The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 31
So here we are on Day 31! From Anadrasata's point of view, this is really quite a quiet day. For other people who are not the centre of this story, well....
This piece runs to 1,431 words and I hope that you enjoy it.
Index Page.
Twirsday, 12 Naison, 1893 C.E.
Sebti, 27 Lamtaa, 2157 T.M.L.
Dear Journal,
It occurs to me to wonder where these properties being held in trust for me are situated. The residential properties in particular as I could live in one or more of them. The townhouse in Umbrial could be in several areas of town, and some are more desirable than others - if it is in Bhrastoigh Square, for instance, I would have to actively prevent Mother moving in with me, whereas if it is along River Row I would probably have to hire bailers and there would be a constant fight against all manifestations of dampness. Lord Elnaith can probably enlighten me on matters of location but I will have to wait until I can speak to the trustees to find out about the buildings' condition/s and whether they are tenanted.
To think that when I turn twenty five I will have to be a person who thinks and knows about such things for my very own property! [And I will be able to afford repairs without unnecessary penny pinching! Yes - there will only be necessary penny pinching in my household, after the application of commonsense, of course.]
At breakfast I sat with Mrs Khughaign, Miss dh'Dhainer, and Miss Saighven. The other three ladies discussed their itineraries and I listened. When they discussed the food supplied at various inns on their routes, they asked me about the food I'd had in various inns since leaving home, and they agreed that fish was going to be prominent in the Circle Sea ports. However, they also told me, very gently, that many of the meals I'd had (and enjoyed) at The Duke of Ghairraith had been dishes that you would not expect to be served to persons of quality. "If you thought it was seagull, then it probably was," was Mrs Khughaign's comment, while Miss dh'Dhainer thought that the landlady's serving decisions may have been influenced by concerns that I might not pay my bill bought on by my lack of maid and unescorted status. All three shook their heads when I told them that my mother had decided I didn't need one, but none of them voiced an opinion.
After breakfast I walked twice around the promenade deck and then went to my cabin to resume my Coac-hatl studies. Today's chapter was about the Cuoahtimollon deitical system, and related oaths, avowals, and profanities of various levels of formality. The differences between some of the avowals and profanities is dangerously small, so I am glad this is included in the primer's lessons.
My translation of avowals was interrupted by the noise of an argument in the corridor. On investigation it was between the Dowager Duchess and her daughters. I gathered that they were refusing to disembark with her in K'hesdoil today. It seemed best to quietly withdraw into my cabin until closer to lunch. The sections of K'hesdoil that I could see from my cabin window after I had finished all my exercises featured orange and yellow tiled roofs.
At lunch it was revealed that the Dowager Duchess and her sons as well as three of the passengers who joined us yesterday had been our disembarking passengers. Our embarking passengers were Dr Paidher dh'Savhgaim, Mrs Ehloys dh'Savhgaim, and the doctor's secretary, Mr Mhailaiti Ghoydhaign. The doctor is a prominent historian, Mrs dh'Savhgaim is his wife, and I strongly suspect Mr Ghoydhaign was in the military before he took up being a secretary and studying history. [Really, he looks all of a set, except for the clothes, with the General's staff.]
I was joined at lunch by their ladyships and Lord Elnaith. One of the Captains sat next to Lady Ismhailaid, and the rest of the military sat at the other end of our table. The dh'Savghaim party sat centrally to the entire room, and the dh'Sailhaivhaigns sat next to them. Consequently we all heard the doctor's penetrating remarks to Mr dh'Sailhaivhaign for the entire meal. I suspect the doctor is not deaf but he seems to pitch his voice to cover a lecture theatre all the time.
After lunch I went for a nice quiet walk around the promenade deck. Twice.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the balcony parlor, finishing the second swag on my test napkin. I finished it a little before the tea tray came in, and had time to pull out the guidance threads and show it to Miss dh'Dhainer and Miss Saighven, who had also spent the afternoon in the balcony parlor, before their ladyships poured for us all. Mrs dh'Savhgaim, who had also joined us with the tea tray, asked what I would do with such an elaborate practice piece. I told her that after I had finished the rest of the table set, I would probably use it to put vases of flowers on, to protect the furniture. She allowed that was a practical use of a pretty piece, and I put my work away without any further comment.
Lord Elnaith joined us when we were on our second cup of tea, and sat beside me when Lady Hailaina had served him. He asked me, very quietly, if I had any questions, and in return I asked him where the residences in question might be. His answer was Lower Khurstoy Street, Dhaikhombai Square, and near Mhakhrial Crossing. Khurstoy Street bisects Bhrastoigh Square, even I have heard of Dhaikhombai Square in the capital, and Mhakhrial Crossing is about twenty Imperial leagues from Umbrial but not in the same directions as my brother's country estates. I murmured to Lord Elnaith that I would need to come up with a reason for my mother not to move in with me when I reached my majority. He said, "I thought you said she has her own townhouse as part of her dower."
My reply was, "She does, but those are better addresses than hers, or her friends', or the mayor and his wife's. And there is the issue."
He admitted that he knew little of Umbrial, beyond what I had told him, and the conversation moved on to inns in Ghoatroil where we stop in two days' time and where their ladyships, Miss dh'Dhainer, Miss Saighven, and Mrs Khughaign will be leaving us. Mrs dh'Savhgaim has visited there frequently and was a font of knowledge on the subject.
At dinner I was seated at the First Officer's table, between Mr Ghodhaign and Captain Nhuais. Both gentlemen are younger sons from families much like mine, albeit in different provinces, and both my dinner conversations were about country-based childhoods varied by stays in the local big towns or small city.
When the ladies withdrew to the balcony parlor, I found myself seated with Mrs dh'Savhgaim and Mrs dh'Sailhaivhaign, and we spoke of inns. Neither of them have needed to stay in a Kerajaan hostel and they were interested to hear of the dining arrangements and the quality of the bed linen. I also mentioned the helpful liveried men who appeared out of nowhere to carry shopping parcels, which both amused and concerned them. I added that I didn't think that the Kerajaa trusted the Empire or its citizens. And then I told them, very quietly, about the ladies' section of Kerajaan bath houses.
The gentlemen came in with the tea tray, and I poured with Miss Saighven. When we had finished with tea, a group of gentlemen that was all the gentlemen of noble antecedents, withdrew to the billiards room. A table of koh was set up with six players - both their ladyships, Captain Nhuais, Mr Ghoydhaign, Mrs dh'Sailhavhaign, and Prince Osbalzir. (Baron Fulcvin was playing billiards.) The rest of us played maistoto, except for a gentleman I hadn't actually spoken to (he boarded in D'Hestoil) who sat in a comfortable chair next to a reading lamp and quietly chuckled his way through a book.
I made my apologies and withdrew from the game after seven hands. As I stood to leave and was thanking everyone for a very pleasant evening, I found myself suppressing a yawn so it was definitely time for me to turn in.
There is, I think, something very comforting about sitting in my cabin at night with the lights turned down, or even off, when everything is so quiet that you can hear the ship's engines humming as they go about their business. If it's very quiet and still, sometimes you can feel it as a vibration through your feet, and it's almost as if the ship is alive.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan