Chapter 1: In which we are introduced to our Heroine and she has a Strange Encounter.
Janneia beyond the Great Desert Published in the year 1582 by Finola Publishers; publishers to the Gentry and all.
“Good Morning.”
Janneia was shocked. A Man had spoken to her without being properly introduced.
“I was wondering if you could direct me to the Offices of your Government,” The Stranger continued.
What a Strange Request and what a Strangely Dressed Man, his blue Shirt and red Breeches were not colours normally worn by respectable men.
“Sir, I do not know why you are asking me this, but you would have to travel to Barin if you want speak to the King or his Ministers,” Janneia replied.
“Can you take me there?”
Janneia was taken aback, a Strange Man was wanting her to travel to Barin with him. “That is very Forward of you. It would take five days at least by Carriage if one were to travel only stopping in the evening.”
“Ah I see. My apologies as I have only arrived. Can you tell me where am I?”
“You are in Maroin[1].”
“Oh where is that?”
“In Haré?”
“And where is Haré?”
Janneia was now intrigued, all thoughts on non-etiquette had been forgotten. “Haré shares the continent of NarHar with Olo and Piwin, it lies close to Galien.”
“No, I have never heard of any of those places. And why are you dressed so strangely? Those Skirts[2] must be very cumbersome.”
“Sir, it is not I who is dressed strangely, it is you.”
He looked about and noticed several people staring at them. He turned to Janneia again and asked, “Can you point me in the direction of any Official Building?”
“There is the Sheriff’s Office, he deals with any crimes.”
“I do not wish to report a Crime, but I suppose he will do. Or is he a she?”
“I do not understand. The Sheriff is a Man.”
“Of course …”
“Janneia, to whom are you speaking?” she heard her Father shout. She turned to see him walking towards them.
“This Man is lost and I was trying to help him,” she explained as he approached.
“Look at him, he looks as if he is one of the Savages from The Great Desert,” her Father said.
“I assure you sir I am no Savage and I do not live in a Desert. Now if you would be so kind as to direct me to the Offices of … Of the Sheriff?”
“You should know better than to accost Women in the street.”
“Sir, I was not accosting women, I was merely making polite Enquiries.”
Janneia’s shock had passed. She was now feeling quite sorry for the Strange Man. He seemed genuinely Confused. “Sir, what is the name of your Country?” she asked.
“I hail from the State of Wyive.”
“There is no such Country,” her father admonished. “I have studied Geography and History and I happen to know there is no such place and nor has there ever been.”
“I can assure you that was the place I was in until very recently.”
“How recently?” Father asked.
The stranger looked about. “I must have … What Year is this?”
“It is the year 1575, Haré has just sealed a very favourable settlement with Galien.”
“What sort of deal, might I enquire?”
“A peace treaty, they fermented Unrest between us and we had to defend our Interests.”
“A War? But that means you are …” He stopped and stared, then his puzzled look was replaced by one of comprehension. “I am sorry to have troubled you and your Daughter. It is your Daughter? She has been most helpful. I must now be getting back.”
Back to where?
“Could you direct me to the nearest …” he continued. “How do you normally travel long distances?”
“By Carriage of course,” Father replied.
“Perhaps not then,” the Stranger replied. “I am afraid I must place my trust …” he then mumbled something to himself.
“Father,” Janneia whispered. “He is clearly lost and should we not fulfil our Civil Duty and help those who have come into Misfortune.”
“Hmm, yes perhaps.”
“No, I do not wish to trouble you. I must be on my way.” And with that the strangely dressed Man walked off.
“Janneia, you should not speak to Strange Men like that, you do not want to gather a Reputation,” she was told as they watched the Man walk up the street.
“Come on father,” Janneia said grabbing her Father’s hand.
“What?”
“Let us follow him and see where he goes.”
“To what end?”
“To ensure that he does not befall Victim to …”
“Janneia?”
“Please Father. I am curious and I believe he is Harmless.”
“Your Mother will be expecting us Home soon.”
Janneia started to follow the Man. Father followed reluctantly, he seemed to have surrendered as she knew he would.
The Stranger appeared to be unaware that they were following him. He followed the road for ten minutes and then walked off to one side. Janneia and her Father followed but before they could properly approach, there was a Bright Light and a sudden Loud Noise from behind some Rocks.
“Stay here,” her Father said as he ran towards the source of the Disturbance.
Janneia ran after her Father as quickly as her Skirts would allow. She turned the corner to see the grass on fire and the stranger sitting within a strange Machine.
“I told you to remain …” Father started to say.
“What is this Machine?” Janneia asked.
“I’m afraid I travelled a bit further than I meant to,” the stranger said. “I must try again.”
“From where have you Travelled?” Janneia asked.
“From a great distance, like I stated previously, from the State of Wyive[3].” The stranger pulled a Lever, a Wheel above his Head started to spin, “Farewell helpful Janneia[4],” he said and then after a few moments the Machine disappeared in a whirl of noise and wind.
The silence was broken by the Birds, who had remained silent during the machine’s operation, starting their singing again.
“We must speak no more of this,” Father said staring at where the Strange Man had been only a few moments previously. “Less people think we are Deluded.”
Janneia nodded, pushing her hair out of her face, but their Strange Encounter could mean only one thing. The traveller was from a long way away and was from a land they had no knowledge of. And they knew of all the Lands with the Great Ocean. So he could have only come from beyond The Great Desert. So that meant there was Life beyond the Great Desert, no other Explanation made sense and they had Machines that allowed one to travel great distances in a blink of an Eye.
[1] Maroin was a town created by Cheryil. It is based loosely upon Olish, though it is closer to Barin than Olish is.
[2] In the translation, we have tried to keep as much of the inconsistent capitalisation as possible.
[3] Note the use of places Cheryil had learnt of.
[4] One criticism that can be levelled at Cheryil’s books is the way she allows characters to understand each other’s languages for the sake of the narrative.
“Good Morning.”
Janneia was shocked. A Man had spoken to her without being properly introduced.
“I was wondering if you could direct me to the Offices of your Government,” The Stranger continued.
What a Strange Request and what a Strangely Dressed Man, his blue Shirt and red Breeches were not colours normally worn by respectable men.
“Sir, I do not know why you are asking me this, but you would have to travel to Barin if you want speak to the King or his Ministers,” Janneia replied.
“Can you take me there?”
Janneia was taken aback, a Strange Man was wanting her to travel to Barin with him. “That is very Forward of you. It would take five days at least by Carriage if one were to travel only stopping in the evening.”
“Ah I see. My apologies as I have only arrived. Can you tell me where am I?”
“You are in Maroin[1].”
“Oh where is that?”
“In Haré?”
“And where is Haré?”
Janneia was now intrigued, all thoughts on non-etiquette had been forgotten. “Haré shares the continent of NarHar with Olo and Piwin, it lies close to Galien.”
“No, I have never heard of any of those places. And why are you dressed so strangely? Those Skirts[2] must be very cumbersome.”
“Sir, it is not I who is dressed strangely, it is you.”
He looked about and noticed several people staring at them. He turned to Janneia again and asked, “Can you point me in the direction of any Official Building?”
“There is the Sheriff’s Office, he deals with any crimes.”
“I do not wish to report a Crime, but I suppose he will do. Or is he a she?”
“I do not understand. The Sheriff is a Man.”
“Of course …”
“Janneia, to whom are you speaking?” she heard her Father shout. She turned to see him walking towards them.
“This Man is lost and I was trying to help him,” she explained as he approached.
“Look at him, he looks as if he is one of the Savages from The Great Desert,” her Father said.
“I assure you sir I am no Savage and I do not live in a Desert. Now if you would be so kind as to direct me to the Offices of … Of the Sheriff?”
“You should know better than to accost Women in the street.”
“Sir, I was not accosting women, I was merely making polite Enquiries.”
Janneia’s shock had passed. She was now feeling quite sorry for the Strange Man. He seemed genuinely Confused. “Sir, what is the name of your Country?” she asked.
“I hail from the State of Wyive.”
“There is no such Country,” her father admonished. “I have studied Geography and History and I happen to know there is no such place and nor has there ever been.”
“I can assure you that was the place I was in until very recently.”
“How recently?” Father asked.
The stranger looked about. “I must have … What Year is this?”
“It is the year 1575, Haré has just sealed a very favourable settlement with Galien.”
“What sort of deal, might I enquire?”
“A peace treaty, they fermented Unrest between us and we had to defend our Interests.”
“A War? But that means you are …” He stopped and stared, then his puzzled look was replaced by one of comprehension. “I am sorry to have troubled you and your Daughter. It is your Daughter? She has been most helpful. I must now be getting back.”
Back to where?
“Could you direct me to the nearest …” he continued. “How do you normally travel long distances?”
“By Carriage of course,” Father replied.
“Perhaps not then,” the Stranger replied. “I am afraid I must place my trust …” he then mumbled something to himself.
“Father,” Janneia whispered. “He is clearly lost and should we not fulfil our Civil Duty and help those who have come into Misfortune.”
“Hmm, yes perhaps.”
“No, I do not wish to trouble you. I must be on my way.” And with that the strangely dressed Man walked off.
“Janneia, you should not speak to Strange Men like that, you do not want to gather a Reputation,” she was told as they watched the Man walk up the street.
“Come on father,” Janneia said grabbing her Father’s hand.
“What?”
“Let us follow him and see where he goes.”
“To what end?”
“To ensure that he does not befall Victim to …”
“Janneia?”
“Please Father. I am curious and I believe he is Harmless.”
“Your Mother will be expecting us Home soon.”
Janneia started to follow the Man. Father followed reluctantly, he seemed to have surrendered as she knew he would.
The Stranger appeared to be unaware that they were following him. He followed the road for ten minutes and then walked off to one side. Janneia and her Father followed but before they could properly approach, there was a Bright Light and a sudden Loud Noise from behind some Rocks.
“Stay here,” her Father said as he ran towards the source of the Disturbance.
Janneia ran after her Father as quickly as her Skirts would allow. She turned the corner to see the grass on fire and the stranger sitting within a strange Machine.
“I told you to remain …” Father started to say.
“What is this Machine?” Janneia asked.
“I’m afraid I travelled a bit further than I meant to,” the stranger said. “I must try again.”
“From where have you Travelled?” Janneia asked.
“From a great distance, like I stated previously, from the State of Wyive[3].” The stranger pulled a Lever, a Wheel above his Head started to spin, “Farewell helpful Janneia[4],” he said and then after a few moments the Machine disappeared in a whirl of noise and wind.
The silence was broken by the Birds, who had remained silent during the machine’s operation, starting their singing again.
“We must speak no more of this,” Father said staring at where the Strange Man had been only a few moments previously. “Less people think we are Deluded.”
Janneia nodded, pushing her hair out of her face, but their Strange Encounter could mean only one thing. The traveller was from a long way away and was from a land they had no knowledge of. And they knew of all the Lands with the Great Ocean. So he could have only come from beyond The Great Desert. So that meant there was Life beyond the Great Desert, no other Explanation made sense and they had Machines that allowed one to travel great distances in a blink of an Eye.
[1] Maroin was a town created by Cheryil. It is based loosely upon Olish, though it is closer to Barin than Olish is.
[2] In the translation, we have tried to keep as much of the inconsistent capitalisation as possible.
[3] Note the use of places Cheryil had learnt of.
[4] One criticism that can be levelled at Cheryil’s books is the way she allows characters to understand each other’s languages for the sake of the narrative.