In Soskermo, however, it was the fashion for the wealthier classes to occupy the lowest levels of a building, in order to escape the constant heat.In Soskermo, however, it was the fashion for the wealthier classes to occupy the lowest levels of a building, in order to escape the constant heat. My destination, as I found, was the lowest (and therefore the most expensive) apartment in a tall building near the center of town. This edifice was set well back from the street, which made room for a deeply sunken garden between the pavement and the front of the building. A bridge of wrought-iron, brightly painted, crossed the center of the garden to provide access to the main doorway. My knock was answered by a door-man, who evidently was employed jointly by all the residents of the building. "What is the nature of thy business?" he asked in a pompous voice. As he spoke he studied me with a practiced eye from my cracked and dusty boots to my cropped, sweat-damp hair, and added with ill-disguised reluctance "Sir?" I bowed low, sweeping my hat through the air in a grandiose circle, to show him that I was civilized, too. "I have here a letter for the Lord Rathmund t'Auliern, from his brother the Duke of Whinton." My northern accent seemed to lower his opinion of me even further, if that was possible. "Milord is not at home. If thou wouldst be so kind as to turn over to me the letter, I shall see it into his hands." The doorman held out his hand, his eyes inspecting the door, as if he feared my vagabond hands had soiled it. The possibility that I could do otherwise than to obey him and depart had not even occurred to him. Making no move to produce the letter, I informed him: "The Duke assured me that I would receive a suitable recompense from the recipient of his letter, most likely in the form of a full meal." This last part was in fact not true, but I doubted that the doorman would know that. |