rix_scaedu | The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 71

It's another Naiphday, and our party formally leaves the Confederation.

I hope I picked up all the silly transcription typos this time.

This part runs to 3,993 words and I hope that you enjoy it.

Naiphday, 21 Deichen, 1893 C.E.
Khemaas, 11 Kaalen, 2157 T.M.L.
6 Mikistli, 26 Coatl, 6.11.2.1.8.4.7

Dear Journal,

We were still above the clouds when I woke this morning. Nais brought me my warm water, helped me into a visiting gown, and then went back to her quarters to gather her own bits and pieces for attending services. When I was ready to make my way to the balcony parlor for the morning prayer service, I found Lord Elnaith waiting in the corridor for me, and we went together.

This morning's attendance was mainly crew members, with Lord Elnaith, Mr dh'Ghairhaing, and myself being the only first class passengers present. (Not a surprise.) Our servants were present, and the company was completed by a handful of second class passengers, and a handful and a half of third class passengers. There were no members of the clergy present, so the service was led by the Captain and the entrical was not sung. The readings were given by a second class passenger, an ill looking young man named Mhaitiahs Bhuraign with a low baritone voice of surprising gravitas for his apparent age. Unusually, in my experience, he favoured us with all four of the prescribed verses for today: Stewards 3, Chapter 8, verses 4 - 6; Serethius, Chapter 12, verse 2; Nailsh, Chapter 4, verse 18; and Argent, Chapter 2, verse 1. The Captain then read from a book of homilies, choosing one based on the day's reading from Argent, "Prepare for both the wedding and the marriage that will follow with forethought and joy." The homily talked about spring preparations for summer, but I did feel that both the reading and the homily spoke to my current circumstances. The collection was taken up while a boy soprano from third class sang the hymn, "Blossoms on the Breeze," and we finished the service with the standard prayers for the Church.

After the usual post-service greetings, Lord Elnaith and I made our way to breakfast.

Axolin was in conversation with Lightning and his manager over their food. Lightning had the crest of feathers woven into his hair again, no doubt it is something that is expected of him for public appearances. His manager, Mr Tisitl, has excellent manners, despite his rough appearance, and a speaking voice that matches his appearance while his conversation matches his manner. He and Lord Elnaith, Axolin, and Lightning had a discussion about contract law - there are negotiations for Lightning to tour the southern portion of the western Imperial provinces and, naturally, they are concerned about the relevant legal assumptions. Lord Elnaith pointed out that each province might have laws that impact on the proposed performances and thus the required contracts, and then recommended that they retain local legal advisers in each province so that the contracts for each province correctly reflect local conditions.

Lady Smokeamongclouds and Tlahco stopped by our table to bid us farewell. (Tlahco may have been trying to make a good impression on Axolin. The bishop's young relatives were much the same. I suppose it is to be expected - he is an unattached gentleman of pleasant personality [I may be biased], excellent address, good looks, and in possession of a beautiful speaking voice while also being an Obsidian Knight.) Chicyeieitlatli also stopped by the table with her husband and we exchanged good wishes for the rest of our journeys. I was surprised to learn that her husband, Lord Elnaith, and Axolin have played several games of billiards together but, on reflection, there is really no reason that the subject would have arisen.

Axolin, Lightning, and Mr Tistli excused themselves from the table when they had finished eating, but Lord Elnaith and I finished our meal at a leisurely pace. After breakfast we took two turns around the deck for the exercise, and to admire the vista of clouds and mountains. After that I returned to my cabin to freshen up and then to read the eleventh chapter of Meditations on the Healing Virtues. This is a sermon for Summer Solstice and is written around various verses from the three Books of Stewards concerning allowing processes, such as the ripening of crops, to take their due time. Essentially it is about the virtue of patience.

We were noticeably descending on the approach to Jicaltpec when a stewardess knocked on my cabin door and told me that continuing passengers were required to assemble in the lounge when the ship landed so that Confederation authorities could conduct the requisite border checks. I checked the time of our expected arrival, and that Nais had been advised separately of this requirement, and pledged that I would be there.

When I had finished reading the sermon, and noted that there were only two more in the book, I decided that I would take myself out onto the promenade deck to watch the rest of our descent before taking myself to the lounge. I am sure that Jicaltpec has shown to greater advantage than it did today - heavy rain being spurred sideways by strong gusts of wind suits few vistas. I'm sure the city provides a pretty picture on sunny days, given the whitewashed walls and the rock (?) tiles on the roofs but what I saw was dark and damp.

It did not take me long to decide that I would rather be in the lounge.

That room was, of course, very crowded with disembarking passengers and the remaining passengers. I was fortunate to find an ottoman tucked out of the way on which to sit.

The bishop and her party were the first to disembark, and that freed up a lot of room in the lounge - I was able to take a seat in an armchair. Lady Smokeamongclouds and Tlahco went next, then I believe the rules of precedence were ignored. I noticed that Lightning's posture changed as he prepared to go down the ramp, almost as if he was putting on a public persona...which on reflection makes a lot of sense. Colonel Thirteen Falcon, Father Tenthdeath, and Mr Xipalliume all deliberately came over to me to say goodbye. The Colonel came close to chucking me under the chin (as if I was still a schoolgirl), Father Tenthdeath gave me a short blessing of a few quick words and hand gestures (which I don't know how to feel about, given Who he serves), and Mr Xipalliume bowed over my hand in the Imperial fashion after also making his farewells to Axolin. Mr Xipalliume was wearing a coat in a local fashion - it's like a short waisted waistcoat worn over a shirt, loosely fastened across the front and, in Mr Xipalliume's case, with little pompoms hanging from the lower edge in a fringe. The cloth it was made from was woven from multiple natural coloured p-akeri wools, giving a multicoloured and textured result. That made the lapel badge, nestled in a similar coloured portion of the fabric, hard to pick out, and when he realised I had seen it, Mr Xipalliume winked at me.

What he was doing on this ship and what he chooses to tell his family are none of my business, but the extended family is better represented in knightly circles than most of them realise.

After the disembarking passengers cleared the gangway, Confederation officials boarded and processed our departure from their jurisdiction. In my case, that meant handing over my Confederation identity documents, being given a detailed receipt for them, and having my details entered into some sort of logbook or ledger. The official who processed me told me that it would be useful, but not essential, if I could present the receipt if I re-entered the Confederation at some point in the future. He seemed quite...sunny when I thanked him in Coac-htl for his advice.

Axolin, Lord Elnaith, and I then took a leisurely turn around the promenade deck before lunch and while the incoming passengers boarded. Jicaltpec's airship port had no particular features to make it remarkable to my mind and eye, but the promenade deck on the seaward side did offer an excellent view of the harbour light on the seawall from between a variety of structures - very picturesque.

I, at least, took the time to refresh myself before going to the dining room for lunch. Most of the new passengers are Imperial with a small number of Confederation citizens who chose to sit next to Cexiuhtontli and her husband. If first class is not full for the overnight journey to Scryhrial, it feels as if it is close. There are: two separate large, hopeful families including small children; a group of young men who are on some sort of 'educational' tour (one of whom has an impressive black eye) with an older, male docent; a professor of some sort travelling with his secretary; and several merchants. The three of us sat together in the middle of the middle table. Lord Elnaith sat on my left with the intention of being a buffer between myself and several men he did not care for. Axolin sat on my right with a boy of about eight on his right who cheerfully introduced himself as Aldhbhrhain dh'Ghabhain. Axolin not only induced this young man to pay attention to the safety talk (he pointed out that if things went wrong, he could be the one who had to get his family to safety) and then they spent the meal talking about Obsidian Knights and how they differ from the various Imperial knightly orders. Lord Elnaith spent his meal either making general conversation with myself and the students opposite us, or depressing the verbal advances of the man sitting next to him. The blackeyed young man sat opposite me, Brhainh Khairghain, and seemed perfectly nice - I did not ask him about his misadventure. His associate, seated opposite Axolin, tried cautiously to mildly flirt with the fifteenish Miss dh'Ghabhain seated next to him. (I judged it to be age appropriate, and it was in the presence of both her parents.)

As I write this I am becoming more certain that the gentleman seated next to Lord Elnaith was indeed flirting with my fiancé with intent. I am aware of such things, as it happens, and I cannot doubt the gentleman's good taste, but I have seen nothing to indicate that Lord Elnaith's tastes run in that direction....

After lunch Lord Elnaith, Axolin, and I walked twice around the promenade deck - it was a far pleasanter exercise as we had risen above the cloud cover again so there was plentiful sunshine and no rain. We were not the only passengers enjoying the sunshine, and we exchanged bows with the dh'Ghabhains, Mr Khairghain, and the other family who had joined us today, the dh'Lhaigns. Master Aldhbhrhain dh'Ghabhain showed great address, I felt, in introducing Axolin to his parents as Tekatl Axolin Forbaign. When Mr dh'Ghabhain apologised for his son's overfamiliarity, Axolin assured him that Aldhbhrain had accurately conveyed the style my cousin intends to use in the Empire - and presented him with one of his cards. I didn't know that he had had cards in the Imperial style printed before leaving home, and it seems they include something about him being a consul, so the dh'Ghabhains were impressed.

After our walk, Axolin and I returned to our cabins while Lord Elnaith went to the lounge "to gather intelligence."

I read the second last sermon in Meditations in the Healing Virtues which is a sermon for St Sfhomai's Day. It talks about the beneficial effects of celebrating the work put into the harvest, the community building effects that come from the gleaning and thrashing practices laid out in the various verses, particularly in Stewards, and the personal benefits of avoiding miserly behaviour to others. I do not know what the Reverend Doctor Ghaighul would make of some of the recent innovations in crop harvesting or what adaptations he would suggest so that the benefits of gleaning to the rural poor are not lost.

Once I had finished the sermon, I took myself and my embroidery to the balcony parlor. I was in nice time for the tea tray, and it was indeed a tea tray. Cexiuhtontli was there when I arrived, doing featherwork which I admired. She told me that she was unused to tea and when I asked her she told me that she was not used to drinking milk and did not much care for lemon. I poured her a cup of tea and suggested sugar. She tried that combination, and agreed that it was tolerable. Then the dh'Ghabhairn and dh'Lhaign ladies joined us, with the dh'Ghabhain sisters sharing signs of recent argument (I have sisters, I know the signs) and the dh'Lhaign sisters (aged twelve and thirteen) being demonstrably in tomboyish rebellion for the younger and prissily picture perfect in the elder. I retained control of the teapot - Mrs dh'Ghabhain obviously needed a quiet cup of tea, which she would not get if she or any of her daughters were pouring, while I could see that Miss dh'Lhaign was just itching to show off with the teapot, and I frankly feared for her younger sister if she got hold of the first tea. I also made sure to ask the younger girl (Miss Annahdea) how she took her tea when her mother and sister took their tea exactly the same way. Lord Elnaith caused a flutter when he joined us for tea, and we were congratulated on our engagement when I introduced him to the newly arrived ladies. He sat in a single chair that occupied the space between the dh'Ghabhain girl (Miss Leanh) and Miss Annahdea, saying that he preferred to enjoy looking at his betrothed while he drank his tea, given that he couldn't see my full face when I sat or stood beside him. He also conducted perfectly reasonable conversation with the young ladies, putting them at ease and encouraging their responses. Miss dh'Lhaign and the middle Miss dh'Ghabhain (miss Jhaila) were quite clear that they should have been having the benefit of adult conversation instead of their younger sisters, but their mothers reined them in deftly. [Their particular admonitions to their daughters gave me a better understanding of both families.] Miss dh'Ghabhain asked Cexiuhtontli much the same questions about her feather work that I would have asked, so that gave me a good opinion of her.

When the stewardesses came to clear the tea tray, Lord Elnaith and I made our excuses to the company then returned to our cabins to prepare for evening prayers and dinner immediately after. We took the precaution of double checking the location of the Imperial rite's service at the pursers' office on the way.

Attendance at evening prayers was twice that of morning prayers, but no clergymen had joined us today, so the captain officiated again. Mr Bhuraign read all four of the prescribed verses again, and the Third Engineer, (Mr Samhaign) led us in the prayers for the ship, the crew and passengers, the Emperor and the Empire. I thought it a nice touch that they added a prayer for the Confederation, its people and its leadership couched in the same terms as the prayer for the Empire. The Captain read another homily, this one based on the verse from Nailsh. The third Engineer and Mr Bhuraign sang the oairon as a duet, and the collection was taken up for the Aerial Widows and Orphans Fund. The dh'Ghabhain family, and Mr and Miss Annahdea dh'Lhaign were among the new attendees.

When the service was over and the congregation dispersed, the first class passengers made their way to the dining room as a group. The younger members of the group were enthusiastic about being included in the formal dinner seating. (This was because they had attended prayers which took up the time that children would have been served their separate meal.)

Lord Elnaith, Axolin, and I sat at the Captain's table. My cousin and my betrothed sat on either side of the Captain, and I had Axolin on my right. Mrs dh'Ghabhain was opposite me, flanked by Lord Elnaith and one of her sons, Master Aldhbhrhain. Professor dh'Ghlaighairn sat on my left and Mis dh'Ghabhain was next to him. I noticed that the parents and their children were split among the tables, presumably to ensure that no-one was having to deal with all the infantry and to maintain some scrap of parental oversight over all of them. I could see both the dh'Lhaign girls from where I was sitting, and was more impressed by Miss Annahdea than her older sister.

Axolin and I spoke of general pleasantries, when we conversed, as well as me explaining to him (in Coac-htl) some of the words and events that arose in his conversation with the Captain. Most of my conversation with Professor dh'Ghlaighairn was about his professorial interests. He is a botanist whose current interest lies in reconstructing the flora of the landmass now occupied by the Circle Sea. His trip to the Confederation was to lay the foundation od a successful request to investigate the contents of a pre-Age of Cataclysm archive 'recently' discovered in the althepetl of Janamahana. He told me that this is a relatively undeveloped southern althepetl and sparsely populated. He did mention that even if the archive holds nothing relevant to his current interests, a visit there would expose him to a new-to-him biome. (I think I know what that word means from conversations with my younger sister.) Over dessert, I mentioned Sura's studies and through discussion we established that he knows several of her professors and has a professional acquaintance with several more.

After dinner, the ladies withdrew to the balcony parlor, with the girls being taken back to their cabins for before our mothers joined us. Cexiuhtontli and I chose to wait for those ladies before having the stewardess pour the fortified wine for us. I must admit that I really hadn't appreciated that there are only the four adult ladies in first class at this time. Cexiuhtontli finds fortified wine an acquired taste and I told her how I could not, at first, drink an entire glass of kasoolht. Cexiuhtontli complimented the ladies on their children's company manners. Mrs dh'Ghabhain accepted her words calmly at face value, and remarked that she had found that their journey to the Confederation had increased both their confidence and their circumspection - none of them were as inclined to say the first thing that came to mind as they had been. Mrs dh'Lhaign agreed that her eldest daughter had excellent company manners but said that she was dissatisfied with Miss Annahdea's social skills. I pointed out that there are a number of years between the two girls and those were sufficient to expect different social experience from them - Miss dh'Lhaign is old enough to be looking forward to lowering her hems and putting up her hair, while Miss Annahdea is still a child, and precocity can be as off-putting as social awkwardness. Moreso if it is extreme. Mrs dh'Ghabhain and Cexiuhtontli agreed with me, and Cexiuhtontli added a small anecdote about the daughter of a merchant family in her circle who tried to marry their daughter off early in order to secure a male successor to the business. Mrs dh'Lhaign said stiffly that there are only two and a half years between her daughters and her eldest is not yet fourteen. Mrs dh'Ghabhain observed that she had thought Miss dh'Lhaign at least a year older. Mrs dh'Lhaign said that her daughter hadn't finished growing yet and I mentioned that Miss dh'Lhaign is taller than I am and my height hasn't changed since I was eleven. There was an awkward silence while we finished our fortified wine. I do not know the dh'Lhaign's circumstances, but I think it might be a good thing if Mrs dh'Lhaign allows/makes her eldest daughter slow down her headlong rush into the appearance of adulthood.

The gentlemen joined us some time before the tea tray arrived. Axolin was conversing with several of the Confederation merchants who joined us today, and Cexiuhtontli's husband. The group stopped by our little group for introductions by Cexiuhtontli's husband and Axolin. Because Axolin had introduced me in Imperial as his cousin, when the men had taken their conversation to a corner pf the parlor the Imperial ladies asked me about the relationship. When I explained that he was the eldest son of my senior closest male relative after my brother, and that my father is deceased, they agreed that it is an important relationship to maintain. Mrs dh'Lhaign commented that it is good to have reliable male relations beyond one's father and siblings, while Mrs dh'Ghabhain explained to Cexiuhtontli the importance of close male relatives when one is an officially minor or under guardianship female in the Empire. Cexiuhtontli said she preferred the system she grew up in, where families might prefer to have a male heir but when a woman inherited she could control her own holdings from the same age a man could.

Lord Elnaith entered the room in the company of the professor, his secretary, and the young travellers. The Professor was in the middle of an anecdote from his youth about a plant collecting expedition that had devolved into he and his colleagues being hunted by something whose territorial sensitivities they had violated. When the story was finished, Lord Elnaith came and took the seat beside me. He then explained that he had booked rooms for us at The Admiral's Arms in Scryhrial for two nights, with provision for further nights if there is a problem with our connecting ship - he has already advised Axolin of this arrangement. Cexiuhtontli commented that she and her husband planned to stay at The House of the Green Door, which she commended as comfortable, warm, and convenient to her husband's interests. Mrs dh'Ghabhain added that her family was booked on an onward flight several hours after our arrival in Scryhrial, an Ice Lines ship named, as I recall, the Ice Briar. The dh'Lhaigns, from what Mrs dh'Lhaign said, do not seem to have made definite plans for themselves after their disembarkation - which struck me as being odd as I understand Scryhrial to be a small town originally established as a way stop on the route to the then southwestern provinces.

When the tea tray arrived, Mrs dh'Gabhain poured for the company. I think that I had not realised how much I enjoy the evening tea tray until this evening, and it re-entered my life after my stay in the Confederation. From what I heard over the tea tray, most of the merchants will be staying in Scryhrial for a few days to conduct their business, then either return home or move on to their next destination east, or west. The professor, his secretary, and the young men on their tour intend to take an eastward bound ship the day after tomorrow on another Ice Lines ship, the Ghost Apple.

It being Naiphday, card games were unsuitable for those of the Imperial and related faiths, however the Confederation merchants and Axolin did get up a lively game among themselves and several of the young gentlemen travellers disappeared to, I suspect, the billiards room. Myself, I excused myself after my second cup of tea and came back to my cabin.

The written disembarkation instructions for tomorrow and Nais awaited me there. We confirmed that we had the same instructions, Nais helped me change for bed, and we made sure that everything except what I was wearing and the clothes for tomorrow were packed away. After that, I sent Nais off to her own bed, and sat down to update this journal.

I hope that the weather in Scryhrial for the next three days is better than it was in Jicaltpec today.

Anadrasata Nearabhigan