[b]The German Exile, Part Two, The Agriculturalist, Part Three[/b]

[b][i]Bataan Peninsula[/i][/b]

Ludwig von Seckendorff waved at the red-shirted, plain-trousered Agriculturalist as the latter and his aides walked over to the former's Water Buffalo-drawn carriage; this, in turn, was driving down the road to Balanga City, the capital of Bataan province. As his old friend reached hearing range, the German aristocrat, now clad in a set of light tan semi-formal clothes, smiled and said:

"Mr. Santos, how good of you to come! It is delightful that the Lady President would ask us to chair the Farmer-Worker Defense Commitee together; I had the chance to see your work as I trekked south from Lingayen Gulf." There was genuine admiration in the German Exile's voice, and it was Archibald Santos' turn to smile as Ludwing continued to compliment him. "Your organic fertilizer formula has brought rich dividends to the local farmers; the surplus will definitely benefit both civilians and military."

Archibald chuckled. "Oh, it was nothing. Just a little carbonized rice hull, some rice straw, and manure. How are your earthworks?"

Ludwig's smile grew wider underneath his straw hat. "They're doing fine; lack of concrete has hampered our effectiveness at building aboveground defenses, but a bit of geologic research - examining soil density, water absorbency, and all those little factors that affect the construction of viable tunnels - has revealed various safe spots for underground networks in the mountains of this peninsula. Which, by the way, brings us to my own question; how viable is it to construct mushroom farms as part of the tunnel network? Fungi grow underground, right?"

The answer was, "I'd have to see the tunnels for myself, but I'd presume very viable if you're the one planning the networks. I actually have a copy of my paper as regards mushroom farming in the mountains with me; it might be of help."

"You're a lifesaver, Mr. Santos!" Ludwig responded. "Now let's go on to the city; the sun is hot and the farmers and workers can only tolerate so much lateness." A thought came to him. "By the way, are you still using the Chinese motor-cars? Travel by buffalo carriage is much cheaper, though slower."

The following remark was, "Well, let's just say I have to cover a lot of ground in a few months instead of just a few years. By the way, you should have seen the experimental farms in Central Luzon, as well as my efforts to promote potatoes and sweet potatoes. Actually, once we are done settling Bataan's defenses and how to feed them, why don't we ask Lady President for a side-trip there?"

Ludwig replied, "That is very noble of you, actually; very noble of you to offer, Mr. Santos."

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The Farmer-Worker's Meeting, held in an old American bungalow, went fairly well, with the locals discussing local issues while repeating their commitment to the defense of the province; their home. Some of said local issues involved the lack of suitable roads and transport for the excess produce being produced by the farms, as well as how education was held back by the lack of adequate lighting for the dark nights, which was when most people had free time after work. Something that Anita's Sugarcane Charcoal would help remedy; Archibald noticed before assuring the Farmer-Workers that was the case. Ludwig marvelled at his friend's achievment, before correcting himself; it was his friend's student's achievement - Mr. Santos would not want him mis-attributing the achievements of his beloved pupils, even to him.

When Ludwig's turn came, he would listen to the people's doubts about the tunnels and earthworks, as well as the experiences of the people maintaining them. He would also inspect some bootleg Mosin-Nagants made by the local defense co-operative, along with various petrol bombs and improvised explosives. And again, he would appreciate how cunning and crafty these people could be when united in a common cause.

Will that be enough to fend off foriegn invasion by the Chinese or the Japanese? The Lady President had administered a relatively long stretch of kind and benevolent rule, but she was somewhat isolated as well. Cunning, craft, and ingeniuity only went so far; the Philippines will have to rebuild international ties in order to survive.