| Latest revision |
Your text |
| Line 117: |
Line 117: |
| | And Meagan gave me a whole pile of letters to deliver at Gathering. Winder what they are?<br><br> | | And Meagan gave me a whole pile of letters to deliver at Gathering. Winder what they are?<br><br> |
| | '''''Monday, 12 November 1928; On a Train --''''''<br><br> | | '''''Monday, 12 November 1928; On a Train --''''''<br><br> |
| − | Where to start? We are once again in the first-class compartment of an Estward-bound train, heading for Arc's and Gathering. Julian is sound asleep across from me; yesterday was exhausting for her. But I digress....<br><br>
| |
| − | Saturday night was the rehearsal and dinner. The rehearsal took place over two hours, despite a very competent staff, simply because the whole thing was ''so elaborate.'' Meagan told me the wedding would be quiet and simple, compared to the reception, and perhaps that was true; but simple ''only'' in comparison. Neither bride nor groom seem to have an awful lot of truly close friends, so the inner bridal party itself was small -- but they made up for it by creating dozens of "staff" positions for distant friends and relations, each of which had to be instructed. Yawn! Ushers, flower-bearers, candle-carriers, a little girl in matching frock to turn pages for the organist, black-suited servers with silver trays to hand favors and rice to the guests... you see. But the church was lovely, and the ceremony, though carefully nonsectarian, was serene and pleasant. To that, add the bride and groom themselves, radiant and blind with smiles; Meagan blushing red with her eyes full of tears, Edward nervously capable in a glassy sort of way that convinced me that only his professionalism kept him from the shakes.<br><br>
| |
| − | Amazing.<br><br>
| |
| − | But I digress, again. The dinner was uncomfortable. Julian and Maddie chattered away as they do, but neither of them knew anyone else there but Meagan and myself. The Bride- and Groom-to-be spent the whole time cooing at each other; I felt very much the outsider. Most of the rest of them seemed to know each other fairly well, but they were all businessmen or relatives, with little respect for itinerant engineers like me.<br><br>
| |
| − | I did get to meet Meagan's father finally. Impressive fellow; the Patriarch type. I can see where she gets it!<br><br>
| |
| − | Andrew Scott came into town on Saturday, and I took him to meet King. I have discussed the possibility of the two of them working together, so I thought they ought to meet and chat. Andrew pulled the most alarming stunt! We are in the sanctum, I introduce them, and without any warning Scott has this idiot grin pasted on his face and starts behaving like a boorish simpleton! I could not believe my eyes! It was an awfully crass thing to do; I was upset, but King seemed merely amused by it, so I left them to work things out for themselves.<br><br>
| |
| − | I went back, alone, later in the evening. I eagerly await an explanation from Scott. Why on Earth...? But King seems to have taken it all with good graces. No harm done, apparently.<br><br>
| |
| − | We talked about several diverse things; rituals (especially the ceremony of signing), our outstanding assignments (He has not yet found Cairo), the Eight, the Twelve, names and magic, Scott, the Knorri, and (of course!) the Treaty. We spent quite a while going over the counterproposal ... some of the points he raised are going to be troublesome but I do understand something of his reasoning; in the main there were fewer objections, and smaller ones, than I had feared.<br><br>
| |
| − | (Than "I" had feared. I wonder how the others will take it all? I shall try to explain, to warn some of them in advance as much as possible ... but how much can I do?)<br><br>
| |
| − | And then, in the end when everything was settled, THEN we fought. It was a close thing; almost, we threw the treaty in the waste-can and walked away. And though we reached understanding, though we continue to forge ahead, there is a forced quality that will not be erased. A rift has grown between us now that will affect everything we do from now on.<br><br>
| |
| − | Trust is threatened. I will not forget.<br><br>
| |
| − | I am not sure how it happened now. We were discussing the Envoys, Mrs Williams in particular, whom ehe tells me is an excellent example of the sort of daysider most attractive and alluring to his folk. (There is in his attitude a yearning intensity, when he speaks of her, that tells me quite clearly that he is far from immune to that attraction himself! It seems that he has found it necessary to guard her carefully, like a fragile treasure never to be touched. I have felt the same yearning from some of my college chums, when faced with a lovely companion who will no longer receive them, and I wonder how strong is his control and self-esteem.) In the midst of this, he admitted to me that he has his own motives which he will not reveal, for the Alliance and all of it. He says now that none of these hidden plans hold harm for the Alliance, or for any of us or for our goals; but that for us to know these plans would doom our relationship to violence and an early end, and how can that be? What awful secrets does he hold? And how can they be so dangerous if there is no harm in them?<br><br>
| |
| − | Enough. he has not lied to me; King is playing far, even to admitting this much; but my trust is no longer pure and my faith shall not be blind. It hurts to lose that security! Forever, now, I must watch him carefully -- I shall question his motives and the things that he does.<br><br>
| |
| − | A secret betrayal. In my heart.<br>
| |
| − | But we shall continue -- and someday it will all be clear.<br><br>
| |
| − | Sunday was an all-day whirlpool of this and that and whatever. Julian was swept away sometime around nine o'clock to 'get ready'. This apparently meant facials, manicures, hair-do and getting laced into her costume ... all of which I thought was normally reserved for the bride. The ladies naturally did not want me lurking about, so I had myself groomed appropriately, checking in with J every once in a while. Then the ceremony, described above. Chandler's "small" gathering nearly filled the church, several hundred guests present when the organ began to play. And there I was, in the fourth row on the bride's side with a couple of dozen others, like box seats at the Opera. Caught a glimpse of Daphne once, lurking in the crowds further back in the church, but of course she had no "ribbon" card. Just as well.<br><br>
| |
| − | The groom and his people were all nattily handsome, but I really have little enough to say about them... I was watching the ladies.<br><br>
| |
| − | Jewels on a string, they stood there; each one different, all young, all lovely in their silk and sparkle. The high collars and loose drop-cowls made them all look like priestesses, or fairies out of an Arthurian tale. Meagan, all in white shimmer with miles of train; Maddy, taller and perky with a big big grin; Meagan's friend Alexis, coolly serene and perfect, every dark hair in place; and Julian.<br><br>
| |
| − | I do not know how many others were watching her, but I could scarcely look elsewhere. She stood there, radiant, absorbing the attention of a thousand eyes and bathing in it, her own excitement pouring out of her even when she did not move.<br><br>
| |
| − | I hope she did not steal the show! For me, that is excusable; but for ''everyone''? Luminous; absorbed in spectacle, ecstatic and yet terrified of making a tiny mistake -- how could I bear to look away?<br><br>
| |
| − | Listen, my love, listen! I urged her during the sermon. Feel the cadence, Peter and Paul's ancient words eternally renewed. And when the vows were exchanged, we spoke them too, silently, just for ourselves, thin thread of touch between us making everything holy.<br><br>
| |
| − | Lord! How I love that girl!<br><br>
| |
| − | Afterward: The recessional, the interminable wait while the wedding pictures were taken, standing around outside with little packets of rice and rose petals .... The caravan behind their coach all the way to the Chandler Building, meekly following Daphne's orders, so filled with the warm glow of the thing that I almost did not wish to go at all; instead, to sneak away and be alone with my own love, even though I knew we must attend.<br><br>
| |
| − | The Reception was an anticlimax.<br><br>
| |
| − | Huge, loud, scattered throughout the Building, filled with thousands of milling people whom I never care to meet. Our little room was a haven of comparative stillness -- the more so since so few of my friends showed up. Alex Chase was there, I spent the time talking to him and to Andrew Scott.<br><br>
| |
| − | Tony never showed. Too bad.<br><br>
| |
| − | Wish I could have chatted more with Maddy, but there was not time for everything, and whenever I looked she was doing bridal-party things.<br><br>
| |
| − | I was glad when it was over. My distrust of Chandler has not entirely abated, and this makes me uncomfortable with simple well-wishing. Yet I cannot continue to beleaguer poor Meagan with ominous doomsayings -- she has had enough of that! She is happy, she has made her choice, as well-informed as she needed to be to be satisfied; who am I to ignore that?<br><br>
| |
| − | Still. It hurts to think she may be wrong. But this is ''her'' day, and I will wish her well as fervently as any of them. And with more pressing reasons besides!<br><br>
| |
| − | Thus, in the end, it was over. The dinner; the toasts; dancing; speeches; bouquets and garters (neither of which came our way, despite Meagan's urgins to Julian!); and the endless rounds of Thankyous, Hellos, and the inevitable startled or speculative looks when "my wife Tess" was introduced. Off they went, in a long black car, with a hug and a handshake, kiss and a tear, to the train station and away.<br><br>
| |
| − | Whew! Such a sigh of relief.<br><br>
| |
| − | I fear we were a bit rude to some of our fellow guests; in our desperation to be away together we quite ignored the friendly overtures of one or two folks we met. Daphne was hard-put to cover us as we went! But oh, how good it felt to be alone together again! So much excited energy when the burdens were dropped --! I swear it was some hours before we spoke another intelligible word aloud....<br>
| |
| − | .... and it was not until this morning that I realized I had no way of reaching Maddy until she shows at Gathering! What will she think of me? I hope my rudeness has not offended her.<br><br>
| |
| − | In any event, here we are somewhere in Indiana I think. The end of the book, not a moment too soon. I shall start a new one at Gathering; ancient tradition reborn, and a time of newness and change for all of us.<br><br>
| |
| − | I wonder what the coming year will bring?<br><br>
| |
| | '''''18 November 1928; Arkham, 3:15 AM --''''''<br><br> | | '''''18 November 1928; Arkham, 3:15 AM --''''''<br><br> |
| | ''"They have left, finally. All of them off to their respective homes, or to wherever they feel needed. A blessed relief to see them all, and too, a blessed relief to see them gone.... Perhaps, despite my good intentions, I shall be up until dawning again. 'Tis always the way, after a Gathering. So much to set down before the memories fade...."<br><br>''From the diary of Pierre Farquell'' | | ''"They have left, finally. All of them off to their respective homes, or to wherever they feel needed. A blessed relief to see them all, and too, a blessed relief to see them gone.... Perhaps, despite my good intentions, I shall be up until dawning again. 'Tis always the way, after a Gathering. So much to set down before the memories fade...."<br><br>''From the diary of Pierre Farquell'' |
