D.M. Cornish - The Foundlings Tale, Part Two: Lamplighter

Table of Contents

TO GOD FOR KEEPING the door open, for showing me a life I never thought possible; my sweet new wife too for showing me a life I never thought possible, for patience and for reading all those draftsthis book is better because you help me; once again to Dyan for her dreams, her belief, for the passion, the struggle; Tim, for the cracking of the whip; Mr. Fickling, who trustingly watched on; Nille the Swedish Translator, and to all those who toiled to turn Book One into other tongues; to all those publishers about this tiny globe of ours that have taken on MBT; Celia for making editing a joy and for rescuing me from my own heavy hand; Patricia for her quiet maturity and support and for knowing what to do; Helen, who keeps it all organized; also to my parents once more, my new ones tooGraeme and Kerry, and the Sweet Hamers, for reading this second stage in its early, ugly moments and loving it still; Sue Ellen for all that Latin; Graeme Rickerbymaster of catchphrases and songfor slogg-porridge, Joey DeVivra and enjoying all the nuances of our difficult, wondrous language; James White, who wrote a book well before I ever did, made Sydney possible and showed the waymay you write again, sir; and Murray Whiteford, for card games and all the time spent at your house. Thanks too to the regular dwellers and commenters at www.monsterbloodtattoo.blogspot.com. : Femina, Koallaku, Random Missfitt, MadBomber, Winter, Midwishin, Andre, Shayne de Comyn Esquire, Coz, Giant Fan, Dan S. Tong, Shyane, John, Kathryn, Daisy__Girl, Oriana, Jimmy Trinket, Steve, Sirk, Erin, Mark, John, Sookie, Arty Bel, Joaquin Rosada Martel, Markus, Inez, Troubardier, Ninjanna, sme0149, Samosin, Baraholka, Ravinn, Joyous Santina, Dozer911, Vahlaeity, Charlotte, Evil1I, Okyoureacab, Longinvs, Suspicious Hat, Bard, MooseGuy, Rosiegirl, Coinks, Dustin and to all those anonny mouses too. To Joshua Kipitza, for your cruorpunxiskeep creating, sir. To my time in Kansas, without which there would be no lamplighters.

This is the map of the southen and central portions of the Half-Continent.

The area within the small rectangle is shown in the following page.

calendar(s) sometimes also called strigaturpis or just striga general term for any combative woman; the Gotts call them mynchenafter the do-gooding heldin-women of old. Calendars gather themselves into secretive societies called claves (its members known as clariards)constituted almost entirely of womenorganized about ideals of social justice and philanthropy, particularly providing teratological protection for the needy and the poor. They usually live in somewhat isolated strongholdsmanorburghs and basterseighsknown as calanseries. Some claves hide peopletypically womenin trouble, protecting them in secluded fortlets known as sequesturies. Other claves offer to teach young girls their graces and fitness of limb in places known as mulierbriums. Calendars, however, are probably best known for the odd and eccentric clothing they don to advertise themselves.

THE short run of road that went east from Winstermill to Wellnigh House had a reputation as the easiest watch on the Wormwayand for the most part it was. Known as the Pettiwiggin or the Harrowmath Pike, it was so close to Winstermill, the mighty fortress of the lamplighters, that those who used it were rarely troubled by nickers or bogles. Close and safe, the Pettiwiggin was ideal for teaching young prentice-lighters the repetitious tasks of a lamplighter.

For nigh on two months the lantern-sticks, as they were called by the scarred veterans who taught and chastised them, had been at their training. In another two, if each boy made it through, he would be promoted to lampsman. On that great day it would be his privilege to be billeted to one of the many cothousesthe small fortresses punctuating the long leagues of the Wormwayto begin his life as a lampsman proper.

At this middle point in their training the prentices were taken out on the road to begin the lighting and the dousing of the great-lamps that lit the Wormway. Until now they had marched and drilled, learned their letters and practiced at lighting on yard-lanterns safe within Winstermill. Rossamnd had found it all as boring as he once feared a lamplighters life might be. Indeed, his first excursion out to light lamps had been uniformly laborious and uneventful, the overnight stay in Wellnigh House uncomfortable, and the return to the manse dousing the lanterns the next morning as dull as the night before. He keenly regretted that he might never become a vinegaroon as he had once hoped, and often thought to himself, Oh, thats not how theyd do it in the navy; thats not what theyd do on a ram.

For Rossamnd the first half of prenticing had been long, yet not quite as lonely as his old life at Madam Operas Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls. Here at Winstermill he shared the trials of training with the other prentices, all boys of a similar age from poor and obscure origins like his. Together they fumbled through each movement of their fodicar drill; together they winced at each reluctant, shoulder-wrenching shot of pistol or fusil; together they balmed their feet after day-long marching. Yet the other lads were not nearly as keen on pamphlets or the matter they containedtales of the heroic progenitors of the Empire and the monsters they slew. Most could barely read, despite the attempted remedies of letters, the reading and writing class under Seltzerman 1st Class Humbert. None of them showed any interest in the vinegar seas or the Senior Service, nor desired a life of a vinegaroon.