Silver Moon
Adventurer
Chapter 118, "The Ride to Paris", September 12, 1882, 10:30 PM.
Callum says, "Very well." Taking out the vial he states "This elixir of Doctor Jekyll's is rather powerful, nothing short of a 'Dispel Magic' spell will awaken me for the next hour. By then we should be on the outskirts of the city. I will see you all then." He drinks down the vial and hands it to Pepe. He then lays down on the carriage bench and within twenty seconds appears to be sound asleep, with a slight snore.
Pepe turns to Abby and says, "So, tell me more of my Great Uncle's recent exploits. He wrote us a half-year back or so, but it has been nearly eight years since we last saw him in person." Abby says, "I only spoke with him for a few moments, enough to be introduced. However, while we were exposing the French plan and rounding up the last of the Weekly Wizards, he was in Paris, raiding their headquarters. He appeared in front of the New Queen of Egypt bearing the artifact that keeps the Wizards from aging. The Druidess Meren accompanied him on that trip and is now Egypt's new Ambassador to France. Let me tell you, the last of the Wizards were much more amenable to what the Queen had to say after she held their continued long lives in her hands."
Pepe laughs and exclaims "He did it! He actually did it! My Great Uncle Manuel lived here with us for a few years around a decade ago, and spent a considerable amount of time observing the Weekly Wizard's mansion from a distance. He always wanted to sneak in but it was too well protected. We ran through several different options." His wife interjects "And I would not allow my husband to risk his life on the whim of an over-adventurous crazy man." Pepe asks, "Do you know how he accomplished it? Sneaking in through the sewers was the plan he thought had the best chance of success."
Abby says, "I'm sorry, I don't recall if he said how. I had been awake at least 36 hours by then, maybe longer. Before we brought them back, the Empress and Victor Duruy were married, and Mr. Gonzales gave away the bride. He called her some kind of bird as well. I'm afraid your Great Uncle is very odd," Abigail laughed. "He did seem pretty chirked about having gotten that necklace." Pepe says, "Yes, he is odd.
Pepe then says, "I am sorry that your visit with us had to start with Miss Meghan Elizabeth Stuart Chester. She means well but just has no skills with people." Abby replies, "She's not the first person I've met who isn't good with people. I work with archeologists, scientists and academics. They're often so in their own minds that they've forgotten how to get on with others. I admit, I wasn't sure what to make of her. She was certainly generous with her loan of the gown and seemed happy enough to do it, but I couldn't get even a smile from her. But surely, she's been here some time. You must have found something about her to like."
Pepe says, "Me personally, no. She's also rather vain, she may look like a girl in her twenties but she uses her magic to achieve that, she's twice that age. But I am far from impartial on the subject. Callum mentioned how she's gunning for his job, well she's been considerably more vocal about wanting mine. She feels that the Chief Wizard of the Stuarts should be both the most powerful spellcaster here and a Stuart. Thankfully, Charles firmly believes that the Chief Wizard has to be a wizard, not a sorcerer."
Maracita adds, "In Peru the art of midwifery is conducted by wizards rather than clerics and that was my initial training. We were here when Meagan was born, I delivered her. Of the hundreds of babies who I helped to deliver in my lifetime she was by far the most difficult. It is trait that she has carried into adulthood." Abby was silent for a moment. "She must be horribly, horribly lonely," she said finally. "I've met a few people who gloried in being unlikeable, but I suspect Meagan isn't one of them. She seemed genuinely pleased that Cal had found me. Perhaps ambition is all she has." She paused again. "Which in no way excuses her. Constantly trying to undermine you, Pepe and Cal, undermines your whole mission here. It's a distraction."
Maracita says, "She may actually want you as a friend, you did indicate that she was friendly to you. . She does have a few friends, the managers of the agricultural operation here. As they have nothing to do with magic she is in no way threatened by them." Pepe says, "Enough discussion of her, tell us some more about you Abigail." Maracita says, "Yes, please. From the way Callum had described you we would have expected our first vision of you to be of you rising out from a giant clamshell as in Botticelli's painting."
Abby says, "I really had no idea he felt this way. We weren't together all that long, and I never heard from him after his father had him reassigned. I considered it something lovely to remember and moved on with my life. I was hurt and angry, but I grieved what might have been more than what had been. I suppose it was the same for him, except I had reason to let go, and he had hope and a reason to hold on. I really don't know what to tell you about myself the Cal might not have already told you. My father was English, and my mother still lives in New Orleans. I decided I wanted an education, so I went to college. And I love to know about people, how they lived and how they thought about things, so I became an archeologist."
Pepe says, "An archaeologist yes, but there are many different facets and types of archaeology. Are you more focused on the aspects of science or the history? Is there a geographic location that you wish to focus on? How do you see the world of yesterday relating to the world of today, or is that not something that should matter? And how does magic relate to any or all of this?"
Abby answers, "I started out interested in the history, but I have to admit I have become fascinated with the methods themselves. Finding, preserving, making sure that the disturbance we create in our searches don't cause irreparable harm. I enjoy the minute, detailed task of unearthing the treasures from the ground. And no, I have no particular area I want to focus on just now. A young archeologist just starting out must take the jobs she can. Egypt is always fascinating, its history is so rich and ancient. But I would also enjoy delving into the past of the Celtic and Nordic peoples. There's not as much work that way, though. The fascination and funding for now seems to lie in Northern Africa.
And of course the world of yesterday relates to the world of today! We are, every one of us, created and informed by the generations that came before us. We humans live with beliefs and prejudices passed down that we no longer even understand, they're just what is. For the longer-lived races, things that happened hundreds of years ago are personal memories. Part of personal experiences that even more directly inform who they are.
And magic... Like any other source of power it's threaded all through history. But it's the one kind of power that doesn't concentrate itself among the already powerful. It can be an equalizer, like when a poor child discovers sorcerous powers. Or it can move people even further above, like the resources I saw back at the castle. And of course the rift between clerical and arcane magic has profoundly shifted the course of the entire Western world. Magic matters a great deal."
Maracita smiles at Abby's response. Pepe says "You said that you might enjoy delving into the past of the Celtic people. What do you know of the Celtic faction known as the Carnutes? And have you had any experience at excavating Roman ruins?" Abby says, "I haven't done any extensive work in Roman ruins, although I was an assistant at a site excavating them shortly after I finished school. I'm familiar with the Carnutes, but not in any great detail. They assassinated the puppet king set up by Ceasar and massacred the Roman merchants set up in Cenabum, which helped lead to the general revolt there. They managed to avoid being Romanized despite their eventual defeat, and did have self-rule under the Empire. Like everyone else, they had to provide fighters to Rome."
Pepe says, "Ah yes, so most of what you know of them dates from the time of the Roman Empire. That is consistent with what we have found as well. Do you have knowledge of Gaul during the time of the Roman Republic?" She answers, "Not any worth speaking of. The Franks, leading to modern France took over Gaul roughly 450 years after the Roman Empire conquered. The length of time they were Roman really depends on when you start counting. But during those years the Roman and Gaulish cultures merged together, some Celtic influences remained strong and even became part of the Roman culture, some faded as the people accepted more of the Roman culture into their lives. It becomes very difficult to separate."
Maracita says, "Thank you. That is very helpful. Now, what is it that you and Callum plan to do in Paris tonight? And do you know how long are you planning to stay with us here in France?" "I have no idea," Abby laughed. "I had no idea of even stopping in France at all. We were dropping off the remaining French wizards and the new Ambassador, and then returning the dirigible to Queen Neferka in Egypt. We may stay a day or two at the most. I'm sure Cal will want to keep on friendly ground with the new Queen, and taking an inordinate amount of time to return her dirigible won't help with that.
As for what we're doing in Paris, again, I don't know! But I hope it involves eating. All those hours without sleep also came without much to eat. Just whatever I happened to have with me that I could eat in a hurry on the move. Now that I slept all the way down on the dirigible, my stomach is making itself known." Maracita says, "We should arrive at around 11:00PM, still rather early for many of the best restaurants, so finding a meal will not be difficult. We have been asking you a number of questions, it must have felt like an interrogation. Do you have any questions for us?"
Abby says, "Well, you'd heard something of me before, so you'd have questions. I knew nothing of you an hour ago. And I'm not sure what's safe to ask and what's not. I am insanely curious about what goes on our here. It feels like more than just magical research."
Maracita says, "Most of what goes on in the 4,800 acres of The Land of Queen Mary is farming. It has a dozen separate tenant farms on it, most of which have been managed by the same families since Mary's time, and some even before then. Our principal agriculture is grains. There are no towns or villages on our lands, but the land is of relatively equal distances to three towns, each of which four of our farms bring the annual crops from their approximately 400 acres to. In reality, only the eight perimeter farms are real, each harvesting approximately 600 acres, with each pair of them providing the bounty for one of the four interior mock farms. The perimeter farms are also the only ones that receive any visitors from outside of our lands.
The tenants are good at keeping our secrets, they take pride in their discretion and recognize a good deal when they see it. We provide magical equipment which greatly eases the amount of work actually needed for planting and harvesting. And since fewer people are needed during the winter months we send half away on an all-expense-paid vacation to the Stuart estate along the French coast on the Mediterranean. So every tenant can look forward to receiving an extended seaside vacation from November through March, every-other-year. They would not have that with any other farming arrangement. As for the four interior mock farms, you've already seen two of them. Small amounts of farming do take place there, enough to maintain the illusion, but each has its own purpose, those details of which we are not at liberty to share with you as of yet. Although it is safe to say that the study of magic is a key part of it.
The manor house itself was established by Queen Mary, and was known at that time by the French population to be just a countryside retreat that she would go to when she needed a break from Versailles. We've basically maintained it as it was in her day, and occasionally entertain well-to-do guests and visitors there. Nothing is on the upper two floors that gives any indication that there is anything more to the site. Visitors going into the carriage house, the servants quarters or the storage barn would also not find anything obvious there either. But there is more to the set of buildings than meets the eye."
Pepe says, "A number of mysteries remain about the site. Mary Stuart lacked the answers to those, although she did her best to solve them. She realized that many answers lie buried on the grounds and was astute enough to bring in powerful druids from Ireland to examine the grounds before any of the buildings were constructed. So the exact location of each of the buildings are on plots that have no archaeological treasures beneath, but the land between those buildings, that is a different story altogether. Until now we have not had the manpower and skill sets to undertake such an operation, nor was it safe to bring in outsiders, given the need to keep matters secret."
Abby says, "Callum's decision to study makes more sense now. It's not a natural fit for him. He lacks the patience for the detailed work of getting the artifacts from the ground. But it is a natural fit for me, which is what you wanted to know. My knowledge and experience aren't what you need, at least not yet. I have more learning to do." She glanced over at Cal. "And of course, we are getting ahead of ourselves. I will keep everything I've seen here in confidence, and you are right not to tell me too much. I have employment elsewhere, and there is no guarantee I would be invited to help you here."
Abby paused, unsure what to ask next. It was such an odd position, to be trusted with this much information but not be part of what was going on. "What can you tell me of the Stuart family dynamic? Except for Meagan, is there any other threat to Cal's authority here? Anything else that threatens your mission? Only if you can tell me, of course."
Pepe replies, " The Stuart family is currently headed up by Alan Plantaganet Stuart and Lady Arabella Arthur Stuart, the current Lord and Lady of Galloway. Alan is Callum's uncle. They have almost no interest in this property. Lord Stuart was very content to let his spinster sister Baronese manage this land for the family. As Callum was her chosen successor, he is fine with that as well. Lord Stuart has only been here three times in his entire life. The first was as a boy when his father showed it to him. The second time was after he married and took his wife on a world tour, where they stayed here for all of two days. The final time was seven years ago when they hosted Queen Victoria here for a short visit. They stayed a total of two weeks that time, most of which was before the Queen's arrival in order to prepare the property for the royal visit. Queen Victoria spent two nights in the manor.
Callum's father, Randolph Henry Stuart, is a more frequent guest. His business dealings bring him to Paris several times a year. He usually stays at the finer hotels in Paris then, but will often bring business associates out here during those occasions to impress them. Thankfully he always gives us a few days notice if he plans to do that. He also has no real interest in this place. He is marginally aware that some here dabble in magic, but is fine with that as long as there is no evidence of that when he entertains here. So I would say there is no real threat to Callum's authority here. He has no interest in ever turning it over to Meagan. But if his Aunt Baronese ever wanted the job back he would return it to her in a heartbeat. She was well liked here and Callum totally respects her."
Abby says, "Cal's father went out of his way to separate us once before. Should Cal..." she blushed, knowing she was far ahead of herself but not sure if she would ever have any opportunity like this, "should he make me an offer, someday, could he be disinherited? Could he lose everything here?" Maracita says, "That would be a conversation he would have to have with his father. But the more impressive your credentials and work are the harder it would be for anybody to question and challenge." Abby couldn't make herself point out that the kind of offer she meant was not a job offer. But it was answer enough. "Thank you. I'm not sure my current employment with Mrs. Parker's group will help with that or not."
Abby then asks, "I didn't know his Aunt was still living. She retired in comfort, I take it." Pepe laughs and says, "You could say that, she's now a Russian Countess." Maracita says, "Yes, the most remarkable thing. She was vacationing down at the Stuart property in the south of France and met a Russian Count. They had actually met once before, six decades before, when they were both young children. Their parents had been delegates at the 1814 Treaty of Fountainbleu where Napoleon surrendered his authority over France, and had brought their families along to the conference. Neither had ever married, and they started acting like teenagers together. Before you knew it they had eloped."
"It's never too late for romance!" Abby laughed. "Mrs. Parker and her husband provide a daily example of that. Good for her. Russia is another place that must be fascinating. Of course, I think most cultures are fascinating. Perhaps some day I'll even travel into Asia." Maracita says, "Well, if you are an archaeologist who isn't fixed on a specific geographic location then there is no reason why you can't travel the globe." Pepe says, "The world is a very interesting place. I have been to all seven continents. But after a few decades of travel, I am now just as happy to spend most of my days on a farm in the country." Maracita laughs, "Says the man on his way to a night on the town in the world's busiest city."
"Just because someone enjoys a quiet country life doesn't mean they don't like a little excitement now and then." Abby laughed again, "I've had a little more excitement than I can take the last few days, a night on the town will be like a vacation. What do the two of you plan to do in the City of Lights?" Maracita says, "You can call it the City of Lights, I prefer its other nickname, the City of Love. Pepe and I always enjoy the city. It's a very cosmopolitan place, where those of us of other races can still find comfort."
Pepe says, "We neither hide or flaunt our differences. Outside in public we wear hats that cover our ear-tips, but other than that we are just ourselves, no magical disguises or any such nonsense." Maracita says, "Tonight I think we will go to the Cabaret le Ledu on the Champs-Elysees. It has a different feel than the Moulin Rouge or the Folies Bergere. A little bawdier and attracting a more diverse mixture of classes and races in the audience."
Abby says, "That sounds like home. New Orleans has people of every kind from everywhere, and the clubs there... I shocked some of my new compatriots with my familiarity with them. I wish it were perfect there, but I've never seen another place where races and classes mix so freely. I suppose it wouldn't do for Cal to be seen in such a place. Are the differences between races so noted here?"
Pepe says, "There is very little racial diversity in most places in France. The population for France is 90% human, with most of the non-humans being dwarves in north-eastern France near the German border. The French cities of Metz, Stasbourg and Thionville actually have dwarven majorities. And whereas Spain conquered Latin America, there are some elves brought back who live near the Spanish/French border. That is about all. Paris however, has its own conclaves of elves, ogres and orcs if you know where to look. I even have a friend here who is of the bugbear race from Antarctica. And in mages circles, elves and half-elves are not at all unusual to come across. So Paris is generally safe for us, at least in the neighborhoods that we frequent."
Although her words didn't sound angry, there was a tightness around Abigail's mouth and eyes that betrayed it. "I hate that you have to think about where you would be safe and where you wouldn't. With all my studies and what I've learned about the nature of people you'd think I'd know that we all fear the different, and that change will come as what was different becomes commonplace. But it moves far too slowly for me."
Pepe smiles and says, "Yes indeed, you're from New Orleans. As much as I said Paris was cosmopolitan, there is no place on the entire globe that is more accepting of all races than the city of your birth. We would all love to think the rest of the world would think the same. But it is coming along, nearly all nations now recognize slavery as an illegal practice, give the world time." Abby says, "I know history marches on slowly. Honestly, it's the only way it can. Change that comes too quickly frightens, causes a backlash. All I can do is keep behaving the way I wish others would and be satisfied that I may have helped history along a bit." "That is all any of us can hope for," Pepe states.
They have left the countryside and are now riding through the suburbs of eastern Paris. Homes are closer together, with an occasional inn or tavern. They cross a bridge and are soon in the outer environs of the city itself. "We are almost there," Maracita states with a grin, "He will be waking up soon. You did threaten him earlier about us telling tales about him, is there any an particular you want to know?" Abby grinned. "The most embarrassing, of course! And while childhood stories are fun, we're at our most embarrassing just when we think we've grown up."
Maracita says, "Well, Callum was always a favorite of his Aunt Baronese. She would visit them in Scotland around once a year, and he would visit here with his mother and sisters for a few weeks every summer. The most embarrassing would probably be the time when he was around thirteen and decided to secretly follow his older sister Evelyn when she and a local boy visited the town of Meaux to the northeast of the Land of Queen Mary. They had gone to the battle site from the hundred-years-war, where England's King Henry V had a great victory.
It had gotten dark out and Callum was exploring the ruins when he came upon what he mistakenly believed was the 400 year-old-ghost from the battle. In reality, it was a white nightshirt that had blown off of a clothesline and became tangled in a nearby tree. Something caused it to move, probably and animal or bird, and Callum turned and ran in the direction his sister had gone. He charged right into the ruined building that he had seen his sister going into, interrupting a pair of partially disrobed youngsters in a romantic situation. Both Stuart youngsters informed their mother of their own version of the story and both were subsequently punished."
Abby says, "Oh, now that's not fair! You know if I ever meet his poor sister the first thing I'm going to imagine is the girl caught in an intimate position by her little brother." Pepe says, "Well, if it will make you feel any better of her, the local boy wasn't just a farmer, he was the son of a French nobleman, and they had been seeing each other socially for a few weeks at that point." "But never un-chaperoned again after that incident," his wife adds.
"Scared by a nightgown is quite embarrassing, but didn't he ever do something ridiculous? I have no brothers or sisters, but I have cousins by the score. One of them once convinced me to disguise myself as a man to try to sneak into one of the Gentlemen's clubs in New Orleans. I was too stupid to realize I was never going to pass as a man at my age. Tall enough, but too curvy... and my face! I was caught out by one of my father's friends there, and if I'd ever earned a whipping I did that night. Thankfully for me my father didn't believe in those. I had to help in the kitchen for the next week. That didn't work out so well as a punishment though. I rather liked cooking and now I can make quite a lovely chicken pie."
Pepe says, "The only truly embarrassing thing I can think of was the time that his Aunt first taught him how to do a Leviate spell. We were in the barn so as to be out-of-sight of anybody watching and Callum had not been completely forthcoming about not knowing the spell, having experimented with it before in Scotland. But his plan to impress his Aunt at being a quick learner of magic backfired, as he failed to take into account the enhancement that the proximity to the magical well causes. He planned to rise up a few feet on his supposed first attempt, but shot up into the air like a fireworks rocket, striking his head on the roof to the first hayloft and knocking himself unconscious."
This laugh was hale and hearty. "Now that one I can believe! And don't think I'd think any less of sister Evelyn. Anyone who thinks young people aren't up to that sort of thing is blind or a fool, or was never young themselves." They now cross into the city proper. At the far end of the current boulevard the very top of the Arc de Triumph can be seen. Callum begins to stir.
Callum says, "Very well." Taking out the vial he states "This elixir of Doctor Jekyll's is rather powerful, nothing short of a 'Dispel Magic' spell will awaken me for the next hour. By then we should be on the outskirts of the city. I will see you all then." He drinks down the vial and hands it to Pepe. He then lays down on the carriage bench and within twenty seconds appears to be sound asleep, with a slight snore.
Pepe turns to Abby and says, "So, tell me more of my Great Uncle's recent exploits. He wrote us a half-year back or so, but it has been nearly eight years since we last saw him in person." Abby says, "I only spoke with him for a few moments, enough to be introduced. However, while we were exposing the French plan and rounding up the last of the Weekly Wizards, he was in Paris, raiding their headquarters. He appeared in front of the New Queen of Egypt bearing the artifact that keeps the Wizards from aging. The Druidess Meren accompanied him on that trip and is now Egypt's new Ambassador to France. Let me tell you, the last of the Wizards were much more amenable to what the Queen had to say after she held their continued long lives in her hands."
Pepe laughs and exclaims "He did it! He actually did it! My Great Uncle Manuel lived here with us for a few years around a decade ago, and spent a considerable amount of time observing the Weekly Wizard's mansion from a distance. He always wanted to sneak in but it was too well protected. We ran through several different options." His wife interjects "And I would not allow my husband to risk his life on the whim of an over-adventurous crazy man." Pepe asks, "Do you know how he accomplished it? Sneaking in through the sewers was the plan he thought had the best chance of success."
Abby says, "I'm sorry, I don't recall if he said how. I had been awake at least 36 hours by then, maybe longer. Before we brought them back, the Empress and Victor Duruy were married, and Mr. Gonzales gave away the bride. He called her some kind of bird as well. I'm afraid your Great Uncle is very odd," Abigail laughed. "He did seem pretty chirked about having gotten that necklace." Pepe says, "Yes, he is odd.
Pepe then says, "I am sorry that your visit with us had to start with Miss Meghan Elizabeth Stuart Chester. She means well but just has no skills with people." Abby replies, "She's not the first person I've met who isn't good with people. I work with archeologists, scientists and academics. They're often so in their own minds that they've forgotten how to get on with others. I admit, I wasn't sure what to make of her. She was certainly generous with her loan of the gown and seemed happy enough to do it, but I couldn't get even a smile from her. But surely, she's been here some time. You must have found something about her to like."
Pepe says, "Me personally, no. She's also rather vain, she may look like a girl in her twenties but she uses her magic to achieve that, she's twice that age. But I am far from impartial on the subject. Callum mentioned how she's gunning for his job, well she's been considerably more vocal about wanting mine. She feels that the Chief Wizard of the Stuarts should be both the most powerful spellcaster here and a Stuart. Thankfully, Charles firmly believes that the Chief Wizard has to be a wizard, not a sorcerer."
Maracita adds, "In Peru the art of midwifery is conducted by wizards rather than clerics and that was my initial training. We were here when Meagan was born, I delivered her. Of the hundreds of babies who I helped to deliver in my lifetime she was by far the most difficult. It is trait that she has carried into adulthood." Abby was silent for a moment. "She must be horribly, horribly lonely," she said finally. "I've met a few people who gloried in being unlikeable, but I suspect Meagan isn't one of them. She seemed genuinely pleased that Cal had found me. Perhaps ambition is all she has." She paused again. "Which in no way excuses her. Constantly trying to undermine you, Pepe and Cal, undermines your whole mission here. It's a distraction."
Maracita says, "She may actually want you as a friend, you did indicate that she was friendly to you. . She does have a few friends, the managers of the agricultural operation here. As they have nothing to do with magic she is in no way threatened by them." Pepe says, "Enough discussion of her, tell us some more about you Abigail." Maracita says, "Yes, please. From the way Callum had described you we would have expected our first vision of you to be of you rising out from a giant clamshell as in Botticelli's painting."
Abby says, "I really had no idea he felt this way. We weren't together all that long, and I never heard from him after his father had him reassigned. I considered it something lovely to remember and moved on with my life. I was hurt and angry, but I grieved what might have been more than what had been. I suppose it was the same for him, except I had reason to let go, and he had hope and a reason to hold on. I really don't know what to tell you about myself the Cal might not have already told you. My father was English, and my mother still lives in New Orleans. I decided I wanted an education, so I went to college. And I love to know about people, how they lived and how they thought about things, so I became an archeologist."
Pepe says, "An archaeologist yes, but there are many different facets and types of archaeology. Are you more focused on the aspects of science or the history? Is there a geographic location that you wish to focus on? How do you see the world of yesterday relating to the world of today, or is that not something that should matter? And how does magic relate to any or all of this?"
Abby answers, "I started out interested in the history, but I have to admit I have become fascinated with the methods themselves. Finding, preserving, making sure that the disturbance we create in our searches don't cause irreparable harm. I enjoy the minute, detailed task of unearthing the treasures from the ground. And no, I have no particular area I want to focus on just now. A young archeologist just starting out must take the jobs she can. Egypt is always fascinating, its history is so rich and ancient. But I would also enjoy delving into the past of the Celtic and Nordic peoples. There's not as much work that way, though. The fascination and funding for now seems to lie in Northern Africa.
And of course the world of yesterday relates to the world of today! We are, every one of us, created and informed by the generations that came before us. We humans live with beliefs and prejudices passed down that we no longer even understand, they're just what is. For the longer-lived races, things that happened hundreds of years ago are personal memories. Part of personal experiences that even more directly inform who they are.
And magic... Like any other source of power it's threaded all through history. But it's the one kind of power that doesn't concentrate itself among the already powerful. It can be an equalizer, like when a poor child discovers sorcerous powers. Or it can move people even further above, like the resources I saw back at the castle. And of course the rift between clerical and arcane magic has profoundly shifted the course of the entire Western world. Magic matters a great deal."
Maracita smiles at Abby's response. Pepe says "You said that you might enjoy delving into the past of the Celtic people. What do you know of the Celtic faction known as the Carnutes? And have you had any experience at excavating Roman ruins?" Abby says, "I haven't done any extensive work in Roman ruins, although I was an assistant at a site excavating them shortly after I finished school. I'm familiar with the Carnutes, but not in any great detail. They assassinated the puppet king set up by Ceasar and massacred the Roman merchants set up in Cenabum, which helped lead to the general revolt there. They managed to avoid being Romanized despite their eventual defeat, and did have self-rule under the Empire. Like everyone else, they had to provide fighters to Rome."
Pepe says, "Ah yes, so most of what you know of them dates from the time of the Roman Empire. That is consistent with what we have found as well. Do you have knowledge of Gaul during the time of the Roman Republic?" She answers, "Not any worth speaking of. The Franks, leading to modern France took over Gaul roughly 450 years after the Roman Empire conquered. The length of time they were Roman really depends on when you start counting. But during those years the Roman and Gaulish cultures merged together, some Celtic influences remained strong and even became part of the Roman culture, some faded as the people accepted more of the Roman culture into their lives. It becomes very difficult to separate."
Maracita says, "Thank you. That is very helpful. Now, what is it that you and Callum plan to do in Paris tonight? And do you know how long are you planning to stay with us here in France?" "I have no idea," Abby laughed. "I had no idea of even stopping in France at all. We were dropping off the remaining French wizards and the new Ambassador, and then returning the dirigible to Queen Neferka in Egypt. We may stay a day or two at the most. I'm sure Cal will want to keep on friendly ground with the new Queen, and taking an inordinate amount of time to return her dirigible won't help with that.
As for what we're doing in Paris, again, I don't know! But I hope it involves eating. All those hours without sleep also came without much to eat. Just whatever I happened to have with me that I could eat in a hurry on the move. Now that I slept all the way down on the dirigible, my stomach is making itself known." Maracita says, "We should arrive at around 11:00PM, still rather early for many of the best restaurants, so finding a meal will not be difficult. We have been asking you a number of questions, it must have felt like an interrogation. Do you have any questions for us?"
Abby says, "Well, you'd heard something of me before, so you'd have questions. I knew nothing of you an hour ago. And I'm not sure what's safe to ask and what's not. I am insanely curious about what goes on our here. It feels like more than just magical research."
Maracita says, "Most of what goes on in the 4,800 acres of The Land of Queen Mary is farming. It has a dozen separate tenant farms on it, most of which have been managed by the same families since Mary's time, and some even before then. Our principal agriculture is grains. There are no towns or villages on our lands, but the land is of relatively equal distances to three towns, each of which four of our farms bring the annual crops from their approximately 400 acres to. In reality, only the eight perimeter farms are real, each harvesting approximately 600 acres, with each pair of them providing the bounty for one of the four interior mock farms. The perimeter farms are also the only ones that receive any visitors from outside of our lands.
The tenants are good at keeping our secrets, they take pride in their discretion and recognize a good deal when they see it. We provide magical equipment which greatly eases the amount of work actually needed for planting and harvesting. And since fewer people are needed during the winter months we send half away on an all-expense-paid vacation to the Stuart estate along the French coast on the Mediterranean. So every tenant can look forward to receiving an extended seaside vacation from November through March, every-other-year. They would not have that with any other farming arrangement. As for the four interior mock farms, you've already seen two of them. Small amounts of farming do take place there, enough to maintain the illusion, but each has its own purpose, those details of which we are not at liberty to share with you as of yet. Although it is safe to say that the study of magic is a key part of it.
The manor house itself was established by Queen Mary, and was known at that time by the French population to be just a countryside retreat that she would go to when she needed a break from Versailles. We've basically maintained it as it was in her day, and occasionally entertain well-to-do guests and visitors there. Nothing is on the upper two floors that gives any indication that there is anything more to the site. Visitors going into the carriage house, the servants quarters or the storage barn would also not find anything obvious there either. But there is more to the set of buildings than meets the eye."
Pepe says, "A number of mysteries remain about the site. Mary Stuart lacked the answers to those, although she did her best to solve them. She realized that many answers lie buried on the grounds and was astute enough to bring in powerful druids from Ireland to examine the grounds before any of the buildings were constructed. So the exact location of each of the buildings are on plots that have no archaeological treasures beneath, but the land between those buildings, that is a different story altogether. Until now we have not had the manpower and skill sets to undertake such an operation, nor was it safe to bring in outsiders, given the need to keep matters secret."
Abby says, "Callum's decision to study makes more sense now. It's not a natural fit for him. He lacks the patience for the detailed work of getting the artifacts from the ground. But it is a natural fit for me, which is what you wanted to know. My knowledge and experience aren't what you need, at least not yet. I have more learning to do." She glanced over at Cal. "And of course, we are getting ahead of ourselves. I will keep everything I've seen here in confidence, and you are right not to tell me too much. I have employment elsewhere, and there is no guarantee I would be invited to help you here."
Abby paused, unsure what to ask next. It was such an odd position, to be trusted with this much information but not be part of what was going on. "What can you tell me of the Stuart family dynamic? Except for Meagan, is there any other threat to Cal's authority here? Anything else that threatens your mission? Only if you can tell me, of course."
Pepe replies, " The Stuart family is currently headed up by Alan Plantaganet Stuart and Lady Arabella Arthur Stuart, the current Lord and Lady of Galloway. Alan is Callum's uncle. They have almost no interest in this property. Lord Stuart was very content to let his spinster sister Baronese manage this land for the family. As Callum was her chosen successor, he is fine with that as well. Lord Stuart has only been here three times in his entire life. The first was as a boy when his father showed it to him. The second time was after he married and took his wife on a world tour, where they stayed here for all of two days. The final time was seven years ago when they hosted Queen Victoria here for a short visit. They stayed a total of two weeks that time, most of which was before the Queen's arrival in order to prepare the property for the royal visit. Queen Victoria spent two nights in the manor.
Callum's father, Randolph Henry Stuart, is a more frequent guest. His business dealings bring him to Paris several times a year. He usually stays at the finer hotels in Paris then, but will often bring business associates out here during those occasions to impress them. Thankfully he always gives us a few days notice if he plans to do that. He also has no real interest in this place. He is marginally aware that some here dabble in magic, but is fine with that as long as there is no evidence of that when he entertains here. So I would say there is no real threat to Callum's authority here. He has no interest in ever turning it over to Meagan. But if his Aunt Baronese ever wanted the job back he would return it to her in a heartbeat. She was well liked here and Callum totally respects her."
Abby says, "Cal's father went out of his way to separate us once before. Should Cal..." she blushed, knowing she was far ahead of herself but not sure if she would ever have any opportunity like this, "should he make me an offer, someday, could he be disinherited? Could he lose everything here?" Maracita says, "That would be a conversation he would have to have with his father. But the more impressive your credentials and work are the harder it would be for anybody to question and challenge." Abby couldn't make herself point out that the kind of offer she meant was not a job offer. But it was answer enough. "Thank you. I'm not sure my current employment with Mrs. Parker's group will help with that or not."
Abby then asks, "I didn't know his Aunt was still living. She retired in comfort, I take it." Pepe laughs and says, "You could say that, she's now a Russian Countess." Maracita says, "Yes, the most remarkable thing. She was vacationing down at the Stuart property in the south of France and met a Russian Count. They had actually met once before, six decades before, when they were both young children. Their parents had been delegates at the 1814 Treaty of Fountainbleu where Napoleon surrendered his authority over France, and had brought their families along to the conference. Neither had ever married, and they started acting like teenagers together. Before you knew it they had eloped."
"It's never too late for romance!" Abby laughed. "Mrs. Parker and her husband provide a daily example of that. Good for her. Russia is another place that must be fascinating. Of course, I think most cultures are fascinating. Perhaps some day I'll even travel into Asia." Maracita says, "Well, if you are an archaeologist who isn't fixed on a specific geographic location then there is no reason why you can't travel the globe." Pepe says, "The world is a very interesting place. I have been to all seven continents. But after a few decades of travel, I am now just as happy to spend most of my days on a farm in the country." Maracita laughs, "Says the man on his way to a night on the town in the world's busiest city."
"Just because someone enjoys a quiet country life doesn't mean they don't like a little excitement now and then." Abby laughed again, "I've had a little more excitement than I can take the last few days, a night on the town will be like a vacation. What do the two of you plan to do in the City of Lights?" Maracita says, "You can call it the City of Lights, I prefer its other nickname, the City of Love. Pepe and I always enjoy the city. It's a very cosmopolitan place, where those of us of other races can still find comfort."
Pepe says, "We neither hide or flaunt our differences. Outside in public we wear hats that cover our ear-tips, but other than that we are just ourselves, no magical disguises or any such nonsense." Maracita says, "Tonight I think we will go to the Cabaret le Ledu on the Champs-Elysees. It has a different feel than the Moulin Rouge or the Folies Bergere. A little bawdier and attracting a more diverse mixture of classes and races in the audience."
Abby says, "That sounds like home. New Orleans has people of every kind from everywhere, and the clubs there... I shocked some of my new compatriots with my familiarity with them. I wish it were perfect there, but I've never seen another place where races and classes mix so freely. I suppose it wouldn't do for Cal to be seen in such a place. Are the differences between races so noted here?"
Pepe says, "There is very little racial diversity in most places in France. The population for France is 90% human, with most of the non-humans being dwarves in north-eastern France near the German border. The French cities of Metz, Stasbourg and Thionville actually have dwarven majorities. And whereas Spain conquered Latin America, there are some elves brought back who live near the Spanish/French border. That is about all. Paris however, has its own conclaves of elves, ogres and orcs if you know where to look. I even have a friend here who is of the bugbear race from Antarctica. And in mages circles, elves and half-elves are not at all unusual to come across. So Paris is generally safe for us, at least in the neighborhoods that we frequent."
Although her words didn't sound angry, there was a tightness around Abigail's mouth and eyes that betrayed it. "I hate that you have to think about where you would be safe and where you wouldn't. With all my studies and what I've learned about the nature of people you'd think I'd know that we all fear the different, and that change will come as what was different becomes commonplace. But it moves far too slowly for me."
Pepe smiles and says, "Yes indeed, you're from New Orleans. As much as I said Paris was cosmopolitan, there is no place on the entire globe that is more accepting of all races than the city of your birth. We would all love to think the rest of the world would think the same. But it is coming along, nearly all nations now recognize slavery as an illegal practice, give the world time." Abby says, "I know history marches on slowly. Honestly, it's the only way it can. Change that comes too quickly frightens, causes a backlash. All I can do is keep behaving the way I wish others would and be satisfied that I may have helped history along a bit." "That is all any of us can hope for," Pepe states.
They have left the countryside and are now riding through the suburbs of eastern Paris. Homes are closer together, with an occasional inn or tavern. They cross a bridge and are soon in the outer environs of the city itself. "We are almost there," Maracita states with a grin, "He will be waking up soon. You did threaten him earlier about us telling tales about him, is there any an particular you want to know?" Abby grinned. "The most embarrassing, of course! And while childhood stories are fun, we're at our most embarrassing just when we think we've grown up."
Maracita says, "Well, Callum was always a favorite of his Aunt Baronese. She would visit them in Scotland around once a year, and he would visit here with his mother and sisters for a few weeks every summer. The most embarrassing would probably be the time when he was around thirteen and decided to secretly follow his older sister Evelyn when she and a local boy visited the town of Meaux to the northeast of the Land of Queen Mary. They had gone to the battle site from the hundred-years-war, where England's King Henry V had a great victory.
It had gotten dark out and Callum was exploring the ruins when he came upon what he mistakenly believed was the 400 year-old-ghost from the battle. In reality, it was a white nightshirt that had blown off of a clothesline and became tangled in a nearby tree. Something caused it to move, probably and animal or bird, and Callum turned and ran in the direction his sister had gone. He charged right into the ruined building that he had seen his sister going into, interrupting a pair of partially disrobed youngsters in a romantic situation. Both Stuart youngsters informed their mother of their own version of the story and both were subsequently punished."
Abby says, "Oh, now that's not fair! You know if I ever meet his poor sister the first thing I'm going to imagine is the girl caught in an intimate position by her little brother." Pepe says, "Well, if it will make you feel any better of her, the local boy wasn't just a farmer, he was the son of a French nobleman, and they had been seeing each other socially for a few weeks at that point." "But never un-chaperoned again after that incident," his wife adds.
"Scared by a nightgown is quite embarrassing, but didn't he ever do something ridiculous? I have no brothers or sisters, but I have cousins by the score. One of them once convinced me to disguise myself as a man to try to sneak into one of the Gentlemen's clubs in New Orleans. I was too stupid to realize I was never going to pass as a man at my age. Tall enough, but too curvy... and my face! I was caught out by one of my father's friends there, and if I'd ever earned a whipping I did that night. Thankfully for me my father didn't believe in those. I had to help in the kitchen for the next week. That didn't work out so well as a punishment though. I rather liked cooking and now I can make quite a lovely chicken pie."
Pepe says, "The only truly embarrassing thing I can think of was the time that his Aunt first taught him how to do a Leviate spell. We were in the barn so as to be out-of-sight of anybody watching and Callum had not been completely forthcoming about not knowing the spell, having experimented with it before in Scotland. But his plan to impress his Aunt at being a quick learner of magic backfired, as he failed to take into account the enhancement that the proximity to the magical well causes. He planned to rise up a few feet on his supposed first attempt, but shot up into the air like a fireworks rocket, striking his head on the roof to the first hayloft and knocking himself unconscious."
This laugh was hale and hearty. "Now that one I can believe! And don't think I'd think any less of sister Evelyn. Anyone who thinks young people aren't up to that sort of thing is blind or a fool, or was never young themselves." They now cross into the city proper. At the far end of the current boulevard the very top of the Arc de Triumph can be seen. Callum begins to stir.