The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 13
Anadrasata's journey continues, and she begins to acquaint herself with a new set of travelling companions. This runs to 2,028 words and I hope that you enjoy it.
Index Page.
Thuwnday, 23 Ochd, 1893 C.E.
Dear Journal,
There was a tremendous storm in the night last night. It began an hour or so after I went to bed and continued into the small hours of the morning. I did get up to make sure that the rain wasn't blowing in through the window, but other than that I believe I managed to sleep through most of it. I mentioned it to the maid who brought my hot water this morning, and she told me that afternoon and evening storms are quite common at this time of year - it was sheer luck that there haven't been any others since I arrived.
Breakfast was in a private parlor downstairs again. Apparently the local airships to nearby towns like to leave early to best hit the point after mist and fog on the mountains has burnt off, but before weather starts building over the peaks. Following on from yesterday, I received copies of all three papers I had at yesterday's breakfast. Ther was more about the Board of Inquiry - mainly background pieces on the appointed chairman with some details on the other members of the Board. Special Counsel assisting the Board has been appointed - apparently, he is a well-respected member of the local provincial office of the Imperial Adjutant. Interestingly, to me, it was noted that "according to our sources" Lord Elnaith bh'Sedloit had recused himself from the position because he had been on one of the ships. Lord Elnaith bh'Sedloit had been approached but had declined to comment on anything.
The rest of the news was mainly to do with Treasury and precious metal price fluctuations/manipulations in the eastern provinces. The gossip pages would have been far more interesting if I'd had any idea who most of it was about. The provincial paper, the Ghaiadshore Messenger, and the Imperial Clarion both had opinion pieces on the use and abuse of influence on public officials. The definitely had different authors, not only the names different but so was the writing style, so I was left wondering if there was something recently that I'd missed or missed the significance of.
After breakfast, I went back up to my room to finish packing and tidy myself up. I locked my trunk, gave a vail to the maid who turned up to check if I needed anything else, and went downstairs to pay my bill. While I was doing that, the porter went upstairs to fetch my trunk.
All my obligations at the inn met, we went to the port where I made myself known at the appointed place, and then my luggage and I were loaded onto the Pearlish Queen. My cabin is almost identical to the one I'd had on the Pearlish Star, except that it was on the other side of the ship. There was a little time after I boarded before we launched, and lunch would be after that, so I used the time to settle myself into my cabin. When the stewardess came to introduce herself I think she may have been surprised that there was very little for her to do, except remind me that it was almost time for lunch.
As ion the Pearlish Star, lunch was served but seating was by our own arrangement. The thing that struck me was the number of Army uniforms. Over half the first class passengers are Army officers, all in dark blue-grey in varying states of wear. Some of them were travelling with their families, and I counted nine children of various ages. There was also an older gentleman in civilian clothes, but with a military bearing, who was talking happily with two Half Colonels. A prosperous looking gentleman was standing to one side and observing the crowd. A foreign gentleman of about my age in a red-maroon coat over dark trousers was speaking to an older lady who was attended by two younger ladies, one of whom looked like her daughter. The other four ladies in the room seemed to be Army officer's wives. I think this means that we are sailing with a full complement of first class passengers.
I sat at lunch with Captain and Mrs dh'Lais and their two little boys. Adavais, who was sitting next to me, proudly told me that he has just turned five but that his brother is still only three. I pointed out to him that his brother will be five in time but by then he, Adavais, would be seven. He asked why? And I told him that was the way it was, we couldn't get older any faster than we do. As an aside, I told him that I had never been able to catch up with my older brother and sister and how mad it had made me sometimes when they were allowed to do things I couldn't because they were older. Master Adavais thought that was funny.
At that point Mrs dh'Lais flashed me a smile and reminded her son to finish his food if he was still hungry. Master Adavais went back to eating and my attention was claimed by Major Ghaighain on my other side. Major Ghaighain was an excellent conversationalist who eased me into telling him more about myself than I intended. It occurred to me when we were halfway through dessert that it was deliberate and that he had told me next to nothing about himself. I managed, politely, to point this out to him, and he laughed. Then apologised. Then explained that in his last posting investigating people of whom he and his commanders knew nothing who had arrived in their locality and were associating with members of the command had been part of his job, and here I was, and here they were....
I said something along the lines of that was understandable.
Then he added, besides, if he didn't want to spend the entire trip reading, playing cards or billiards with his fellow unaccompanied male officers, sleeping, or doing calisthenics on the promenade deck, then he needed to make the acquaintance of the other passengers.
I don't think he meant anything untoward, but I didn't say anything, and I think I blushed. I don't remember ever being a desirable acquaintance before.
After dessert, we were given our first safety talk. There were the alarms and safety procedures that were on the Pearlish Star, but there was the addition that there are storms in these parts on most days at this time of year and that we could be expecting the ship to be making unscheduled ascensions to avoid them. It was strongly recommended that we be more than usually vigilant about keeping our belongings secured in our cabins.
After lunch, many of the nursery crowd were taken away for naps.
I took a turn around the promenade deck, and then took my embroidery to the balcony parlor. Two of the officers' wives were there, so I exchanged courtesies with Mrs dh'Zhangain, Mrs Mhainghair, Miss Aidelaist dh'Zhangain (13), Miss Annasena Mhainghair (13), and Miss Eghainaida Mhainghair (12). The very young ladies busied themselves making friends over the embroidery they were apparently supposed to be doing while their mothers explored their acquaintances to see if there was any overlap. They tried to include me in the conversation, but I cheerfully admitted that my only previous military acquaintances had been the various officers who'd travelled on the Pearlish Star and that my usual social circle was confined to Umbrial.
The older woman and her two companions joined us just before the tea tray came in. She admitted that she was the Dowager Countess dh'Ironaith, and that the two ladies with her were her daughter, Lady Saidhelait dh'Ironaith, and her companion, Miss Ghaighain. The dowager Countess had her companion pour out for us all. The three girls were on their best behaviour, and I hoped that they paid attention because Miss Ghaighain knows her way around a tea tray.
When the stewardess came to remove the tea tray, the Dowager Countess asked her when the entertainment director would be speaking to the passengers. The stewardess replied that there wasn't one. The Dowager said something about, "But on the Mhaihild,"and demanded to speak to someone in authority now. The stewardess retreated and the Chief Purser joined us shortly afterwards.
The Chief Purser confirmed that there was no entertainment director on the Pearlish Queen, and when the Dowager Countess asked about organised entertainments for the passengers, he replied that that was not a service the Pearlish Line offered to its passengers. He went on to say that the ship had spacious areas with good light where passengers could undertake activities such as sketching, embroidery, and reading. Card packs and counters were available for card games, if desired, and there were a number of traditional board game sets in the lounge, the library, and the balcony parlor. The books in the first class library were, he pointed out, available for all first class passengers.
The Dowager complained about the lack of a piano for musical entertainments, and the Chief Purser replied, dead pan, that the Line did not consider keeping a professional tuner on board to render a keyboard instrument playable every day to be a worthwhile use of their resources. The Dowager then humphed that this wasn't what she was used to and dismissed the Chief Purser.
I am in no position to think of correcting a noble lady's behaviour, but I think that the Dowager was unwise because it is obvious that the fares on the Empress Mhaihild are higher than on the Pearlish Queen for reasons, but also the Chief Purser has a lot of influence on how comfortable your journey can be, and this is just day one....
At dinner I was surrounded by Lieutenants. There were twenty-one gentlemen dining tonight and eight ladies - no-one could produce a balanced seating plan in those circumstances. The children had eaten earlier and were now in their cabins, sleeping or preparing for sleep under the supervision of stewardesses. I had Lieutenant Lord Maith dh'Aidharaign on my left and Lieutenant Jhaidhail dh'Jhaidhail on my right. Lieutanant Lord Maith is disembarking in Sumetteyeri in four days' time, while Lieutenant dh'Jhaidhail is going on to Tettamri the day after. They are very nice young men, but I am almost five years older than them! It must be said though that their commission and their uniforms are very new.
Mrs dh'Lais had been seated next to the Chief Engineer at the head of our table, so we walked to the balcony parlor together. When the fortified wine was served, the military wives (Mrs dh'Lais, Mrs dh'Zhangain, Mrs Mhainghair, and Lady Rainail dh'Saidaign) were kind enough to include me in their conversation - although I think they wanted to know about muy brief military acquaintances to find out what they could of what any mutual acquaintances were up to.
After the gentlemen came in, I volunteered to pour tea as did Mrs dh'Lais. The foreign gentleman, dressed in a closed coat with an upstanding collar all made of a patterned silk suiting, was introduced as Lord Retneseri. The older gentleman is Colonel Dhaiharai (retired).
The dowager Countess decided that she was going to play maistoto, and marshalled Miss Ghaighain, Colonel Dhaiharai, and the unaccompanied Half Colonel (whose name I do not yet have fixed in my mind) into it with a firm and steely determination. Most of the Lieutenants and the young civilian gentleman, Mr Naigheargain, finished their tea and disappeared to "inspect the billiards room." I was pulled into a session of a card matching game popular in the Kerajaa, according to Lord Retneserri who organised it. [It is very like Snap but there are five suites and when the round is finished you get extra points for having unmatched cards in your stack that match your pairs....] Most of the married people were in a small group, talking to each other, and Lady Saidhelait and Major Vhenghahair played a game of shabh-hab on a set that was stored in the same cabinet as the card sets.
It was, I think, a congenial evening.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan