Chapter 31: An unconventional solution
Chapter 31: An unconventional solution
Kassia was surprised by Max’s initial reaction, “Didn’t you like it …”
Max interrupted Kassia with a big hug as some tears spilled from his face.
“On the contrary, Kassia, I am happy with this news.
Even if what you said is not confirmed, our relationship changed at this very moment to another level.
I may be a man and not a god, but I will do everything in my power to take care of you two and my future children. “
Kassia, who was being hugged, just closed her eyes and enjoyed Max’s hug’s security.
The next morning Helmi and Kassia woke up to the delicious aroma of food.
Max, who was cooking a seal liver with salicornias, realized that Kassia and Helmi had awakened.
“Good morning, beautiful womens, breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.
There is boiled water and wood ash on the table so they can brush their teeth. “
Both Helmi and Kassia were surprised by Einar’s change.
When the two women finished washing their mouths, Max served them a large plate of food.
Kassia and Helmi just looked at each other with a smile; after taking a seat at the table, Max took them by the hand.
“Kassia and Helmi, I want you to know that starting today, I will take care of all the heavy chores around the house.
If you are pregnant, you should not make great efforts because you can suffer a spontaneous abortion.
Also, in the early morning, I talked to my parents and spent some silver coins.
To hire some bricklayers and people who are not helping to build the city’s sewer.
They will help me to build a small star-shaped fortress in this place.
It may not be as big and imposing as the village fortress, but it will be strong and big enough that I can build a great palace in the future. “
Max caressed the hands of Kassia and Helmi. “Also, from today, I will prepare a special diet for you; although there are no supplements, I will do my best so that you do not need anything.”
When they finished listening to Einar, Kassia and Helmi began to cry with joy.
After breakfast, Max went out to the yard and, using wooden stakes and a rope began to measure the place.
While he was taking the measurements, Max frowned because the weather was too strange, the sun-warmed him, but the cold air was too bothersome.
‘I guess it’s a matter of a month or a few weeks for it to start snowing, though from what I remember because of the Atlantic current.
Iceland is not as cold as it is in other places with the same latitude … ‘
Max interrupted his thoughts when he watched a peculiar phenomenon in a small pool of hot springs.
A small stone was rotating on its own axis; this was caused by the boiling water pushing the stone up but losing the water’s thrust.
The stone sank, and the cycle repeated.
At that moment, Max remembered that Iceland was a country whose energy was completely clean, and then he remembered a project he had done with Erika.
“Dad, you don’t think that at my school, they scold me why they will say that my project was not done by me.”
Max stroked his daughter’s hair. “They won’t tell you why your father will explain how the Stirling engine works, and we will make it together from recycled materials.
You are lucky that your father is a historian and military engineer. “
Erika smiled at her father and from the floor took a plastic bag which had a large number of objects.
Max took all the necessary supplies and a pair of safety glasses out of the bag.
As he put safety glasses on Erika, Max looked at a glass jar.
“How are we going to work with a glass jar? It can explode, so it is dangerous.
To understand that your father is confident that nothing bad will happen, security measures must always be respected. “
Erika nodded and began to see with curiosity how her father worked in the process from time to time, passing some tools or objects to her father.
When Max finished the Stirling engine, he put alcohol in a small black container and placed it under a can with a glass bottle on it.
“Very good, Erika; first of all, you should know that there is air inside the bottle.
When it is hot, it will expand, and it will push the steel wool, making the wheel turn; it will, in turn, push cold air into the jar.
So the steel wool will return to its initial position, this because the cold air is contracted.
This cycle is going to continue until the heat source is removed or the motor fails somewhere. “
Erika opened her eyes in surprise. “Dad, this engine is fantastic, but why wasn’t it superior to the steam engine we saw at school …”
Max came back to reality when a drop of water fell on his forehead; it came from a small nearby geyser.
This caused a smile to form on his face. “Erika, today, you have taught Dad again that you always have to pay attention to your surroundings.”
After finishing the terrain’s measurement, Max returned home from where he took a scroll and began to draw a plan of the fortress.
Also taking advantage of the moment, he drew the plan of a Stirling engine. Instead of producing electricity, he would work in a gear system to produce mechanical energy.
Kassia, who helped Helmi prepare the food, approached Max with curiosity, “What is this thing that you drew, Max? It looks very interesting.”
Max took Kassia by the waist and gave her a kiss. “It is a Stirling engine, a tool that will allow you to do tasks such as hitting metal or constantly making clothes.
Sure, it may take me a while to make a prototype, but when I’m done, I’ll show you the world of mechanical energy. “
Helmi, who had left cooking some vegetables with meat, approached Max, who was sitting and on his right leg was Kassia.
She sat on his left leg and gave him a kiss, “I heard what you said about mechanical energy, but what is that, and how will it change our world.”
Max hugged the waist of his two wives and began to explain the use of the Stirling engine and the difference with a mill in more detail.