Vienna, public cemetery.
The image of the Virgin Mary was carved into an unmarked gravestone. It commemorated the women and children who had died in childbirth.
Franz laid a bouquet of flowers on the nameless grave.
"This is all I can do. I hope the tragedy will not continue."
Franz left in the royal carriage. From then on, Austria's maternal mortality rate continued to fall, finally reaching 1% a year later.
St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Thirteen of the most influential bishops in the Austrian Catholic Church had gathered in a small, private room. Light streamed through the stained glass overhead, obscuring their faces.
"I thought the days of selling holy water and indulgences were behind us."
"As long as it helps people, why should we care about such empty reputations?"
"Can these powders and alcohol really save lives?"
"We won't know until we try, but the profits are real."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Sometimes, spreading science required using methods that were anything but scientific.
Mexico, Texas.
May 10, 1836.
After some time spent regrouping, Santa Anna once again assembled his forces and marched on Austin.
This time, standing in Santa Anna's way was the El Paso Legion. Though it called itself a legion, it was really a motley force of fewer than a thousand Texans, five hundred American volunteers, and three hundred mercenaries.
After the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto, both Texas and Mexico claimed victory.
Mexico claimed that it had captured the American congressman Crockett at the Alamo and forced the garrison to surrender. Out of humanitarian concern, it had allowed them to confess and repent for their sins, then released them.
Crockett fled all the way back to Tennessee, where he shut himself away and refused visitors. The other prisoners vanished without a trace.
The United States, meanwhile, claimed