The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 29
Here we are on Day 29 of Anadrasata's travels. She boards the airship that will take her to her destination, and unexpectedly gets news of previous travelling companions.
Many typos were eliminated in getting this piece ready to post. Please let me know if you find any more.
This piece runs to 3,691 words. I hope that you enjoy it.
Index Page.
Daighsday, 10 Naisen, 1893 C.E.
Rebi, 24 Lamtaa, 2157 T.M.L.
Dear Journal,
I woke earlier than I expected and before I had arranged to be woken - possibly because I was concerned about oversleeping. I rang for warm water when I woke, asked for breakfast in my parlor at the usual time, and spent the extra time writing letter to my family so I could send them off to be posted when I went down for breakfast. One thing I did learn from the chambermaid who brought me my water is that there is some excitement in the town this morning because an Imperial airship of the line came unannounced into the naval base last night - running dark across the Circle Sea, gossip she credited to the fishing fleet says, until it got within ten Imperial leagues of the naval base. According to the chambermaid this is unusual - ships don't usually run dark like that and various merchants are hopeful that the vessel's (large) crew will get leave in the city while it is here.
Breakfast this morning was a savoury pancake with toasted goat cheese, three types of smoked fish, and honeyed porridge. Plus tea. My laundry was delivered while I was eating, so I was able to finish packing when I returned to my room. I also checked my finances when I returned to my room, and I certainly have enough on hand to pay my account here and for my porter, but not much more so I decided to make my way to one of the banks on my list and cash in one of the smaller letters of credit.
I prepared to go out and went down to the entrance foyer to speak to the landlady. She was already dealing with another guest so I waited until they had finished their business and she could turn her attention to me. I explained that I would like to keep the use of my room and parlor until after I had had an early lunch, if that was possible. I added that I would like to settle my bill now, for everything including the services yet to be provided, if that was possible. I gathered that I pleasantly surprised the landlady - perhaps she'd been expecting me to try to avoid paying what I owed? We established what time lunch would be ready for me, and what time the porter would collect my chest from my room, and then I paid my account.
I had written down the address of the bank I intended to use on a slip of paper and so was able to give a clear direction to the driver of the cab I hailed. It's best to say that we had incompatible provincial accents and leave it at that. However, he and his orange and lilac conveyance took me swiftly to the address I gave him. It was in a fashionable street, with milliners and modistes of the sort my mother and sister patronise, and the tailors and bootmakers looked to be of excellent quality. [Yes, I coveted a pair of half boots that was in one window, but they were clearly not in my size, alas.] I realised that nowhere I went yesterday was like this, but I did say that I wanted a city tour, not that I wanted to go shopping. The entrance to the bank was around a corner of the main shopping street, and very grand. The staff were very helpful and after we got over the identification issues (I was holding my identity card in front of him and the first clerk wanted me to produce someone to vouch for me!) I had my money within half an hour, and made sure to get some small denominations so I had enough for vails, etc.
The cab I took back to the inn was lime and pink.
I filled the time until lunch rereading the Imperial Clarion and Akatoil Star. The news continues to be dominated by murderers facing the consequences of their actions, bad weather in the northeast provinces, what the Prime Minister probably wishes was a storm in an office teacup, and a proposed change to the tax regime - someone with lots of money thinks it would be a good idea to reinstitute the soap tax. [It will allow his lordship to complain about the great mass of unwashed, again, if it goes ahead.] The most interesting opinion piece was in the Akatoil Star and discussed the problems that the precious metals issues in the eastern provinces has caused the banking networks Empire-wide.
Lunch was fish - a soup first and then a platter of fish and crustaceans prepared in a variety of ways. There was so much food that I was unable to finish it. I took my opportunity to pay my vails to the servers when they cleared the table, and then I went upstairs to my room to tidy myself and make sure nothing was left behind. The chambermaid was up on my floor when I was there, and I was able to pass my vails to her as well. The porter collected my chest and I followed him down the stairs. I waited in the foyer to confirm with the landlady that I owed nothing further because she was busy with a party of guests. What I did not expect was for the aristocratic sounding older woman to turn, point at me, and ask loudly why they had had to endure the common room while she (me apparently) had a private parlor. The landlady replied tartly, "That, my lady, was because she is a lady who plans in advance and pays her account on time and in full." The she added to me, "Your account is paid in full, Miss. Please don't delay your departure on our account." I curtsied to the landlady and then the porter and I escaped.
I boarded the Pearlish Dawn and was organising my cabin half an hour before the ship was due to depart. Once again I was fortunate to have a cabin that was along the outer side of the accommodation corridor although this time I would have a view of the mountains from my window.
Three quarters of an hour after we lifted the first class passengers were required to meet for the safety briefing in the first class lounge. The first thing I noticed was that the party who had been in the inn's foyer when I left were also present. There was also an Army General, a Colonel, and four Captains. I was finding myself a seat on one of the settees when a married couple entered arm in arm and the gentleman said loudly in shocked tones, "Mother! What are all of you doing here?"
"I thought we should join you to keep you company on your trip," replied the older woman, pointedly curtsying.
"You do remember that we're on our honeymoon, don't you?" retorted the man.
"What has that to do with anything?" The she patted the single vacant seat between her and the oldest younger gentleman of her party. "Now come and sit down."
Dear Journal, he did not. While my attention was following the married couple as they took their seats on a settee away from his family, I did not pay attention to several further arrivals. Then a familiar voice said from my other side, "Excuse me, Miss Nearabhigan, but is this seat taken?" I turned, and it was indeed Lord Elnaith bh'Sedloit.
The safety brief was no different to the ones I had attended on the Pearlish Star and the Pearlish Queen, although with less emphasis on storms than we had had in the Pearlish Queen. The youngest lady of the group ambushing the newly married couple spent most of the talk trying to flirt across the gap between her and one of the Captains, but he followed his General's example and paid attention to what the First Officer was saying.
When the talk was over, Lord Elnaith offered me his arm and asked if he might make me known to several of his acquaintances among the other passengers. I agreed, how could I not(?), and he led me over to the General, who greeted him and exchanged bows and then Lord Elnaith asked if he might make me known to the General, the General agreed, and so I was introduced to General Ilhian bh'Uhtairgn. And consequently to Colonel Alphai Nhairuhaign, and Captains dh'Mhairnstair, dh'Ghairear, H'Salket, and Nhuais. They were all very kind.
Then the newlyweds came over, and the gentleman greeted both the General and the Colonel, and introduced his wife, Ananbuledata, Duchess of D'Mhuisghid to them. The Duke and Duchess then permitted Lord Elnaith, the Captains, and myself to be made known to them. [Given that I am not always acknowledged by the mayor's wife and her particular friends if they meet me out and about without Mother, these did indeed feel like heady social heights.] The Duke's mother then bustled over to take him by the arm his wife wasn't holding with the apparent intention of leading him off somewhere. She allowed him to introduce those of the gentlemen she didn't know to her, but when he indicated me, she said, "Not now, dear. I need you to come with me and-." That was where he cut her off, and pointed out that she was not part of his travelling party and if she had an issue with her accommodations, or anything else on the ship then it was up to her and her party to approach the Chief Purser. Then he detached her hand from his arm, turned his shoulder to her, and continued his discussion with the other gentlemen. The Duchess, who is about my age, and I just looked at each other, apparently together in feeling that it had been an awkward exchange.
I excused myself shortly after that to fetch my embroidery from my cabin and take up a well-lit spot in the balcony parlor to continue work on my test napkin. I am up to the first of the swags, and I think it is all working well. I was joined by Miss dh'Dhainer and Miss Saighven, two middle-aged ladies travelling together who were also working on their embroidery. I told them that I have been despatched to assist my mother's newly widowed aunt, and they told me that they are going on a tour of beauty spots in the southern reaches of the western provinces. The butterfly fields of D'hloc, the waterfall at S'hrengail, and the Bahudain Caves were mentioned. I confessed that I hadn't heard of any of these places - except, hadn't there been some sort of lost expedition in the Caves years ago?
That led to a discussion over our embroidery of that very old news story because the search for the lost cavers had led to the discovery of the spectacular caverns that people now go to see. Miss Saighven assured me that they won't have to crawl through tiny spaces to get into the caves but the new access includes iron doors that are closed tight when people aren't passing through them so too much outside air doesn't get in and spoil the colours that everyone goes to see.
We were still talking about the caves when the tea tray came in, closely followed by the Duchess, the Dowager Duchess and her daughters, and Lord Elnaith. The Duchess already knew Miss Dh'Dhainer and Miss Saighven (I think a school was mentioned), Miss dh'Dhainer and the Dowager Duchess worked out that they are second cousins once removed through their mothers and that they had met before (two decades or more ago), and I introduced the two ladies to Lord Elnaith. The two ladies (Miss dh'Dhainer and Miss Saighven) poured. The Duchess and Lord Elnith sat with me, while the Dowager Duchess and her daughters ignored my existence. To be completely fair, the Dowager, her daughters, and Miss dh'Dhainer were catching up on twenty or more years of family news and gossip.
Speaking of gossip, after our first cup of tea, Lord Elnaith produced several folded news sheets from an outer pocket and offered them to me, suggesting that I might find them interesting. They were the gossip pages from a local paper from Biphanami dated thirteen and fourteen days ago. Once you deciphered the honorifics followed by initials, the story Lord Elnaith thought would interest me was that Mr (Lord) Aigos dh'Venhair had eloped with Miss Esfhair dh'Uhghitair (the middle sister), and at the same time Mr dh'Venhair's older half-brother, Professor Saith Venhair, had eloped with Miss Bherylhain Lhaidair, only child of well-known actress Miss Ainhghyl Dhaighan, (That explains the matching profiles!) Both couples were believed to be making their way by private airship to the Seither Isle where the Professor would be conducting a botanical survey. The last sheet of newsprint was from the announcements section of the Imperial Clarion dated the 4th of Naisen which included announcements of both marriages (conducted privately in St Bhairystol's, Biphanami) authorized by the Duke of Bhearghaith. The second last piece of newsprint informed us that Miss Dhaighan was receiving consolation on her daughter/secretary's defection from the long-widowed Landgrave of Pardish-Kherzhon.
I was indeed interested in this news, but I did have two questions, both of which I put to Lord Elnaith. Firstly, how did he get from Amnestri on the 4th to Akatoil on the 10th? Secondly, had he been expecting to meet me again? Because why else would he have these articles ready to show me?
His answer to the first was that he has...resources available to him. To the second he asked that I accompany him, with the Duke and Duchess as chaperones, to a meeting with his legal clerk. The clerk and the Duke, he told me, were waiting on us. I agreed and the three of us excused ourselves.
The meeting was in a room off the Chief Purser's Office, and the Duke and the legal clerk, Mr Savhtaigtn, were awaiting us - I believe they were playing cards to pass the time. The Duchess sat next to me, the Duke sat next to her, and Lord Elnaith and Mr Savhtaigtn sat across the table from us. The Duke and Duchess assured me that they would not discuss the subject matter of the meeting with anyone without my express permission. Then Lord Elnaith admitted that he had been aboard the Pearlish Star to investigate me. My great-uncle and aunt stayed in Tlemutsiko after the successful secession of what had been the south-western provinces and their reunification with the Cuoahtilmollon Confederation, and my great-uncle subsequently became prominent in local administration and their equivalent of provincial government. This had led to questions as to when exactly his allegiance had changed and raised concerns that my visit to help my great-aunt might have been a cover for something else. I didn't say anything because I was digesting the thought that someone had thought that I might be a spy. He went on to say that although he became confident that I was unaware of any nefarious intention behind my trip, he became concerned that I clearly believed mutually contradictory statements about my circumstances, so he had had inquiries instituted.. In summary, I am an official offshoot and my trust was set up by my father's great-uncle, after whom I was named. The trust was greatly increased by an additional inheritance on my great-great-uncle's death. The trust currently pays an allowance for me to my guardian (Tallaig) although the annual interest from the trust fund is substantially greater. Truly, substantially greater. The Duke commented that he could, if I wished, introduce me to his brothers but he would not currently recommend his mother as anyone's mother-in-law. There is also some property - a country estate, a town house in Umbrial, a smaller town house in the capital(!), and three (possibly four) commercial properties. And investments that they haven't had time to track down completely. Lord Elnaith and Mr Savhtaign recommended that I retain a legal adviser and arrange a meeting with my trustees when I return home. Mr Savhtaign also noted that my brother-in-law, Castor, has also been investigating the holdings in trust for me, while my brother, Tallaig, has been assisting the Imperial authorities investigate a fraud committed on my family and others by persons in the office of his man of business.
Aside from the news about my trust, things seem to have been happening at home.
It was time to go and dress for dinner, but I asked Lord Elnaith who, exactly, is he? His answer was, "Lord Elnaith bh'Sedloit, Esquire, Gentleman of the Emperor's Bedchamber at Large, at your service, Miss Nearabhigan. And I mean that, by the way. Your great-great uncle was a particular crony of His Imperial Majesty's grandfather and for various reasons His Imperial Majesty feels you are owed a little avuncular oversight." He then suggested I take some time to let what he had told me sink in, and we could talk about it again as many times as I wanted in the coming days.
I went and dressed for dinner. There was a lot for me to take in. At dinner I was seated between Lord Khokhlaib dh’Uhrhsai (the older of the Duke's two younger brothers), and Prince Osbalzir of Ostravic. We were at the First Officer's table and, privately, I wondered why the Prince wasn't seated at the Captain's table opposite the Duke because surely a foreign prince is the equal of a Duke?
Anyway, I spoke first with Lord Khokhaib because Prince Osbalzir was engaged with Miss Saighven on his other side during the first course. Lord Khokhaib began by apologising for his mother's behaviour, and I replied that it wasn't necessary and his mother, like any other lady, is entitled to choose who is made known to her - after all the Dowager Duchess cannot wish to be on terms with every badly dressed, provincial nobody who crosses her path. Lord Khokhaib protested that I was too hard on myself, and I replied that I was not, but that I hoped to improve the badly dressed part. I then noted that his mother, sisters, and sister-in-law were even now expanding my education on what a well put together lady's outfit looked like. Our conversation then moved onto current ladies' fashion in the western provinces, the capital, and Umbrial.
At the serving of the second course, we changed conversational partners and Prince Osbalzir began by noting my accent and asked where I came from. I told him, and we briefly discussed Umbrial, and then I asked about Ostravic. [It's a landlocked nation in the northern hemisphere and about as far as you can get from the Empire without leaving the planet. We don't hear a lot about it.] Prince Osbalzir admitted that he has never actually been there - his parents are political exiles, and he was born after they fled the country in the wake of his father's failed attempt to seize the throne from his older brother. His Highness handwaved the details of his father's claim to the throne and told me that as a staff member of the Ostrovan Minister to the Imperial Court was aboard, he should be the one to tell me that his father, Prince Osectelmar, was known as the Pretender of Tribuc and was openly trying to fund further efforts to overthrow his brother. I remarked that it seemed an uncomfortable family situation and His Highness agreed, adding that he wasn't certain if his uncle's confirmation of his own title and style, and those of siblings, nieces, and nephews also born after the family's departure from Ostravic, was a peace offering or a pointed comment that he knew where his brother's family was and what they were doing. I made sympathetic noises and then we swapped conversational partners again with the serving of dessert.
We ladies left the gentlemen in the dining room after dessert and assembled in the balcony parlor for our fortified wine. In addition to the ladies I had already met, there was an elderly lady, Mrs Khughaign, who was on a trip to a spa near the southern border in order to take the waters, and Mrs dh'Sailhaivhaign, who is in clear expectation of a blessed event. Both ladies are currently in the habit of afternoon naps. Our conversations were mainly of matters in the newspapers - the advisability of not patronising the Northern Stars Line, the murderous Mrs Khurzain, and the unexpected marriage of Lady Saidhelait dh'Ironaith to Major Vhenghahair. That was the Dowager Duchess' conversation so I didn't participate, but I did hear that Count dh’Ironaith had been hinting to his acquaintance for some time that his mother's physical and mental faculties were in decline (!?!) and that his sister would be marrying a friend of his (a baron whose name escapes me.) [My fantasy about the Major riding to the rescue may not have been farfetched.]
The gentlemen joined us with the tea tray, and the Duke's sisters poured. Lord Elnaith cut out the difficulties of my not being on terms with them and fetched me a cup of tea the way I like it [he remembered!] when he got his own. After we'd finished our tea, he organised a game of maistoto with the two of us, the Duke and Duchess, the Colonel, and Miss Saighven at the table. After two hands, the Colonel asked me, casually, if I might have played tocal with some scholars a few nights ago. I allowed that this might be so, and asked which of the majors who'd been on the Pearlish Queen he knew. He admitted that it was Major dh'Khoin, and then the conversation moved on to male anecdotes of past adventures that would not put ladies to the blush.
After eight hands of maistoto I decided that I was too tired to keep playing and said good night. It was, all in all, a very pleasant evening.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan