The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 4
So, here we have 1304 words of more drama than anyone shepherding the first class passengers on a small airship could possibly want. Fortunately the crew is not involved and there has been no property damage, however one suspects that Someone Senior is going to hear about this from at least one person. One wonders about some people, one really does.
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Brogaiday, 14 Ochd, 1893 C.E.
Dear Journal,
There was shuddering and bouncing after I went to bed last night but I think we must have avoided the worst of the storm. When I asked the chambermaid about it when she brought my hot water This morning she told me that the only injury and damage had occurred because someone in second class had unsecured their luggage after the steward had secured it for them.
The Abheerghins are leaving us today at Rhasdrine. I shared a table with their seventeen year old twins at breakfast and they weren't expansive about their family's reasons for travelling - which I think is proper if they are travelling in connection with their father's business as matters may be confidential. And someone else at the table did ask. Young Mr Abheerghin was more interested in talking to the military officers at the table about an Army career - he is not the eldest son. Miss Abheerghin was being flirted with by whichever of the young officers who was not talking to her brother at the time. Most of my conversation was with Half Colonel dh'Khaitheer and his gentleman friend, Lord Elnaith bh'Sedloit. They had been majors together before Lord Elnaith left the army to study law, and the Half Colonel was promoted. [I had never thought that I would meet a blood relative of the Imperial family and that they would allow me to be introduced to them!] We spoke about fresh mushrooms, which were in the breakfast buffet and which I've never had before. That led into how we don't have edible mushrooms at home unless the field has been specially seeded, and Lord dh'Abheil protecting his with armed gamekeepers.
Lord Elnaith commented that he's never heard of the Nearabhigans, and I explained that I'm an offshoot of the Nearabhaigns, whom he's probably never heard of either, so there's just me with the name. Half Colonel dh'Khaitheer asked if I had decided where to establish myself and after a little back and forth I explained that I didn't have the money to set up my own household. His lordship said something about "but when you come into your settlements" and I explained that my father hadn't left any provision for me in his will, so I lived with my mother in her dower property. I think he almost said something else, but then the Half Colonel changed the subject to recent developments in the career of a friend of theirs and took the focus off me. I was glad of it - the conversation was beginning to get very uncomfortable for me.
I soldiered on with my language studies and bade farewell to the Abheerghin ladies before they left the ship.
A telegraph message awaited me in Rhasdrine. It was from Anna and read:
MOTHER WANTS MORE BLACK CONFITS STOP WHAT ARE THEY QUESTION WHERE DO I GET THEM QUESTION STOP
My reply was:
BLACK LIQUORICE GELS STOP AGHAIN AND DORTLE STOP
Mother probably looked at Anna as if she was an idiot when she didn't know what black confits are. It's a look I know all too well.
The new passengers today were a major and his wife returning to Ulgorial after their honeymoon, and the family of Baron dh'Ughitair. At first I didn't realise that the Baron was there - the Baroness and Dowager Baroness were rather overpowering. The Baroness wanted the seating rearranged, the Dowager agreed with her, and it took the Purser to make them understand that the already seated diners would not be moved around to suit them.
After lunch I walked around the promenade deck, put the embroidery design on the blank table runner (and made note of the intended colours for each element so that I don't have one of my "what were you thinking of for here" moments), and took tea in the balcony parlor with the major's wife, Mrs Naighteer. The Dowager Baroness briefly tried to seize control of the room and evict us, but Mrs Naighteer briskly pointed out that we are all first class passengers and the balcony parlor is one of the first class public rooms. I, teapot and empty cup in its saucer in hand, asked the Dowager Baroness how she liked her tea.
Mother's pernicketiness about tea service paid off when the Dowager Baroness graciously allowed that I could pour a good cup of tea. The rest of tea was not quite two armed camps, but we talked among ourselves and not to each other.
At dinner I was at the Chief Engineer's table again, between Captain dh'Thainbhaign and a religious scholar. This scholar is the Reverend Doctor Alphai Saphaidos and not the one that wouldn't speak to me last night. The Reverend Doctor Saphaidos is a specialist in the Septiad texts, and he explained his theory about Jahoud and Hitabeol to me - I may need to reread The Book of Nailsh. Captain dh'Thainbhaign told me, very quietly, that the Dowager Baroness had been fishing discretely to confirm the details in the copy of Tobraica's Complete Guide to the Imperial Nobility held in the ship's library of the noble-born officers' relationships to their families' titles. I pointed out that if she were a fond grandmother, or even merely a dutiful one, there the futures of the three Misses dh'Uhghitair to consider. He agreed - and said that was why he and his fellow officers had agreed to go around in pairs. I mentioned the advice I had received about securing my cabin door at night before I left home, and he agreed that was sound advice.
In the balcony parlor before the gentlemen joined us the Baroness was, well, very gracious to Mrs Naighteer. One of her dinner companions had mentioned that her father was General Maighteerl and that her mother, before her marriage, had been a dh'Mhaistain. [I did wonder how much prying that had taken to extract.] Mrs Naighteer, all power to her, refused to be condescended to.
I was happily sitting on the sidelines of this skirmish, enjoying the wordplay and keeping company with the youngest Miss dh'Uhghithair [who does not seem to take after her mother or grandmother], when the tea tray and the gentlemen arrived. The Dowager Baroness promptly instructed me to pour tea for the company. I would not have minded pouring tea but her tone and precise language made it clear that she considered me to be a servant. I bristled. I believe the sound of conversation had already dropped when I replied, "Excuse me?" She looked at me and said dismissively, "You're a lady's companion. Do your job." "I am not a lady's companion," I replied. "I am happy to be an agreeable fellow passenger, ma'am, but despite your rank, you overreach yourself." "Nonsense, you are obviously Mrs Naighteer's companion - earn your keep." Major and Mrs Naighteer denied that this was so. Various male voices pointed out I had joined the ship before the Naighteers. I found myself on my feet declaring quite calmly that I no longer wished for tea. I made my way to the door, curtseyed to the room, then Lord Elnaith and Half-Colonel dh'Khaitheer were with me and suggesting that we take a stroll around the promenade deck to admire the moonlight on the mountain peaks.
It did help settle my feelings, the moonlight on the mountains was lovely, and I realised that two of the three highest ranking male passengers on the ship had removed themselves from the parlor in support of me. I made very sure to thank them for their consideration.
They delivered me to my door and said goodnight. I locked myself in, readied myself for bed and wrote this. I will have to decide how to act towards the Dowager Baroness and the rest of her family, but that is a tomorrow problem.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan