige that only can be forged in the crucible of battle and belongs only with the Knight”

“Right ol boy can’t let peasants be these ‘Quarterbucks’”

“If you would allow it I would like to run what is called a scouting combine on your peasants. It will be good for you as well because you will then have a record of all your 18-25 men’s physical shape so you can know what kind of assets you have.” I said

“Assets?”

“Assets are like gold, silver and castles, your majesty. A thoroughbred stallion is a more valuable asset than a mule. A fit slave, I mean a peasant is more valuable to you then a fat and lazy one, your majesty.” Freudian slip there.

I was setting it up for failure or success depending on how you look at it. This was the best way to allow peasants and nobles to enter “the field of battle” together so to speak without the dying. Eventually we could work them into an army. It also meant the short term success of the game had more traction.

If Knights could only be QBs hopefully nobles wouldn’t protest to playing along peasants. That might also eventually allow a gifted peasant to ascend to Knight just to become a Lords QB. Or it could all fall apart before it even begins by trying to include peasants at all.

“You shall have whatever you need within reason. What is this going to cost me?”

“Not a pence, your majesty. I will need men sir but they will be paid with a split of the ticket sales that I expect to be a decent pay for a month's work. Oh yes didn’t I tell you we charge for admission.

We split the proceeds of the ticket sales for this game between you and I after 1/10th goes to the players split depending on status. I’ll do the training and structure and pay for their armor. Oh yes didn’t I tell you they wear armor into battle.

I will require a plot of land outside the city for the stadium which I will own and maintain. As well as a loan however that will be paid back very quickly, your majesty . I will of course as well reserve for you the high box free of charge as well as proper food and drink for every game held there.

Oh yes if you build it they will come, your majesty.”

“Who’s they? You’re a strange man Sir Arthur. I have heard enough I will see to it. Now go find these ‘Quarterbucks’” He said

“Good I will have the papers to sign by this afternoon. If I may be so bold I would like to ask to be your QB, Your Majesty. And form one of these teams as Henry’s Heroes” I said bowed with my hand over my heart in a ridiculous gesture that of course he ate up.

“Yes I like it. Go build my winning team.” He said and shooed me away.

After I left the King I went to find a Bible for the oath ceremony with Lawrence. Boy that was more interesting getting then you would think. Only Priests and a few nobles read in the 12th so a Bible can only be found at a Church and they usually don’t loan them out.

It can take months of hard work to copy a single copy of the Bible by hand. Luckily I'm pretty tight with the Father. But I still got the standard “Why?” and a weird look when I asked to borrow it. It made me realize how bad a printing press is needed. Note to self build Printing Press.

“Lawrence!” Puff

“Sir-Yes-Sir”

“Did you find my replacement?”

“He is heading to James Bolt as we speak. He is 23 and had been working in his father’s guild in Paris before he married a Jew and his father exiled him. He had been working there all his life building houses and the such.”

“Good work son”

“Thank you sir” the look on his face told me he had never been praised.

“Here’s a pence, buy yourself a good lunch on me.”

A pence might not sound like much but I was almost tempted to pull a grandma and tell him “don’t spend it all in one place”. A pence would buy you lodging and food for the night in most places in this depressed economy.

The look on his face was priceless. They never even get a tip for a job well done. Sad really.

“Thank you Sir”

“And then after lunch I need someone else. A blacksmith. The same criteria as before. You remember what criteria is. Good. Now run along. Wait one more thing if you ever see anyone who has a good arm I mean can throw really far like with a spear or a rock let me know.”

“Well sir that would be Sir Adrian. He is the best spear thrower in the Kingdom. He can strike a man at 50 paces with one every time.” Lawrence said. 50 paces could be anything from 50 to 75 yards or so. Note to self come up with a universal set of measures.

“I will track him down while you go and find me that Blacksmith. But first we must perform your oath ceremony.” I said as I got out the Bible.

"I will serve my liege Sir Arthur and I will never speak of anything that he has ever told me not too for if I do I will burn forever in the fire and brimstone of Hell.

I will tell my liege any information that might be important to him and will not keep any information or idea from him for any reason or the wrath of God shall punish me with thousand cuts of the blade every day for all time.

If I steal from my liege God shall descend from heaven and smite me.

I will be faithful, loyal, and courteous. In all these things I say before God." I got him to repeat it a line at a time because he sure couldn't read.

"You now are a paid employee of mine. You will make one pence a day as well as be provided food and lodging as well as an education that will be worth more than all three combined.

Now find me my Blacksmith. Also find someone to make me a leather ball it will have to be oblong and airtight. Someone that is good working with leather." I said after the oath was done and the “Curse of the Smartphone” was lifted.

"Sir-Yes-sir" With sheer excitement like I haven't seen in some time he turned around and was gone.