Hustle and Bustle
The table was in a small alcove off a stone passageway. From one end of the passageway, there came a warm draft of steamy air smelling like meat cooking with onions. Sounds also came to their ears: the clatter of pots and pans and banter of voices. From the other end of the passageway, more distant, there came a faint sound of a violin and music.
Before anyone could speak further, a young lady not much older than Mercy came bustling up the passageway toward them balancing a serving tray. Upon seeing them, she gave a gasp of surprise. “What in heaven’s name?” she mused. As if she was seeing spots, she squinted and shook her head. She stared, barely keeping the serving tray from collapse. No denying it, three large pairs of brown eyes were gazing right back at her. The children were suddenly aware of how comical they must look in their wet snowsuits combined with astonished expressions.
“Umm, Hello, … we’ve fallen here from…” Mercy began, not knowing exactly how to explain their arrival.
The servant silenced Mercy, holding up her index finger as a signal to ‘wait’. Then she quickly turned around and ran back up the passage as fast as she could while still balancing the tray.
“I think she’s some kind of waitress,” said Martha. Where’s Dad?”
They looked at each other in stunned silence. Tears welled up in Mercy’s eyes. “He’s…not here. And we…well, are we pretending?”
“If we are it seems real.” said Martha, now in tears as well. She hugged Mercy as if to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. The flesh of Mercy’s hands felt warm as ever. Still a few water droplets from snow on her hair.
Soon the surroundings overcame the tears. The alcove in which they were sitting displayed a painting: the bust of a Queen wearing a beautiful diamond necklace. “Maybe this is a Palace and she’s the queen!” said Martha. The Queen’s eyes had a penetrating quality. Was she watching them? The expression was dignified, but the eyes might be calling to them.
“I wonder if they have swords here?” said Malachi, who had gone out to explore the hallway. He was touching one of the torch supports. The mention of swords gave the girls a twinge of fear. The serving girl had seemed friendly, but caution won out with Mercy: “Get back in here!” she said. “We don’t want to be trespassing!”
Reluctantly, Malachi came back to the alcove and sat down. “I’m gettin’ hot,” he said, unzipping his snowsuit.
“Smells like a kitchen down there, don’t you think?” said Mercy finally, taking off her wet hat and letting her hair spill out.
“It smells delicious!” said Martha. “I wonder how big this castle is?.
Before she could say anything more, the servant was back. She was leading three soldiers in full armor. The largest of the three, who appeared to be a captain, spoke: “We mean you no harm. Please state your names and your reason for trespassing in the palace.”
“Sir,” said Mercy, bowing, “I’m Mercy, and this is Martha …and Malachi. We… are not sure how we arrived here. We are just as you see us. We have no weapons.” With a deliberate gesture, she took Malachi’s toy bow and handed it to the guard. “You see that we have winter clothing on because we were walking through the snow in the woods near our home.”
“Snow?”
“Yes,… Sir. Is it snowing here?”
The Captain looked hard at them with an expression which was half hard suspicion and half astonishment. “No, it is far too warm for snow. Thank you. One moment please.” He deliberated with another soldiers in a low voice. The serving woman was now smiling slightly as she looked upon the children’s rosy faces. Finally, he spoke up, “We must bring you before the King and Queen. Please remove your outer garments slowly and empty your pockets.”
“Okay everybody,” said Mercy. “Snowsuits off.”
Malachi looked at the guards in awe. The Captain motioned for him to lay his foam sword against the wall. Malachi did so without taking his eyes off the guard, who couldn’t keep a slight grin off the edge of his face. The man’s chain mail was shiny and well maintained. At the center of the breastplate, he wore an emblem of the sun with seven rays. Satisfied there were no concealed weapons, he led them down the passageway toward the music.
You can imagine their wonder as they walked out into the royal feasting hall. Candle–lighted chandeliers illuminated long mahogany tables laden with various dishes. Off to one side, minstrels were softly playing. As they proceeded in, the music and conversation gradually turned to a hush of curiosity. Many heads turned toward the children. They felt their knees nearly buckle as they became self-conscious. Play clothes were not appropriate to the situation.
One table was raised slightly higher than the others. As the party approached, the minstrels stopped. The soft crackle of the large hearth at the end of the hall could be heard. Two large dogs sauntered from an end of this table, sniffed a few times, and resumed their position next to another guard. The children felt small as they stood looking between candlesticks and golden bowls, at the King and Queen, who were regarding them keenly.
“Welcome!” said the King in a deep baritone voice. “Welcome to the kingdom of Adelphia! I am King Titus and this is my wife, Queen Lydia.”
“Thank you, your Majesty,” replied Mercy as she curtsied. Martha followed suit, though a good bit more wobbly. Malachi stood dumbfounded for a long moment. King Titus looked at him meaningfully, and he remembered to bow to one knee.
The girls, holding their curtsies, were about to fall over when the King said, “you may rise.” The King and Queen were dressed in some of the most exquisite attire that the children had ever seen. Patterns of moonlight and sunlight, stars and galaxies, birds and flowers were woven into their robes. Both were smiling gently and did not seem to mind the passing of time as they regarded the companions. The evident wonder in the children’s eyes brought pleasure to the Royal couple.
“Well met, well met, indeed!” said the King. “We can tell from your dress that you have come from afar.” Seeing the children’s self-conscious discomfort, King Titus motioned for conversation and music to be resumed. The fiddler obediently played and the people, some seated at tables, some standing near the hearth, turned back to their conversations.
“Come closer,” said the King. The children felt the penetrating gaze of the Royal couple, it was not malicious, but inviting. “How did you enter the Palace passing my guards?”
Mercy carefully explained about their winter walk, the pretended communion, and their astonished arrival in the alcove. The King did not interrupt, but the look on his face showed that he took it seriously. Finally, he asked, “Had you any idea that Christian communion could bring about such mysterious changes?”
Mercy and Martha both shook their heads, eyes fixed on the King. Finally, Mercy plucked up the courage to ask, “Are we in New York State, anywhere?”
The King looked at her meaningfully. “I have never heard of the place you speak of. You are at the royal palace in the City of Adelphia in the Kingdom of Highpattern.” The King held their gaze for a moment, then gently smiled as if to break them out of their stupefied state. “I shall look forward to hearing more, but first–hospitality! Twombly!”
“Yes Sire,” replied a well-dressed attendant.
“Please escort them to the palace dressing chambers where they may choose suitable attire. Feast at third mark.”
“Yes Sire. Right this way,” he said, leading them.
But Martha was rooted to the spot. She and the Queen were still gazing at one another smiling. Martha was absolutely transfixed to see a real Queen at such close range. Finally, the Queen winked at Martha. “Go find a dress child,” she said, pointing toward Twombly. “The feast begins soon.”
Before the companions could ask any further questions, they found themselves having to keep up. Many eyes in the feasting hall were once again following them, but smiles greeted them now. They passed through an archway into spacious corridors and hallways lined with paintings of historical events and people– none of which were familiar to the companions.
At first, they passed people in fashionable attire filtering toward the feasting Hall. Some bowed to Twombly as they passed. He would briefly nod his head, but took no time for introductions. Mercy had the overwhelming impression that the people were happy. Nobles and courtiers filtered by. Servants laden with more food and table service were giving them preference.
“Excuse me sir, but what is the third mark?” asked Mercy, plucking up courage as they walked.
“Ahh,” replied Twombly, “just around this corner, I shall show you.”
He brought them out into a portico with columns overlooking a garden. The warmth of the sun met their faces. In the middle of the garden, facing the portico was a sundial. Twombly showed them that the shadow of the sun was halfway between marks 2 and 3.
Returning into the Palace, they were led to an alcove with two sets of carved double doors: one set was carved with men in courtiers clothes, the other with women in dresses. The smell of oiled mahogany met their noses.
“Would your sisters give leave for you to come with me?” asked Twombly asked Malachi.
The companions looked at one another. Their looks registered, “this feels safe,” without speaking anything. “Yes sir,” said Malachi.
“And may I introduce Labesh,” he said, as a woman approached with a deep curtsy. Mercy and Martha curtsied in return and Malachi remembered to drop to one knee. They were getting used to this procedure.
She wore a full-length dress with golden colored sleeves and sash, olive green bodice, and delicate embroidery.
Twombly addressed her: “My lady, have you been informed? They are to dine as courtiers.”
“Yes indeed,” she replied. “I’ve received word.” Turning to the girls with an inviting smile, she said, “we can’t have you as dinner guests without proper attire, now can we?”
She led the two girls into a large room with rows of dresses hung carefully from wooden poles with complementary sashes, shawls and even jewelry. Small changing closets lined with mirrors on three sides.
“Please be careful with anything you touch,” said Labesh. “Many of these dresses are old and some of the stitching is weak. Mercy, your size is mature, which… should be in this row here.” Mercy couldn’t resist draping a gaudy purple and red dress with silver armlets over herself. Martha clapped and bowed saying, “m’lady!” both girls laughed and turned to Labesh who grinned broadly as if to approve of the excitement.
“The dresses for younger ladies are toward the back,” she said, gesturing in that direction. “You may explore a little while I tend to your sister.”
Martha looked around in wonder. Dress ups! Mom found dress ups at thrift stores, and garage sales. They were constantly dressing up. To explore a wardrobe used by Royal courtiers was a sound prospect!
Martha thought…”well, if they were going to allow her to choose, well she certainly was not going to take the first dress that came to hand. “No sir-ee… What a beautiful sash… maybe I can push the time limits just a little… hmm, this one is nice…” When she had browsed a few minutes, she had made her way to the “older” side of the large room. Here, the dresses were less glamorous, sometimes rumpled, faded and even torn. However, they were older, and that made them interesting.
The room was obviously well aired with proper humidity… Martha had the feeling that some dresses had not been tried on for centuries. Occasionally, when she lifted a sleeve and smelled, the fragrance was like an attic or an old library. Some dresses still carried a faint whiff of the perfume worn with them. She had become lost in her thoughts when she heard Labesh calling her name. “Oh… Right! They were trying to get back to a feast!”
“Over here, my lady!” Martha called.
She was about to go toward the area where she could try one of the girl dresses, when her eye was drawn by a glint of blue in one of the older racks. When she investigated, she found a little (blue?) dress inside a rumpled brown dress. She quickly unbuttoned the outer dress and stared with awe at the dress underneath.
It seemed to reflect the color of the sky where the light slanted through the window. When she placed her body between the dress and the window, its hue changed to blend in with new sets of shades and shadows. Amazing! She moved back in front of the window to test her theory –it reflected sunshine and blue again. She heard footsteps, and realized that Labesh had come to fetch her.
I don’t think you’ll find much over here miss,” said Labesh, as she bustled toward Martha through the rows.
“May I wear this one?” said Martha, holding up the dress.
Labesh came up short, her eyes widening. “Where did you find that?”
“It was inside this older dress,”said Martha demonstrating.
“This small one is an Aragite dress. It was spun and woven perhaps 500 years ago by the Aragite weavers. Some say the fabric is magical.There are only a few dresses like it to be found in all of Adelphia.” Labesh ran the fabric through her fingers admiring it. Hmm…, the size does seem to be close…”
Once they had adjusted it, the dress did fit. They stood before to a three-sided mirror. “Well…it’s beautiful! Wait here if you please. I’m going to go check on your sister,” said Labesh.
Martha looked at the mirror again. Something was not quite right. The right-hand side of the dress had a lumpy, cleverly concealed pocket in the bodice. The bodice had clasps that could be undone with one hand. How ingenious! She reached into the pocket and pulled out the lump. It was too heavy for a pocket handkerchief. She unrolled the bundle, and at the center she was astonished to find a diamond necklace! The diamond in the center was skillfully set. Its shape was heptagonal, with a flat central plane surrounded by seven triangular facets. These corresponded to its gold setting, which had rays radiating outward like the sun. She had seen a similar pattern on the uniform of the soldiers and on the crowns of the Royal couple. Carefully inscribed were the seven days of the week and seven words which Martha did not know except one of them: Adelphia.
As Martha gazed into it, mesmerized, the central plane gave way into what looked like a motion picture screen. She saw people in a village square on a summer day. There were chefs roasting lamb on a spit and musicians playing their instruments on a small stage. Young men and young ladies were curtsying and bowing to one another in preparation to dance. But then, darkness overshadowed the square. The people cried out in terror and ran for cover. Martha could feel a cold sweat building on her brow as her heart raced. She could feel that whatever had darkened the sky was searching…could it be? Searching for her.
“Don’t look at it anymore child!” said Labesh, covering the necklace with her hand. She too was breathing hard and hugged Martha close. “I know what that necklace is,” Labesh said quietly. “I was here when Queen Tirzah used to wear it.”
Martha felt her heart pounding in her chest. She felt a strong desire to look at it again, but Labesh held her hand firmly. “Wait,” said Labesh. She explained that many of the dresses came complete with jewelry for the use of the courtiers, so that was not unusual. But this necklace was quite unusual.
“Should I put it back?”
“No, you must bring it before the King. Some of the diamonds are… well, magical.”
Slowly, Labesh moved her hand away. They looked at it again, but nothing unusual happened this time. Mercy had come over to their corner. “Wow, what did you find, Martha?” she said. “Where exactly was it?”
“This dress was inside this older one.” Martha demonstrated how she had found the whole thing. “Isn’t this just the most amazing neclace?”
“Heavens!” said Labesh “we only have a quarter hour till the feast.” She skillfully clasped the beautiful dress at the back and combed Martha’s hair. “The dress fits exactly… (she fixed the bodice),…rarely do I see such a good fit. Normally, such a dress would only be in the royal apartments, but, obviously this one was meant for you. What do you think?”
“I love it!” Said Martha, twirling and curtsying with her sister. She saw that Mercy had found a beautiful olive gown with lace, which set off her brown hair and eyes.
Labesh seemed to be in a bit of a dilemma. “What to do?” she said out loud, then came to a decision. Nervously, with trembling hands, she placed the necklace over Martha’s shoulders.
Martha couldn’t believe her luck! To be able to wear clothing of royalty was amazing to begin with, but this dress actually seemed to change its shade of blue to go with her hair. Would she be mistaken for a Princess? But as she noticed the gravity on Labesh’s face and thought of the vision, she realized that this could be a serious situation. She returned Labesh’s look with one of deference and cooperation.
“I’ll be filling you in on palace manners as we walk through the hallways,” said Labesh. As they walked forward, she found white shawls which clasped with brooches. “Now, throw your shawls around like this, they will be warm and hide the neclace for now.”
The girls eagerly nodded. They were going to be dinner guests with royalty!
highpattern 