AGELESS CAMPAIGN, Episode II, Part VI.

[Silver Moon]

Once the lights came up, she turned to Cal. "Care to stretch your legs? Or would you prefer to avoid the chance of conversations with the patrons?"

He replies, "What I want is irrelevant. I appear to have been spotted by that one "exception" I cited earlier and he is heading this way. Photographers appear to be following him, so if you don't want to be in tomorrow's newspapers you may want to move away from me."

Abby looks across the room and sees that a hefty man with a thin mustache and thick mutton chops is storming in that direction with a big smile on his face. He is wearing a wool military-style uniform festooned with medals, gold braid and a gold belt. She does not immediately recognize the country he is from. He has an entourage of six men with him, two in uniform and four in suits. A pair of men carrying cameras are indeed following.

 

[orchid blossom]

He replies, "What I want is irrelevant. I appear to have been spotted by that one "exception" I cited earlier and he is heading this way. Photographers appear to be following him, so if you don't want to be in tomorrow's newspapers you may want to move away from me."

She does not immediately recognize the country he is from. He has an entourage of six men with him, two in uniform and four in suits. A pair of men carrying cameras are indeed following.

"Oh, I AM curious... but it's probably better if I don't show up in the papers. At least not until after we're airborne again. I'll just go stretch my legs and come back in a few minutes."

She moved nonchalantly away, hoping to find a nearby spot to listen from, but still wary of the cameras.

 

[Silver Moon]

She moved nonchalantly away, hoping to find a nearby spot to listen from, but still wary of the cameras.

From a short distance away she watches as the bear of the man approaches and loudly exclaims in French with a distinctly Russian accent "Cal! Wonderful to see you!" He then grabs Callum in a huge bear hug. The photographers instruct both men to "Hold that pose" as they set up their cameras and take pictures. Abby had to admit that a burly uniformed Russian hugging a Scotsman in a kilt was probably going to be the most interesting photograph from this evening.

She hears them exchange small talk, the Russian speaking of his four children, the youngest having been born in January. Callum tells him (and the reporters listening in) that his days have been spent primarily managing the Stuart family farm east of Paris. He says that the harvest will be coming in soon, but until then he thought he might have time for a night off to attend the concert.

The Russian loudly exclaims, "And you still have not visited me! My bride and children have never had the chance to know you. I insist that you make a trip to Saint Petersburg before the year is done." "I may just do that," the Scotsman replies. The Russian kisses Callum on both cheeks and says, "I should go sit back down. It is wonderful to see you again my eternal friend!" The man, his entourage, and the photographers exit.

 

[orchid blossom]

The Russian loudly exclaims, "And you still have not visited me! My bride and children have never had the chance to know you. I insist that you make a trip to Saint Petersburg before the year is done." "I may just do that," the Scotsman replies. The Russian kisses Callum on both cheeks and says, "I should go sit back down. It is wonderful to see you again my eternal friend!" The man, his entourage, and the photographers exit.

Abby waited a few minutes to return. She strolled through the theater, smiling a bit while she thought over the Russian's effusive greeting. The story would be forthcoming, but it was amusing to imagine how Cal had met that bear of a man and earned such affection.

The few minutes alone gave her a chance to admire the architecture of the place. She had teased Cal earlier, but it really was a beautiful building, and well worth taking some time to examine. Once she felt enough time had passed to alleviate any suspicion that she had left to avoid meeting the big Russian, she headed back over to her seat.

 

[Silver Moon]

.....Once she felt enough time had passed to alleviate any suspicion that she had left to avoid meeting the big Russian, she headed back over to her seat.

The lights flicker, indicating that the intermission is coming to a close. Callum has been talking to people seated near them, who had not been inclined to talk to him prior to the Russian's visit but now seem interested in him.

 

[orchid blossom]

The lights flicker, indicating that the intermission is coming to a close. Callum has been talking to people seated near them, who had not been inclined to talk to him prior to the Russian's visit but now seem interested in him.

Abby gave them a slight smile and a nod as she took her seat. "I'm glad you haven't been lonely while I've been gone," she said quietly. "You will tell me all about how you met that man later, I hope.

I've been having a look at the theater, it's quite lovely."

 

[Silver Moon]

Abby gave them a slight smile and a nod as she took her seat. "I'm glad you haven't been lonely while I've been gone," she said quietly. "You will tell me all about how you met that man later, I hope. I've been having a look at the theater, it's quite lovely."

"Yes to both," is his reply.

The second portion of the show begins with a female vocalist singing the 1852 song "Les Voix Mysterieuses". This is followed by a 1954 piano dance piece titled "Decameron Dramatique", which originally comprised ten separate pieces of which three are played. Next is a ballet piece titled "La Belle Helene" which he co-wrote in 1855 with composer Louis Aubert, during which ballet dancers take the stage.

This portion of the show is then concluded with a one-act operetta from 1856 titled "La Rose de Saint-Flour". In the introduction it is stated that Offenbach was the king of the operetta, short one and two act operas, and that in his lifetime he composed and produced over one-hundred of them, of which this was his twentieth.

The play features three main actor/singers, a female soprano whose character is named Pierrette, a male baritone plays a cobbler named Chapailloux and a male tenor plays a coppersmith named Marcachu. The operetta includes considerable dancing in its eight scenes. The plot is rather simplistic, comprised of the two men competing for Pierrette's affections, with them each replacing her broken cooking pot as well as other gifts.

 

[orchid blossom]

The play features three main actor/singers, a female soprano whose character is named Pierrette, a male baritone plays a cobbler named Chapailloux and a male tenor plays a coppersmith named Marcachu. The operetta includes considerable dancing in its eight scenes. The plot is rather simplistic, comprised of the two men competing for Pierrette's affections, with them each replacing her broken cooking pot as well as other gifts.

As the lights came up for the second intermission, Abby leaned over to Cal. "I didn't expect to see a whole operetta tonight!" she said excitedly. "Truly, this has been far more than I expected. Thank you for bringing me. The music and dancing have been superb."

 

[Silver Moon]

"Truly, this has been far more than I expected. Thank you for bringing me. The music and dancing have been superb."

He says, "Offenbach was well loved here in Paris. For his memorial concerts the entire hall was filled every night. While this tribute is less well attended, the people here are here for the right reasons. I am glad that we were in town when this took place, an unexpected surprise. And the best is probably yet to come, as he is best known for this later works. I am curious what they have selected from the last quarter-century of his life."

 

[Fenris]

He interrupts and exclaims. "No sir, which simply demonstrates how little you are aware of the current situation. Those were Orabi's demands four months ago!"

George smiles patiently. "Again general. It is not unreasonable to think that the princess, pardon, Queen, came to the same or similar ideas on her own. If you doubt that, you gravely underestimate the new ruler of Egypt. She is thew Victoria of Egypt I assure you, quite clever and capable on her own. And a woman of her own mind. As for the current situation, if you will remember sir, that the marriage was arranged, and the ceremony occurred, and I should know for I was there, but a few days before they were both kidnapped. Much of that time they were apart. If you think that in that short a time, Orabi completely convinced the Queen to abandon all here per-exisiting thoughts and adopt his, well then sir you are not only underestimating the Queen's abilities, but calling into question her intelligence, and that sir is not to be tolerated in any country. And the line to defend the honor of the Queen and challenge you for such a slur is quite long and starts behind me" finishes George with a chilled tone. "Did Prince Albert have Victoria speaking German a week after he married her? Did he have her eating sauerbraten for tea? No, he did not. So do not besmirch the will, independence or faithfulness to this country of this Queen."

"Sir, I have complete authority to negotiate an agreement for the Crown. I have no need to contact the Prime Minister."

"Oh, I understand the full authority granted to men in your position. Nor am I implying that you need to contact the Prime Minister. Rather I am suggesting that the Prime Minister was explicit in his instructions and guidance to you before you left. To protect the plutocrats of London, the bankers. To make decisions to further the interests of the Banks, to place money first, rather than the safety and security of your forces, before the interests of the British people, before the good of the Empire and the Commonwealth, and certainly before your own ethics as a gentleman and an officer.

So, General, you have heard my proposals, but I have heard nothing from you in the form of a concrete suggestion, a practical resolution. What would you see done?" asks George.