by Liam Carrack
I sat back and enjoyed her every gesture though I watched Fistall closely out of the corner of my eye. He was beginning to look uncomfortable, but not angry as I had feared he would be. He said something then that any other Phiraien woman would have blasted him for. I sat up swiftly to diffuse the situation, but the Lady beat me to it. She said something that my father had said a hundred times in my youth, though not quite in these circumstances. Fistall was nodding, and seemed to relax visibly. He had been expecting to put his foot in it somewhere, and so had I. It only occurred to me later that is was odd that she might know this adage. Perhaps Garvyn? Who am I to question if all was going so well?
Then she took a breath, quirked a conspiratorial smile at me, and asked me to retrieve some paperwork we had left in the office the night before. I walked into the adjoining office and was amazed at the complete disarray we had left it in the night before. The paperwork took a little finding, but find it I did. I brought it into her, and as I handed it over she flashed a dazzling smile my way that brought my heart into my throat. My Gods, but she was lovely. I think I stood there like a moron for quite a while before realizing I needed to sit down, but no one else seemed to notice my lapse.
I sat through the rest of their conversation listening only to pitch and intonation. If things got heated I was ready to jump in, but I already knew the plans she was setting before Fistall. I needed this time to put together some plans of my own. I couldn’t believe how well it was all going. Fistall was no one to easily agree to anything, but the only time he got angry at all he kept it all in, and let it fade. She had obviously meant no insult, and was giving him the chance to make the idea he expressed the day before a reality. How could he complain when it was all being handed to him so neatly? Well, he was Lord Fistall, and he could find fault in anything if he thought it suited his mood or his ambition.
In the end, I was nearly bowled flat by the graciousness he showed, maybe it wasn’t gracious by most Phiraien standards, but then this was the Lord Fistall who would ‘never negotiate more than a meal or nights favors with a mere woman.’ Then, the young Lady who had made that statement false swept out of the room, and Fistall turned to me.
“How much of that did you negotiate with her last night?” His eyes were hooded, and he was searching my face intently.
“None. In truth.” I held my hands up, and opened my eyes wide to him in denial of his accusation. “I suggested only that she propose it to you in this fashion with these documents ready for you. Most of my work last night was in listening, encouraging, and organizing of paper. I sent a letter down to the low quarters to my fellows, and supplied the women who will make up part of our envoy. You will, no doubt, hate them all. They are strong willed and tough. They are not the sweet faced proper ladies you remember of our people, but they are necessary. I beg you please to put up with them even if they outwardly defy you. Pay them little notice. The point of their presence is so that the Phiraien women on the council will see our women differently, and lend them aid to spite you, but it will do none of us any good if you… well. I’m sure you can imagine how you might react if given direct effrontery. I am not saying you should expect that, or that you shouldn’t let it show in your expression that you are unhappy, but please take no action.
He still had not begun looking through the massive tome of laws in front of him. “These should not give you too much trouble, save the rights and privileges afforded to women. If you are to live here though, I suggest you follow them to the letter. It will get easier with time, and I swear to you there will be a few women who will surprise you as much as the Lady Llanalla has, even from the lower classes.” He began looking through them while sucking on his teeth.
“Do I look ready to go to you?” He said without preamble, and without looking up.
“I suppose so, but there is something else I would show you before we do.” I held out the roster of men’s names. “This is a roster of men, most of whom are ready to depart with you immediately. There will be more, and if we are to be as organized as I think you would wish to be, you will need to choose a scribe from among them today.”
Fistall took the paper, and scrutinized it with a furrowed brow, which lightened in surprise. “You did this over night?” he asked incredulously.
“I did not do it. And no, I do not think it was done over night. More likely the list was compiled from several that have been garnered through long weeks of planning by several individuals. You will need to meet with them as soon as we leave the Council Hall this afternoon.” I pulled out the letter from Mennia, and skimmed it in front of him. He was still looking over the laws as I did so.
His finger stopped at something and he looked up at me with a disgruntled expression. “This, this is law here?”
“What is the law that you question?” I was leaning over trying to read the tiny scratched words on the page before him.
“A woman has rights over her children before the man? Even male children?” he was incredulous.
I shrugged, and tried to explain it as best I could. “The idea is that the woman brought them into this world of her own body, and that the resulting child is obviously hers, but that a man, especially if that man is not her husband, can not say definitively it is his. If the marriage is dissolved, and the husband has acted inappropriately toward his wife, what is to stop him from acting inappropriately toward the child, or children? I think it goes against their sense of equality and fairness, but I am only a lowly Dynaly man. What do I know? Besides, you have said yourself that you are not interested in women and children, and this is most definitely a children issue.”
“Yes, but I will have to uphold, and make judgments in this law.”
“For now though, there will be so many children without any parent that I do not think we will see this problem in the near future. You will have more troubles finding parents for children, than parents to fight over children. And most of these issues have more to do with the cost of upkeep of said children. You will be receiving help from our benefactress here to feed and clothe any and all children.”
“You mean I will have children coming out of my ears, and if anyone starts fighting over whose child is whose I should just give them more children to care for for their trouble? Now that is a novel idea. By the way, are you coming with me?”
I had not thought about that yet. I kept pushing it around like I had pushed the sprouts I had hated as a child around my plate. “No, I do not think I will be leaving just yet.” I surprised myself. I sounded so sure of myself even to my own ears. “Eventually, yes, but I will be needed here as an organizer, and an advisor to the Lady at first. Unless of course things go all pear shaped. I will probably still remain here as an organizer, but you, she and everyone else, will be buggering off together.”
He took a breath then and nodded at the necessity of such a plan. “Speaking of buggering off, I am not going with you to the Council today. I will be playing errand boy to another Phiraien lady who will be purchasing some much needed supplies for our journey before it is made public that such a journey will be taken by so many. We want everything in readiness in case some wank council member decides that the price of journey supplies should be hiked up.”
“Should I wait here then?” He said, still face down in the laws books.
“I think that is most logical. Though perhaps you should have a few blank pages, and a stick of charcoal to write down any notes, questions, or requests you might have.” I crossed back into the office, and gathered these items, as well as a lap desk from under another pile of paper. I set the roster of women down on the middle of the desk, which was surprisingly free of anything save a map, and walked back out to Fistall.
“There you are then. If you don’t mind, I will take my leave.”
Just past midday: outside the Guild Council Hall
Llanalla
That went better than I’d hoped.
Fistall
I can’t believe it.
Raddwyllyn<
br />
Huzzah! Thanks be to the God and Goddess. I knew if I just kept my faith…
Before dusk: in the shade of Gellisarn Hall
Aahurn
If anyone had told me yesterday what would be accomplished today I would not have believed it…
Cook
Well, I guess we just unpack most of it again. But I think I leave some of them the way they are.
Horice
So many… There are so very many…
After Full Dark: the gates of the city
Phiraien Gate Gaurds
“You say it’s the Lady of Gellisarn Hall what rid us of that rabble? Well praise be to her. Maybe she should be on the Council ‘stead of some of them busy bodies what is!”
“Hush now. You don’t want to go making trouble for the lady. If she wants a seat I fink she get one off herself wi’out the help of the likes of us.”
“I’m just sayin’”
“Yeah I know. I’m just as happy to see their backs as you are. Now, back to yer post.”
