Letters; Absences; Negative Space.

[Carnath-Emory]

When you must reach in a dozen disparate directions, you choose your starting-point by its urgency; you continue thereafter in order of difficulty. And because there is some urgency, you do it all with ink upon a page, with the reluctant knowledge that - in a landscape which spans miles - the written word will travel more efficiently than you can...


To: Glour'eya Wynsee
In care of whatsoever persons are presently charged with the Rememdium's maintenance

An apology: an unnannounced absence is kindless, and despite our intentions we haf been absent months. The brief missiv sent you already was insufficeint.

Treadwell, formorly Councilor now Lord Steward, has given to me the breifest detail of what has befalen you and Catch. You know without reading the words that I haf some concerns. Perhaps you haf more. There is a place made for you here and you are welcomed to take it or not as you see fit, during the weeks or months or more which follow or however your prefrence may take you.

If there is a thing which you require, if a thing which you want, you need only mention.

- Ariane

[Carnath-Emory]

To: Agnieszka Kaczmarek-River
By way of the Calomel Farm

Two things,

The first: my gratitude for the care and time that you haf spent upon the Militia in my absence. I would not haf wished them to endur another of the confusion which followed Sera Sundanse's untimely death and you haf spared them this. I hope that sera Varro's guideance is not likewise a thing which must be endured.

The second: a question which I think will haf real meaning only to you; to Cinnabar Calomel as well, perhaps but only in the most indirect ways

Do we live in the old days again?
Is that what the Crown and this Serdemer haf intended for us?

- Ariane

[Carnath-Emory]

For the Lord Steward's hand
Myrkentown Meetinghouse

Thank you, Treadwell, for our yesterday's convorsation. You haf never proved less than reliable and I can think of no better accl ecklem der'mo re introdectoin to Myrken afairs.

Yesterday there was no oportunity to ask, today I make that oportunity with ink and slight skill: what is your personal opinion of

the Crown's reasoning and intent in these recent matters
the lord Serdumer,
the cousin, sera Verro

I haf some faith in your judgement of women and men.

- Ariane

A P.S.: you will inform me if you discover signs of tampering upon this missiv's seal.

[Rance]

Ariane,

it soffens the hard edges of my mind to know you and the Proctor are quite well and your invit ation is well understood and received but I shoult say this, for among all things I cannot help but be honest with you: I am a raw nerve, what conserns you may have surely have been spoken to me already by many other parties, for I have grown in these past eight mo nths to know one incontrovertible truth: I am an irrasponsible sow in whose body grows not a child but the product of a beast, a madman, or so people beleave--

Allow me please to answer quest ion s you have not yet fully formed into words:

This was not done to me at the whims of his brute strength,
Catch does not understand except like a child,
I will not give birth to a sin; I will bring into this world a child, my child, and I shall pratect it.

I can not ex plain the impolse; I can not offer suitible excuse for my lack of composure; I can not give the blame to any except myself, for in grief, upset, and confushion I allowt passion s I did not desire to reign over my body and mind; I wisht to feel very good for a moment; I said to him the wrong words--

I wish to see you soon, I very greatly miss my friend, I shoult wish to hear about the nature of your trip. I shoult wish you not to a vert your eyes if you see me in such a state, for I hear enough from the townsfolk that I am unwed, that it is filthy, that I bear a tainted thing; I hope your gaze does not say the verry same thing their mouths do,

He does not understand. I am trying.

Yours,

Glour'eya Wynsee

[Treadwell]

For the Lord Steward's hand
Myrkentown Meetinghouse

Thank you, Treadwell, for our yesterday's convorsation. You haf never proved less than reliable and I can think of no better accl ecklem der'mo re introdectoin to Myrken afairs.

Yesterday there was no oportunity to ask, today I make that oportunity with ink and slight skill: what is your personal opinion of

the Crown's reasoning and intent in these recent matters
the lord Serdumer,
the cousin, sera Verro

I haf some faith in your judgement of women and men.

- Ariane

A P.S.: you will inform me if you discover signs of tampering upon this missiv's seal.

An evening is spent at the Meetinghouse, drawing up sketches of how best to divide Myrken Town and the rest of the Wood based on electoral lines decided by population.

"Fairly even distribution, there, Aloisius!" The Lord Steward finally decides, pleased. Final thoughts and sketches and charts are saved; the rest are tossed into the small fireplace in his office.

And then there is Ariane's note. . . . .

A shlick-shlick of a knife sees the wax worked free, and then, after a moment to pull the note closer to his myopic, bleary eyes--and then another moment to remove his glasses and rub those eyes before slipping the spectacles back on and blinking uselessly!--he continues reading.

Frown.

This is certainly something he will need to discuss with her in person.

Never put anything remotely rebellious or seditious in print, Aloisius. Never even hint at being unhappy with the people in power, no matter how you might truly feel about them.

So had his father, Octavius, warned him when he noted in his early twenties that he had hoped to be a playwright and a player on a traveling stage.

The less you write against the people in power--

his thoughts here had been punctuated by an explosive cough, the product of too many mornings and evenings spent with a pipe between his lips--

the better! That goes for mayors and councilors and princes and lords and ladies and kings, Aloisius--especially kings!

Thus, the contents of the note committed to memory, the body of the note would be committed to flame.

[Carnath-Emory]

Glour'eya

Expect me by morning.

- Ariane

[channe]

To Ariane Carnath-Emory, Darkenhold

Ariane,

I have had only a few perfunctory conversashuns with Miss Varrow, but I can tell you that while she might have the skills, she does not have my Respekt. She considers me to be a Dangerous Personage and no doubt she considers the same of You. Of course my sakrifices to the Crown go unheeded as does my commitment to Myrken Wood.

I doan't believe she means a change to the old days, but anyone who would so uncarefully sweep aside the way things are currently done, and make an enemy of one such as myself and Aleksei, well, she is certainly capable of the kind of thing all of us ran from so many years ago. I know she had nothing but contempt for me. And you. We are making preparations at Istota Gora in case the worst happens. We will not go quietly. You are welcome there, very welcome.

She is a High Borned Woman and she is bored with her life in Razasan. I met so many while I was there. Some of them took up sewing, others took up having affairs. Miss Varrow, ha! She took up playing games with other people's provinces like we are pawns or playthings.

I have a suggestion but I cannot mention it here lest this fall into the wrong hands. AND IF THESE ARE THE WRONG HANDS AND YOU ARE READING IT (NOT YOU ARIANE) -- GO FRAK YOURSELVES

Agnieszka Kaczmarek River
Private Citizen