Castle The Series - 0020 Smokt Deltas

Nodding in agreement with what Thomas and Will had already settled, but looking a little puzzled, Yew said, “I notice you didn’t even refer to the new womenfolk.”
Will gave a crack of laughter, and after looking reproachfully at him, Thomas said laughing, “Rowan, Gosellyn, Hazel and probably Siskin too are dealing with the women, and if you bethink yourself I’m going to argue with those four over who runs the Castle administration, Master at arms or no, you can have my resignation right now.”
Yew looked startled at first, but then admitted with a wry grin, “No, no, and I’m not man enough or mad enough to either.”

Word Usage Key is at the end

29th of Towin Day 2

Yew overslept, for it was nearly half to nine when he awoke. He was normally out and crafting after having eaten by seven. He reached over to Rowan, but she had arisen. She must have heard him stirring, for she shouted through from the next chamber, “By the time you’re dresst(1) I’ll have braekfast(2) on the table, Love.” This was unusual because they normally ate braekfast with the Keep folk in the Refectory where in early forenoon conversation Yew oft decided what he would be doing for half the day. Some said he held court at braekfast, but quietly and not in his hearing, for though it was said in good natured jest all knew he was embarrassed by any suggestion he was aught other than a member of the Folk, which was a fair assessment of his status since he put as much time into his crafting as any and much more than most. Like most of the Council and many others he was overworked, and what little privilege he gained from Lordship was more than balanced by his workload.

Unlike many previous Ladies and Lords of Castle he was lucky, for Rowan prevented him from making himself ill from overwork by becoming uncoöperative and grossly unpleasant both to him and even more so to any other who required more from him than she was prepared to allow. She had always insisted as a father he had to have time to spend with his children and as a grandfather with his grandchildren. He dresst hurriedly, and entering their small eating chamber he saw and smelt, to his satisfaction, porridge with honey, heavily smoked deltas(3) with cumber sauce,(4) fresh bannocks(5) from the Keep bakery, apple juice and a pot of leaf, all of which he was fond of. Rowan kissed him and said, “I let you sleep, Love, so don’t complain because you needet(6) it. I suspect you will have another tiring day. I askt(7) for your favourites, so eat, because I suspect Will and Thomas will be here before long.”

She sat down to join him, but had a slice of early honeygourd(8) rather than porridge because she didn’t like it. Yew, who had been going to ask why she hadn’t awakened him earlier thought better of it, reflecting for at least the thousandth time, she was impervious to what he considered to be reason when what she considered to be the weäl(9) of her family was at issue, and he knew arguing with her would achieve him naught.
Rowan had finished eating and was pouring a mug of leaf, and Yew was making a start on his third delta when he heard Will’s voice spaeking(10) to someone whom he supposed would be Thomas. Rowan shouted in the direction of the door, “If you two will leaf you’d better sit down before Yew finishes it all.” Since the pot held the best part of half a gallon, Yew thought this was little unfair even though he was on his third mug, but he held his peace.

Thomas entered, closely followed by Will. “Mug’s are over there,” Yew said thickly, with a mouth half full of bannock pointing to a small side press. Will sat down, whilst Thomas filled the mugs leaving a nearly empty pot, he sat down and pushed one over to Will.

There were the usual goodforenoons,(11) and Will asked Yew if he’d slept tight,(12) who with a sideways glance at Rowan replied, “Gratitude, yes.”

He continued to eat motioning to the other two to help themselfs(13) to what ever they fancied. “Gratitude, but I’ve eaten,” said Thomas, wrinkling his nose at the smell of the deltas. Will, not a big eater, shook his head.

“I’ll leave you,” said Rowan. “I may or may not see you at lunch. I shall be with some of your staff, Thomas, working on placing the new womenfolk. I suspect Hazel will have askt Siskin to help us which will be good. I’ll see you later, Dear,” as usual she kissed Yew lightly on the forehead before leaving.

Siskin was her eldest child and she had been Yew’s heir since she had turned twenty. Though Lordship was usually passed to the Lord’s eldest child it had never been automatic, and in the event of no suitable child Lordship was passed to the nearest suitable relative. Lady Prudence, Yew’s great-grandmother, had been a younger niece of the previous Lady, Lady Florence. Florence had had ten children, none of whom she had deemed suitable, and so all were bypassed and Prudence chosen as her heir, with Council approval, in their stead. By tradition, the right to chose the heir was the sole prerogative of the incumbent Lady or Lord, but Yew, as had all Ladies and Lords before him as far back as the archives went, had sought agreement with the Council. The Council had wished Siskin, who all knew was a chip of Yew’s block, named as his heir as soon as she became adult at fourteen, but Yew at her behest had held off confirming her heirship till she was twenty in order to allow her to grow and mature without the pressure heirship would have placed upon her and Weir, her then intendet.(14)

As had been done for centuries, prior to her Ladyship, she and Weir were spending a lot of their time with different craftsfolk to obtain a better overview of Castle, of which one day she would be the chief executive, and she was currently crafting in Thomas’ office. It was normal for Lordship to be passed on as soon an heir and their agreän(15) were ready, and Yew was looking forward to Siskin, who was thirty-eight, starting her Ladyship in three years when she and Weir had finished their preparation to their own satisfaction. He would advise her and Weir to start with, but both Rowan and he were looking forward to retirement, enjoying their remaining years without their current workload, and being able to play a more supportive rôle in the rearing of their grandchildren.

The three men who had worked together for so many years, and were the nucleus of the Council that ran Castle, ate and drank in companionable silence. Eventually, when Yew had finished eating he asked, “What are we dealing with thisday,(16) Thomas, and in what order?”

Thomas who had been thinking of naught else since he had awoken replied, “First, we have a major social event in the Greathall thiseve(17) and nexteve(18) as well as on Quarterday eve, dinner, dancing, music, everything. We invite all the newfolk to all of them, and any of the Folk who are seeking family, kin or clan. My general staff can organise the guest lists. The idea is to allow as many as possible to place with the minimum of effort. I’ll have Milligan, Basil and Hobby organise the food, the arrangements and the entertainment as usual. I’ll ask Campion to chose as many folk as she considers useful to attend to conduct the introductions. She’ll know best who would be good at that and if Gosellyn is available I’ll ask the two to craft together both choosing the folk and managing introductions at the dance.

“For the next two days, we spend the forenoons looking at the notes maekt(19) on the new menfolk lastday,(20) with a view to potentially placing as many as possible into families and crafts, at the same time seeking any inconsistencies or aught else that warrants further investigation. In the afternoons, we try to match potential placement partners on paper, by discussing with the newfolk their skills, hopes and aspirations. We don’t do aught for most of them, just tell them we askt them what we did in order to have the right guest list, and invite them to the Greathall where we shall arrange appropriate introductions. We need to make sure they realise aught that’s belike(21) to require it will have to be put to the Folk on Quarterday. If need be we’ll have half a dozen Quarterday platforms, some of which can be solely to deal with pre-agreen(22) arrangements using my less experiencet(23) staff. I’d have more, but that’s all I have staff for.”

Since normally there were only two Quarterday platforms, and oft only one was uest,(24) Yew and Will realised Thomas was taking no chances whatsoever of not being able to finish the appearances.

Thomas continued, “This forenoon I’m having Lovage, along with some of my less senior staff to assist her, give somewhat more in deepth(25) interviews with the twenty reluctants who remaint(26) in the tent. Of the five remaining intransigents, none has given any indication they wish to join the Folk and Will has agreen(27) it is best if I leave them to him. I’m leaving the pregnant young women to Gosellyn. Other than that we deal with what happens as it occurs and do what ever we need to. My sorrow, but I can’t be any more specific than that.”

Nodding in agreement with what Thomas and Will had already settled, but looking a little puzzled, Yew said, “I notice you didn’t even refer to the new womenfolk.”

Will gave a crack of laughter, and after looking reproachfully at him, Thomas said laughing, “Rowan, Gosellyn, Hazel and probably Siskin too are dealing with the women, and if you bethink yourself I’m going to argue with those four over who runs the Castle administration, Master at arms or no, you can have my resignation right now.”

Yew looked startled at first, but then admitted with a wry grin, “No, no, and I’m not man enough or mad enough to either.”

Will still laughing said, “The archives indicate it’s been exceedingly rare indeed for women to be a problem requiring the services of my office, so at least that lets us focus on the most probable problems.” He grimaced, and added, “Thomas, let’s go and make a start on those records.(28) The sooner we start the sooner we end.”

Yew understood the grimace, and knowing as a man of action Will would rather do aught other than work with records, telt him, “Will, leave the records to us. You check what’s going on with the intransigents and sit in with Lovage and the others interviewing the reluctants. I like those characterisations, by the bye, Thomas. Your judgement there will be of far more value to us than what you would contribute with Thomas and me. You can find us later. We can always ask Gareth or Weir for help if we need it.”

With a relieved expression on his face, Will said somewhat disingenuously, “A good idea, Yew, I hate records you know.”

“We’d never have guesst,”(29) Thomas said to Yew quietly as Will left Yew’s quarters. Yew started taking the braekfast things to a trolley which the kitcheners(30) would collect later. Thomas helped him clear away the rest, finished his mug and put it on the trolley too, and they left for his office.

“What’s your feeling on the intransigents?” asked Yew.

“I suspect Will’s right, one way or another, they’re dead men,” replied Thomas, “but till they’re safely dead I bethink me they’re very dangerous, and I’m glad Will has taken charge of them. He’s given all his office instructions to take no chances. That and his explicit approval of Angélique, he maekt her a squad leader by the bye, means if they make any threatening moves at all, his staff will take immediate and permanent action.”

“I’m pleast(31) regarding Angélique’s squad, good woman,” Yew remarked, “but you’d expect no less from Will. Bethink you her being his cousine(32) will cause any resentment?”

“No, for she’s highly competent and well liekt,(33) and Will is well known to play no undeserved favourites.”

Yew grunted in agreement and asked, “What of the reluctants?”

“They will require watching and probably a couple of object lessons concerning the Way, but I doubt I shall have to ask Will to kill any of them. None of them strikes me as being that witless or that brave, but Campion says some are impossible to adjudge and it’s probable we’ll lose some. In the end, most will contribute, but I doubt any of them will be shining examples of the Folk, though it’s possible. Campion also tells me she believes some of them have had a poor start, but Castle may provide the opportunity needet to live a decent life as a worthwhile member of the Folk.”

They arrived at Thomas’ office, a whole series of chambers most of which were devoted to the archives. They entered the huge chamber where all the day to day work of the Master at arms administration was done. There was enough space for his entire staff, and it had two huge fireplaces for both space heating and hot water, a third of the way along from each end of the chamber. A young man at the far fireplace had his back to them, and Yew could smell toasting bannocks. In spite of having recently eaten, the smell maekt him hungry. “Good to see all the important work being done first,” he joked. “any of those bannocks going spare, Larch?”

“Forenoon, Yew,” Larch replied, without turning. “The kitchens just delivert(34) a basket full, so give me a minute, and I’ll have some more toastt.(35) One or two? Fruit or plain? Buttert(36) or not?”

“Better make it two. Fruit please with butter,” Yew replied.

Thomas telt(37) him, “I’ll have a plain one with butter too please. Any leaf available?”

“Willow’s goen(38) for a fresh pot,” replied a woman, barely visible behind a large pile of files. She emerged, and was seen to be in her late forties, a small comfortable looking woman with an intelligent look. She was wearing spectacles, had her auburn hair held up with a pair of ornate silver combs and, unusually for women of the Folk, had pierced ears with tiny walrus ivory earrings dangling from them.

“Goodforenoon, Grayling. What have you there?” asked Thomas, looking at the huge pile of files she had in her arms.

“These are the interview records of the new menfolk you requestet,”(39) she explained. “Hazel came at five and retrievt(40) the women’s files. They’re looking at them in the main archivists’ workshop. That woman is twice my age and uses half the sleep I need,” she stated enviously. “Hazel sayt(41) to tell you she bethinkt herself(42) it better to avoid incomer-incomer pairing if at all possible. It would be best to have them placet(43) with an agreän in the Folk or in a Folk family, failing that, with kin in the Folk or tightly establisht(44) in a Folk craft clan. She suggestet(45) only at the last resort do we try to match her lists with yours.”

“I agree,” said Yew, as Thomas nodded in agreement.

“Where do you will these files?” asked Grayling, before adding, “The ones with the blue ribands are the twenty who stayt(46) in the Gather tent.”

“We now refer to them as the reluctants and the five Will is managing as the intransigents,” chuckled Yew.

Grayling chuckled too, “A befitting pair of labels. Nearly all we know of the five is their names, they refuest(47) to tell us much. They telt us the dead one was Kyle.”

“Can’t say as I’m bothert(48) enough to will spaech(49) with hotheads who may spit in my face, but no doubt Castle will cool them down,” Yew said in chilling tones.

“Put them on the desk over there, Grayling, and we’ll put another desk alongside it. Yew and I are going to look at them together. We’ll need a bit more space than any single desk we’ve in here.”

“Why not bring the big mapping table in here in their stead? It’s in the next chamber, and there’s space aplenty for it here,” she suggested. “None will be using it till the work associatet(50) with the incursion is essentially over.”

“Good idea,” remarked Thomas, motioning to two young men to follow Yew and himself. They struggled back in to the chamber with the table which wasn’t big, it was massive, two and a half strides wide and five long, so big they had to bring it in through the huge doorway on its side. They set it back on its feet, and Grayling deposited the pile of files on it.

Larch shouted from the far end of the chamber, “Eat them whilst they’re hot.”

Whilst they had been moving the table, Willow had returned with a large pot of leaf and started pouring out mugs. Yew noticed there were at least thrice as many mugs on the press as the entire Master at arms staff. He pointed to the mugs and remarked, “Lot of mugs.”

Willow flusht(51), “I sometimes forget to ask the kitcheners to return them for washing. It can become a little busy here. It’s my task really.”

Thomas put an end to Yew’s game, “He’s teasing you, Willow.” Without saying a word she walked away, very much on her dignity, taking a tray of mugs and a plate of bannocks to the women in the archivists’ workshop. “Rein in,(52) Yew, she’s only been with us a couple of tenners, and I don’t wish to lose her,” Thomas expostulated, grabbing a bannock to go with his leaf. Yew did likewise, and pulling up a chair apiece they started looking at the files.

After a few minutes, Yew asked, “How do I use this, Thomas? I can’t make sense of it.”

Thomas was surprised because Yew was usually very fast assimilating aught, familiar or elsewise, and he replied, “All the incomers were interviewt(53) twice lastday. There was at least an hour between interviews, and one interview was with a male interviewer and the other with a female. All interviewers were experiencet, middle or senior ranking members of my staff. Recorders, near half of who were not Master at arms staff, wrieten(54) down the notes of the interview itself, and any feelings, thoughts or what ever else the interviewing staff bethinkt themselfs note worthy whilst the interview was taking place they recordet(55) themselfs at the time. Junior staff members, overseen by Grayling, have matcht(56) the records from the two interview recordings and the two interviewer’s notes, and each one of these files is of a single incomer. They have been arrangt(57) in what she considert(58) to be the order we should look at them, the most important being on the top. Why?”

“This Alastair is either the biggest liar breathing, or I’m looking at the interviews of two different men with the same name,” retorted Yew passing the file over to Thomas.

Thomas studied the file looking at one piece of paper and then another and then back again. He re-checked the interviewers’ notes carefully and finally said, “You’re right, Yew. I don’t understand it either, but it’s the same man. I suggest we leave this one to the end, put him in a separate category, there may be more the same, or similar. We can have Will look into it. Let’s go through all the files quickly and then focus on the men we can deal with quickly, with a view to having them potentially placet this afternoon, and reduce the size of the problem we’ve to deal with. Once they’re placet it is unbelike any problem they present will be of such a magnitude as to require our attention. We can return to the problematic ones later or nextday.”

They worked through the entire set of files extracting the ones they thought they could deal with relatively easily and those they considered to be of particular importance. They then worked steadily through those, consulting each other frequently. Eventually, Thomas announced he was doing no more before he ate. They had found no more files containing glaring inconsistencies, but they had found three whose subjects they considered should be interviewed again in more deepth as soon as possible. None of these was due to problems, but the crafts of the three men were possibly of sufficient interest as to warrant a grant of support to enable the men to start up quickly. They had also found one which seriously worried them, a man who appeared to be what the archives referred to as a religious fanatic. They had worked their way through half of the files, far more than the two of them could deal with this afternoon.

As they walked to the Refectory for lunch, Thomas suggested senior members of his office conducted the potential placement meetings and he, Yew, Will if he were available, Hazel, Rowan, Gosellyn and Siskin listen in. “We inform my staff of the contents of the notes we six maekt this forenoon before each meeting takes place, and we start with those three with the possible new crafts.”

Yew thought this over awhile and then said, “You’re the Master at arms, so we’ll do it your way. I wonder what’s for lunch.”

“Aught will do as long as it’s not fish. I can still taste your braekfast,” remarked Thomas.

“But you didn’t have any,” protested Yew.

“And that’s as close to eating a smokt(59) delta as I will to be,” said Thomas firmly. They arrived at the Refectory where marine soup,(60) venison rissoles, roast gris,(61) lamb chops, cockerel knarle,(62) with mashed and roast starchroots,(63) a choice of several vegetables, including salad and a selection of puddings, fruit and cheese were on offer. “Most satisfactory,” declared Thomas moving towards a serving counter. Yew noticed Rowan, Hazel, Gosellyn and Siskin were eating, and he and Thomas joined them.

Notes on Word Usage
1 Dresst, dressed.
2 Braekfast, breakfast.
3 Delta, a small but meaty oily fish that lives in the brackish waters of the Arder estuary, it smokes well and large quantities are caught and hot smoked for a winter food supply.
4 Cumber sauce, a pickled sauce based on cumbers. Cumber, cucumber.
5 Bannocks, small flat individually baked loafs of bread.
6 Needet, needed.
7 Askt, Asked.
8 Honeygourd, a fragrant melon.
9 Weäl, well being.
10 Spaeking, speaking.
11 Goodforenoons, good mornings.
12 Tightly, can mean soundly, properly, well or effectively depending on the context. In English to sleep tight is the only remaining usage of the word in this sense.
13 Themselfs, themselves.
14 Intendet, intended. In this context fiancée or fiancé, the person whom one intends to marry.
15 Agreän(s), spouse(s), person or persons one has a marital agreement with.
16 Thisday, today.
17 Thiseve, this evening.
18 Nextday, tomorrow.
19 Maekt, made.
20 Lastday, yesterday.
21 Belike, likely.
22 Pre-agreen, pre-agreed.
23 Experiencet, experienced.
24 Uest,used.
25 Deepth, depth.
26 Remaint, remained.
27 Agreen, agreed.
28 Records, generic term for paperwork not just records.
29 Guesst, guessed.
30 Kitchener, though part of the kitchen staff the kitcheners are a distinct craft comprising kitchen supervisors and their staff of servers, waiters, dish washers and storekeepers.
31 Pleast, pleased.
32 Cousine, female cousin.
33 Liekt, liked.
34 Delivert, delivered.
35 Toastt, toasted.
36 Buttert, buttered.
37 Telt, told.
38 Goen, gone.
39 Requestet, requested.
40 Retrievt, retrieved.
41 Sayt, said.
42 She bethinkt herself, she thought. The verb to think is rendered as one bethinks oneself in all parts of its conjugation in Folk.
43 Placet, placed.
44 Establisht, established.
45 Suggestet, suggested.
46 Stayt, stayed.
47 Refuest, refused.
48 Bothert, bothered.
49 Spaech, speech.
50 Associatet, associated.
51 Flusht, flushed.
52 Rein in, Folk expression meaning go easy or back off.
53 Interviewt, interviewed.
54 Wrieten, wrote.
55 Recordet, recorded.
56 Matcht, matched.
57 Arrangt, arranged.
58 Considert, considered.
59 Smokt, smoked.
60 Marine soup, a popular spicy shellfish and ocean leaf soup whose exact composition is variable according to seasonal availability of ingredients.
61 Gris, wild and feral swine which have interbred for over two millennia on castle.
62 Cockerel knarle, cockerel breast stuffed with herbs, nuts, fruit and spices in variable proportions according to their seasonal availability. So called due to the presence of knarlenuts, a nut unique to Castle.
63 Starchroot, floury potato. Waxy potatoes are referred to as waxroots, though the distinction is neither absolute nor always adhered to.