IC-Ep 3-Late to the Party(Bey Abdu'l only)

[Mr. Handy]

Duc's Palace, Courtyard - Vyones, Auvergne, France
8:00 AM - Tuesday, April 21, 1517

Bey Abdu'l Fadl Benham rode in the luxurious coach to the palace of the Duc d'Auvergne in the city of Vyones in southern France from the port of Marseilles with his servant, who was both a medic and a translator. He had been invited to the Duc's party, as apparently his fame had spread far. Due to a storm at sea, their ship had been delayed by a couple of days, forced to take shelter in a port in North Africa and conduct some quick repairs. When they docked at last in Marseilles, they had hired this coach to take them inland to Vyones, riding through the night so as not to miss any more of the celebration than was necessary. They had been able to sleep during the ride, which had not been too bumpy, as they used an old Roman road, and the Romans certainly knew how to build them. The black silk curtains over the windows kept the light out once the sun had risen, and they did not awaken until they arrived at their destination. They were met by a liveried servant in the courtyard just outside the chateau.

"Good morning, Bey Abdu'l," he said. "My name is Henri. I am glad you were able to make the long journey. Please, follow me to your suite of rooms. The other servants will carry your belongings." The translator repeated the words in Azeri. While Abdu'l knew enough French to get by, he found it advantageous to have a translator, both to prevent misunderstandings due to the differences in languages and to give him more time to think of a reply.

[Joajackson]

Bey Abdu'l had woken up with slight pain in the neck and worse in the joints, the extremely old man found even that stable, safe and unbumpy road a terrible complication and a worry. He had been fascinated at the roman's road ingenuity during the first hour of travel, so said to have built those roads over millenia ago, but that mutated to the implicit fear that its current christian caretakers could have left it to rot to such an extent he would fail to even travel a day into Occitania before failing to some or other heart complication.

As they stopped at the Palace of Duc d'Auvergne and his loyal servant descended first, Bey Abdu'l ensured his clothes were properly aligned, his turban was properly tied, and his sword in the proper angle for his position, the first impresion had always to be the best one.

Descending of the coach with help of his servant and walking cane, he observed the Palace with interest, using the time his servant translating gave him. He spoke in Azeri, to his translates, expecting it would be translates directly.

"Its a great pleasure to be welcome in this land of beautiful forests, I send my best regards to the Duc d'Auvergne. I am terribly sorry for our lateness, but I believe it was Allah's choice we would take so long."

With the greetings spoken, they would follow the liveried servant.

[Mr. Handy]

"Of course, Bey Abdu'l," said Henri, bowing. "It was a long journey. I'm sure the Duc will understand. He will give you a private audience just as soon as he is ready to receive visitors this morning. This way, please." He led the way into the front entrance of the chateau, taking his time so that the elderly Bey could keep up with him. The other servants carried his baggage from the coach and followed them inside.

The large entry hall was lavishly decorated, as befitting a man of the Duc's wealth and nobility. Tapestries hung from the walls. Corridors led off to the left, the right, and straight ahead. "To the left is the Duc's library," said Henri. "You'll be free to peruse his collection of reading materials at your leisure, as one of his guests. For now, we shall proceed straight ahead through the Great Hall, from which we can reach the stairs to the guest wing."

[Joajackson]

The elderly Man was out of his field while he analysed the entry hall, normally, in his land, the meaning of tapestries and symbols, be to show appreaciation to the art, signal a family relation, or a cultural inheritance, were open to him. He could identify everyone who was everyone by the colour and pattern on their cloths, but european lands were so unfortunately different.

Speaking to Henri, trough the translator, he answered with a question.

"I expect the Duc to not feel presure to recieve me, my bones need rest even from my restfull travel trough your ancient roads, so are the natural curses of age. Now, I am cursed by ignorance of my fellow guests and I fear I will insult them with my lack of knowledge, could you name them for me, and give me a face to keep mind of?"

[Mr. Handy]

"The Duc is very eager to meet you," said Henri as they passed through the Great Hall, which was equally impressive as the entry hall, "though it is perfectly understandable if you wish to rest from your travels first. There are many guests, and it will take some time to describe all of them. One you might be interested in meeting is a Musselman like yourself, though he is certainly different enough. His name is Abdullah, and he is a Moor, a great merchant and sea captain. A very wealthy man indeed, and well-traveled too. You will not mistake him for anyone else here. He has skin as dark as night."

[Joajackson]

Bey Abdu'l has the strangest reaction when hearing the news of the moor, his face full of ugly wrinkles and old scars was full with certain dignified disgust and somewhat worry. Speaking with an altered voice, he tried to explain

"I see... A man from Ethiopia or Songhai. Forgive my terrible ask, but I am to not meet this man, unless another able bodied man capable with a sword is to be present. While I do not wish for any violence under this halls, terrible hate runs between diferent group of the south and east. This disunity I am sure its somewhat foreign to christendom, but depending on the faith of Abdullah, my hand might be guided by fury to strike him down or he might be tempted to answer the same, if our discussions are clouded by the enchantments of the strange circunstances. I pray for this to not be the will of Allah, and if someone is to stop this unfortunate posibility, for their sword to be quicker that mine."

The elder was a fanatic crusader from an empire that violently purged other sects of islam after all.

"I shall not worry the Duc, if he desirees to bless me with this greeting, as soon as he says so, I shall meet him them."

[Mr. Handy]

"Ah," said Henri, leading the way down a hall and then up some stairs. "I shall ensure you are seated nowhere near the man. I am used to making sure certain guests are seated far apart to ensure they do not come to blows or worse. There is a Chevalier named Jacques du Baudin, of the Knights Hospitaller and a suspected thief named Gui l'Argot. The two often seem to be at each other's throats, though their dueling has only been verbal so far. Well, mostly. The Chevalier did wound him when he caught him in the chambers of the famous Leonardo da Vinci, whom you should definitely meet."

[Joajackson]

The elder took his sweet blessed time going up the stairs, that while he really hated to show it, actually were a complication in his travels. In youth he had lead war against the georgians, and now he supported himself on a servant to move upwards.

"It's clear that this is a deeply, ah, interesting gathering. I have heard of that man, the respected Leonardo of Lombardia, and heard that within this land, he is of great age, while I am unsure if he could compare to my century of life... Meeting those that remember the world that no longer is, is deeply of my interest. I can visit the present, and the future is forever lost to me, but the past only lives in books and old men's memories."

[Mr. Handy]

"I believe Leonardo is about two thirds of a century," said Henri. "He is not only long-lived with many wonderful memories, he is a genius, a brilliant inventor, and a masterful artist as well. It is an honor to have him dwell under our roof - and to have you dwell here too. He may want to learn of the past from you as well. You both lived through different aspects of it. Also among our guests is a priest from Spain, an Inquisitor named Ignacio Fernandez. I am not sure what you would make of him, but he would no doubt consider you to be an infidel." The group reached the top of the stairs.

[Joajackson]

"We shall talk long and wide, I am sure, Leonardo of Lombardia shall feature quite considerably in my writings of my travels, I am sure."

At the mention of the inquisitor, there was a certain laughing expresion on the wrinkled face of the old man, he had his hand well placed on his ceremonial sword, while he talked to his translator.

"I have battled men sure to be of more fiery nature, while I would not want to insult, no christian man I have seen could compare to the will of the uzbeks of transoxania. I shall cut him down, if he acts as I have heard of the inquisitors of rome unto my person."

[Mr. Handy]

"Rest assured, he shall do no such thing," said Henri, leading the way down a hall. "His authority is only in Spain. He is here as a guest, as are you, and the Duc has sworn to protect his guests. There is another Spaniard here, one you may like better. He is a nobleman, Don Diego Vega de Almeida de la Cruz. A fine swordsman and horseman from what I've heard, but also a man of education and culture."

[Joajackson]

"I do say in my ruler's name that I shall not attack my fellow man, of which actions have not produced in me justified fury to guide my hand, and that if such fury would affect my actions, my reason shall try to consider my respect of the Duc to ensure peace to prevail."

"Another fellow nobleman to met, he sound like an honorable fellow to converse, I shall probably ask him of the hunt in this lands. My legs are too weak for hunting on the woods, but I can still gain greatly from hearing of the local achievement."

[Mr. Handy]

"He is honorable by all accounts," said Henri. "I think you will like him. There are also several women in attendance. There is Bianca Luciano of Milan, the wealthy widow of a condottiero who was slain in battle in the recent war. She is undoubtedly hunting for a husband. And there are three mysterious women who say they come from a land called Narnia, to the north of Scotland. Their names are Story, Elizabeth, and Brook."

[Joajackson]

"Narnia, you so say? I have never heard of such land, I would be deeply interested talking with those narnish ladies. Of widowed women and their remarriages, I have to say that my mind is dedicated to Allah first, and not hearsays over such miseries. While I dont insult christendom, the marriages of this lands are too complicated for me to learn, at this advanced age, I much prefer to speak about local beasts and types of trees."

[Mr. Handy]

"I have not heard of Narnia before either," said Henri. "Perhaps it is just the locals' name for it. I imagine it's some island near the coast of Scotland. Elizabeth has lived in Scotland for some time. As for local beasts and trees, you'll have plenty of chances to see them during your visit. The Duc's huntmaster would be the man to speak to about the beasts."

A young man emerged from one of the doors down the corridor. "Ah, this is Gui l'Argot," said Henri.

[Joajackson]

Bey Abdu'l observed the suspected thief Henri had mentioned before hand, first his shoes and then his hands. He observed the shoes for dirt, and his hands somewhat confused. He spoke almost to himself, with a final clarification to his servant translator.

"So this is the suspected thief then, I am surprised he still has his right hand. Dont translate that, say a common courtesy, and we will continue our path, the worst person to first met would be a thief, I dont want to insult the Duc. Dont translate that either."

[Mr. Handy]

”Salutations distinguées,” said Gui, with a florid bow. ”With whom do I have the honour of discoursing?” he asked.

Bey Abdu'l is moving to the following thread:

New Arrival