An Adolf Menzel illustration of a Prussian horse artillery officer, who bares a striking resemblance to General von Terreplein.
A carriage drawn by six grey horses pulled up early this dark November afternoon in front of The Residenz, a.k.a. Krankenstadt Palace. The long-suffering English manservant Hives rushed to the second floor to roust the Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II from his feather bed. Meanwhile, Herr General von Terreplein, a former Prussian artillery officer and veteran of the First and Second Silesian Wars, now a newly appointed consultant to the Grand Duchy of Stollen, stepped out of the carriage and onto the front steps of the palace. He was then ushered inside at the quick step. What new game might be afoot? What plans might be hatched? What unintentional alliteration might result? What kinds of unintended Rococo zaniness might come to the fore? What military and regional aims might remain maddeningly out of reach? Who among us can say with any degree of certainty? It looks like you'll need to tune in during the closing weeks of the year to find out.
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