IC-Ep 2-Late for Dinner(Brook/Jacques/Gui/Jean Luc)

[Mr. Handy]

Duc's Palace, Great Hall - Vyones, Auvergne, France
6:20 PM - Monday, April 20, 1517

The late arrivals filtered into the hall, where the other guests and their hosts were already seated around the table, sampling the hors d'ouevres. "Ah, so glad you could join us," said the Duc. "But where are your friends?"

"Come sit by me, Mademoiselle Brook," said Lady Amelie, patting the empty seat next to her.

In addition to the people they had already met, there were four other guests they did not recognize from before. They resembled each other and appeared to be a family, and they were seated together. All were well-dressed, but they did not seem to be extremely wealthy. One was a rotund, bald man with a black goatee in his forties. Beside him was a woman in her late thirties, with long-flowing blonde hair. Across from them sat a young man with brown hair who looked to be about twenty, and a girl in her late teens who looked much like the other woman, only younger and more beautiful.

[Philulhu]

”The ladies send their apologies, your Grace,” replied Gui politely. “They are unwell and have retired to rest.”

He took a seat and nodded a greeting to the guests nearby.

[Mr. Handy]

Jean Luc sat beside Gui and did likewise.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said the Duc. "If they're up to it, we can have food and drink sent up to their room. But where is Leonardo da Vinci? And that Spanish lord..."

"Don Diego Vega de Almeida de la Cruz," said his wife.

"Yes, Spanish names do tend to get long."

"Not mine," said the inquisitor. "Father Ignacio Fernandez is a simple enough name."

[Philulhu]

”I think they intended to lie down in a darkened room, your Grace,” said Gui. “I’m sure they will be able to ask if they need anything when they awaken.”

“As for Monsieur Da Vinci, I am not sure. Perhaps the chevalier might know?”

He turned to look at Jacques. It was his turn to come up with an excuse for someone’s non-appearance!

[Snapper]

"Ah, Your Grace, Master Da Vinci is an older gentleman now. I'm not sure he has the same stamina that Your Grace clearly has. He may have fallen asleep, as older gentlemen are want to do, and I beg you will forgive him."

[Mr. Handy]

"Of course," said the Duc. "Perfectly understandable. And Don Diego?"

[Snapper]

Jacques is wearying of dreaming up excuses. "Your Grace, I'm sure Mlle Brook can provide greater insight, but I rather suspect the Spanish gentleman may be running about looking for flowers or fruit or whatnot to make Mlle Elizabeth feel better. Or perhaps composing some poetry for her." He shrugs in best Gallic tradition.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, I've seen the way he looks at her," said Bianca.

"Ah, that makes sense," said the Duchesse.

"Well, please sit down and help yourselves," said the Duc. "Soup will be served shortly, and you can meet the Galiano players." He indicated the four new arrivals.

[Philulhu]

Gui looked over at the players while waiting for the soup. Were they here for the play they would be watching later?

He gritted his teeth and fought the urge to mention ‘the Scottish play’ out of sheer devilment…

[Mr. Handy]

Good thing you didn't mention it. Shakespeare isn't even born yet.

[Philulhu]

I was referencing Jame’s Wedderburn’s Dionysius the Tyrant, his satire on the Catholic Church… honest!

Hot potato, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wedderburn_(poet)

[Snapper]

Jacques gives a polite, modest bow to the Ducal couple and a respectful nod to the other senior guests present before taking a seat, pleased not to be the focus of attention. He looks at the Galiano players with mild interest.

[Mr. Handy]

"I am Enrico Galiano," said the older man, "of Genoa. And these are my fellow players: my lovely wife, Veronique, our son, Charles, and our daughter Giulia." He indicated the older woman, the young man, and the young woman in turn.

Also an anachronism, as it won't be performed until 1539.

[Snapper]

"I am Chevalier Jacques du Baudin. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I confess I am no great expert on plays. We do not see very many where I normally live. Somethings, for entertainment, we put on our own plays but they are very poor work indeed."

"Tell me, without giving away any surprises of course, what style of entertainment do you normally perform?"

Spoiler:

Surely, at any given point over the last 2000 years, there has always been a cursed Scottish play? McB is merely the latest.

[Philulhu]

Gui bowed his head. “Gui l’Argent, at your service,” he introduced himself.

The earliest Scottish play was recorded by St Columba in the 6th century in his Chronicles of Iona.

‘The Shepherd’s Lament’ was reputedly written by a young man whom Columba was teaching Latin. The boy was an apt student and he wrote the play both to demonstrate his learning and to give thanks for his education.

‘The Shepherd’s Lament’ was the boy’s ode to just how unbelievably stupid sheep are, which was amply demonstrated when they same behaviour that inspired the play, also contributed to befouling of the chapel in the monastery where the one and only performance of the play to date took place. Using real-life sheep instead of local children dressed in fleeces was, in hindsight, a mistake.

Please let me know how far you read before realising that I was just making this up..

[Snapper]

Spoiler:

About a sentence or two. Good work.

[Mr. Handy]

"Likewise, Chevalier," said Enrico. "We can perform a variety of entertainments. Comedies, tragedies, histories...we have a wide repertoire. My troupe likes to put on plays from Roman times in particular. The play we're going to perform, Le Roi en Jaune, is actually an adaptation of a Roman play."

[Snapper]

"Oh, indeed?" Jacques mentally winces at the recollection of childhood Latin lessons which often ended painfully for his hands. "Ah, I am no great scholar but I should be interested to know what the name of the original Roman play was?"

"Roman myths and legends and the like are always entertaining."

[Philulhu]

Gui suspects that Jacque’s interest in all things Roman begins and ends with the statues of naked people but decides not to mention it…

[Mr. Handy]

"The original Latin title was 'Rex in Flavo,'" said Enrico. "It's a direct translation. I translated the play into both French and Italian. We performed the Italian version last year in Milan. The audience was mad for it!"

What gave it away for me was the text in the OOC spoiler button.