![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rix_scaedu(For those of you who may be interested, the Imperial ladies are drinking the equivalent of port while the Confederation ladies are drinking a whiskey.)
This piece runs to 1,667 words and I hope that you enjoy it.
Thuwnday, 14 Naisen, 1893 C.E.
Asnan, 1 Sajibu, 2157 T.M.L.
Dear Journal,
When I looked outside this morning I saw snow on the mountain peaks reflecting the sunlight. Very pretty but I am so glad that I am not outside. I am making sure to take a wrap with me to breakfast so I can still have my morning walk.
Everyone who is getting off the ship in Ghoatroil was already at breakfast before I arrived. I sat with Lord Elnaith, their ladyships. Lord Bhelegus, and Mr Bhlain. Lady Hailaina and Lady Ismhailaid were both excited and nervous, because (they told me) this is their first trip without the guidance of their parents or their older brother. However, they have lots of good advice from the other ladies and Lord Bhelegus is a friend of their brother, the Duke, and has promised to escort them to the inn of their choice. His connection leaves Ghoatroil this evening, so he expects to have plenty of time to help them ensure that they have suitable accommodations. Lady Hailaina asked me how I occupied myself on my days in strange cities and I explained my attendance at lectures, concerts, plays, and city tours, and how I found out about these things. I also mentioned what I had paid - pointing out that both my tours, for instance, had included substantial and delicious lunches. The gentlemen all seemed partially shocked, surprised, and appalled that I had done these things on my own. Their ladyships seemed intrigued. Lord Bhelegus may have decided that I am a bad influence. I finished by pointing out that if cathedrals and other prominent buildings aren't of great interest to them, then they could engage a tour guide specifically to direct them to the best stores to purchase local goods, handiwork supplies, or imported goods not readily available at home. The gentlemen seemed to think, somehow, that a shopping trip was more acceptable, and Lady Ismhailaid produced a notebook and pencil from her reticule and started making a list. [I may have started something.]
I said farewell to everyone who was leaving the ship today who was still present when I finished breakfast and went for a walk twice around the promenade deck. After that I repaired to my cabin and my language studies. Today was a revision chapter involving past tenses, dates [including archaic and regional week and month names], and the treat of three more classical glyphs.
I made sure to make my way to the first class lounge in order to say goodbye to Lord Elnaith. If he is serious about joining me at my destination.... Aside from that I owe him at least this courtesy for the information he has given me about my trust fund. [I suspect that I will have more questions as soon as he leaves the ship.] Dear Journal - he kissed my hand in farewell.(!!) I will endeavour not to read too much into this but - he kissed my hand!! (Past self - why do you never realise at the time how dubious your use of tenses is?)
Our incoming passengers were half Imperial, and half from the Confederation, and I think most of them were merchants. Almost all of them wore Imperial clothing, but some of the Confederation natives wore garments that at first glance were types of tunics. (I did not look too hard because I didn't want to offend anyone by staring.) I also noticed that almost all the Confederation natives (Cuoahtimollons seems more felicitous but I think the correct word is Cuoahtimollonians and that doesn't seem felicitous at all) have an orange undertone to their skin tone. Also very definite noses and black hair.
As I said, I believe that most of our new passengers are merchants but several of them are colleagues of Doctor dh'Savghaim and the six of them (including Mrs dh'Savghaim and Mr Ghoydhaign) sat together at lunch. Mr Nairabhaign also had friends or acquaintances among the new passengers and he was more animated through the meal than I have seen him before. I found myself seated between Prince Osbalzir and Baron Fulcvin at lunch, and opposite three gentlemen from Ghoatroil who are travelling to Tapajos for their annual rubber auction. Prince Osbalzir questioned their route, Tapajos is almost on the west coast and not far from the Imperial border, but apparently it is easier to enter the Confederation in Htlocoahtco (our next port) and then travel west.
After lunch I went for a walk twice around the promenade deck. There were more passengers about than I am used to seeing, most of them male Cuoahtimollons, and they seemed to be standing in clusters and talking, rather than walking. I am not complaining, and have no reason to, but it may be a small difference in expected behaviour that I will need to get used to in the coming days.
I took my embroidery to the balcony parlor after my walk and settled in the chair with the best working light before anyone else arrived. I did not see many ladies among the new passengers at lunch and only three of them came to the balcony parlor during the afternoon. There were two women some years older than me who wore Imperial-style clothing and were doing some sort of handiwork on fabric that involved a hook and, I think, feathers. The older woman wore an ankle-length tunic-style garment and used a drop spindle while she talked to the other two. The fleece she was spinning was a rose-grey colour and I would have liked to talk to her about it, but she was sitting on the other side of the room with her back to me. Mrs dh'Savghaim didn't join us until the tea tray had arrived and I was able to complete one and a half napkins in the afternoon.
I poured out for Mrs dh'Savghaim and then used my very rudimentary Coac-htl to ask the other ladies if they would like tea and cakes. (Unfortunately my vocabulary doesn't include tea or cake, but I did use the plural, speaking to slightly social superiors honorific.) I think they were prepared to be annoyed but weren't when they realised what I was trying to ask. They had water and little cakes. Many, many little cakes.
At dinner I was seated at the First Officer's table between Mr R'Huitaifhaig, who joined us in Ghoatroil, and Mr Tototl, who of course did likewise. Mr R'Huitaifhaig is travelling as an agent for his uncle to carry out an inspection of some properties that the family has retained in the Confederation despite the secession. Mr R'Huitaifhaig explained that the property transfers had been allowed to stand because they had been part of a marriage settlement. With a little encouragement he was happy to expand on the property management issues that were unique to a volcano-exposed property. Mr Tototl explained that he is a Confederation commercial attaché stationed at the consulate in Ghoatroil, and he is travelling home on leave. I asked him what was the thing, that he was allowed to talk about, that he most enjoyed about his work. Apparently that's deciphering obscure trade regulations, and that led to the story of the salted, rancid, and unexpectedly fermented yak butter that had already passed through six jurisdictions before someone applied to import it into the Confederation. He swore that the unfortunate warehouse holding this doomed consignment had required stripping out and relining to remove the smell....
The ladies removed to the balcony parlor after dinner and while Mrs dh'Savghaim and I were served fortified wine, the other ladies were served a clear liquid in the glasses used for fortified wine. Mrs dh'Savghaim explained that it is a drink originating in the Confederation made from fermenting a maize mash. There are a number of these, but this one, called kasoolht, is considered suitable, in small quantities, for ladies. There three ladies we met this afternoon were present, as was another woman, about my mother's age, in Imperial dress. The oldest lady, who had one of the younger women translate for her, introduced herself as FirstbornSixPin (obviously the literal translation of her name). The translator introduced herself as ThreeFlowerOnlyDaughter, and the third of their group as ElevenNightSurvivor. The fourth lady told me that she wished to be known as Miss Flame. FirstbornSixPin steered the conversation, that is she wanted to know all about Mrs dh'Savghaim. It seems that she approves of Mrs dh'Savghaim travelling to support her husband and of me going to support an aged relative in her grief. Miss Flame pointed out, very sensibly I thought, that my great-aunt's grief would hardly be new by the time I arrived in Tlemutsiko. I agreed, and said that the request had been hers, the decision for me to go hadn't been mine, and that I had decided to enjoy the experiences on the way. ElevenNightSurvivor asked what I thought my next enjoyable experience might be and everyone laughed when I said I thought it might be tasting kasoolht.
Mrs dh'Savghaim and I poured when the tea tray came in and the gentlemen rejoined us. Most of the passengers from the Confederation took water instead of tea, but they all had cake and biscuits. After we had finished our tea, Mr R'Huitaifhaig and Prince Osbalzir along with ThreeFlowerOnlyDaughter endeavoured to teach me the most common game played with the deck of round cards. (Five suites, thirteen numbered cards per suite.) Trying to learn the cards and the game at the same time was an interesting experience - I'm sure there is a reason that Snap is the first card game we learn in the nursery! Shuffling a deck of round cards is - different. By the time I excused myself for the evening I think that I had the basics of the game down (FiveCount) but I am not sure that I could recognise each suite of cards.
Sometime tonight we cross the border.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan