Kthaahthikha

XVII - 0400

Entered down the stairway, dressed all in red and walking with the aid of a cane. his hair was black, but a few streaks of grey showed themselves amidst this, and his face was touched at the corners by the faintest of wrinkles. He was a handsome man, but nothing on the level of those around him, and above all he ws showing the signs of age.

Although I was not the first to note him, I turned at once as soon as I saw others watching. He stood on the central landing of the staircase, looking over all those gathered with a warm expression on his face. All those there looked back with something resembling adoration, but I thought I saw in his face the vaguest hints of what might have been possessive pride.

Maldino stood upon the stairs, and slowly he began to walk down them, one by one. At first people drew away, but as he passed they gathered behind him and followed slowly, with the sort of reverentional fascination that is usally reserved for a saint or monarch. As this impression touched me, I wondered which it was that they fancied him.

Maldino stood at the foot of the staris, and looked about.

'What a lovely birthday party,' he said. 'I'm glad to see that you are all having fun. I am sorry to be late in joining you, but there were things that had to be done. For I only just received the news as I was readying to dress and come down. Otherwise, I should have greeted you at the door. Now then, it is an absolute pleasure to see you all. Please, continue on. I hardly wish to disturb such far-gone revelry.'

Slowly, people turned away from Maldino, and he walked about unhampered for the better part by hangers-on. Wherever he paused, however, others would soon congregate. I noted Clothilde hanging upon his arm, a smile cutting its way across her face. She ws quite clearly entranced by something in Maldino's eyes, and I asked myself what strange power it was that the man had over his subjects. Was it purely, as it might be taken, a deep and all-consuming love? Or was it that he actually exerted some force over their minds?

There was no way of knowing, for it was hardly the type of question that I intended to ask. I waited patiently, for I had been promised an audience, and hoped to converse with tis enigmatic figure.

For now, at a distance as I was, I restricted myself to an examination of Maldino's bearing and appearance. there was something about him that clearly distinguished him from all of those others in the hall. perhaps it was the sheer presence of the man - the way in which he impressed himself upon any scene in which he was immersed? Or perhaps it was that whilst everyone else seemed somehow detached from reality, to real or not real enough, Maldino trod the earth as much as I did myself. It was clear that he was not of the same order of being as the others, that perhaps he was something lower or higher in the scale of things supernatural, but I had no way of knowing what it was. I asked the bearded man across from me, but he just shook his head.

'Maldino would prefer it that you hear such things from his own mouth,' said the bearded man, and closed the matter by proferring me a drink. I accepted, savouring the taste, though I had a glass of physical water by my side.

The evening progressed well in the presence of Maldino. Where before it had been a wild, directionless adventure in parties, now it took-on a more structured nature, and became something of an attempt to impress the lord. He smiled like an indulgent father, and thousands of people smiled with him. Songs were performed, but now they were no longer random ballads and spontaneous bursts of lyricism, but elegant and measured tunes - the classics of a host of ages. I heard amongst it some Mendhelson, and what sounded as though it might have been Chaucer.

There were feats of conjuring - doves and cards - and a juggling diplay where three full cups of wine were spun through the air without spilling a drop. I was amazed by this, and applauded along with all the rest the young man wo accomplished the trick.

After the singing and the siplays of petty magic, a troupe of dancers appeared - a number of beautiful men and women that moved in sinuous manners, bending in ways that seemed to contradict what I knew to be possible with the human frame. They swirled and gyred and did cartwheels and back-flips, and with a few quick motions they formed a tower that swayed up to the chandelier and allowed the top-most dancer to pluck one of the diamonds free with her feet.

As the night wore on, I grew tired, and decided that I would hunt-up Maldino later-on. I sought-out Clothilde and asked her when we would be departing. She told me that the festivities were due to continue to dawn, and if I wished to then I might return to her house by way of one of the carriages.

'But where is it?' I asked.

'Simply go to the foot of the steps, board a carriage, and request that it take you to the home of Clothilde Delacroix,' said the girl, evidently beginning to tire of my company. Rather than frustrate her, I left and did exactly as she had instructed.

The vehicle that I selected was a bare-wood, dark-stained road coach, and it was into this I climbed and spoke the requisite instructions. At once the coach was away, and I looked out the windows at the fabulous grounds passing by, and the small guard-houses set into the walls that became visible only for an instant, as I passed through the gates.

I returned to Clothilde's apartments in due course. Some might consider staying at a strange woman's home scadalous and immoral, but I would reproach those who do so by suggesting that this is only the fact if ones intentions are likewise. I rapped at the door and was admitted by the serving-girls, being escorted to a bedroom whilst several of them ran for me a bath.

It was in this that I luxuriated, taking great pleasure in the warm water on my body after so long without this simple pleasure. the warmth soothed my bones and muscles and the soap washed away the sweat and stench that had been concealed with an expensive suit.

I dried myself, and dressed in bed-clothes and a gown provided by the serving-girls. Before bed, I decided upon helping myself to a sureptitious inspection of the place. It cosisted, i was dissapointed to find, of a small number of rooms of a large volume each, with one long, low room in which were double bunks for twelve housemaids.

It was as I entered this room that I was treated to a great surprise, for having entered and found the room empty, I was just about to leave when I turned and was confonted with Clothilde.

'I'm very sorry,' I said, 'I was just about to leave. I was merely looking about the house before retiring to bed.'

Clothilde merely nodded silently and moved passed me, and it was then that I noted she was dressed in the uiform of a serving-girl.

Ooh, suspense. 18 hours and counting.