Novice Sister Raingard gulped her breakfast herbal tea and wolfed down a thick slice of faintly aromatic dark bread. The long, dark, varnished wooden table was laden with heaping plates of food, which, no doubt, probably tasted as good as they smelled. However, Raingard never ate much, only what her short, scrawny figure occasionally demanded to keep her active body raring to go.
       Right now, she looked around the white stone walls and out the sparkling clean windows. She tried to block out Sister Gertrude's loud, monotonous drone of today's readings from the Old Testament. Raingard thought Gertrude was an unusually stupid woman with no interest in anything except being praised by the novice mistress for her piety. She read the Latin passages syllable by syllable, mispronouncing most of them.
       These readings were supposed to inspire the sisters while they ate, even if they couldn't understand every word. However, Raingard had more important things to think about, and patience was not one of her youthful virtues, though gratitude was.
       She had much to be grateful for. In this year of one thousand one hundred and seventy of Our Lord, most people couldn't read and write at all. Women, in fact, only had a chance to acquire these skills if they entered a convent, where they then generally were only allowed to read pious writings.
       Ever since she became a skillful reader, Raingard discovered that she loved to read about things she didn't know yet. She found the religious books boring, but Mother Hildegard said that was all right, that God deliberately gave people varying talents and interests. It was God's will that Raingard wanted to learn new skills, to lose herself in new ideas.
       That was a relief to hear. Even as a child, Raingard always wanted to know how things work and why. She had driven her father and stepmother crazy with her questions. Maybe that was why they had let her enter this convent as soon as she turned seven.
       In Hildegard of Bingen's convent for commoners here in Eibingen, the sisters learned to read many different languages, including Greek and Arabic texts about mathematics, chemistry, and physics, exciting things that Raingard couldn't get enough of.
       A few months ago, Mother Hildegard even had them start learning Norse. The sisters then read descriptions of far-away lands where the mountains blew hellfire into the sea, and courageous seafarers battled terrifying sea monsters. However, as much as Raingard enjoyed reading stories about lands she couldn't even imagine, she loved living in the convent in Eibingen even more.
       Today, Mother Hildegard promised to introduce them to the magic of architecture and shipbuilding. She said it would make mathematics and physics come to life.
       Raingard couldn't wait to learn how to build things. Structures fascinated her. Walking around the convent buildings here in Eibingen always lifted her spirits after she had to endure yet another dull group rosary recital in the chapel.
       She often took the three-kilometer meditation hike to the Rhine River that Mother Hildegard allowed the sisters every Sunday afternoon. She loved the contrast between the wooded area around the convent buildings and the bare, steep gravel path that led down to the river.
       Raingard enjoyed watching the boats on the river, how they moved so steadily through the water and transported such heavy loads without sinking. It looked like magic, but Mother Hildegard assured her that it was all just physics.
       After purchasing the old Augustinian monastery in Eibingen, Mother Hildegard had demanded new or renovated structures for her convent. She wanted buildings that were practical but also beautiful as they blended into their surroundings between thick, green forests covering the hills and the crowded vineyards sloping down to the river. She insisted that the artisans learn new skills and means of construction.
       The people she hired met the challenge brilliantly. The pale green outside walls of the buildings blended well into their surroundings, and the interiors were planned and constructed with an unheard-of efficiency. Each building was connected to the next one by a long enclosed corridor with full-length windows and candleholders. The nuns could get to the chapel in the center of the convent grounds at any time of the day or night without getting wet or stumbling in the dark.
       Raingard felt so lucky to be here, in this amazing place where Mother Hildegard encouraged her to ask questions and develop new skills. She couldn't wait to turn sixteen next year when she would be allowed to take her perpetual vows. Then she could stay here forever.
       Gertrude continued to read out loud in the same monotonous tone of voice. No wonder she was so good at singing Gregorian chants. She was incapable of varying pitch or loudness; her fortissimo was indistinguishable from her pianissimo. Raingard doubted that Gertrude listened to herself while she read or sang.
       Raingard, who had neither musical skills nor any particular interest in sacred music, was always bored by Gertrude's singing in the chapel and even more fatigued by her loud reading here in the refectory today. Raingard could only sigh to herself, unfortunately, this time all too audibly.
       Sister Consilia, Raingard's best friend in the convent, sat across the table from her. Consilia looked up and smiled briefly. Raingard couldn't help noticing that Consilia's facial muscles were tense. Obviously, she was trying hard not to laugh out loud.
       Sister Elsbeth, who sat next to Consilia, seemed to be daydreaming while she played with her food. Raingard recognized the serene expression on her face. Elsbeth obviously didn't notice or care that most of her straight, mousy-brown hair had slipped out of her veil. Her mind was wandering off somewhere far away.
       Raingard, Elsbeth, and Consilsia were the youngest novices in the convent and, therefore, the ones whose behavior was under the greatest scrutiny. Fortunately, novice mistress Sister Malvinias always sat next to Sister Gertrude at breakfast. Malvinias was visibly enthralled by the reading. She didn't notice other reactions at the long table.
       Without thinking, Raingard brushed some wayward, greasy, blonde hairs under her veil. Yesterday was her bath day, but she had had better things to do. She felt a little guilty about that.
       Mother Superior asked for so little from her sisters, but she did demand meticulous attention to hygiene and always preached that cleanliness was the best medicine. It was a relief to see that Consilia brushed an equally greasy dark curl under her veil.
       Consilia, after all, was Mother Hildegard's star student when it came to medicine, to keeping bodies healthy and spirits uplifted. Mother Hildegard had given her the responsibility for the convent's herbal garden last year. Shortly thereafter, on Sister Lamberta's ninety-fifth birthday, the old nun had asked Consilia to also supervise the rest of the garden and the kitchen.
       Since then, all the sisters raved over the improvement in the quality and taste of the food. Too bad Raingard never really took the time to appreciate Consilia's efforts, even though Consilia always reminded her that what she did or didn't consume would affect her health sooner or later.
       The convent refectory, of course, was spotlessly clean and sunny, just like all the other convent buildings. Constructing and renovating this convent had provided well-paid work for all the artisans along the Rhine River. They, in turn, had been pleased to show what their craft was capable of. Mother Hildegard always managed to get good work from the people she employed.
       The convent's lavish breakfast of sausages, fish, eggs, cheese, jam, bread, and cake was a delight for most sisters at the table. Mother Hildegard was of the opinion that the nuns did better work if they started the day with full stomachs.
       Still, Raingard was too impatient to eat much. The obligatory morning prayers in the chapel before breakfast had already taken up enough of her time.
       She wanted to get to the garden building and start working and learning. As Sister Malvinias always reproached her, she was more interested in "labora" than "ora," which wasn't what Saint Benedict of Nursia intended when he established the rules for his monasteries and convents.
       Mother Hildegard, however, was more practical and said that all work done on Earth was for the glory of God, making it prayer in action. Raingard thought she was the best mother superior there was, which sisters who fled from other convents confirmed. Consilia and Elsbeth also agreed.
       Gertrude finally stopped her tedious chanting, placed the book on the polished, cherry wood lectern, and sat down. As she stretched her meaty paw out for her teacup, everyone at the table mumbled a practiced "amen," some while still chewing. Gertrude slurped her tea loudly and then started piling food onto her plate.
       Consilia raised her eyebrows, and Raingard tried to suppress another sigh. Gertrude had a healthy appetite, and no one was allowed to leave the refectory until everyone was finished. Raingard closed her eyes and tried to picture in her mind the equations Mother Hildegard had shown them last week.
       It was almost magical how algebra and geometry could explain the relationships between things. However, Mother Hildegard admonished them over and over again: mathematics had to be balanced with observation and then always adjusted. Theory was fine, but observations had to have the last word.
       Mother Hildegard was famous. Bishops and popes listened to her and wanted to know what her visions told her. She knew so many things about music, philosophy, nature, and literature, even though she insisted that she was not an expert at anything. She learned from experts and advised others to do the same.
       That was why she encouraged each of the sisters, especially the new ones, to develop a unique area of expertise, something that each one passionately wanted to learn more about. It was high praise when Mother Hildegard said she had learned something from the sisters in her convents.
       Unlike Raingard, Elsbeth wasn't interested in mathematics, chemistry, or physics, but she was a genius with languages. Raingard always went to her for help when she didn't understand some combination of words.
       Elsbeth was the one who had assured them that it was worth the effort to learn Norse in order to read the sagas, even though many of them were only carved into wooden planks. She said these stories were wonderful, but then she loved all the stories. However, this time, Raingard agreed with her.
       Raingard wondered how Mother Hildegard had gotten her hands on the Norse planks, but Mother Hildegard did all kinds of things that most people thought were impossible.
       Gertrude swallowed, smacked her thick lips, and stacked her plate with seconds of everything on the table. Raingard sighed loudly, and Sister Malvinias frowned.
       Just as Raingard felt like pounding her greasy head into the table, the massive wooden door opened, and Mother Hildegard herself entered the refectory. Sister Malvinias jumped up from her bench and waved at the rest of the sisters to rise. Everyone did except for Gertrude, who kept chewing, swallowing, and eying the plates on the table.
       "Please, remain seated and finish your breakfast," Mother Hildegard said firmly in her melodious alto voice. Raingard was more impressed by Mother Hildegard every time she encountered her. The woman had to be over seventy, but her smooth face made her look ageless. She was tall and slim, and her veil was perched in a perfunctory fashion over her long, white hair.
       She looked like what the pagans would call a goddess. Raingard was certain that Mother Hildegard's bright blue eyes saw directly into everyone's soul.
       "When can I have my architecture sisters?" she asked Sister Malvinias. "Please send them to the garden building as soon as they have finished their breakfast."
       Raingard was barely able to keep from jumping up. Sister Malvinias glared at her but then noticed Mother Hildegard observing Sister Gertrude and frowning. Mother Hildegard turned her statuesque figure around and left the room.
       Sister Malvinias remained standing. Her shoulders slumped visibly.
       "Sisters Raingard, Consilia, and Elsbeth," Sister Malvinias mumbled. "You may be excused."
       Raingard didn't need to be told more than once. She bowed her head, murmured a quiet "amen," stepped over the heavy, wooden bench, and walked swiftly to the door. She barely heard how Consilia set down her fork and cup before following her.
       "I'll come as soon as I've finished eating," Elsbeth said quietly, suddenly back from her daydreaming.
       Raingard didn't wait for either of them. She pushed the heavy door to the hall open, walked to the outside door, and ran down the dirt path to the glass garden building. Glass wasn't that common as an ordinary building substance, although churches paid artists well to create stained glass windows.
       However, Mother Hildegard had paid handsomely for a huge building made mostly of glass. It was her idea that such a structure could use the heat and light from the sun to grow plants that couldn't grow outside during cold weather. That way, the sisters could have fresh fruits and vegetables all winter long. Some people said she was crazy, but of course, she turned out to be right.
       Raingard thought the idea was brilliant. Others disagreed. Sister Malvinias even wrote to the pope and complained that Mother Hildegard was sinning against the divine order of things.
       Fortunately, Mother Hildegard's reputation as a doctor of the church protected her. The powerful members of the hierarchy, bishops, cardinals, and the pope himself, were fans of Mother Hildegard's, long since impressed by her visions and writings.
       Raingard opened the door of the glass garden building and ran in. Mother Hildegard was already seated next to a man Raingard didn't recognize. Mother Hildegard's bench faced an additional four wooden benches. The rest of the glass building was full of plants, some planted in rows, some in huge pots along the glass walls.
       Mother Hildegard taught the sisters as equal partners, not as an all-knowing teacher with ignorant students. She always explained a few phenomena and then asked the sisters to explain or question what she had said. Then, she asked the sisters to state their own questions, which she tried to answer. Finally, she asked the sisters to explain things to her that she thought she didn't understand well enough.
       This method had helped Raingard learn so much and, at the same time, realize how much she still didn't know.
       "Good morning, Sister Raingard," Mother Hildegard said. "We'll have a guest today, Herr Brandwein. He and his journeymen build ships, and today, he will tell us how it's done." A short, stocky man in a workman's garb of a worn gray tunic over long stockings sat next to her and then stood up briefly.
       Raingard smiled. This was typical of Mother Hildegard. No matter how much she knew, she always found other people who knew even more about specific topics.
       Raingard sat down just as Consilia and Elsbeth entered the building. They quickly sat down on the bench next to her. The other benches soon filled up, many with sisters from different convents whom Raingard didn't recognize.
       Mother Hildegard stood up and addressed the eager faces on the four benches. "I know I promised you architecture and shipbuilding today, but Herr Jeblinger can't leave the cathedral in Aachen. There is too much to be done there. So we'll concentrate on shipbuilding."
       Herr Brandwein stood up and began to talk about ships, how he had watched them on the Rhine when he was a little boy, how his father had saved to buy him an apprenticeship with the shipbuilding guild in Luebeck. He said that great things were going on in Luebeck, that towns were joining together to form the Hanseatic League that increased and improved trade among the members. Improved trade meant people needed more ships.
       Raingard wasn't interested in what towns did, but when Herr Brandwein started talking about ships, she was fascinated. She never would have guessed how complicated it was, but Herr Brandwein made shipbuilding sound so logical, so obvious, from bending and caulking the planks of wood to fastening the masts for the sails.
       Suddenly, Elsbeth raised her hand to ask a question. "Could you tell us stories about the ships you have built, where they sailed, what adventures they experienced?" she asked.
       Herr Brandwein smiled. "That depends on how many days you have to listen," he said. "I've heard more stories from sailors than I can remember."
       Mother Hildegard looked up and spoke. "Sister Elsbeth, two sisters from Ireland arrived yesterday, Sister Maeve and Sister Brigid. They have brought along transcriptions of the ancient annals of Ireland that monks in the monastery of St. Brendan made."
       "You need to read them," Mother Hildegard continued. "They contain the saga of St. Brendan as he sailed west from Ireland across the vast sea on his currach."
       "I've heard of currachs," Herr Brandwein said. "No one uses them anymore because they aren't safe for long distances, but they were cheap to construct, just wood-framed boats covered with animal skins."
       "Once the Irish sisters have rested, perhaps tomorrow, I'll send them to the library with the manuscripts."
       "Thank you, Mother," Elsbeth said. "I can't wait."
       "Sister Raingard," Mother Hildegard said softly. "Would you like to get some hands-on experience with shipbuilding?"
       Raingard couldn't believe what she was hearing. There were times when she thought Mother Hildegard could read minds.
       "Yes, yes," Raingard shouted, forgetting that the sisters were supposed to speak softly at all times. She thought that she saw a brief smile cross Mother Hildegard's lips.
       "If Herr Brandwein is willing, I'll send you and Sister Magdalena as apprentices to his shipyard for the next three years. I don't plan to open a convent shipyard to compete with Herr Brandwein's, but I would like some sisters to know how ships are built."
       Raingard wasn't sure she wanted Magdalena's company, but of course, nuns always had to travel in groups, and Magdalena was industrious, though extraordinarily reserved. In any case, she didn't want to jinx this opportunity. "Wonderful," she said. "May we start tomorrow?"
       "Fine with me," Herr Brandwein said. "There is plenty of work to be done, and I never have enough apprentices."
       "Then perhaps you can continue to instruct them on how ships are built and how they stay afloat and can be steered with sails," Mother Hildegard said.
       Raingard sensed that Consilia was about to indulge in a yawn, and so she kicked her, unfortunately not as unnoticed as she had hoped.
       This time, Mother Hildegard strategically placed a smooth hand in front of her mouth, either to hide a smile or a yawn of her own. "Sister Consilia," she said. "Would you mind showing me the progress of the plants and crops outside in the fields? The others can tell us later what we missed about shipbuilding."
       "Of course, Mother," Consilia said gratefully.
       "Then let's go now," Mother Hildegard said as she stood up gracefully and strolled over to the door. Consilia followed her like an eager, rambunctious puppy.
       Raingard resumed listening to every word Herr Brandwein said while admiring his artistic talents. He drew figures and equations on a cloth stretched tightly across a table tipped on its side, and everything he said made sense.
       Every ten or fifteen minutes, he stopped and asked for questions. Raingard was the only nun who dared to risk admitting that she didn't understand everything. She had no sympathy for the others. How could anyone learn anything if she didn't ask questions?
       All too soon, Sister Malvinias entered the garden building and announced that the sisters, and of course, Herr Brandwein, should retire to the refectory for the midday meal. Raingard, as usual, hadn't noticed any hunger pangs, but she saw that the other nuns jumped up gratefully and ran for the door, followed by Herr Brandwein. She then tagged after him, hoping for the chance to ask him more questions.
       When she got to the door, she saw Mother Hildegard and Consilia walk toward the garden building. Mother Hildegard motioned to Elsbeth and Consilia, and they stayed at the door.
       Raingard was able to sit next to Herr Brandwein in the refectory. There was so much she wanted to ask him but had no opportunity because Sister Gertrude's monotonous voice was so loud.
       This time she was reading something from the Acts of the Apostles, boring, as far as Raingard could tell from the monotonous syllables. Raingard had no desire to travel anywhere unless, of course, she could learn something new there. Obviously the apostles hadn't had a home as nice as the convent here in Eibingen.
       Herr Brandwein's shipyard on the Rhine River wasn't really far away, actually pretty much where she took the meditation hike every Sunday afternoon. When she spent the day working and learning there, Raingard would still return to the convent every night.
       Consilia, Elsbeth, and Mother Hildegard didn't enter the refectory until Gertrude stopped reading, and everyone was chewing contentedly. The three of them also sat and filled their plates.
       Raingard decided not to question Herr Brandwein. He was obviously enjoying the meal: lamb stew, fish from the Rhine, venison from the nearby forest, baked chicken, noodles, mushroom gravy, steamed carrots, beans, and cabbage. For dessert on this day of the week, Raingard knew that the kitchen nuns would offer their famous apple strudel. Consilia's meal plans always included dessert.
       Raingard was never that interested in food, but she had heard that all of Mother Hildegard's convents were all famous for their generous and delicious meals. That was probably a reason these convents were so popular but also objects of envy. People outside the convents didn't eat nearly as well.
       What Raingard treasured most, though, was that her convents were sanctuaries of learning. She just never quite understood why Mother Hildegard tolerated so much stupidity and lack of interest in learning among some of the nuns. So many of them were like Gertrude, content to merely recite words they didn't even understand and never question why they should do what they were told to do.
       Elsbeth said it was probably because she had to take what she could get with respect to new recruits. Consilia thought Mother Hildegard liked to see what she could cultivate, just like in a garden. You plant the seeds and then see what you can do with the plants once they start growing.
       Long after Raingard was finished eating, Sister Malvinias motioned for everyone to stand, at which time she launched into a long prayer of thanksgiving. Herr Brandwein remained seated and kept eating, ignoring the glares from Malvinias and Gertrude.
       When Malvinias finally stopped blathering, Mother Hildegard raised her right hand, ensuring complete silence in the room except for Herr Brandwein's joyful chomping.
       "I have a few announcements to make," Mother Hildegard said. "Sister Elsbeth will spend the next few years in Copenhagen, perfecting her command of Norse languages and becoming familiar with the folklore. From there, she will embark on an arduous journey to Athens and the surrounding islands to increase her knowledge of the language and literature there."
       "Sister Consilia will spend these years traveling to Rome, Naples, and Palermo to learn more about herbs and plants that thrive in warmer temperatures. This will also give her the opportunity to learn new methods of healing."
       Raingard stared at her two friends. Elsbeth had the usual dreamy look in her eyes, and Consilia looked a little shocked but shrugged and shook her head slightly. The other nuns at the table looked sad, probably because they could guess that the quality of the meals would decrease once Consilia was gone.
       Mother Hildegard always said that sisters should regard change as an opportunity, a surprise present from God. So, Raingard forced herself to give Mother Hildegard the benefit of the doubt, even though she couldn't imagine enjoying life in the convent without Consilia and Elsbeth.
       In fact, Consilia and Elsbeth did leave the next day.
       It turned out that Raingard was so busy learning how to build and repair ships during the next months that she wouldn't have had any time for her friends anyway. Herr Brandwein insisted on Raingard and Magdalena working the same hours as his apprentices. They had to leave the convent before sunrise and didn't return until dark.
       This had various advantages for Raingard. Mother Hildegard excused her from all responsibilities in the convent. Raingard didn't have to join in any religious services or take her turn cleaning and repairing the convent.
       Sister Lamberta, who had to take back the kitchen after Consilia was no longer there, left the two nuns some bread and cheese and a pitcher of water in the refectory every morning and every evening, as they could no longer join in the sisters' mealtimes. That was more than enough as Herr Brandwein provided his workers with abundant, though not particularly tasty, food so that they had enough energy for the hard work he demanded of them.
       The work was exhausting. At first, Raingard wasn't sure she could keep up with the muscular young men when it came to sawing wood, carrying planks, pounding nails, or spreading pitch between the planks of wood. However, she soon developed sufficient muscles and calluses.
       Herr Brandwein also explained why they did everything they did, how the ship would later function when it was finished.
       Herr Brandwein told the men that she and Sister Magdalena were nuns from Hildegard of Bingen's convent up the hill and that they were to treat the women with commensurate high regard.
       All the men had heard of Hildegard of Bingen and did, in fact, treat Raingard and Magdalena respectfully. However, while they all ate their noon meal, Raingard encouraged them to tell the stories they had heard of ships and ship travel. The shipbuilders were happy to oblige. Many of them had sailed, and they all knew sailors.
       She heard tales of waves higher than the cathedral steeple in Aachen, of fearsome creatures larger than any ship, of the sun beating down on a becalmed ship for days at a time while the sailors tried to row, of slippery decks that propelled sailors to their deaths in the sea.
       However, what shocked her were the stories of spoiled food and sick sailors, of having to pitch dead bodies overboard. Much of the ship's space had to be filled with barrels of water and ale since the seawater wasn't drinkable.
       Yet, despite the travails and adversity, all the men wished they could be sailing again. They talked about the view deep into the dark heavens from the ship when you could no longer see the land you left behind, of new lands they approached coming into sight. They described exotic animals and people in these strange lands who were weird and wonderful.
       "It is simply awe-inspiring to see more of the world," a young journeyman explained. Raingard had her doubts at first, but the more she listened, the more she wondered what it would be like to travel far, far away. This, of course, was girlish foolishness. She knew she never wanted to leave the beloved convent in Eibingen.
       The years passed all too quickly. Herr Brandwein said she and Magdalena were the best apprentices he had ever had, that if they weren't nuns, he would recommend their becoming journeymen. They should travel and learn more about shipbuilding everywhere ships were built.
       Naturally, Raingard and Magdalena couldn't do that. Instead, they returned to the convent in Eibingen where Sister Malvinias said they had to restart their novitiate since they had missed out on so many of the convent activities.
       When Sister Malvinias couldn't hear them, Magdalena only said quietly that they were at a disadvantage because they had missed out on three years of convent gossip. However, because they saw the ship arrive, she and Raingard knew that Sister Elsbeth had returned from her travels accompanied by a tribe of Vikings who now resided in their own wing of the convent.
       Before Sister Malvinias could organize every minute of their convent day, Raingard and Magdalena heard from Mother Hildegard. It turned out that she had her own plans for them.
       One week after her apprenticeship was finished, Raingard returned from morning prayers in the chapel and found a note on her door asking her to go to Mother Hildegard's office at her earliest convenience. Naturally, she turned and ran there as fast as possible. She arrived just as Magdalena, Elsbeth, and Consilia all came from different directions.
       They hesitated, but Raingard walked up to the heavy, wooden door and knocked loudly. "Come in, sisters," they heard Mother Hildegard's mellifluous alto voice invite them in.
       Mother Hildegard didn't often invite sisters into her office. She preferred to meet them at their individual place of labor or instruction so that she could get an idea of how they were doing. Her office was spacious but humble, with unadorned stone walls, one large window on the wall facing south, sturdy wooden chairs without any cushions, and a large wooden desk with many candleholders.
       Mother Hildegard herself sat behind her desk. She motioned for the sisters to be seated. Four wooden chairs were placed in a half-circle in front of the desk.
       "Well," Mother Hildegard said. "It's been three years since I sent you off in different directions. Tell me what you learned in your travels. Sister, Elsbeth, you begin."
       "In Copenhagen, I listened to recitals of the Edda," Elsbeth began. "I learned to love the poems, tales, and legends of the Norse folk. Much hasn't yet been written down, and so I memorized everything people performed for me. I learned about Vikings expeditions to the West, the journeys of Erik the Red and his son Leif Erikson, about the settlements on Vinland."
       "The Vikings don't share our faith, but they are a hard-working, intelligent people," she continued. "What impressed me the most was their desire for adventure, for travel."
       "When I explained that I wanted to travel overland to Athens, they weren't interested, though. They are people of the sea, not of the land. However, I returned to Copenhagen after my stay in the Mediterranean and, just as you requested, Mother persuaded some of them to accompany me back here to Eibingen."
       Mother Hildegard smiled. "It was fortunate that you wrote to me so frequently and so extensively," she said to Elsbeth. "I recognized that we need the knowledge and skills your Vikings possess. I assume you are now fluent enough to converse with them."
       "Yes," Elsbeth said with confidence Raingard had never noticed in her before. "Norse is actually easier to speak than Greek, but I improved my pronunciation sufficiently after I was in Athens for a few days. Much more of Greek literature has been written down, and so I transcribed much of it and brought it back with me."
       "And what do you think of the stories you discovered in Copenhagen and Athens?" Mother Hildegard asked.
       "They are, of course, myths," Elsbeth began. "Still, I can't help wondering if there is something to them."
       "Well," Mother Hildegard said. "Raingard is the natural philosopher of the four of you. Tell her all the stories that impressed you, and she can decide which ones might have some truth to them."
       She looked at Consilia. "Sister Consilia, what did you learn on your travels?"
       Consilia looked startled. "Mother," she said. "I don't know where to begin. I discovered so many different plants, so many healing herbs that I had never seen before. I kept a journal, drew pictures, and wrote down everything that people told me. I brought back seeds but don't know if we will be able to grow the plants in our glass garden house."
       "We'll see," Mother Hildegard said. "Raingard, what can you and Magdalena tell us about ships?"
       Magdalena was suddenly surprisingly loquacious and erupted with a passionately detailed description of hammers, nails, hulls, decks, planks, wood, tar, and pitch. Mother Hildegard listened for a few minutes and then said, "So, you and Raingard know how to build and repair ships now."
       "We know how," Raingard said. "But the size of the ship determines how many sailors and shipbuilders you need to keep it above water. The two of us could only manage a little boat, not a galley."
       "And your Vikings?" Mother Hildegard asked Elsbeth.
       "You saw the ship we arrived on," Elsbeth said. "It's huge. Herr Brandwein helped them hide it in his shipyard. He was afraid people would steal things from it."
       Mother Hildegard smiled. "Since your group of Vikings insisted on deploying guards with fearsome weapons on the ship, that is fairly unlikely."
       "So," Mother Hildegard continued. "What about sailing?"
       "I hated it," Elsbeth said firmly. "I couldn't keep anything in my stomach the whole time we traversed the North Sea. I never got used to the way the ship rose up and down and wobbled. I was so relieved when we entered the Rhine River, where things got calmer."
       "We never had the chance to sail," Raingard said. "The sailors we talked to all agreed that it was the hardest and most dangerous thing there was but also the most wonderful."
       Mother Hildegard sighed. "I have a project for the four of you," she began. Then she stood up and walked over to the window.
       "I'm not getting any younger, and I worry about the world I will be leaving behind. I have tried to use the talents the Creator gave me. I did my best to learn and to teach."
       "Everyone listens to you, Mother," Elsbeth interrupted her. "Kings, popes, bishops, scholars."
       "And some of them are as eager to learn as I am," Mother Hildegard said. "However, with most of the people I have contact with, what I say has no lasting effect. They remain as stubbornly stupid as ever. I sense an overpowering wave of enthusiasm for ignorance just beyond the horizon. My visions get darker."
       "I am also not getting any younger, and I don't know how much time I have left in this world. I don't want to abandon it to the inferno of stupidity. Yet, I fear I can't prevent what will come to Europe."
       "That is why I have a request for the four of you. I want you to sail with two ships to a part of the world where no one can stop you from continuing to learn, where no one will stop you from coming up with new ideas. You need to take people with you, Elsbeth's Vikings and people from the area around Eibingen."
       "But I don't want to leave here," Raingard cried.
       "You want things to stay the same here," Mother Hildegard said. "But I won't be here forever, and things will change. I'm afraid they will change for the worse. That's why I want my most talented nuns to continue my work, my research and learning, somewhere where they will not be disturbed."
       "Where do you want us to go?" Consilia asked. "Is that why you wanted me to learn about plants and herbs in warmer regions?"
       "Consilia was always the most practical of us all," Raingard thought.
       Mother Hildegard smiled. "Yes," she said. "You will need to cultivate new plants and receive your sustenance from them. However, first, you need to travel to parts unknown. I want you to sail west, follow the routes of Leif Eriksson and Saint Brendan, but then turn south where it will be warm. In my visions, I have seen groups of islands. The larger ones form a triangle, the holy symbol of the three, the Holy Trinity."
       "You must start your settlement on an uninhabited island and create a good life for those who accompany you. Superstition will keep you safe. People will be afraid to enter this triangle area. Make another island a convent, only for nuns, where women can develop their unique powers and create new structures and machines. Become more than you ever thought possible there."
       "As soon as you have developed the materials and the techniques, build a city under the sea where you can retreat if things get really bad."
       A city under the sea? Raingard started calculating how that could even be possible. It was an intriguing thought, being able to live among all the creatures under the sea. "Maybe I would like to see more of the world," Raingard said.
       "When should we leave?" Elsbeth asked.
       "As soon as Herr Brandwein can finish work on the ships I have ordered. I want your Vikings to advise him as to which changes he needs to make. They are the experts for this kind of journey."
       "I know I can rely on you to complete my vision," Mother Hildegard said. "And now we have all kinds of preparations to make, so let's begin."