golems chapter 31 (this is where I was just pusing for words, and it gets worse...)

She still had not adjusted to being called Miss Felderov. The years in Ohio and the trip out had ingrained responding to her mother's maiden name in her soul. But Elisa would eventually respond, if it was repeated two or three times. This time, due to the weld she was working with Callahan upon, the ringing in her ears made it a bit longer. She refused to stop to speak with someone when this close, on the final weld, ready for the first pressure test of the system.
After all, most of the interruptions were townsfolk trying to get her to make a similar set up for themselves. She now had several apprentices willing to make such equipment, but no one wanted the work of the apprentice when the master, or mistress in this case, was available. So most of her conversations were on how until the first beasts were done, and her students working their second projects, she was too busy to make them all herself, but would oversee the apprentices and Callahan in making the steam cookers.
Callahan's advances stopped once he found out that Elisa refused to consider changing her religion. Also once he discovered who she was. The legend of the White River Massacre ran far and wide apparently on the wagging tongues of rumor's dog. Few had not heard a version where she was too willful to be taken, or suffered rape at the hands of the villains. Her return, given the tales Callahan now spent time regaling her with over the events she had lived through, made her laugh many times, sad at the sick imaginations of some people, and once gasp, for in that version, she had been slain and then animated with steam as a vengeful automata.
Ivan fit that role closer, with his steam powered limbs. It did make her more careful about removing her chain mail gloves and pants when not at the forge working, to show her ankles and hands when possible and break that rumor.
Scandalous behavior that both intrigued and pushed away the Mormon smith. But her skills and designs had him intrigued. He had already twice offered to buy the rights to make the kitchen appliances, for paltry sums of course, not understanding a woman could support herself, and others if she so desired. And Elisa did desire that.
When the person kept repeating the words, she got irritated with the high pitched voice, and pulled out from behind the vessel, leaving the last bits and touches to Callahan's able hand.
"What!" Her shout startled many, but not the mustached portly red headed man.
"Bully! Good to see you again Miss Felderov. The Ambassador and Chiefs will be in later, but I had to check on you myself." Theodore Roosevelt held out a hand to the surprised necromancer. "And Alice and the new Mrs. Lincoln will certainly want a tour from the designer of this kitchen when they get here tonight."
"Uncle Thee?" She was startled. Even knowing the rough riding assistant to the Ambassador was out chasing the criminals, Elisa had not expected him, or the Ambassador to come calling just for her.
"Indeed. Good to see you again Elisa." The use of the first names, and the lift up into an hug sealed the image of her as a member of the elite family of adopted folks around the former President. Thee, still a rising star, did not care for the adulation he had not earned, and often went very informal with the people he met, to show them his fame by association was not going to his head. Then the brilliant young man would dash any thoughts that he was all congenialty by showing his own observational powers and rapid ability to make a decision.
But around friends, he was genuinely warm and friendly, not the false face he used to disarm his enemies  and detractors. Embracing the soot, metal shavings and dirt covered woman shocked many, but the man looked more like a cowhand than an official of the government.
Elisa gave him a hug back, taking more care than Thee at the rod of still glowing flux in her hands. "Mister Roosevelt, this rod just came out of a flame, I would hate to burn you with it." She hoped the formality would make him aware of the dangers still in the room.
"Ha! Mister me, I'll sic my little ones on you." He took care in disentangling, laughing upon seeing the red tip on the flux. "Yes, the missus might get mad if she has to patch me and my clothes both, so I'll stay back a bit while you finish. Thought they told you I was coming in, or I would have let you get this thing.... What the hell is it anyway?"
The rapid fire way of speaking he used with friends, not the measured pace with strangers and in the few speeches of his back east she had attended quietly, never letting on she had heard his lectures on the west, the land and the tribes in her letters, nor to her family. During college, those were the highlights of her days, save the letters. But the girl becoming a woman had wanted to hear the voices, which was why she went to lectures, even when warned not to.
But not to attend, when so many young ladies did so to learn of the west they might wind up heading, would have raised more suspicions. So the sneaking to the lectures of the touring young aide de camp while never letting him know was her rebellion, against family of blood and adoption both.
Elisa smiled. "Let me set it aside, Mister Callahan can do that last weld, but I will need to come back for the pressure test shortly. That is something I cannot delegate. This is my design, though I must admit, the materials suggested by my assistant today and in the manufacture of parts did make this a much better finished device." Callahan stepping out from behind the boiler looked shocked. Eyes darted from the known figure of Elisa to the unknown figure. The noise of his hammer had made the words spoken so far unintelligible to his ears.
"Bully to meet you, Mister Callahan." Thee refused to not greet those he met, even after hearing how many folks of late were shot by strangers coming in for a greeting.
The hand, face and voice registered instantly on Callahan's face. Theodore Roosevelt was not a friend of the Mormons, but he was also not one of their enemies. The view that many held back east of Callahan's faith was one tainted by media, and the actions of some bad eggs every religious group seemed to attract.
"Sir, its a pleasure to meet you." The smith took the offered grip, and caught himself in the battle of squeezes, as his strength was measured by a man who worked almost as much from a horse as from the desk in Rapid City. Long years of working the herds, riding the range and other physical labor held Roosevelt in great shape, despite the wheeze in his voice that hinted at his dreaded asthma.
"So, this is the kitchen of the only donut shop between the Mississippi and your inland sea? How will it work?" He did not direct the question at Callahan, but Elisa.
The smith's face contorted behind the man, still not used to a woman being over him. Elisa, noting the glare, defused it fast. "Mister Callahan's methods and suggestions made it even better, trust me, Mister Roosevelt." The eyebrow Thee raised as he looked back and caught the remnants of that jealous glare said much.
"Really? So, its a collaboration then. I take it you two are forming a more permanent partnership?" Trust the great negotiator to work his magic for her on the man. Callahan's reluctance and pride kept the deal from being made, but now with a man of Thee's stature backing the deal, perhaps he would bend, realizing Elisa's share of the design, and those of the other stake holders.
"Well, not formally, sir. We have started some talks about how to use this design, where to manufacture and the like, but not much more." Callahan stood taller for a moment, yet the shifting of feet spoke volumes to Roosevelt.
"I see, well, perhaps I can offer to mediate for you folks then, each lay out your requests, and I will come up with a few compromise plans for you. Send me what you want, have offered, and your absolute must list, Mister Callahan. A design like this is too good to let die in the courts over rights. And with there no judge appointed to the International Review Court at Fort Bridger at the moment it might be years before any monies could be made." The measure of a man could take years to take, or just a glance, and somehow, to Elisa's amazement, Callahan's eyes showed deep thought. Theodore Roosevelt had taken his measure, and laid out the only options, leaving him to realize his only route to profit was negotiating in good faith.
Elisa would get her deal, a fair one to her as well as profiting all parties. If a stiff neck could be made to bend. The warm grin on Roosevelt's face gave her hope, as it left Callahan walking them around his contributions with care, noting who contributed which parts, and adding commentary as he went. The necromancer let him do so, knowing her own turn would come to lay out her views, so she merely gave information that Callahan could not about the more technical aspects during the tour.