Mergogne
Establishing Nation
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- Oct 31, 2006
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LABOR
Montgarny S.A. Factory
Industrial District
Cherganne, Brausillon
Mergogne
Thomas Duravin bit a hangnail on the side of this thumb as he walked along the factory catwalk. The rusting metal grating creaked, and almost swayed from side to side with his movement, but he didn't care. He had to hurry — it was the end of Brigitte's second day at the factory.
Thomas's stomach was rolling around in his gut, as he descended from the catwalk into the rows of machine tools that covered the factory floor. As the factory shut down, the roar of the lathes, drill presses, and planers slowly softened, and the kerosene lights turned off one by one, leaving swathes of the floor in darkness. He couldn't believe they were making her start so soon. He flinched as he tore the hangnail from his thumb, along with a sliver of flesh. He sucked away the blood and approached the capstan lathe that Brigitte was gingerly locking up. Having changed from his machinist's jumpsuit to his street clothes, he took care to walk around a large slick of oil on the floor as he greeted his daughter.
"Good evening, Papa," Brigitte said.
"Hello, ma poule — did your mother have any trouble finding the factory this morning?"
"No trouble, Papa."
"Good, you can't be late, you can never be late. Were there any problems with the machine today?"
"No problems, Papa."
Thomas was going to reply, but he lost his words. The drab gray work smock set off Brigitte's red cheeks and red, moist eyes. She looked unhurt.
"Papa, is this the machine that Noah fell into?"
Thomas swallowed slowly.
"Yes it is, mon trognon, but that's not going to happen to you. And Noah is going to get better. Do you remember what I told you yesterday?"
"If it gets stuck and the machine man isn't there, come and find you."
"Yes — don't touch the machine, don't get the foreman, don't talk to anyone else, just come running and find me. And always pay attention. Pinch yourself if you need to, but never let your mind wander — and always do what the other workers tell you."
"How does it work?"
"The machine?" Thomas asked, as he ran his finger along the feed rod, leaving a silver trail in the black grease.
"It's a very complicated thing, but it has a very important job to do. It puts threads on metal pipes, so that they can connect to other things. I'd say this one has been here for a long time, a decade at least."
He started absently twirling a spindle on the headstock assembly.
"All the pieces have to work with perfect timing, and perfect geometry. If even the smallest gear is out of orientation, the whole thing will seize up, and the machine will shut down. That might damage it, or cause a major accident at the factory. Whatever happens it can be very dangerous. That is why we always have to be so careful with it."
"When can I go back to the church with Mother Superior Germain?"
"Not too long, a few months perhaps. Now hurry up and get changed, or I'll be late for my meeting. I'll be outside."
After a long day in the crucible of the factory, Thomas welcomed the brisk evening air outside. He gazed into the night sky to count the stars as his coworkers walked by, like ghosts, as they headed home. Thomas nodded numbly as the machinists' foreman reminded him of the extra hours we would be working that weekend. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the factory's sooted brick walls, trying to escape the day. After a few minutes of quiet meditation, Brigitte birdlike voice roused him. As he looked at her, he couldn't help but think that she resembled a rotund ball of rags, swaddled against the cold in at least three tattered coats. They headed off into the dark streets, amidst the tumult and frost of the Cherganne night.
"Papa, what do you do at your meetings?" Brigitte asked, as they walked across the icy cobblestones of Rue des Templars.
"I told you, ma chatte, they are adult things that you shouldn't worry about."
"But Papa, I want to know!"
Before replying, Thomas paused in front of a sidewalk bench to scan the headlines on an abandoned newspaper.
"Very well. Did Mother Superior Germain ever tell you the story of Aurélien and Caterine?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well let me tell it to you now, if I can remember," Thomas said, as he began the tale with a distant look in his eyes.
Many hundreds of years ago, the young man Aurélien was the much-loved Duke of Brausillon. He was married to the beautiful and tender Caterine. They were deeply in love, more so than any other couple in the land. They were at each other's side every moment, much to the joy of the people. One day, Pope Alexander II declared a crusade against the Emirs of Himyar. King Enguerrand ordered Aurélien, who was a brilliant military commander, to lead the Mergognard army. Aurélien was torn — he wanted to serve his king, but he could not imagine leaving his lovely Caterine, who of course could not journey with him. He sadly agreed to follow his Liege's orders, and prepared to lead the Mergognard knights against the Moslems. Before he left, he gave the Duchess a jeweled pendant, made of the darkest sapphire and the brightest fire opals — a token that she could remember him by until he returned.
Across the Channel, Aurélien and his knights won battle after battle, pushing the Emirs' soldiers deep into the Jurzani Desert. This mattered little to Caterine, who grew more and more heartbroken as the years without her Duke wore on. She received letters every week from Aurélien, telling her of his conquests, and what castle his army would march upon next. But these only deepened Caterine's sadness, as they reminded her of the distance. She would reply that she missed him dearly, that he must return home soon. These letters moved Aurélien, but he could not stray from the task his King had given him, and Emirs' realm was vast.
Every night, Catelin pleaded with the stars to let her lover return.
"Aurélien, I cry for you, I cry for you!" she would wail into the moonlit sky — but the stars did not answer.
Finally, Caterine could live no longer without the embrace of Aurélien. She thought for a long time about what she would do, but at last decided that she must bring back her husband, no matter the consequences. She summoned her handmaiden Fatima, who was born in Himyar and had been brought to the courts of Brausillon as a child slave. Cateline instructed Fatima to travel to Himyar, find the Duke, and give him the pendant he had left Cateline as a sign that he must return. The Duchess also gave her handmaiden Aurélien's letters, so that Fatima would know where to find the Mergognard army. However, Fatima had different plans. Years of forced servitude in the court of Brausillon, and her kidnapping from Himyar, had stoked a great wrath in the handmaiden's heart. Fatima delivered the letters, which told of Aurélien's plans, straight to the Emirs.
The Himyari armies, now knowing the plans of the Christians, ambushed Aurélien and his knights. After a vicious battle, the outnumbered Mergognard Army was finally defeated. Aurélien and his soldiers offered a humiliating surrender, and returned to Brausillon. Forlorn at first by his defeat, Aurélien soon forgot any sadness upon seeing his beautiful Cateline again. Their reunion was a beautiful celebration — but it was interrupted by a dark madness that fell upon the Kingdom. The aristocrats at court in Brivonne, who had long benefited from the prestige and plunder brought by the Crusade, were furious at the Christian defeat. They assassinated King Enguerrand, and formed a regents' committee for the infant prince. They also forced Pope Alexander II to excommunicate Aurélien and Cateline.
However the people would have none of it. Not just in Brausillon, but across Mergogne, the people revolted in anger at the aristocracy's greed and scorn for the kind Duke and Duchess. Aurélien and Cateline didn't want to lead any rebellion, however — Cateline was pregnant and the couple had no interest in politics. The revolt forced out the greedy aristocrats and established a new regency, while Cateline and Aurélien forfeited their lands and titles, and lived the rest of their days in happiness together.
Brigitte listened quietly to the entire tale, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Mother Superior Germain did tell us this story — I remember now. But not like you told it. Mother Germain said that Aurélien and Catelin were bad Christians. She said that they had betrayed God, and that they broke the country!"
"I don't know if I would agree with Mme. Germain — they did what they did for love. Sometimes people must do extreme things to protect the people they care about."
"The Mother Superior also told the end of the story differently. She said that in the end, Aurélien and Cateline didn't go away, they joined the angry people and tried to steal the throne!"
"That I don't remember, but I could be wrong. It has been a long time since I've heard this tale, mon lapin."
"But Papa, all of this is silly — you still haven't answered my question! What does any of this have to do with your meetings?"
Thomas didn't answer right away. As soon as they turned the corner onto their street, he saw a familiar black sedan parked in front of their modest apartment building. A hefty man in overalls was leaning against the passenger-side door of the well-traveled Carentanian import, smoking. He pinched out his cigarette as the pair approached. Thomas turned to Brigitte to hurry her into the house.
"Go inside and tell Mama to get dinner ready. I'll be back soon, mon ange."
The large man had a ruddy face and a mouth that was a chessboard of bright yellow teeth. He opened his arms towards Thomas as Brigitte scampered past.
"Thomas, good to see you. Camarade Corbeille is looking forward to your meeting. Please, let's take a drive."
The pair entered the black sedan and drove north into the night.
Montgarny S.A. Factory
Industrial District
Cherganne, Brausillon
Mergogne
Thomas Duravin bit a hangnail on the side of this thumb as he walked along the factory catwalk. The rusting metal grating creaked, and almost swayed from side to side with his movement, but he didn't care. He had to hurry — it was the end of Brigitte's second day at the factory.
Thomas's stomach was rolling around in his gut, as he descended from the catwalk into the rows of machine tools that covered the factory floor. As the factory shut down, the roar of the lathes, drill presses, and planers slowly softened, and the kerosene lights turned off one by one, leaving swathes of the floor in darkness. He couldn't believe they were making her start so soon. He flinched as he tore the hangnail from his thumb, along with a sliver of flesh. He sucked away the blood and approached the capstan lathe that Brigitte was gingerly locking up. Having changed from his machinist's jumpsuit to his street clothes, he took care to walk around a large slick of oil on the floor as he greeted his daughter.
"Good evening, Papa," Brigitte said.
"Hello, ma poule — did your mother have any trouble finding the factory this morning?"
"No trouble, Papa."
"Good, you can't be late, you can never be late. Were there any problems with the machine today?"
"No problems, Papa."
Thomas was going to reply, but he lost his words. The drab gray work smock set off Brigitte's red cheeks and red, moist eyes. She looked unhurt.
"Papa, is this the machine that Noah fell into?"
Thomas swallowed slowly.
"Yes it is, mon trognon, but that's not going to happen to you. And Noah is going to get better. Do you remember what I told you yesterday?"
"If it gets stuck and the machine man isn't there, come and find you."
"Yes — don't touch the machine, don't get the foreman, don't talk to anyone else, just come running and find me. And always pay attention. Pinch yourself if you need to, but never let your mind wander — and always do what the other workers tell you."
"How does it work?"
"The machine?" Thomas asked, as he ran his finger along the feed rod, leaving a silver trail in the black grease.
"It's a very complicated thing, but it has a very important job to do. It puts threads on metal pipes, so that they can connect to other things. I'd say this one has been here for a long time, a decade at least."
He started absently twirling a spindle on the headstock assembly.
"All the pieces have to work with perfect timing, and perfect geometry. If even the smallest gear is out of orientation, the whole thing will seize up, and the machine will shut down. That might damage it, or cause a major accident at the factory. Whatever happens it can be very dangerous. That is why we always have to be so careful with it."
"When can I go back to the church with Mother Superior Germain?"
"Not too long, a few months perhaps. Now hurry up and get changed, or I'll be late for my meeting. I'll be outside."
After a long day in the crucible of the factory, Thomas welcomed the brisk evening air outside. He gazed into the night sky to count the stars as his coworkers walked by, like ghosts, as they headed home. Thomas nodded numbly as the machinists' foreman reminded him of the extra hours we would be working that weekend. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the factory's sooted brick walls, trying to escape the day. After a few minutes of quiet meditation, Brigitte birdlike voice roused him. As he looked at her, he couldn't help but think that she resembled a rotund ball of rags, swaddled against the cold in at least three tattered coats. They headed off into the dark streets, amidst the tumult and frost of the Cherganne night.
"Papa, what do you do at your meetings?" Brigitte asked, as they walked across the icy cobblestones of Rue des Templars.
"I told you, ma chatte, they are adult things that you shouldn't worry about."
"But Papa, I want to know!"
Before replying, Thomas paused in front of a sidewalk bench to scan the headlines on an abandoned newspaper.
"Very well. Did Mother Superior Germain ever tell you the story of Aurélien and Caterine?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well let me tell it to you now, if I can remember," Thomas said, as he began the tale with a distant look in his eyes.
Many hundreds of years ago, the young man Aurélien was the much-loved Duke of Brausillon. He was married to the beautiful and tender Caterine. They were deeply in love, more so than any other couple in the land. They were at each other's side every moment, much to the joy of the people. One day, Pope Alexander II declared a crusade against the Emirs of Himyar. King Enguerrand ordered Aurélien, who was a brilliant military commander, to lead the Mergognard army. Aurélien was torn — he wanted to serve his king, but he could not imagine leaving his lovely Caterine, who of course could not journey with him. He sadly agreed to follow his Liege's orders, and prepared to lead the Mergognard knights against the Moslems. Before he left, he gave the Duchess a jeweled pendant, made of the darkest sapphire and the brightest fire opals — a token that she could remember him by until he returned.
Across the Channel, Aurélien and his knights won battle after battle, pushing the Emirs' soldiers deep into the Jurzani Desert. This mattered little to Caterine, who grew more and more heartbroken as the years without her Duke wore on. She received letters every week from Aurélien, telling her of his conquests, and what castle his army would march upon next. But these only deepened Caterine's sadness, as they reminded her of the distance. She would reply that she missed him dearly, that he must return home soon. These letters moved Aurélien, but he could not stray from the task his King had given him, and Emirs' realm was vast.
Every night, Catelin pleaded with the stars to let her lover return.
"Aurélien, I cry for you, I cry for you!" she would wail into the moonlit sky — but the stars did not answer.
Finally, Caterine could live no longer without the embrace of Aurélien. She thought for a long time about what she would do, but at last decided that she must bring back her husband, no matter the consequences. She summoned her handmaiden Fatima, who was born in Himyar and had been brought to the courts of Brausillon as a child slave. Cateline instructed Fatima to travel to Himyar, find the Duke, and give him the pendant he had left Cateline as a sign that he must return. The Duchess also gave her handmaiden Aurélien's letters, so that Fatima would know where to find the Mergognard army. However, Fatima had different plans. Years of forced servitude in the court of Brausillon, and her kidnapping from Himyar, had stoked a great wrath in the handmaiden's heart. Fatima delivered the letters, which told of Aurélien's plans, straight to the Emirs.
The Himyari armies, now knowing the plans of the Christians, ambushed Aurélien and his knights. After a vicious battle, the outnumbered Mergognard Army was finally defeated. Aurélien and his soldiers offered a humiliating surrender, and returned to Brausillon. Forlorn at first by his defeat, Aurélien soon forgot any sadness upon seeing his beautiful Cateline again. Their reunion was a beautiful celebration — but it was interrupted by a dark madness that fell upon the Kingdom. The aristocrats at court in Brivonne, who had long benefited from the prestige and plunder brought by the Crusade, were furious at the Christian defeat. They assassinated King Enguerrand, and formed a regents' committee for the infant prince. They also forced Pope Alexander II to excommunicate Aurélien and Cateline.
However the people would have none of it. Not just in Brausillon, but across Mergogne, the people revolted in anger at the aristocracy's greed and scorn for the kind Duke and Duchess. Aurélien and Cateline didn't want to lead any rebellion, however — Cateline was pregnant and the couple had no interest in politics. The revolt forced out the greedy aristocrats and established a new regency, while Cateline and Aurélien forfeited their lands and titles, and lived the rest of their days in happiness together.
Brigitte listened quietly to the entire tale, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Mother Superior Germain did tell us this story — I remember now. But not like you told it. Mother Germain said that Aurélien and Catelin were bad Christians. She said that they had betrayed God, and that they broke the country!"
"I don't know if I would agree with Mme. Germain — they did what they did for love. Sometimes people must do extreme things to protect the people they care about."
"The Mother Superior also told the end of the story differently. She said that in the end, Aurélien and Cateline didn't go away, they joined the angry people and tried to steal the throne!"
"That I don't remember, but I could be wrong. It has been a long time since I've heard this tale, mon lapin."
"But Papa, all of this is silly — you still haven't answered my question! What does any of this have to do with your meetings?"
Thomas didn't answer right away. As soon as they turned the corner onto their street, he saw a familiar black sedan parked in front of their modest apartment building. A hefty man in overalls was leaning against the passenger-side door of the well-traveled Carentanian import, smoking. He pinched out his cigarette as the pair approached. Thomas turned to Brigitte to hurry her into the house.
"Go inside and tell Mama to get dinner ready. I'll be back soon, mon ange."
The large man had a ruddy face and a mouth that was a chessboard of bright yellow teeth. He opened his arms towards Thomas as Brigitte scampered past.
"Thomas, good to see you. Camarade Corbeille is looking forward to your meeting. Please, let's take a drive."
The pair entered the black sedan and drove north into the night.
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