The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 18
Back to our main story for this entry. Although our setting has telegraphs and very fast aerial transport, there isn't an available way of sending messages to an airship in flight will keep the passengers up to date with the current news. Yes, heliographs exist but you're not going to send a newspaper's worth of information that way - the point of this being that our passengers have no idea what's going on back in Amnestri.
This piece runs to 1,227 words and I hope that you enjoy it.
Index Page.
Ghairniksday, 28 Ochd, 1893 C.E
Dear Journal,
No storm last night, or if there was it did not wake me.
Breakfast was busy early this morning. We make land in Sumetteyeri this morning and the dh'Zhangains, Major Ghaighain, Captain Rhorsail, Lieutenant Lord Maith dh'Aidharaign, the dh'Bhaiettrees, and Mr Rhaimghairn are leaving us today. I will miss their company. With so many people getting ready to disembark it was a very business-like meal - a thing to be done so that other things that could only be done after it could be attended to. I made sure to make my farewells to the dh'Zhangain ladies before I left the dining room to walk around the promenade deck.
I passed Lady Saidhelait and Major Vhenghahair going in the opposite direction again. This morning he had her hand tucked into the crook of his elbow. [A significant development! My sister, Anna, didn't walk like that with her now husband until they were betrothed. If there is actual news I am sure the two of them will share it when they are ready. It is a very quick, but Major Vhenghahair is indisputably a gentleman - he has a commission that says so, over the Emperor's signature and seal.]
After my walk, I went back to my cabin to continue my studies. More emotions in today's chapter. Yesterday's were, I think, the ones that are more commonly worn, while today's are more the ones that take you over - like 'the sadness one gets in winter from many days without sunshine' which seems oddly specific, but I think I might know what they mean.
Most of our new passengers today are Kerajaan citizens returning home after visits to the Empire on business or for pleasure. There are a married couple (middle-aged), and several sets of, I believe, fathers and sons who are either merchants or of the professional class. There is also a clerical gentleman, the Right Reverend Dean Ahghail dh'Jhaint travelling with a young male relative, Mr Dhail dh'Jhaint.
At lunch our military contingent, including Lady Rhainail and the children, sat together. Given that they are all disembarking tomorrow, there are probably plans and arrangements to be made. The Dowager Countess and her party sat with Colonel Dhaiharai, and the dh'Jhaints joined them, as did Mr Naigheargain, the Doctor, and Mr Rhaimais. The final seat at that table was taken by one of the older Kerajaan gentlemen who was talking with Doctor Ghairn in a language I didn't recognise - they were both very animated, so the subject was probably tapestries. I sayt opposite the married couple, and Lord Retneseri sat next to me, which made things less awkward because although the married couple, Mr Muget and Mrs Efune, speak good Imperial I speak nothing of theirs (Behessa, as in turns out). Lords Retneseri is, of course, fluent in both. We were waiting for dessert to be served when Lord Retneseri commented that Mrs Efune shares her name with his mother's favourite novelist. Mrs Efune blushed, and asked if he meant the Aunty Ssang books. Lord Retneseri said that he did, and Mrs Efune confessed that she was the author while Mr Muget beamed with pride. Lord Retneseri asked if he could impose on her to sign the volume he had in his luggage at some time in the next few days. He added that, of course he read them himself - how else could he be assured that they were suitable gifts for his female relatives. This, apparently, was a joke because Mrs Efune, Mr Muget, and the Kerajaan gentlemen on the other side of Mr Muget and Lord Retneseri all laughed.
After lunch, I took two turns around the promenade deck and then took my embroidery to the balcony parlor. After this afternoon's work on it, I think it will be finished tomorrow. The company in the balcony parlor today felt much reduced. Lady Saidhelait, Miss Ghaighain and myself were alone there for most of the afternoon, then the Dowager Countess and Mrs Efune joined us just before the tea tray arrived. Lady Saidhelait poured. I asked Mrs Efune about her books. She told me that her lead character, Aunty Ssang, is a lady of mature years who lives with her husband, children, and much of her husband's extended family in a family compound in a large (fictional) country town in a central section of the Kerajaa. (I think Tamarleh Province was mentioned.) She investigates thefts and murders in her town - often in households like her own. There are seven books so far and, Mrs Efune found this amusing, in book four Aunty Ssang becomes the mother-in-law of the town's new, young magistrate.
I asked if the books had been translated into Imperial, and Ladt Saidhelait also expressed an interest. [Answer - they have but are for sale in Kerajaan locations with a large Imperial speaking population, she does not have an Imperial publisher.]
That led into the question of what sort of novels Lady Saidhelait and I normally read. Lady Saidhelait's preference is for gothics, while I had to confess that although I enjoyed my father's sets of the Bhendorhyic and Caifair series when I was younger, I haven't read a novel since my father died. I explained that for the first year it was too frivolous a pastime, our governess had concentrated on poetry and plays for that year and the next before Mother dismissed her, and that my mother liked to see me with my hands busy when I had time to sit down. That led to a discussion of Imperial death and funeral customs - Mrs Efune has plans to kill off an unpleasant Imperial merchant who has appeared in several of her stories and is playing with ideas.
At dinner I sat between Lieutenant dh'Jhaidhail and Dr Ghairn. Dr Ghairn's conversation was about the differences in Kerajaan and Imperial tapestries, and how he and Mr Rhaimais are going to get to their destination in Kuntan Dalat. Lieutenant dh'Jhaidhail and I discussed the vegetation to be seen from the promenade deck and compared it to our home locations. (I think he was avoiding military topics.)
When the ladies retired to the balcony parlor there were only the six of us - the Dowager Countess, Lady Saidhelait, Lady Rhainail, Mrs Efune, Miss Ghaighain, and myself. Mrs Efune declined a glass of fortified wine, but expressed surprise at the small size of the glasses. It turns out that the extremes of alcohol consumption one runs into have been generalised in areas of the Kerajaa to include the entire Imperial population.
The gentlemen joined us just before the tea tray arrived and the Dowager Countess poured for us tonight. The young men, lieutenants and all, repaired almost immediately afterwards to the billiards room. I was drafted into the Dowager Countess' maistoto game. Lady Saidhelait and Major Vhenghahair played shabh-hab, the Right Reverend Dean dh'Jhaint tried to preach to Miss Ghaighain until Lord Retneseri pulled her into a group playing the Kerajaan card matching game, and there were another two tables of older Kerajaan gentlemen playing shabh-hab.
I excused myself when the six hands of maistoto were done. I am finishing off my entry now as the airship has begun to ascend and I prefer to be in my bed if we run into turbulence.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan