Ойкумена / Oikumena: Глава 17

Chapter 17 Stars on the water

Camrad_RIP 07.12.23 в 14:33

* * *

Camrad_RIP 07.12.23 в 14:34

Milvess was partying. With a soul, as several hundred thousand people who had lived another year, and not the worst, and if you think about it, quite a good one.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.23 в 17:23

In winter, of course, economic life does not stop, but it becomes half asleep, slowing down as the storms come. Lords wind down their feuds and begin to negotiate ransoms, and also who to breed with whom and how much it will cost. The clerks and prosecutors are happily rubbing their ink-stained fingers in anticipation of long rounds of court battles. By the way, Elena also got involved in the tangled jurisprudence of the capital, which has long been not happy. However, about this - in due time.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.23 в 17:25

Prosperity and brisk trade await only the owners of oil shale deposits and peat bogs. Until spring, Milvess, or indeed any town, village, or house, will smoke with combustible stones and moss to ward off the cold. Although, perhaps, the candlemakers will also rejoice in the long nights, but moderately, anyway, the life of the absolute majority of people is tied to the sun. Artificial light is a necessity, while lamps and candles are a luxury.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.23 в 17:26

Robbers will be gone, hiding in villages, farms, and castles because it is unprofitable to do evil on the roads in the winter cold. But in the cities, criminal activity will increase because darkness is the best friend of a dashing man.

Camrad_RIP 10.12.23 в 17:30

And of course weddings. In the summer, boys and girls look at each other, checking each other out in complex and intricate bargaining, where dozens of parameters are taken into account, from the family's prestige to the banal possibility of conceiving a child, a future worker, and a breadwinner. Timid interchanges replace the first glances, and step by step comes "guest nights" with dangerous climbing over fences to attics. And there are already "trial nights," after which young people in love (or just sober-minded) (as well as their parents) agree that - yes, it's time. It is not for nothing that late summer and early fall are still called the "children's months."

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 08:41

It's all coming. And now for the holiday, the second day of the Memorial Day.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 08:41

Elena waded through the crowded streets like a shuttle on a rough river. One hand habitually touched her belt pouch, the other under her cloak, on the hilt of her knife.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 08:47

"Pretty boy, would you like some...?" The prostitute with a black ribbon on her symbolic cap showed a brass ring in her mouth and played with her tongue in it, promising unearthly pleasures. She wilted, lowering her eyes when she saw the face of the "handsome man." In the next moment, she again lit up with the hope that maybe the girl in men's clothes and predilections had the appropriate. Elena passed by, smiling slightly. However, the girl was not ignored. A dashing guy, a typical bully, and half-bandit with a dashing axe behind a wide belt, came up to her.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 09:14

The afternoon sun was warming generously, even excessively. It was a little hot in her cloak, and she was a little sorry she'd put on warm clothes. She strode deliberately along the stone sidewalk, rejecting all the temptations of the festive Milvess. The fire under her heart flared again, electrifying her nerve endings. The woman shook slightly in anticipation of the strange.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 09:18

Another group of masons, guarded by mountain mercenaries, passed by. They were scolded, sometimes thrown at, but more out of order than out of real anger. The Long Tower was visible even from here, across the river and through the neighborhoods on the southern bank. It was being built at a rapid pace, like a socialist construction site, and in violation of all laws. Tall residences were once one of the main elements of the cityscape, and every decent family, guild, and workshop considered it a matter of honor to erect such a spire. Cunning mechanisms and elevators lurked inside, and hidden tunnels ran from the cellars. The building both demonstrated wealth and served as a safe haven in case of riots, shop warfare, and other disturbances [1].

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 09:25

A long time ago, the height of spires was restricted on the pretext that it was inappropriate to build stone monsters that towered over the Temple of Sixty-Six. And the skyscrapers had to be cut down to a single standard. However, two years ago, the Island (or rather, the ruling family) obtained permission to erect a mega-tower like in the old days. The structure rose to the sky on the eastern edge of the city, completing a long street, the equivalent of the central avenue that stretched across the entire southern part of Milvess, culminating in the plaza in front of the Imperial Palace. The body of the tower was already complete, and now construction crews were filling the gaps between the two walls with rubble.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:02

Elena quickly overtook a group of well-dressed townspeople who were discussing what the privilege of a waterwheel for the workshop would cost them. The conversation quickly turned to the subject of new taxes and cloth mills. Here, the interlocutors lost all respectability, and the conversation instantly turned into a scandal, attracting more and more new participants. The topic was indeed quite painful - the emperor, in an attempt to fill the empty treasury, began to limit the lease of water-driven units and to close the existing ones by the hands of his emissaries. In this way, the traditions of use hallowed by years were turned into expensive privileges for the wealthy workshops. The rich recouped the costs by selling the services further down the food chain. All of that fueled the already troubled capital like a tightly closed cauldron.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:04

"Down with the wine monopoly!" shouted someone very close by, and, judging by the clatter of soles, ran away at the noise of the scuffle that had begun

Camrad_RIP 12.12.23 в 18:40

Elena left behind her the fight, which, like a black hole, attracted to itself completely external conflicts like the belief in One or Two, the protracted feud between clothiers and cloth makers, internal disputes between tinsmiths and coppersmiths, as well as other issues that were of no concern to the prison healer.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:05

Judging by the shouts and whistles, the neighborhood guards had already been summoned to the scene, so Elena would probably be treating some of the more zealous ringleaders in jail one of these days. She walked past the rows of caterers, ignoring the big aunts sitting on pots of hot food. Roast meat carvers were putting on little shows on the stalls, juggling their wares like Japanese chefs, cutting pork through the air. As they used to say in the Ecumene, "The city eats the pig, the village the cow." The meat was expensive, so chicken and fish pies, with a piece of fatty liver on top, were in much greater demand. They were supposed to be cut in such a way that each triangular slice was crowned with its share of liver. A special delicacy (and the most expensive dish of "street" cuisine") was pork, boiled at least one guard in four waters. The meat left mainly connective tissue, which tasted like crab, and the dish was ordered, among other things, as a medicine for sick joints.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:28

Eating something seemed like a very good idea, her stomach urgently demanded food, but Elena followed the golden rule of Draftsman - if you don't know exactly what the future holds, it's better to leave your stomach empty. Besides, eating anything on the street was not too sensible. The most common illness in Milvess was diarrhea and other gastrointestinal ailments.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:28

A group of salty goose vendors came across the road, and she didn't want to eat anything at once. Salted poultry and fish, which looked like boneless cartilaginous herring, were a legacy of the hungry centuries of salt scarcity. Food wasn't so much salted as fermented "in its own juice," often without even barrels, just in earth pits, pouring over a minimum of the cheapest Island salt. From Elena's point of view it was impossible not only to eat it, but even to be near it, especially in the wind. Nevertheless, the poor of Milvess and even some of the wealthy townspeople chowed down on the disgusting morsel with great pleasure, for it was cheaper than cheap. The salted goose was also considered healthy, and the diet was prescribed for recovery from severe stomach ailments.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:39

Elena passed a procession of fishmongers, who were throwing small fish out of baskets for the poor people to eat. She bypassed a group of gangster-looking young men with ringlets and shields, some of them even wearing full-fledged helmets with bird-like visors, with "beaks" protruding forward. You'd have to guess whether they were bodyguards, or thugs hired by the shop or just rowdies who would organize some kind of pogrom further into the night. The Tournament of Faith was approaching, so the already militant Milvess was full of armed people, finally turning into a kind of military camp.

Camrad_RIP 14.12.23 в 19:09

Elena noted that paper airplanes appeared on the streets. It looked like a toy made in passing had moved to the people, winning children's hearts block by block. It was a little embarrassing because kids didn't buy paper for their fun. And the counters were already selling free versions with glued-on dragon heads and other magical creepiness.

Camrad_RIP 14.12.23 в 19:10

As she passed the house of a barber, Elena looked at the wooden gargoyle head under the roof. A well-fed meowur sat on the head, squinting with yellow eyes. Its large claws were deeply embedded in the wood, its short ears swiveling like locators, tracking the subtle notes of street noise. Most likely, this - the beast, not the gargoyle - was the neighborhood mascot. Reptiloid cats were beloved in Milvess, as they were in almost the entire Oikumene. It was an honor to feed the mystical animal, and it was considered a great sin to offend a meowr.

Camrad_RIP 14.12.23 в 19:12

The gray beast looked directly at Elena, its oval pupils dilated as if recognizing her. The animal silently looked at the woman with an unblinking gaze. The former pharmacist remembered Mr. Cat from the Wastelands. She felt a little sad and wanted to know how he was doing. Does he get a decent portion of pork every morning as before? No reliable news from the Badlands reached Milvess, only general rumors that encouraged more and more of the town's poor to leave their places and go on a long journey to the north, where death was at hand with man, but there was plenty of no man's land. However, knowing a little of Santeli, Elena did not doubt that the magical wastelands were seething with brutal brigade feuds. If it hadn't already burned itself out, ending with someone's decisive victory. It would be good to meet alive Charley.

Camrad_RIP 14.12.23 в 19:14

Baala and the letter, written in calligraphic handwriting on a sheet of real papyrus, were waiting for her at home. A courier in a colorful livery was shuffling from foot to foot, waiting for a reply for what seemed like hours. Elena expected to see text to match the luxurious leaf and the seal of green sealing wax, but the message was laconic and seemed to be written by the sender himself, without the services of a secretary. Flessa informed the "dummy" that she had decided to postpone the sparring to another day and invited "Master Lunna, townswoman, and worthy person" to come to the dock in the middle of the evening watch. A stretcher will arrive by the stipulated time. Return transportation is guaranteed to any desired address.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:43

"The Countess is on fire," Elena remarked, turning the sheet over to make sure there were no additions.
*!!!!

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:45

"Countess?" The dwarf snorted skeptically, adjusting a long green scarf tied in the manner of a turban. "Look here," she jabbed her finger at a small mark on the seal.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:47

Elena dutifully looked at the curl, which looked like a pentagonal tent with a conical top.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:48

"A peasant," the dwarf sighed. "I'll have to teach you more. It's a crown of dignity. It's drawn over a coat of arms to show the wearer's rank at a glance. Your patroness is not a countess. She's a duchess and an "ausf."

Camrad_RIP 12.12.23 в 18:43

Elena knew what an ausf was. This prefix to the surname meant that the owner was not only noble, having ten generations of aristocratic ancestors, but also owned land with at least one city, a private castle, a forest, and a port. The interpretation allowed for very wide boundaries. For example, a large grove rolled behind the forest, the port could well be a river, or even just a large bridge on a lake. However, the Black Duchess was definitely not one of those who had to manipulate with wording.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:53

Not a countess, though, yes. A duchess, albeit a "vice."

Camrad_RIP 12.12.23 в 18:41

//"I'm climbing the social ladder."

Camrad_RIP 12.12.23 в 18:42

"And from a rather old family, that's why the crown is simple," the dwarf continued heraldic enlightenment. "They were drawn like that after the Old Empire collapsed, and there was no one to make complicated calligraphic drawings. Then, coats of arms became more complicated again. So with this..." she looked at the letter. "The Wartensleben are definitely a couple of centuries old. Not primators, but very, very dignified."

Camrad_RIP 12.12.23 в 18:46

Baala looked at the lodger and gave her advice with all sincerity:

Camrad_RIP 12.12.23 в 18:47

"Catch the moment."

Camrad_RIP 12.12.23 в 18:46

"What? Elena didn't get it.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:26

"Take your chance," the dwarf advised patiently again. "A young heiress from a good family, even if from the other side of the Ecumene, is not a pig sneezing in a trough. Consider Pantocrator's lucky finger pointed at you. First into bed, then into servants. And after that, a family healer, why not?"

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:55

Elena wanted to say many different things at once, first of all, to repeat what she had already told Rodent-Murieur about prostitutes being in the opposite direction. But she changed her mind. This is the Ecumene, this is the way things are done here, this is the way they live here. And to be honest, if some megacorporation heiress paid attention to an ordinary citizen, inviting him to a cruise in her private jet, how many people would repeat Baala's recommendation, albeit in a different form?

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 10:56

The courier was shuffling from foot to foot, probably waiting for an answer. Elena sent him away, saying that she had received the message and would wait for the carriage. The dwarf nodded approvingly, called the widow over and ordered her to warm the water for the bath, then dragged the lodger to try on all sorts of accessories. In the end, Elena categorically rejected pendants, earrings, and rings. She was repulsed by cosmetics, mixed with lard, vinegar, soot, turpentine and other purely natural ingredients. However, she agreed to gloves up to her elbows with embossing, and a choker made of wooden slats inlaid with copper wire. And a pink ribbon tied just below her left knee, so that the ends dangled down to her ankle. The mix of costume jewelry with a man's suit was quite interesting. Moderately austere and yet unusual at the same time. Ah, what a gorgeous cosplay could come out... Or a model for a game.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 11:50

At the appointed hour a small escort was already at the door behind the stone fence. Four porters and three armed soldiers. She had enough time to bathe, change into clean clothes, and comb her hair.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:25

"Good luck," Baala said approvingly. Suddenly, she rose on tiptoe, drew Elena up by the neck, and touched her cheek with her lips.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 12:00

"Don't be timid."

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 12:01

"I won't," Elena promised honestly, feeling the chill return, tickling her fingertips. Not anticipation, but more like expectation of something new, strange, unknown. The voice of reason urged her to stop, to think and weigh everything. Not to risk a murky adventure with a high-flying aristocrat. In the end, not to get caught in the middle, given that somewhere in the Oikumene roamed the red-eyed monster and Ranjan, and behind them, in turn, hid mysterious customers who wanted to put "Spark" to rest forever.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 12:05

Yes, common sense told her to stop. But Elena was tired of hiding, tired... tired of everything. And that's why she was going to give herself over to the heat under her heart, to experience a real, blood-thrilling Adventure, and then let it be what it would be.

Camrad_RIP 13.12.23 в 12:06

Be what it will.

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:04

//"I want to dive into the sea at last. I want to swim the moon's path."

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:05

//I want!

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:05

"See you tomorrow," she said to the dwarf. "I'll be back after prison."

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:07

"Prison!"- snorted the dwarf. "Tomorrow, you'll wake up on an atlas and eat breakfast off a golden plate!"

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:06

"I'll be back after work," Elena repeated. "The sheets are ephemeral, but the prison is eternal, and its silver is safe."

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:08

"That's right," Baala agreed very seriously. And she added, after thinking for a few moments with sincere respect. "You're the smart one, though."

Camrad_RIP 11.12.23 в 15:08