Juliana Leffoy de Marigny (standingwave) wrote in lightning_war, @ 2009-01-07 00:44:00 |
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Current mood: | giddy |
Thursday afternoon, 17 September 1942, in the arithmancy classroom at the Royal Academy...
Juliana Leffoy sat quietly on the edge of the desk—Scalara’s desk, which Michel had of course taken over—and waited for the last of the students to leave, so they could get started on planning for the lecture that evening. She had introduced Michel to Endymion and Hadrian, but they had had places to go, as had Charis—and she had been stared at by a boy whom they had told her was called Quirke, who had not been able to say very much but seemed to have wanted to say a great deal, most of which he had scribbled on a piece of paper which he had thrust into her hand before he fled.
Now she and Michel were almost alone, except for Goldstein, the Pelby prefect who hadn’t wanted Daniel to talk to her the night before, and the dark girl who was standing beside him and whom Scalara had wanted to send away, along with everyone else who had not been supposed to be in the sixth-form lecture. The dark girl kept looking at her as though she were somehow more important than Michel, which Liane was never going to get used to; fortunately, Moruith had disappeared with Addie, so there was only one person doing it.
Whatever Goldstein had to say to Michel would probably be interesting, since he had waited so long to say it. If the girl with him wanted to talk to her, Liane was willing to talk…but she really hoped it wouldn’t be another round of accusations, because she was tired of all that. Liane glanced down at the paper Quirke had thrust into her hand, which seemed to have something to do with applying one of the transformations she’d done on Sevvie’s Halász equations to broom design. He’d read her papers; it always surprised her that anyone remembered them. Liane wasn’t sure why Quirke thought it was a good idea to apply her work in quite this way, but at least this application of the Halász equations wasn’t likely to kill more than one person at a time.
It took her a moment to realise that Goldstein was actually speaking to her, and not to Michel. “Whatever Quirke’s given you, I’d strongly recommend getting all your affairs in order before attempting it. If it’s not deadly outright, you’ll at least need a few less worries to plague you throughout the recovery time,” he said with a smile that was not quite nice. “And don’t tell me what it is, I’m sure my assessment stands regardless of content.”
Liane laughed. “It’s not the most dangerous thing I’ve seen today,” she said lightly, thinking of Addie’s first suggestion upon seeing her thesis abstract. “But since it is more likely to be attempted, it’s probably the most practically dangerous thing I’m liable to see in a while…outside of a classified setting.” She tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “Goldstein, right?” She looked from Alden to Michel, wondering what Michel would say to all this, or if he’d want to see the paper Quirke had passed to her.
“The very same,” Alden said. “I’d say not to believe a word anyone’s said about me except for my cousin here…but I doubt he’s even remembered to mention me. Though, admittedly, I tend to want to forget most of the people I’m related to as well, it’s sort of the family curse in the metaphorical, ‘not about to kill you’ kind of way instead of the absolutely serious sort of way.” He paused. “I’m Alden. This is Rachel Zeller, my kallah.”
Liane smiled. “I’m Juliana Leffoy de Marigny…most people call me Liane. It’s nice to meet you.” She had never heard the word ‘kallah’ before she’d met Daniel and Tirtzah, and it took her a few minutes to remember what it meant, but she smiled anyway, in the hope that Rachel would look at her favourably. Rachel was Daniel’s sister, wasn’t she?
“Fiancée,” Rachel supplied, recognising Liane’s confusion. “Or wife. But we can’t be legally married till we’re both out of school.” She looked at Alden curiously, then turned her attention to Michel. “So. How have you been, Michel? We didn’t see you or your brother at Rosh Hashanah, not even for dinner. Your father came to dinner of course, but he said you and Vince were off saving the world. Does it really need to be saved that much?”
Michel grinned. “My father exaggerates, but not by much. The work we do is important, though you understand that we can’t talk about it. I’ve been fine. Busy, but fine. How have you been?”
Rachel chuckled. “I’m good,” she said. “My mother is as terrifying as ever, which is why I live with your aunt and uncle now, since I’m engaged to your cousin and I can.” She glanced speculatively at Liane. “Rumour has it you’re recruiting Miss Leffoy to help you save the world. Is that true? I suppose you must have known her a long time.”
“Yes, she was one of my students at Ker-Ys,” Michel said, “and you’re right, I am recruiting her. More things I can’t talk about, I’m afraid. She’d be a Magistra already if it weren’t for the war, but I hope we can remedy that soon. Congratulations on your engagement. You seem happy together.” He grinned at Rachel and Alden. “And this will take your mother’s attention off me for a while.”
Rachel laughed out loud. “You can dream. You aren’t married and you’ve got a good job, and you’re not off at war, even.” She shook her head. “So that’s why you never come round.”
Liane stared at her. “You’re joking,” she said, completely shocked. Michel didn’t have any lands or properties here. Why in the world would anyone want to arrange his marriage?
Rachel nodded knowingly.
Liane blinked. “Really? Your mother is trying to arrange a marriage for Michel? Doesn’t she think he could find someone on his own if he wanted to? I thought only families like mine still did that, and you can be sure that I won’t let them do it to me!”
Rachel chuckled, and glanced at Alden as though she were winning some private wager; Liane glanced at Michel, but he didn’t seem to have noticed.
“Oh, that’s just the way my mother is, she thinks it’s a sport, you know,” Rachel said blithely. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t often succeed, though she did with my older brother and sister. And she thinks she succeeded with me, but Alden and I sorted that one out for ourselves before she decided to make it official.” She took Alden’s arm and smiled up at him. “You should get Michel to bring you out to the house for Yom Kippur. Well, maybe not Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur isn’t much fun. But Sukkot is fun. You might like that. Anyhow, we sorted it out ourselves.” She looked up at Alden, her expression rather smug. “Didn’t we, Alden?”
“Just let her take the credit if it’ll keep her quiet and happy,” Alden said with a chuckle. “It’s not exactly arranged marriages, more like…really strong encouragement accompanied by reminders that the mother in question is not getting any younger and grandchildren would be appreciated, but not to let that help us make up our minds just because our mothers slaved and sacrificed for us and of course, we don’t have to show our gratitude at all, no, we can do whatever we like, it’ll be just fine. Naturally.” He had a very wicked smile, and he was using it to its full effect. “Jewish guilt. It comes in all kinds of flavours and colours, but always with an extra dose of shame to help it go down.”
Liane relaxed a little, although she was not sure what anyone else here had to feel guilty about. “So…this is like the things Papa Félix used to say to Vincent, especially when he was living with Séverine, and not…like Lady Dracaena making a contract?” she asked, her head tilted and her expression uncertain. Alden seemed be altogether too amused, and she wondered if she had said something unwittingly stupid.
“Exactly like,” Michel said, “except that Rachel’s mother is a bit more…” He grimaced; it was an expression Liane knew well, usually something she only observed during faculty meetings, and it meant he knew perfectly well what he wanted to say and did not dare actually say it. “Insistent about it,” he finally managed.
“Well,” said Liane. She wanted to take his hand, he looked so flustered, but she settled for looking him straight in the eye and saying, “As long as they don’t try to marry you off without your consent.”
“Wait,” said Rachel. “Wait. You did not just say…” She shook her head. “Vince went out with the same girl long enough to get a flat with her? Your Dad must have really been steamed when that fell apart,” she said to Michel.
Liane blinked and glanced back at her. “My aunt Séverine,” she said. “Who is only a few years older than me. And Vincent moved into her flat. After her petite-amie moved out of it. Because of him. It never lasted very long though. She’s as bad as he is.” Liane frowned; Séverine was her own worst enemy, sometimes.
“It never does,” Michel agreed. “I think it only lasted as long as it did because they spent so much time apart.”
Liane glanced down at her hands, and frowned, because they wanted it to last; Vince and Sevvie just slipped or drifted away from other people, and always let them go, but they were never entirely willing to let go of each other. Suddenly she wondered if it wasn’t maybe better never to declare herself to Michel; what if they turned out like that? Was she as bad as Séverine? She’d given herself to worse men than Séverine had done, and managed to pretend to be happy. Of course Séverine never managed to pretend she was happy, but since she never actually was, nobody had ever noticed a difference.
“Still,” said Rachel. “For Vince to move in with a girl…” She shrugged. “Well,” she said. “We just wanted to say hello, and to meet your…friend Miss Leffoy, Michel. We’ll be at your lectures tonight of course.” She glanced at Alden. “Shall we?”
“Yes. Places to go, people to see, underclassmen to terrorise within an inch of their lives, it’s such a full schedule,” Alden said with a grin. “It’s good to see you here, Michel. Try not to run off to save the world again too soon, this is the first arithmancy class I’ve enjoyed in…oh, ages, easily.”
Michel grinned back at him. “I’m glad. I’ve missed teaching. There’s just not enough time in the day to do that and save the world, too.”
Liane sighed and looked up at him, shaking her head. “When the war is over,” she said, and then sighed again. “I hope I can help you with some of that world-saving. Although I’d rather not do some of the things that we used to do in Armorica…I’ve learned, I really don’t have the stomach for some of it.” She sighed a third time. That was really more than she should have said in front of Alden and Rachel, but she needed a chance to tell Michel what some of the things he was liable to hear might be, before he heard them shouted in the halls. She’d noticed Jeannot walking out of the classroom after he saw her there, and she’d overheard some of the conversations in the back as well.
“I don’t blame you,” Michel said gently. “Vincent doesn’t tell me everything his people do, but I’ve seen enough reports to be glad that he doesn’t do it any more. Or not often, anyway.”
Liane smiled at him gratefully. “If he’s not doing that any more, I’m glad,” she said softly. “I know how much you worried about him before.”
Rachel frowned. “Well,” she said brightly, “we’re off!” And with that she turned on her heel and followed Alden out of the classroom.
Liane blinked, and turned just long enough to wave her fingers at them as they left, then she looked back up at Michel. “Well,” she began, “the seminar is bound to be well-attended, given that people were sneaking in here to see you.” She tossed her hair back over her shoulders, and hoped that it wasn’t because of the rumours about them.
Michel smiled at her. Liane wanted to smile back, but she was too alarmed by the way his smile made her feel. She was glad she was still sitting on Scalara’s desk, because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stand when she tried it; she could barely breathe, and she couldn’t really feel her feet. He didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to say anything, either.
Then Professor Scalara snorted, practically right in her ear. “By all means,” she snapped, “continue to sit on my desk and stare into each other’s eyes! It’s not as though I have any work to do in here.”
Michel raised his eyebrows. Liane just glared at her. “Right,” she said. “We’ll just go stare into each other’s eyes somewhere else.” She turned to Michel. “There has to be some place we can work in peace. Some carrels in the library, or a visitors’ parlour or…something.”
Michel nodded. “Yes,” he said firmly. “We’ll never get anything done if we keep getting interrupted.” He offered her his arm, and Liane took it with pride as she slid off the edge of the desk.
ari_rachel, michelrosenthal, mi_kamocha, my_world_is, sabedoria (Hypatia Scalara) and standingwave