Posted originally on 17 July 1758:
Narrator: If the reader will forbearantly beg my pardon, I am about to press the red button on the incredible machine beside me. It has the ability to warp the space-time continuum as I may please. You don't believe me? Well.... Let me first place in the desired date: April 25, 1758. Specific time: 02:00pm. Location: Versailles, Gallia, Earth; specifically the Rectory of Cardinal Richelieu. No, no, the world will not end. You will not feel even the slightest quiver of the planet nor will you see nearly three months of sunrises/sunsets pass in the blink of an eye. As I press the button....
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Cardinal Richelieu: "My dear Tradgardland brother in The Faith! I welcome you with ardent friendship and pleasure. Enter. Come in and sit there. Allow me to offer you a glass of Chevert wine."
Cardinal of Tradgardland: "Thank you Your Excellency. I am indeed honored to be welcomed in your country and to be here. Yes, I am in need of refreshment. .... Ah, the best I've tasted in many a year."
Narrator: After discussing issues related to The Church and the unfortunate falling away from The Faith of too many of humankind desiring to pursue immoral lifestyles to their unknowing disadvantage, both turn to the true subject at hand.
Richelieu: "As you know the King desires that his nephew marries. From our previous correspondence I am led to believe your Duke may have a marriageable daughter. However, I perceive she was widowed some months ago.
Cardinal of T: "Yes. We speak of the strikingly beautiful Alisona. Her mourning period should be respectably ended this year. An unfortunate incident in New Tradgardland took her dear husband from her before his time, some might say. However, as we know, there is a season for all things. His winter, so to speak, found him passing into the next life."
Richelieu: "Tragic!"
Cardinal of T.: "Yet Alisona begins a new season for herself and the Duke hopes the same for Tradgardland itself. A marriage with your King's nephew, Lt. Gen. Pierre de Galantier would be a good diplomatic tie between our two nations in these troubled times."
Richelieu: "Galantier is indeed our most eligible young man of means. He served in The Carnatic discombobulating the Britannians there as best he could. Recently he was with the expedition to The Shetlands where he barely missed making Alisona's acquaintance by perhaps no more than a day. Now he is here again, but about to pack to join de Broglie in Germania. Near Frankfurt Am Main if I am not mistaken."
Cardinal of T: "What is our next step my dear Richelieu?"
Richelieu: "Let us ask the young man what he thinks of it all. I am led to believe the portrait of Alisona shown to him before embarking for The Shetlands intrigued him. Not only that though.... He also remarked about her courage to journey and live in The New World where so many mysterious perils exist. If I am not mistaken, he considers her to possibly be energetic, brave and loyal."
Narrator: You see. Nothing happened to your world after I pressed the red button. It only now remains to listen to the words to be spoken by the two Cardinals and Galantier himself. We will meet again soon. Meanwhile, I shall press the green button to reverse polarity and return you to your normal existence. Click.
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Votre Serviteur,
Bill
37 minutes ago
3 comments:
Narrator: The writer has suffered from a spate of inertia regarding this matter. Apologies to Alan for my delay too! However, the red and green buttons within the astounding machine referred to previously allow all of us to safely return to the pending meeting between Galantier, Richelieu and the Cardinal from Tradgardland on 25 April 1758/2008. No, you need not fear or hold your breath. Time travel of less than a year is a trifle. Yes, a sign of the cross is always a good idea. Ready? Here we go. 3. 2. 1. Engaging red button. And....
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Cardinal Richelieu: "My dear Galantier. Come in-nnnn.
Narrator: Galantier enters, both Cardinals rise to bow as Galantier smiles. Cordial greetings are exchanged. They then sit conducting conversation of a general nature consuming a half hour of the clock when....
Cardinal of Tradgardland: "Thank you for attending us my dear General. If I may turn the subject to the reason for my visit? My Duke desires that his marriageable daughter be wed in the next year or two. Ah, following the customary period of mourning after her husband was killed in New Tradgardland."
Galantier: "Yes Your Excellency. Alisona."
Cardinal of T: "The same. May I beg to inquire your thoughts Sir?"
Galantier: "Oui. I have been struck by her extraordinary courage, resolve, loyalty and beauty. The portrait I have is a credit to her. Her defense and interest to go to The Shetlands during the insurrection was surely a testament to her good character. I am inclined to consider the idea of meeting her - to get acquainted and if fate allows, well then, a wedding could be possible. However, I leave for my assignment in Germania on the morrow joining the Main Army.
Cardinal of T: Yes. Well my dear young general, your remarks are all that I could hope for at this very early stage. I shall return to my Duke and advise him of your kind and prodigious remarks.
Narrator: time is up. I press the green button to return us to 31 October 1758/2008. CLICK. And so....
The meeting ended soon thereafter with each man going his way. Galantier to say adieu to his Uncle, the King, Richelieu to prepare for Mass on the Sunday next and the Cardinal of T to prepare to engage a Seine River galley to return him to Le Havre and thence back by sea to Tradgardland.
Readers will observe the above was six months ago and that much happened since. Galantier did indeed join the Gallian Main Army under Marshall de Broglie. He was not engaged at the Battle of Freiberg on 11 October.
Galantier and de Broglie are at present within Frankfurt Am Main. The Cardinal from Tradgardland returned safely to his homeland where he and the Duke crafted a means for Galantier and Alisona to meet in the winter of 1758 or 1759.
We now leave this storyline awaiting events, which I daresay might involve intrigues of a mysterious kind. Dresden is lovely in the winter, don't you think?
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Votre Serviteur,
Bill
Bill
I trust this finds you well. I am most indebted to you for this current posting. I look forward to events unfolding over the winter and beyond...
Daily report to M. Broglie at Frankfurt includes the following snippet:
Frankfurt contingent of the Reichs Armee assembled from well to do guildsmen. They are well equipped and are quite competent with basic drill. Unfortunately, they're also usually too drunk to execute any maneuvers and too corpulant to endure much drilling. It has been suggested that the best method of deployment for them would be downwind from our forces and upwind of the foes as they seem to have a faculty for delivering volleys of noxious vapors for some time after consuming their rations ...
:)
A
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