The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 55

[rix_scaedu]

So, here we are on Day 55 of Anadrasata's travels. Matters develop, some in a good way and some, it seems in a concerning way.

Next point of view character I write needs to use "apparently" less.  To be fair, Anadrasata uses it as an indicator that she does not know the information directly, so it represents various versions of "reportedly", "allegedly", and "I was told."  It is also worth noting that she is not writing for public consumption.

This piece runs to 2,881 words and I hope that you enjoy it.

Index page.

Brogaiday, 5 Deichen, 1893 C.E.
Asnan, 23 Sajibu, 2157 T.M.L.
3 Ueuekayomatilistli, 10 Coatl, 6.11.2.1.8.3.11

Dear Journal,

It wasn't raining when I woke and looked out the window, but rain clouds were still scudding across the sky and dropping rain on other parts of the city. Nais brought me my warm water and suggested that, given the colour of Great-aunt's blanket cloak, my purple-black walking dress might be the best choice to wear to the temple this afternoon. Great-aunt's maid is seeing to the freshening up of the garment, which is made of a fine p-akeri wool and purple in colour. That matter decided, unless the two shades of purple are just wrong together, I dressed for the morning and went down to breakfast.

When I went down to breakfast, Miztli and a colleague were entering the foyer from the direction of the ground floor gentleman's retiring room. I was formally introduced to Tekatl Umetlalliyaotl Huaman Taytaueyoselotl, to whom Miztli has offered the house's hospitality because they have both been up all night. (I thought they both looked ready to fall down) and he is visiting unexpectedly from another city. I am sure the staff were busy preparing a guest room as we spoke. Miztli's limp was showing again.

Cosina Ghrus and Axolin were already at the table when we entered the breakfast room, and Miztli made the appropriate introductions and explained that he had invited his colleague to stay. Apparently they will be up for lunch because they have a meeting to attend shortly afterwards. I cannot see how this is enough sleep for either of them. There was some conversation in Coac-htl that I couldn't follow, Tekatl Umetlalliyaotl speaks quietly and has an accent that I am not familiar with, but I let the two tired men choose how much and about what they wanted to talk and passed the condiments when asked to.

When I arrived in the office parlor this morning I was offered congratulations on my engagement by everyone present. Apparently Cousin Ghrus shared the news with them yesterday afternoon. It was Mr Dhairaign who asked me who Lord Elnaith's father is - I know the answer to this, so I was happy to tell him, Rhelghus bh'Sedloit, third Marquess of Aiphaingate. Apparently Mr Dhairaign had a brief acquaintance with the second Marquess before he came to what is now the Confederation - something to do with a moral injury done to a young woman of Mr Dhairaign's acquaintance by one of the then Marquess' clerks. (Somehow, despite an absence of sufficient evidence for legal action and the Marquess declaring that his hands were tied, the clerk had found himself working in a remote location in the closest thing to paid incarceration and the young lady had found herself in possession of a competence and introductions into circles where proven childbearing capacity was more valued than virginal purity.) Mr Dhairaign had found himself more in charity with the late Marquess than he had expected.

There were a lot of passages in Ghaistonyc this morning - one of them was a journal page in length. More Frasis numbers as well. No poetry, but a famous quote - one of those where half of it is often used as an aphorism but in full. Mr Dhairaign commented that he hoped this wasn't going to be one of those documents that's partially written in code but has the limitations of the code marked out by "incidental" marks on the page. I asked if Great-uncle would have indulged in that level of complexity in his personal journal, and Mr Dhairaign pointed out that he might have been practising where it wasn't important. [I am glad that he is here and this isn't going to be my problem. I am also glad that I will be gone before they get to the volumes that relate to what is now the Confederation.]

At lunch I sat between Mr Dhairaign and Mr Chicmacyeimetetlitecototl. Mr Dhairaign and I first spoke of our home province - he is from Satdrol and studied at Ospragus College there. Mr Chicmacyeimetetlitecototl and I spoke about a small local scandal being reported on in the local newspaper - I still lack the nuanced vocabulary and social knowledge to appreciate the details without explanation. When we switched conversational partners again, I asked Mr Dhairaign if he knew of my father's great-uncle after whom I was named. He had heard of Great-great-uncle Anadras, when he was young and before he came to the Confederation. He recalled that my father's great-uncle was said to be in high Imperial favour and was involved in high level committees and consultations to do with his speciality - he was a geologist. Mr Dhairaign mainly knew of him because of a matter concerning a proposed aqueduct in which Andras Nearbhigan had been a voice of reason. He then added that it was a pity about his two sons - of whom I'd never heard of before. All he knew was that my father's second cousins once removed had died at the same time, in their mid-twenties, while averting a disaster (involving a dam, he thought) that was already in progress. He told me that he rather had the impression that they were the children of a late marriage, but could not recall their given names. I thanked him for this piece of history, and we moved on to what we had heard in Umbrial of the occasion of the previous provincial governor's daughter's wedding.

After lunch, I changed into the purple-black walking dress and Great-aunt's blanket cloak. The two purples didn't match, but they did tone in a pleasing fashion. The overall effect was, I think, of a pleasing dignity. The tablecloth was carefully folded up and placed in a basket for transport. Lord Elnaith arrived at the appointed time, also carrying a basket. Apparently he had consulted with cultural advisers at the consulate (I wondered if this meant a senior footman or housemaid of local origin) and apparently it is appropriate for someone marrying into a family with a different deitical patron to make small gifts to the appropriate temples. He further revealed that he had visited the temple of the Lady of Filth this morning. Cousin Poktlilui agreed that this was so, but added that that this was a custom that was falling out of usage these days. She added that if we had hopes of the Nearabhigans (or bh'Nearabhigans, pointed out Lord Elnaith) being a prominent family in Imperial/Confederations relations in any way, then having begun by adhering to the formal customs was going to count in our descendants' favour. Axolin arrived then, announced that the carriage was ready, and we set out.

Lord Elnaith expressed surprise that the temple of the Night Sorcerer is not visible from the street. He was even more surprised when we went down after going through the door, and then he looked very carefully at the carvings. After visibly wincing at several, he stopped in front of one and remarked that although it looked like torture, he rather thought the central figure was having a dislocated shoulder put back in place. That was when Youalitlahtolwalilstil made himself known and commended Lord Elnaith on his eye. I explained that I had brought my gift, and that Lord Elnaith had come with me because we have just become betrothed. Axolin added that he was with us to make sure that we didn't wind up in the wrong place. There was a small ritual where the cloth was offered up on the altar to the god's service and a second, different ritual for Lord Elnaith's gift. Youalitlahtolwalilstil allowed that both gifts would be of great use to the temple and then we were somehow in a side chamber and Youalitlahtolwalilstil spread out the cloth to examine/admire it. (Which I appreciate because it is good to know that your gift has actually been looked at. There followed rapid fire exchange between the priest and Axolin in which I understood my cousin to offer an assurance that the embroidery was all my own work. I interjected hesitantly (for language and etiquette reasons) that because I am a guest with few duties in my cousins' household I have had the time to do the work. When Lord Elnaith was caught up on the conversation he made a remark about parish spinsters and widows indulging in competitive embroidery to secure the interest of unattached curates and incumbents, adding that he was sure that my talents had been deployed so that my mother did not seem behind in her attention to those worthies. This was so accurate that I resolved to ask him later how much research he had done into my family before joining me on my journey to Amnestri.

We made our farewells and Youalitlahtolwalilstil both assured me that I did not need to visit the temple before leaving the Confederation and lamented that I was not going to be a permanent fixture among the temple's patrons. Lord Elnaith commented that the temple's practical approach to charity appealed to us both and gestured vaguely while mentioning free clinics and charitable hospitals.

After we left the temple, Axolin directed the coachman to drive us to a local beauty spot just outside the south gate of the city. Apparently it was initially a place for travellers too late to enter the city in the evening to wait overnight to enter the city when the gates opened in the morning. Now the artificial platform outside the gate is a carefully tended meadow sporting wildflowers from all over this quarter of the Confederation and surrounded by clusters of trees, while the rocks forming the base of the platform support a reef environment of marine plants and creatures - all easily visible from the shore. Axolin told us that clambering on the submerged rocks is discouraged to avoid anything being dislodged.

We returned to my cousins' house after that and found my Great-aunt's Imperial conversation class still in progress. Discussing our activities of the afternoon gave everyone perfectly acceptable topics of conversation, as did our engagement. Possibly there were attendees who had hoped for more accent exposure but Great-aunt did have a side conversation going on about what it is appropriate to say to the couple when their engagement is announced.

After Lord Elnaith took his leave I went upstairs to change my footwear, Nais having taken my hat and reticule up earlier, and considered how I am going to occupy myself in the time I was previously using for embroidery. Some of the time I will be using on embroidering my dinner service, but I can do other things (and probably should.) I think there could be more novel reading but I decided to consult with Great-aunt and Cousin Poktlilui to find out if there are other things I should be doing if I wish to be a good guest. I asked Cousin Poktlilui about this when I came back downstairs and she assured me that as they had invited me, I was spending half my days working unrecompensed in the parlor office, and (in her words) I am a neat and tidy guest who tries not to impose on the household, there is no need for me to take on household duties - indeed, I have already reduced their concerns over Great-uncle's papers, and Mr Chicmacyeimetetlitecototl has, at my suggestion, been consulting Great-aunt on points where a knowledge of Great-uncle would be useful with the result that she feels included in the transcription/translation process without being foiled by her failing eyesight. Cousin Poktlilui added that she thought that it was helpful that this was something only she could do. Cousin Poktlilui also said that she reserved the right to call upon my service and capabilities in case of household, or wider, disaster. I agreed that this was a sensible position. She pointed out that tomorrow is a day of rest and not Naiphday, so it would be perfectly acceptable for me to gently potter around with no particular aim in sight and leave decisions about a new routine aside until the day after. She also observed that there is no need for my hands to be busy all the time.

I spent the rest of the afternoon until I went up to dress for dinner attempting to read a ladies' periodical in Coac-htl. Trying is the right term for the exercise. What does it say about me that I find the gossip column part of this journal the easiest part to understand?

When I came down for dinner it was to discover that telegraphs had arrived for Cousin Ghrus and myself from Tallaig. Mine read:

MR BH DHOINH REPRESENTING LORD ELNAITH CALLED ON ME THIS MORNING STOP SATISFIED OF ALL CREDENTIALS STOP HAVE GIVEN MY CONSENT STOP PASSED ON THE DIRECTION OF YOUR TRUSTEES AND WROTE HIM AN INTRODUCTION TO THEM STOP WHERE DO YOU WANT THE CEREMONY QUESTION SUGGEST LOCAL PARISH HERE STOP WAS WARNED OF POTENTIAL REQUIRED GUEST LIST STOP HAVE NOT SAID ANYTHING TO MOTHER OR SISTERS YET STOP CONGRATULATIONS STOP

My reaction on reading this was one of absurd pleasure, and I believe I hugged the missive to my bosom before consenting to share its contents with the rest of the family.

Miztli was absent from dinner again tonight. According to Yeixi, who was on my immediate left at the table, he went out shortly after lunch and said that he wasn't sure when he would be back. Nahuatlau was on my other side. My engagement was, I think, a safe topic of conversation - I may have been mistaken but I think there was some general unease at the table to do with Miztli's absence but I am unsure of its precise cause. (I can think of several possible reasons but I lack not only the language skills to understand the nuances of everyone's comments but also the contextual background that may be relevant. So I tried to be a considerate guest and I hoped that I succeeded.)

When we withdrew to the parlor for our kasoolht, Cousin Poktliliui said something about the whole thing being nerve wracking and I replied that service to the state and people is not always without personal risk, but where would we be if no-one took those risks. Apparently that was the right thing to say, because Cousin Poktliliui gave a short laugh and agreed with me. Then she said something about it being an honour to be the mother of heroes, and Great-aunt agreed with her but said that didn't make it any less nerve wracking.

Clearly there are Things I Do Not Know about what Miztli is doing right now.

The gentlemen joined us after we'd stopped being contemplative and started trying to find another topic of conversation. Cousin Ghrus solved that problem by endorsing Axolin's suggestion that he or his brother accompany me home, and asking exactly what arrangements Tallaig has made for my journey home. Having taken steps to make sure I know exactly what was happening with my travel arrangements, I was able to explain that I had an open date, first class booking with Pearlish Lines from Tlemutsiko to Glastriel, and then I would be getting the all stops airship from Glastriel to Umbrial. This would involve three changes of airship and at least three nights' accommodation in inns between ships. I expected to stay at the Eagle's Arms in Glastriel, but have no idea where else I will be staying - although I do have some recommendations for Kordyliss.

I believe that my older relatives were pleased with my grasp of my travel arrangements, Tehaneume may have been demonstrating amused approval, but I believe several of my younger male relatives were a little surprised that I was not looking for male guidance on my journey. Honestly, what I would find useful is the additional layer of respectability that travelling with a male relative would give me. Axolin was the one who pointed out that if, as he suspected, Lord Elnaith would depart Tlemutsiko on the same ship, then whichever cousin accompanied me would be fulfilling the role of a chaperon - otherwise, in his understanding, for a scandal free trip, the two of us would need to be married as soon as we entered the Empire, and he suspected (rightly) that this is not what we intend.

We finished the evening in a discussion of the practicalities of booking a journey for three first class passengers plus servants, agreeing that the matter needs to be discussed with Lord Elnaith, and a few questions from Cousin Ghrus on my opinion of Mr Dhairaign. (This may have been a very important question from his point of view.) I observed, truthfully, that Mr Dhairaign had made a good impression, both personally and professionally, but that I did not know him well yet.

Shortly after that, Great-aunt and I excused ourselves and came upstairs to our rooms. Tomorrow is a day of rest, but I expect that Lord Elnaith will call, given the telegraph I received earlier. I will have to be ready to think about the wedding, the journey home, and, possibly, settlements tomorrow. Also, where will we live?

Anadrasata Nearabhigan

Comments

[chanter1944]

One wonders if Anadrasata might keep in contact with the Night Sorcerer's temple, maintaining friendly relations even though she is not a devoted worshiper, once she's back in the Empire?

Aha, more information Anadrasata has not been told, re her namesake's sons. Here was me thinking he'd never married, wondering if he might have been a gay man unwilling to bow to familial pressures and wed. Oops on me! Mrs Nearabhaign has yet more explaining to her children to do, I suspect...

All this installment's talk of embroidery and toning colors put the idea in my head of a smart blouse with black-on-black floral and leafy embroidery. If I'm able to track one down or have one made (probably the latter), I'll let you know!

[kelkyag]

Will it turn out to be coincidence or not that Mr. Dhairaign knew of both Great-great-uncle Anadras and Lord Elnaith's father's predecessor? (Lord Elnaith's grandfather?) Does finding someone interested in Ghaistonyc at all generally indicate some connection to Satdrol? Is that the only province where Gaistonyc was spoken, or did that extend into other nearby areas, or ...?

What does "in possession of a competence" mean? Is this a recommendation? Training in some useful, in-demand skills? Something else entirely?

"introductions into circles where proven childbearing capacity was more valued than virginal purity"
Given how upper class women seem expected to behave, I'm a little surprised that cultures that value the former more still exist in the Empire.

"[I am glad that he is here and this isn't going to be my problem. I am also glad that I will be gone before they get to the volumes that relate to what is now the Confederation.]"
Good luck with that!

"She added that if we had hopes of the Nearabhigans (or bh'Nearabhigans, pointed out Lord Elnaith) being a prominent family in Imperial/Confederations relations in any way"
They are going to be up to their ears in international politics, whether they like it or not. Some of that already seems to be part of Lord Elnaith's job, and So Many Things have come up in the last few entries.

"he rather thought the central figure was having a dislocated shoulder put back in place."
Ah! I'd been wondering after the priest's quizzing of Anadrasata whether the Night Sorcerer's was more or less medical care. That at least expands it beyond just medicines.

"lamented that I was not going to be a permanent fixture among the temple's patrons"
Stranger things have happened. Especially if medical knowledge & technology is skew between the Confederation and the Empire.

"TO MOYHER OR SISTERS YET STOP CONGRATUALTIONS STOP"
MOYHER looks like a typo. Is Congratualations a spelling difference from US English?

"This would involve three changes of airship"
Ooof. I fear the trip home is going to be even more exciting than the trip out was. (More plot attacks!)