Some commonly used words are below. Replace th on end of words with ness and t with d or ed and most of the rest are obvious if sounded out aloud. Some words with n or en on the end can be easily understood if the n is replaced by a d. Only difficult words and words that do not exist in English are now referred to specifically at the end of the chapter. Appendix 1 Folk words and language usage, Appendix 2 Castle places, food, animals, plants and minerals, Appendix 3 a lexicon of Folk and Appendix 4 an explanation of the Folk calendar, time, weights and measures. All follow the story chapters.
3rd of Faarl Day 212
It was mayhap three in the morning when a sleepy Lyre realising George wasn’t in bed went looking for him. She found him in the chamber he used for what she wasn’t quite sure, but it involved a lot of paper with drawings and calculations on them as well as writing. She also knew those pieces of paper were regarded as beyond value to the Council and the craft Masters he crafted with. George was staring at a piece of paper with a smile on his face. “What is the matter, Dear. Can’t you sleep?”
“Yes. I had these calculations on my mind. I’m sorry if I awakened you, Love” George replied.
Lyre chuckled, “That was doen by the babe, not you. Shall I make us some leaf and something for you to eat?”
“I won’t be more than a minute, Love. I’ll just put these papers back, then I’ll come back to bed. I’d like some leaf please, but nothing to eat.”
“What were you doing?”
“Working out how big Castle is. I have a rough idea now. It’s much bigger than Earth, about another quarter again. Earth is about forty-eight million strides around, but Castle is about sixty million strides around.”(1) The problem has mostly been that the Castle stride varies widely according to who uses it and what they are using it for. It can be anything between sixty and eightly wiedths, [ca. 30 and 40 inches] and I’ve been trying to find the most common and best value to use. The waggoners have provided me with the most useful information and I have decided that sixty-six weidths is the best value because it will cause least problems in the future. I’ll talk to the others who will of course have to agree to it, but since they charged me with the problem I’m sure they’ll agree.
“That’s berount, not around, Dear. I’m sorry but numbers like that don’t mean anything to me.”
“You know I had the candlers give me copies of their records of firstlight and fulldark. And you know that on the same day in different years they can be as much as thirty minutes different.”
“Of course. All know that. We’re taught it when we’re quite young, five or six I think I was.”
“The records and my calculations using them shew that a half an hour difference doesn’t happen very often. Ten minutes is more typical. My calculations indicate that on six hundred and eighty-two times out of a thousand, which is more than two out of three, firstlight and full dark will not be more than ten minutes away from the time predicted by the candlers which is the average time of every year since they’ve kept records. Also nine hundred and fifty-four times out of a thousand it will not be more than twenty minutes away, and on nine hundred and ninety-seven times out of the thousand it will be within the half hour. In addition it’s likely three times out of the thousand it will be more than half an hour.”
Lyre knew the information maekt her husband happy and now he’d finished he would sleep knowing he’d make his fellow craft Masters happy too. Then she smiled. She’d make leaf and provide George with something to do which would she knew from experience make him and the babe sleep, and thus allow her to too.
10th of Faarl Day 219
Iola taekt her rôle as Mistress cook in charge of the soup and stock makers’ kitchens seriously, not least because it maekt her so happy. After the deadth of her father, her home life before Castle had been one of almost unmitigated misery, only Melanie had maekt it bearable. Despite the unpleasantth, due to having had to craft with a number of difficult and unlikeable crafters over the lunes, she’d enjoyed all her work in the kitchens, but now she had her own kitchens, staff and responsibilities. Her heart sang when she awoke to face another long day, night, or even both, of hard work, and she loved it. She was good at it, and in her heart of hearts she believed it was what she was birtht for.
Milligan had explained, when he offered her the position, thinking yet again it would make little difference, one of her major functions would be to minimise waste in all the kitchens and associated pantries and stores, and she had the right to use all by-products from any where that came under his charge before it was sent to the dogs, the hens, the composters, or any where else. He had telt her she did not have to ask, no matter what it be, all knew it had to be offered to the soup kitchens before any other arrangements could be maekt for its disposal, including old clouts, braeken crockery, cutlery and kitchen equipment. Even the ashes from the stoves, removed to the composters’ ash stores by Basil’s firekeepers were under her authority, and should she for what ever reason decide some, or even all, should go elsewhere she had the right to so decide. Only she, or someone she delegated her authority to, had the right to authorise the disposal of aught that was not eaten, including food left on plates which usually went to the hens, though some of it was now going to Gage’s dogs, and similarly only she, or her appointee, could determine how it was disposed of. To her surprise the old masonry from the stoves when they were torn down for renewal was hers to distribute as she saw fit, though most was reuest when the new stoves were built.
Milligan had further explained because a lot of what the position involved was not easy, nor in some cases even possible, to plan her office fell under the charge of Gibb, the staff manager, rather than that of Ashridge, the cookery manager who had charge of all cooking that was done to planned menus. Milligan, notwithstanding his high opinion of Iola, had no idea how profoundly his words would affect the entire kitchens. It was a complete and much appreciated surprise to him and his managers when Iola taekt his words of authority literally and maekt the rest of the kitchen staff accept them as she reorganised and renegotiated most of her office’s previous arrangements entirely to the benefit of her office and those who coöperated with her crafters.
Milligan was amazed when he was telt Iola had calmly said to a large group of junior cooks who had been making life difficult for her assistants, “Let me explain what is going to happen as a result of your refusal to coöperate with my assistants be they however limitet, for in doing so you have increast the cost of feeding the Folk. Indeed, as you have pointet out, I am the one with the responsibility for minimising waste, not my staff. However, they are the persons, not I, who have to actually handle the waste. I requestet that you keep the braeken glassware separate from the braeken crockery, which request in your idelth you chose to ignore and mixt them in one box. It is no longer a request but an order, and you shall separate what you have already mixt too. Moreover, you not my crafters shall return the braeken glassware to the glass blowers and the braeken crockery to the firebrick makers whom I shall ask for verification that you have carryt out my orders, or I shall take that as a direct affront to my authority and instigate disciplinary proceedings gainst you straightforth.
“Had you done as requestet by my assistants on my behalf and keept the two separate I would have askt them to make delivery, but as punishment you now have to do so. I no more than any other of your superiors will tolerate your insubordination. If you wish to complain or make excuses don’t waste my time making them to me, for I shan’t listen, but rather make them to Gibb, for he not Ashridge is my manager. I shall not hesitate to act as I have sayt, for I am displeast with any who abuse those who, for no fault of their own, are not in a position to protect themselfs. You are unkind bullies, and I shall have no sorrow if as a result of your behaviour gainst all that is proper according to the Way you need to find another craft. That is all I have to say. Goodday.”
Later that day it was a sullen group of junior kitchen cooks who had returned the braeken glassware to Erik of the glass blowers, and the braeken crockery to Strath of the firebrick makers rather than just boxing them to be threwn onto the waste midden as they had plannen. In return Erik had agreed to provide half of the weight of braeken glass in utensils and vessels to Iola’s kitchens for no charge, and Strath had telt Iola that there would be a substantial reduction in the cost of providing her kitchens with firebricks for any new stoves she required, just how much he explained would depend on how much braeken crockery she supplied. Iola’s efficiencies were beginning to pay off.
Adela was forty and had crafted for over a dozen previous cooks in charge of the soup and stock makers. She had maekt it clear to Iola from the beginning she had onerous family commitments, mostly due to elderly relatives, and she had never wisht Iola’s position and was not in the least bothered regards crafting for a younger woman since she neither wisht, nor had the time to meet, the responsibilities involved, for her family had to come first. Notwithstanding what Adela had telt her, within a few days, Iola had asked her if she would be her deputy and take charge when she was absent. Adela had been delighted and had remarked, “None of the Mistress or Master soup makers I’ve craftet for had a deputy. I opine none of them were big enough to delegate any of their authority, and I opine the office suffert as a result.”
Iola thought on what Adela had said and considered that without a designated crafter in charge at all times an office with so many crafters who needed guidance and supervision would naturally suffer. She felt there should be at least three preferably four designated crafters in order to ensure that there was always someone with the recognised authority to make decisions. Eventually, she sought Adela’s advice, and they agreed Parsley should be number three in seniority and Harle number four. Iola explained to her crafters if it ever came to be that she regularly struggled to have someone available to be in charge she would appoint a number five, six and more as necessary. Many of her crafters had been shouted at in the past when they had been left to craft without guidance and then held accountable for the consequences due to their lack of instruction. As a result her crafters were relieved of flait(2) and pleased when she telt them “If it ever happens as a result of ill chance there is none in charge you must tell me. I don’t care how long I have been crafting for or if I am asleep. You must find me and awaken me, for at least that way I can organise someone to take charge, even if I am too tiren to do aught myself.”
Adela hadn’t said aught to Iola as to how much more highly she regarded her than any of the previous Mistress and Master soup makers, but she had maekt no secret of it to the rest of the kitchen staff, including Eudes. Though Adela was by choice a cook of no seniority, she was, as all knew, regarded by Milligan and his significant crafters as one of themselfs, and her opinion carried weighth. Iola treated her crafters with kindth and a level of expectation they had never experienced before, which they were happy to interpret as respect. As a result they were happy crafting for her and would tolerate no insult nor slight to their Mistress cook. As a result of her competence as a cook, all her crafters were now convinced indeed something threatening did lie behind Milligan’s shock appointment and elevation of Iola to power, but it didn’t threaten them rather it protected them from those who had always threatt them. Milligan had still wondered how much protection he would need to throw berount Iola due to her age, which Gibb had admitted gave him reservations concerning the wisdom of her appointment, but it rapidly became clear to Milligan and his managers Adele had been correct. Iola had all the support she needed from those she supervised, guided and assisted and needed no protection from above. He would need offer no justifications at the next Council meeting for her appointment.
12th of Faarl Day 221
After Iola had had the boxt onion skins delivered to Wels of the dyers he’d come to her kitchens to express his gratitude. The dyers had large quantities of onions grown for them by the growers, but they only uest the skins and he had wished to discuss the situation with Iola. “We have always given the onions to Olga of the Keep hen keepers before, but it does seem a waste as Olga says the hens only eat them when there is little else to eat and most end as compost. We have never receivt skins from the kitchens before. Bethink you there is a better arrangement we could come to, Iola?”
“I have charge of all by products from the kitchens, and if you so will all onion skins can be delivert to you, griselle,(3) garlic, ramsom(4) and leek skins too if you will. If you send all your onions to me I’ll make sure they feed the Folk and you won’t have to peel them. That way I have more food to use and you have less crafting to do.”
“That seems better, and we shall be grateful. In return can we do aught for you? Is there aught you would like dying?”
Iola thought for a few seconds and smiled before saying, “My crafters have never been well thought of before and I am trying to change that. I would like it well if they had something to identify themselves, something unique to them. Our aprons like all in the kitchens come from the seamstresses and are plain undyen cream in colour. Many of my crafters are easily intimidatet and oft have their clean aprons taken from them and given dirty ones in exchange by others too idle to go to the launders and the stores. Could our aprons be dyen to be uniquely recognisable as those of our kitchens? I don’t mind which colour. Would that be over costly?”
“If a pale blue be acceptable we could dye your aprons in the residual dye from a blue dye lot for no cost at all. I would be happy to do it for you, and as they fade with washing you could send them back for redying as the colour is frequently uest in quantity.”
“That would be kind of you, Wels. My gratitude.”
Right from the beginning, Iola had decided she wished to advance in the kitchens as far as possible, and she had a dream of becoming the Keep Mistress. She knew she had a lot to learn, but she also knew she had a lot to offer too. No braggart, she kept most of her ideas to herself till she was ready to use them. Her first innovation was a simple vegetable peeler. Francis who had agreed to have them maekt for her had been surprised they were unknown on Castle, and said, “No problem at all, Iola. I’ll have fifty or so for you in a few days. I’m sure Cliff will be pleased to put his maker mark(5) on something unknown here. I’ll ask Weir to handle them. Do you have any preference, leather, wood, bone, ivory or something else?”
“No. What ever he considers best, given that I do not will them to be too costly, but they will be uest wet a lot of the time, so the handles must be durable under kitchen conditions.”
To her crafters a knife that only removed peel and they couldn’t cut themselfs with was astonishing, and that both left and right throwers(6) could use the same tool was considered remarkable. When Siward’s vegetable preparation crafters shewed him one and said Francis was making them and they willen some, he was happy enough to agree till he realised that they had been ‘invented’ by Iola. Unknown to Iola, Siward had resented Iola’s promotion to the soup and stock makers because he had wished the position thinking it would ensure his further promotion. Unknown to Siward, Milligan and Gibb had never considered him as a potential candidate for the post, for he was unreliable and a poor manager of the intellectually limited whom he aflaiten.(7) In their eyes he had already risen over high due to no other candidate for the post being available. His crafters’ request deepened his resentment.
Iola had worked hard and quickly learnt as much as she could, from whomever she could, and as a result she was aware, despite the huge quantity of food involved, of how little was available in terms of lunes’ worth of food reserves to feed the Folk. A late and hard spring could yet be a disaster requiring rationing, it had happened all too oft in the recent past, and though there had been no rationing the previous winter things had come perilously close to it. As a result of that knowledge her respect for Milligan soared. He had to manage it all, including uncoöperative crafters, and feed the Folk without causing unnecessary alarm, and it was no sinecure. Likewise, even in the appalling weather, Will’s hunters, including the kennel squad, had the unenviable task of keeping the kitchens supplied with meat, and the inshore fishermen had a similar task. Other than conditions of storm or heavy snowfall they were out nearly everyday in the little daylight available, and invariably it was full dark when they both went out and returned. It was rare at this time of year that Hayrake the dock Master considered the weather settled enough to sanction any of the deep sea fishing fleet to set sail. The animal husbanders could only supply a quarter of the Keep’s protein requirement, and despite the reserve of stored meat, game and fish there was still a large requirement for more before the weather improven.
The stew ponds had to be left alone when frozen over, or despite the geothermal warmth which prevented the ponds freezing to their bottoms, all the fish could be lost, and the newly created warm water tanks were not yet producing fish or vegetables in any quantity. The soup kitchens had had their only meat produce so far, eight weights of fresh-water snails, which though they had not been sufficient for a main meal had been an appreciated addition to a soup. The thirty weights of crispstem(8) the tanks had produced had gone nowhere in a salad, though due to the way it thrived in the warm water it was looking promising the tanks would betimes be producing considerably more. The tanks’ most productive crop to date had been duckweed(9) which had not been popular as a vegetable even when served mixt with other vegetables. Iola’s use of it in various soups had uest as much as the tanks could produce in tasty appreciated dishes.
It had not been long before, like Milligan but unlike some of the kitchen crafters, Iola had appreciated the members of the kennel squad were protecting and providing far more food than they could possibly eat. Milligan’s insistence the hunters and fishers were fed as much as they could eat she considered to be indicative of his ability to take a long term view of what was best in order to feed the Folk. To work in the extreme calt they had to be adequately fed, and she supported him to the best of her ability to feed the squad like all the hunters and fishers, despite the remonstrations, usually from crafters who considered, quite wrongly, that their age maekt them more senior than she, that it was an inappropriate use of food that would soon be in short supply. After she’d asked the few of them who’d tried to upbraid her in public, “And which Mistress or Master cook’s belief is that?” to the vast amusement of the significant cooks and managers, the embarrassed crafters realised Iola, like all other Mistress and Master cooks, was someone it was not wise to challenge. Only Glæt tried to upbraid her twice, and when Iola asked her, “What was Milligan’s response when you telt him that was your opinion of his management of the food supplies?” it was a totally humiliated Glæt who was laught out of the soup kitchens, and feeding the squad was never mentioned to Iola again.
Iola believed the fastest way to advance in her crafting was to aid in the efficient use of food and make soup, which could be rather uninspiring, more interesting by serving it with accompaniments. Croûtons, callt sipps(10) by the Folk, had occasionally been produced but little else. She considered many things, soup rolls, a swirl of fresh or soured cream, a knob of butter, dumplings, noodles, gnocchi, but she started by introducing what her own crafters and the kitcheners’ servers could manage without help from another office. The vegetable peelers brought her to the attention of all when she had her crafters use them to produce thin slices of vegetables which she had deep fried and called Vegetable Crisps(11) as an accompaniment initially to Bracket Fungus(12) and Clansaver(13) Soup.
Iola had been wondering for some time how she could produce nourishing soup, and more of it, from less virgin produce. She’d spaken with Eudes, who’d been in charge of her crafters before his move to supervise the meat cooks, but he’d been no help. It was clear to her he’d had no interest in the soup kitchens and merely seen the post as a stepping stone to what he thought of as proper cooking, where he wouldn’t have to supervise a large number of intellectually limited cooks’ assistants. Iola also realised he’d not seen the potential for improvement or personal advancement in the soup kitchens merely seeing it as unimportant cooking and dealing with left overs. So she went her own way and ran her kitchens the way she wished. She was assiduous in her war on waste, and everything possible that was not uest at main meals, that the cooks were not going to re-serve, was creatively uest, she thought drowned was a better term in some cases, in soup, if necessary by pounding, pushing through a sieve and using as a thickener.
Iola encouraged her crafters to test their tentative ideas with such food on a small scale, and she repeatedly telt them, “A gallon or so that’s not too good will be loes in a hundred gallons of a tryt and testet receipt. Try your idea, see what happens, we may be lucky and find something worth doing a hundred gallons of. Don’t be bothert by something that doesn’t work, consider the odd one that does because it will more than make up for all the rest that don’t, and keep the kettles of bones acooking. Better the bones are cooking for half a tenner than not long enough.” As a result Iola’s crafters gradually became more independent and requiring of less supervision.
The kitcheners(14) had no problems serving soups of which there were only forty or fewer servings alongside the main offerings, for since Iola took her office they had always done so with the remains of the main soups served the day before along with the previous day’s reserve. It was nonsensical to Iola that different soups had usually been maekt for the reserve, for that meant extra work. She simply cooked enough soup every day to replace the reserve which was then uest as a minor soup thateve. Gibb, who like Milligan was impressed by Iola, started to place more of the crafters who required close supervision and those lacking confidence with her because it enabled them to give their best, and they were happy crafting for Iola. He’d never had to calm and pacify an upset crafter who crafted in her kitchens, which was a small but important part of his rôle. To justify the increase in the number of crafters working for her he expanded the scope of her authority by including fruit preparation when Beryl Mistress pudding cook retired.
13th of Faarl Day 222
That forenoon Judith went to see the midwifes. She was six lunes pregnant, but looked as if she were nine. She met Madder whom she had briefly had spaech with there before. “I still can’t believe you are only six lunes, Judith,” Madder had telt her.
“And I can’t believe I’m only having one when you are having at least two, Madder.”
“They’re now all agreen I’m having triplets.” The women continued discussing their pregnancies and their husbands’ reactions to them. Madder was amazed Storm would even consider allowing Judith who was so heavily pregnant to go over the river to supervise the construction of the mill. “Robert wouldn’t even consider me going any where far, never mind back to sea again, till they’re birtht.”
Judith laught, “Storm knows when to keep his opinions to himself, he’s played his rôle in bringing this babe into existence, the rest is my concern.” The women parted, neither really understanding the agreement the other had with her man, but happy for her she had what she wished.
As she walked home Judith thought back to when she had first seen the mill site several lunes before, long before the Council had approven the project. As a result of what she had seen she had kept her own counsel. When the millers had started to describe the sort of mill they had been thinking of she had acted as if she were a little perplexed and said, “I don’t understand what the mill wheel counter weight does.” They had started to explain and she had exclaimed, “You mean the wheel is undershot(15) and the mill only on one side of the river?”
Briar had replied, “Of course. Where else would it be?”
Judith had said slowly and completely truthfully, “I’ve never heard of that before in a major mill. What’s wrong with the traditional method of channelling the river, building on both sides of the channel with an overshot pitchback(16) mill wheel in the middle and the wheel axle supported in bearings on both sides with no need for counter weights on the other side of a single bearing? That way you would achieve smoother running, less wear and vastly more power and capacity.”
After Judith had explained exactly what she had meant by that, Briar and the others had realised though what Judith had said was true the increased cost would have to be approven by the Council, and Briar had agreed to put it to them which he had successfully done.
Judith reflected on her family’s current plans. She had continued learning to dress stones whilst pregnant, and as Storm had telt her she had learnt the skill quickly. Storm was going to dress a set of new stones for the mill at the site from local stone, which would be the biggest millstones ever maekt on Castle, and she wished to spend some time assisting him whilst he dresst them. They planned to take their four younger children over the river when the new mill was being built. Heidi was happy to go with them as long as she could go back to see Rampion after a lune for a few days, which was agreed. Matilda and Evan were going to stay with Iola and Alwydd at the Keep. The weather was still bitterly cold, but the wind had warmed the air considerably, and the roughly shaped timbers prepared by the Keep wood crafters for the mill, which was indeed of much greater capacity than originally envisaged, were going to be dropped off by ship at Dockside as soon as they were loaded. Their final shaping would be done as they were assembled.
The waggoners were going to deliver the timbers to the mill site in probably a lune and a half when the weather was better. They were also going to deliver the raw logs for the mill buildings direct from the Tall pines foresters who would be working five or six days whilth to the north-east of the mill site which was a good day’s whilth(17) north-east of Dockside. Part of the trail was new and very rough, and the waggoners were going to wait till the snow had melted and the trail dried out.
The mill site was at the foot of a range of small hills adjacent to the swiftly flowing river which ran off them, and it had finally been chosen by Judith twelve hundred strides further upstream than the millers would have done. It was on a very steep slope with the river running over a whole series of small waterfalls. The millers had been concerned grain would have to be taken up and then the flour down the extra distance which was very steep in places. “It’s a question of power,” Judith had explained. “Where I want it it can provide several times the power than if it’s built where you suggest. It will take a couple of years before all is fully working, but when it is there will be power to spare. It is my intention to draw detailed diagrams for all to look at. I shall want some amount of smith work done, but trust me the smiths will do it in return for access to powered ore crushers and forge hammers of up a thousand weights falling at least a foot.” The Millers had been sceptical, but she convinced them by saying, “Axel has done the calculations in rough and agrees. He is currently working on finalised calculations.”
Briar spaeking to her privately afterwards asked, “You know I shall support you to the end, Judith, but are you sure of this? We believt it would take may hap five years to build a simple mill of the type we are familiar with and we would be able to spread the costs over that time. What are we going to need you haven’t spaken of yet? Aught you say is just twixt(18) us, but I should like to know, so I can keep the other Millers favourably dispoest to us.”
Judith had become fond of Briar over the lunes, for she and Storm had become good friends with Molly and Briar, and they had oft looked after each other’s children. Briar’s use of the word us maekt her realise just how much he was prepared to support her. “I suggest you bring Molly and the children for dinner, and I shall invite Timothy and Axel with their two, shall we say in five days time? No, make that six. Though Mum and Dad are dining and spending that eve with Ivy and David and plan on stopping at the Swan to save coming back in the dark, there’s an informal dance on that eve, and the older children can take the younger ones after dinner. Iola will be home that eve, but Heron is working. I suspect Nectar, Iola, Floatleaf and Cattail will probably prefer to mind the babes rather than dance. Six days will give me enough time to produce outline diagrams for you, and Axel should have more exact calculations available by then, and we can discuss it in comfort and privacy.”
Briar considered that to be a sensible way to proceed and added, “Barret would be happy to go with the children to the dance, and I suspect Timothy and Molly would prefer to gossip with the girls minding the little ones. I’ll provide them with a bottle of that new herb and honey sweetent drink Gordon and Douglas are developing for Joseph out of the produce of the new still. I know they both like it and that will keep Axel and me out of trouble for a long time.”
Judith looked puzzled and as realisation dawned on her she exclaimed, “Oh the whisky liqueur! Don’t like it myself, even when not pregnant, too sweet for me. I prefer malt. Good idea though. I’ll provide some brandy for the rest of you and some fruit juice with bubbles for the girls. I’ll stick to leaf, everyone will be happy then.”
17th of Faarl Day 226
Coaltit, an elderly woman with joint ail(19) who would have retired several years over but for her loyalty to Milligan and the kitchens, was the Mistress storekeeper, which included all fruit, vegetables and grains as well as all cooking equipment, but not crockery, cutlery and serving equipment, for which the kitcheners had their own stores. Iola had had spaech with her and explained were there aught she considered to be at risk of spoiling if she sent it to the soup crafters they would use it immediately. Most cooks merely telt the storekeepers what they wished from them, and unuest to having an input into the menus Coaltit was a little surprised by Iola’s suggestion. Coaltit telt her the last of the summer gourd was beginning to soften, and it wouldn’t last much longer. She explained she’d been going to ask for permission to send it to the hens when it reached that point, and was surprised when Iola asked, “How much gourd is there that needs to be uest?”
“All of it, may hap as much as two thousand weights,” [4000 pounds, 2000 Kg] Coaltit had said. “But in a tenner probably only half will be edible. None will be edible in a lune. Will you to see for yourself?”
“Please.”
They went to look at the gourd and appalled at the potential waste, Iola had asked, “Do you need any help from my crafters to sort out the softest to use first? I’ll delay using the saltt green beans(20) for a while. I can manage at least two hundred and fifty weights of gourd thisday and have it maekt into soup for nextday. My eve and overnight crafters will be able to manage twice that much for nextdaynigh. If need be I’ll have it all prepaert within the tenner, boilt and ask Bluesher to store it in the freeze chambers till we can use it. We can’t allow that much food to go to waste!”
Coaltit, who was amazed by Iola’s reactions because few cooks considered the storekeepers’ views to be of import, and to the best of her knowledge neither Eudes nor his predecessor had ever been to the stores, replied, “I have enough crafters to sort through the gourd, though it will take us a while and I should appreciate your crafters collecting it.” Coaltit sensing an opportunity and knowing that Iola was different from her predecessors felt comfortable enough to ask, “There is a small quantity, may hap a hundred and twenty weights, [240 pounds, 120 Kg] of small soft starchroots(21) that need using immediately, may I include those too?”
“Yes please. I’ll have my crafters with you as soon as they collect some handcarts, Coaltit. I’ll tell them to help you sort the gourd and aught else you need help with. If you need me I shall be with the provisioners finding something to give some flavour to a gourd soup. Have you any onion or garlic with a want for use?”
“No. We’ve a lot of both, leek and griselle too, but they’re all in good condition. We also have a hundred weights [200 pounds, 100 Kg] of preservt ramsoms, bulb, stem, flowers and leaf in excellent condition and a couple of bins of bulb flowers(22) in excellent condition too. The bulb flower stems and leaf were all uest fresh long since. However, we have five or possibly ten weights [10-20 pounds, 5-10 Kg]of two year old mixt, dryt flower heads of onion, leek and garlic, which though in good condition are probably loosing a little flavour by now. The growers sent it hither because the seed was surplus to their requirements. Shall I send it with the rest, Iola?”
“Yes please, Coaltit.” Iola paused whilst thinking and resumed to say, “I consider we need to meet regularly so you can tell me what you need uest first, and then we can plan accordingly, but whilst times let’s have the gourd uest.”
A large part of the storekeepers’ time was spent sorting through what was in store and removing what was bad or softening to prevent any rot spreading. Coaltit had smiled and said, “We should like that. Despite, regular sorting, we’ve had to send four thousand weights, or possibly a bit more, of fruit and vegetables to the composters since third Quarterday, and most of it could have been uest.”
“That won’t be happening any more, Coaltit!” Iola stated emphatically. “Will it?”
Coaltit looked at Iola’s resolute face and replied,“No. I suspect not, Iola, and we shall all be grateful, for it has always irkt us to have to ask for permission to dispose of food that could have been eaten yet through no blame of ours spoilt.”
The two women parted. Coaltit was grateful the storekeepers were being listened to because they taekt it personally when they had to send, through no fault of theirs, what had been good food to the composters. As she’d telt Iola, what maekt it even more galling was they had to ask for permission to do so, though Eudes had always just granted permission without bothering to look at what they wished to dispose of. Iola, realising a good relationship between the storekeepers and the soup makers would result in a considerable reduction in food loss, and in her own advancement, was feeling pleased with herself as she went to see the provisioners. She explained her problem to Dabchick: overripe gourd, soft starchroots and tired allium seed heads would not make a tasty soup. She needed something to put flavour in, and she had two thousand weights of gourd to process in the next few days, and use, preferably within the lune.
Dabchick, like Coaltit and the other significant members of the kitchens, had become aware Iola, despite her lack of age, was Milligan’s new force in the kitchens. Iola was young, likeable, competent and knew herself to be every wiedth(23) a Mistress cook. Though kind to and respectful with most regardless of their rank, she was ruthless with the arrogant incompetents, of whom the kitchens had more than their share. Dabchick, was also young for a Mistress cook in charge of a major office in the kitchens, she was twenty-six and had been the Mistress Provisioner for less than two years, and like her peers, knew the kitchens had had problems for decades, and Milligan and his managers, despite frequent ill chance, had worked themselfs to the limit to bring change for years. Like the other crafters of significance she taekt a wry pleasure in the discomfort of the arrogant incompetents, who had maekt her life difficult too, when as a result of their own behaviour they were humiliated by a modest, competent girl. As a result she was more than willing to coöperate, and she asked, “I imagine you would wish to make at least three different soups using the gourd? May hap a fish broth, a meat soup and the other vegetable baest?”
“Yes, that seems a good idea if it’s possible, but I’ll make it all the same rather than waste the gourd, Dabchick.”
“There’s no need for that, Iola. The fish is easy. We have a lot of saltt keld(24) which will give you a good fish base. The salt won’t be a problem in something as bland as gourd, so you won’t have to soak it overnight, just rinse it thoroughly before use. I’ll give you four fifty weight boxes [four 100 pound or 50 Kg boxes] of keld and put some smokt delta(25) or ide(26) to them for flavour, and you can decide for yourself how much of what to use. We’ve both aplenty, much more than usual given the time of year, so if you bethink you of more soup using smokt fish we’d be grateful. If you wish more of aught just ask, or send for it. If there’s too much send it back. Too, we’ve may hap twenty weights of smokt mixt shellfish, mostly oysters,(27) returnt by Grangon we should like uest you can have if you wish?” Iola nodded, and Dabchick continued, “I’ll send it to you with the rest. We are not in the same situation as the storekeepers with regard to risk of spoilage, but we do have a selection of different meat and offal odds and ends that if uest would provide us with an empty pantry, but there must be over a hundred and fifty different preservt meats none of which there is individually much of, some of them not even a weight. Bethink you you could use any of that in a meat baest soup?”
“How much is there altogether, Dabchick? And what kind of things are we spaeking of?”
“I’m not sure how much in total, but it will be between two hundred and fifty and three hundred and fifty weights [500-700 pounds, 250-350 Kg]. There will be all sorts there, in every combination of amount of salt, fat, herb, spice, and deepth of smoke. Some will have grains and vegetables addet too, and there will be meat, offal, and blood sausages, stufft stomachs, tripes, intestines and throats, along with pâtés, pastes, and confits maekt from every part of any animal we have ever had to deal with. Some will be hot from fireseed,(28) mercyfruit,(29) mustard or hotroot.(30) Everything you can imagine will be there, including smokt whole partridge, dove, glider,(31) glæt,(32) coney,(33) souslik,(34) frog,(35) snake,(36) fæalla(37) and many other small animals which are popular bringen in by the foragers, like slaters,(38) little hunters(39) and scopis,(40) but there are others too it’s probably best not to tell folk they are eating. There will also be small amounts of our usual sausages. If there’re are not enough for a main meal they are returnt to us and we don’t like to mix them with the next batch so they are placet on the shelfs with the rest of the oddments. The meat cooks eventually take the left over sausage for braekfasts, but they can be left with us for a lune. Fish and shell fish are the only things we have little of for they were eaten last winter.”
Dabchick smiled and continued, “When times are hard, meat is meat, and fish is eaten before offal, but it’s ridiculous so little is using an entire pantry. In addition to the small freeze chambers your crafters have been taking bones and small carcasses from we also have two large freeze chambers fillt to the ceiling with bones that have been intendet for stock. Many have a good amount of meat on, but some have been there for many years. There must be a few hundreds of thousands of weights of them, [several hundreds of thousands of pounds, a few hundred tonnes or tons]. The older ones were cutt small enough to fit in a kettle, but there are all sorts there including I’m telt the entire skeletons of at least two mammoth and dozens of large beasts, though I recall Bluesher sayt the mammoth bones are at the back of one of the chambers. We’re having to use a third large chamber for bones now. Many of the more recent additions will have to be cut to fit into a kettle.”
Iola, not immediately understanding entirely the scale of what Dabchick had said, thought a few seconds as she taekt it all in and said, “I’ll take all the oddments. If there’re any left over from the gourd I could put them in pea soup. Pea is popular no matter what is with it. The smokt small game can all go together with aught else smokt, and the hot materials can go together too. I’d like to take enough long bones to fill four kettles too, starting with the oldest you can reach easily that will go into a kettle, and the same again every day till we have them uest. Long bones are an easy way to make stock for the meat cooks’ gravy and sauces, and for me too for soup. The shanks only need half the cooking time of other bones. I’ll ask Morris or Ivana to make sure all bones will go in a kettle in future, and to make a start cutting up some of the large ones in the freeze chambers. Presumably any cutt ones could go into the chamber you are using at the moment?” Puzzled she asked, “How doet that amount of bones become accumulaett, Dabchick? What doet previous stock makers use?”
“We’ve a number of empty large freeze chambers the bones could be movt to after cutting. The accumulaett bones came straight from the butchers, Iola, and goent forthwith into the freeze chambers. As for what was uest for stock, just the cookt bones and carcasses from the kitcheners, and oft not all of those. Some goent into the small chambers you got the wildfowl carcasses from. What was uest oft had little meat on. I suspect for convenience the meatier carcasses and bones were ignort, which resultet in thin flavourless stock. Naught from your office had any where near the deepth of flavour that your stocks and soups have had, and all are aware of it, for unlike of yore there has been nigh to none of your soup left uneaten.”
Iola considered what Dabchick had said and shrugged her shoulders. She was not over bothered by what had happened before having more important concerns. She was unaware of how impressed Dabchick was by her indifference to the relative performance of her predecessors.
Her introspection over, Iola continued, “Oh, and I’d like a twenty weight bag of salt too please. I’ve telt the storekeepers if there’s ever aught they wish uest before it spoils to let me know as soon as possible, and I should appreciate it if your crafters do the same. It’s flaught(41) to use food that will keep when there’s food in stores and pantries that will spoil if keept much longer.”
Dabchick smiled and said, “I don’t doubt the storekeepers agree with that, and we do too, but neither of us can make the cooks take what we wish them to use. Mostly they wish easy to cook meat from the butchers and from our freeze chambers too. This time last year there was at least twenty times the amount of oddments in store there is now, but a lot was uest because winter arrivt early, was calter than usual and spring came late. Much had been in our pantries for many years, and was only uest because there was little else. It doetn’t make good meals, but it was eat it or starve. It is worrying that we don’t have any where near as much in reserve this year, for if this winter is as last some will die. I can not help myself, but I do believe we can prevent the deadths from hunger. I just don’t know how we can manage things so to do. Qvuine normally updates her records of what food is in stock every lune but, she’s been doing it twice a lune sincely, The last time I saw her she was leaving Coaltit’s stores, having been in our pantries and had spaech with me the day before, and and she doetn’t look happy. However, would you like us to tell you when we receive meat and offal it is not really sensible to freeze because there’s just not enough, and it would be addet to the oddments to freeze and not uest till hard times were on us? Most of that sort of thing is not really suitable for preserving for the same reason, but it would be easy to use fresh. We receive a lot like that from the butchers, for they send all here the cooks don’t wish to use immediately. We do our best and use a lot of it in sausages, but the remainder we have to preserve which is why we have so many odds and ends, but most of it would be better uest immediately.”
Iola knew the provisioners had numerous large insulated chambers for meat storage that could be accessed directly from the courtyard as well as from the kitchens. They faced north and were all in permanent deep shade. Some were maintained just above freezing, but others even at mid-summer were fifty heats below freezing, at this time of year they would be as cold as it was outside. Iola nodded and replied, “Yes, please. I don’t like my crafters having to waste their time, and I don’t see why any other’s should either, so just have it sent to us directly. We’ll find something to do with it even if I have to ask for advice, so if you have any suggestions I should appreciate hearing them. I’ll ask Morris to remind the butchers that naught is to be sent anywhere without my permission, so that all that can be eaten is actually eaten.” Iola, taken by an idea, paused a second before continuing, “Would there be aught the butchers send you it would be easy and sensible to make small meatballs with to put in a soup? Say this big.” Iola indicated the size, a weidth and a half, with her index finger and thumb.
“All of what they send us that we don’t really wish to do aught with can be chopt finely, or even mincet to make meatballs with. Some of it is not easy to do that with, but it is sensible because it’s the least difficult thing for us to do with it, and we have to do something with it prior to storage. We already do that and make sausages with as much as we have casings for, but making meatballs for you would enable us to deal with it all. The meatballs could be freezen to give you a ready supply. That would help us deal with all sorts of oddments that could then be boxt as meatballs in quantity, and could be uest quickly in bulk. Better a pantry uest to store large amounts of meatballs than tiny quantities of different preservt meats. We make kine or aurochs meatballs for the meat cooks, but only to order, may hap every two tenners. Do you mean just keep making them as the material comes to hand?”
“Yes. Please. That would be a great help. I haven’t aught in mind at the moment to use them in, but I shall betimes, and I shall wish them in quantity, at least two hundred weights at a time for a main meal soup, possibly twice that much.”
“If there are any bones that it is easy to cut a reasonable amount of meat off first may we use that for meatballs and then freeze the bones for stock?”
“Of course that’s sensible, Dabchick, but don’t go to any effort to remove meat. Cooking will do that.”
Dabchick pondered and asked, “Do you wish them maekt of any particular meat? And is there aught you don’t wish in them? May we use offal and mixt meats?”
Iola considered Dabchick’s questions and replied, “To start with let’s just assume aught can go in, including a small amount of tripe, and up to one part in five can be fat. I’d prefer it if they were no more than half offal, preferably less. We may need to alter that and the fat content, but we have to start somewhere, and they don’t have to be even remotely all the same. I’ll be considering a soup to cook them in and how to season them, but for the now just make them, and we’ll season the soup. Will you let me know when you have enough for a trial soup, say a thousand or so which will allow me to do ten gallons and each portion can have four? Whilst times I’ll try to create a more substantial soup that can take much more.”
“We’ll be able to do that within the day. Gratitude for the idea. I’ll have the fish, meat and salt taken to your kitchens, and I’ll come to tell you what each is, Iola, as soon as I have explaint to some crafters the idea regards the meatballs. They’ll start making them as soon as they can. Just a suggestion. You may wish to consider using some fireseed or mercyfruit in your vegetable baest soup?”
“You mentiont mercyfruit before when you sayt it was hot. I know what fireseed, hotroot and mustard are, but I’ve not come across mercyfruit. What are they?”
“They’re like bellfruit but hot, some are so hot they can burn your mouth, some are almost as hot as fireseed, and you need to be careful with them. They’re green and hot when unripe and they go red or yellow and become hotter as they ripen. Ask the storekeepers to shew you some. It’s doubtful they’ll have any fresh left, but they may have some freezen and will certainly have a considerable quantity dryt. You’ll need to ask Spoonbill for fireseed.”
The two women, happy with the outcome of their meeting parted, Dabchick impressed by Iola’s consideration for the provisioners, glad now to have an empty pantry to use, and happy at the amount of work she and her crafters were not going to have to do as a result of being able to make the meatballs in its stead. Iola too was feeling she had achieved a great deal for her crafters, and wishing to see some mercyfruit, which she suspected were hot peppers, she went back to the stores. Bellfruit she knew were sweet peppers and red ones were as oft uest as a pudding fruit as a vegetable. Coaltit had no fresh mercyfruit or bellfruit but a little of each frozen and a large quantity of both dried. Iola had guessed the identity of mercyfruit correctly and realised she had come across it before, but with so many new names to learn it mustn’t have registered properly. She left with a gallon jar of dried mercyfruit and a caution to go with it. “This is one of the hotter varieties, so wear gloves when handling it, don’t rub your eyes and don’t breath in any dust. Be careful when removing the cork, for if pullt out too quickly it draws up fine powder into the air as it pulls away,” Coaltit had instructed her. She had also said, “I also suggest you store it in your affairs chamber and limit who is allowt to handle it to your more able crafters.” Iola had nodded in understanding.
The fish and the oddments were delivered to Iola’s kitchens along with a handcart piled high with fresh material from the butchers. Dabchick came to explain what the various odds and ends were and they sorted them into four piles, each of which could provide enough flavour for mayhap six or seven hundred gallons of soup. “You may wish to reserve some of the tchungharri(42) for another time, Iola. They are very fatty and contain huge amounts of garlic.” As she spake Dabchick pointed to some wide, pale sausages. “They also contain poundet nuts. Strictly we should use walnuts, but we use what ever we can have from the storekeepers. These are baest on venison and contain a mix of hazelnuts and chestnuts.”
“Lot’s of different sausages contain garlic, but I’ve never hearet of nuts in them.”
“According to Ling the previous Mistress provisioner, an incomer naemt Zahid who became the Master provisioner long over bringen the receipt and the name with him. His original Folk uest a lot of walnuts in their food. I suppose they must have been plentiful whence he came, for Folk have to use what they have. They were originally baest on sheep or goat, but they’re popular maekt with any meat though not good with offal of any kind.”
All the piles contained fresh material, but only two contained smoked material, the other two contained all the oddments with fireseed, mercyfruit, hotroot, mustard or radish seeds in them. The tchungharri were divided mongst the four piles. Three piles were boxt, labelled to identify the contents and loaded into small handcarts prior to being taken to a freeze chamber. The remaining pile was for use with the gourd nextday.
Whilst Adela supervised the emergency preparation of the softest gourd, Iola had been delving in the soup makers’ receipt books to find something that would be quick and easy to make to provide a contrast. There were many such soups where the ingredients were available in the summer, but she could only find one that could be cooked in the winter, most winter soups taekt effort and time to prepare, neither of which she could spare. So, with reservations, she decided to try the blötroot(43) soup which was maekt with grated blötroot cooked with grated green hotroot,(44) for both were available in quantity and in good condition from the storekeepers. She maekt a gallon to test. It was a bright red, attractive looking, consommé like, clear soup with shreds that sank to the bottom, and it had a spicy warm flavour which much to her surprise was a fuller taste than she had envisaged. She asked Spoonbill, the elderly herb and spice preserver and blender renown for his sensitive and discriminating taste buds, for advice, and after seasoning with his suggested mixture it was delicious, but it was even better still when some bean sprouts, courtesy of the growers using the ideas brought by Claudia, were added in the last two minutes of cooking, and it was served with a swirl of soured cream. After having checked the bean sprouts were available in quantity, for the growers seemed to oscillate between glut and famine regarding them, she had Parsley and three of her most able and fastest crafters prepare a hundred gallons. Fortunately the growers had a temporary embarrassment of the sprouts, and were pleased to provide her with what she needed.
Two hours later the Blötroot Consommé, was delivered to the kitcheners’ heated serving counters with the bean sprouts and soured cream. The kitcheners were going to add the bean sprouts when appropriate and add the cream as they served it. The blötroot consommé, the already prepared soups and her normal emergency provision had provided Iola with the soup she needed to have available for the eve meal which allowed most of her crafters to continue to process the gourd, but she no longer had any emergency provision, so she had Parsley and her three crafters do it all over again, which meant Harle and the overnight crafters would be able to carry on preparing and cooking more of the gourd. Whilst times, she assisted two of her crafters to prepare the fourth pile of oddments from Dabchick.
Iola, whilst chopping up oddments, had remembered a soup she’d had in a market stall eatery two years since. As she remembered it, it had been called Spicy Lentil Soup. It had been delicious, had contained a significant quantity of pumpkin as well as lentil and had been served with a crusty bread roll and a pat of butter. She knew of a receipt for lentil soup which was one part lentils to eight parts water by either weighth or volume with added vegetables for flavour. She’d come across carrots, onions, leeks and garlic uest for flavour in lentil soups but the exact receipt for a lentil and pumpkin soup she had never come across. She equated squash with pumpkin and since they were both mostly water decided one part small pulse, whether they were lentil or not she neither knew nor cared since they were what Coaltit had, to ten parts squash, some grated roots of what ever kind suited Coaltit, including redroot or blötroot for colour, and some garlic would provide a start before asking for Spoonbill’s help for the spice. She prepared a five gallon mix, and asked Spoonbill for his help. She tore a manchette(45) into pieces and buttered the pieces and as Spoonbill considered the soup she passed him a piece of bread explaining, “The soup is to be servt with these.”
“It needs a little fat, Iola. The butter on the manchette helps, but I suggest a little fat from a red meat beast, may hap a high heapt serving spoon first in the entire kettle before I consider the final seasoning.” The fat was added and allowed to melt and stirred in. The pulse adsorbed the fat and there was no fatty layer on the top when Spoonbill tasted it again. Iola had deliberately not telt Spoonbill aught of the soup she had based the soup on for he was a creative cook and she’d wished him to start with no prejudices. “I don’t consider it needs much, Iola. I originally bethinkt me some salt, but now not. A sweet, mild spicing seems appropriate. Give me a quarter of an hour and I’ll make up a mix for a pint. We can go from there.” Spoonbill’s mix gave the soup a wonderfully aromatic fragrance that maekt a first class korma seem insipid to Iola. Surprisingly to her it tasted of clove, vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon, but not quite any of them, yet it was sweet and it had no spicy heat at all. “What bethink you, Iola?”
“It is a long way better than the soup I baest it on. Gratitude, Spoonbill. I’ll have my crafters make up a full batch. Could I have enough of your spice mix for six hundred gallons? For I’ll make a number of batches of it before the squash is uest.”
“I’ll have the mix with you within the hour. My gratitude for the opportunity to help with such a tasty dish.”
Fragrant Lentil Soup was a runaway success and uest large quantities of squash and little else other than the pulses. Many wished to know what lentil signified and Iola’s brief explanation, lentil are small, flat, salmon coloured pulse, to the kitcheners was the inspiration behind their larger menu boards for their expanded descriptions of all the food available thatday, for many Folk liked to discuss the details of their food as they waited to be served.
After the Fragrant Lentil Soup Iola considered what else she could use the gourd as a base for since once cooked it provided most of the liquid any soup required. It occurred to her that gourd with some of the meatballs and the brine and salt from the bottom of a barrel of saltt green beans would be a suitable starting place, and the few weights of remaining beans could be cut up into the soup. Spoonbill considered a little waxroot would provide some balance. Iola had the roots finely sliced using the machines Dabchick uest to slice cooked meats, though for a bit of fun she’d described them as ‘slicely fined waxroots’. The kitcheners thinking that it was a genuine word usage from whence she came duly uest the expression on their menu boards and ‘slicely fient’ quickly caught on as a new expression in Folk. Iola explained to Spoonbill that such a switching in the words was callt a Spoonerism(46) in English which he considered amusing, and a number of Folk thought it something to do with him. A little more water and Spoonbill’s herb and spice mix and Marrow Meatball Soup was ready. Not as popular as the Lentil it naytheless was a successful offering that uest a lot of the gourd. “What does the marrow signify, Iola?” Dabchick asked. “For I know you uest no marrow in it.”
“There’s no marrow out of bones in the soup, Dabchick, but a marrow is a type of summer gourd whence I came. Small ones were refert to as courgettes.”
A few days later Iola offered Courgette Cheese Chowder. The soup comprised gourd, starchroots, green onions from the freeze chambers, grated cheese and as usual Spoonbill’s herb and spice blend which was based on sweetbean,(47) a nutmeg like flavour with a hint of bitterth. After cooking the soup was blended to produce a thick warming soup which ate well with flat bread.
Ashridge had asked her of the names she uest for her soups, and she had explained she had always read a lot of cookery books, and mostly the names were derived from those, but she considered food should have interesting and preferably relevant names, so she invented a lot of her names. Not really understanding her he had smiled and agreed it was indeed proper.
Iola had asked the butchers to send direct to her aught from which her stock makers could extract nutrients, including heads, feet and tails, collectively referred to as offcuts,(48) which she had asked if they would skin for her. She had asked if they would send lung to her rather than Dabchick too, as she could use it every day. Some of the meat preparation butchers had been difficult, and Iola had just been going to insist they complied with her request as they were obliged to, before she maekt it an order. She had no problems regards facing the much older crafters down because she knew she had the authority to do so, and also to instigate disciplinary proceedings if necessary. However, Morris saved her the trouble. Morris, who ran his office as though he still were in the army, had overhearet the conversation and remarked, “Iola politely asked you to skin them for her. She didn’t have to be polite nor to ask since she is a Mistress cook and her office and rank entitles her to order you to comply or face disciplinary measures. I’m not asking you, and I’m not being polite about ordering you. You do as you are told by any and all of your superiors, or you craft somewhere else. If you feel upset by this consider that I, your superior, have just saved you from the disciplinary measures Iola, who is also your superior, was clearly going to invoke. If you don’t like it I suggest you find a craft elsewhere before I dismiss you. If you go I shall not miss you for I have no need of insubordinate subordinates.”
Morris had taken her to his small affairs chamber for leaf, and explained to her he had been in the army for most of his life and had oft been in places where food was in such short supply none could be wasted, and he appreciated what she was doing to feed the Folk.
Iola had blurted out, “My dad was in the army. He was James McDonald. To his friends he was Jimmy. He dien in Afghanistan.”
A few tears ran off her cheeks. Morris shook his head as he gently touched her wet cheek and said, “I’m sorry. I was there too. I didn’t know him. I lost some good mates there. I was one of the lucky ones.”
Iola had smiled bleakly and said, “But now we’re both here and just have to get on with it. Right?”
“Right!” Iola’s tenacious grip on reality impressed Morris and he’d continued, “If, in future, you require anything, anything at all, Iola, all you have to do is ask. I suggest you deal with me and my initial butchery staff, Ivana, Zena, Trefoil, Redstart and Russell. In the meantime, I shall learn what lies behind the antagonism you received from the meat preparation staff and make sure it stops.”
“Gratitude, Morris. Are you aware of the freeze chambers full of stock bones?”
“No. Why?”
Iola telt Morris of what Dabchick had telt her, and Morris said he would see Dabchick and then deal with the situation.
Index of significant characters so far listed by Chapter
1 Introduction
2 Jacques de Saint d’Espéranche
3 The Folk and the Keep
4 Hwijje, Travisher, Will
5 Yew, Allan, Rowan,Siskin, Will, Thomas, Merle, Molly, Aaron, Gareth, Oak, Abigail, Milligan, Basil, Vinnek, Iris, Margæt, Gilla, Alsike, Alfalfa, Gibb, Happith, Kroïn, Mako, Pilot, Briar, Gosellyn, Gren, Hazel
6 Chaunter, Waxwing, Flame, João, Clansaver, Irune, Ceël, Barroo, Campion, Limpet, Vlæna, Xera, Rook, Falcon, Cwm, Sanderling, Aldeia, Catarina, Coast, Elixabete
7 Mercedes, Spoonbill
8 Lyllabette, Yoomarrianna
9 Helen, Duncan, Gosellyn, Eudes, Abigail
10 George/Gage, Iris, Waverley, Belinda
11 Marc/Marcy, Pol
12 George/Gage, Marcy, Freddy/Bittern, Weyland, Iris, Bling
13 Thomas, Will, Mercedes, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna
14 Kyle, Thomas, Will, Angélique
15 Mercedes, Morgelle, Gorse, Thrift, George/Gage, Chris, Iris, Thrift, Campion
16 Bling
17 Waverley, Mr. E
18 George/Gage, Larch, Mari, Ford, Gorse, Morgelle, Luke, Erin
19 Will, Pilot, Yew, Geoge/Gage, Mari, Ford, Gosellyn, Cwm, Cerise, Filbert, Gareth, Duncan, Helen, Thomas, Iris, Plume, Campion, Pim, Rook, Falcon, João, Hare
20 Yew, Rowan, Will, Thomas, Siskin, Weir, Grayling, Willow
21 Brook, Harrier, Cherry, Abby, Selena, Borage, Sætwæn, Fiona, Fergal
22 Yew, Thomas, Hazel, Rowan, Gosellyn, Siskin, Will, Lianna, Duncan
23 Tench, Knawel, Claire, Oliver, Loosestrife, Bramling, George, Lyre, Janice, Kæn, Joan, Eric
24 Luke, Sanderling, Ursula, Gervaise, Mike, Spruce, Moss
25 Janet, Vincent, Douglas, Alec, Alice
26 Pearl, Merlin, Willow, Ella, Suki, Tull, Irena
27 Gina, Hardy, Lilac, Jessica, Teal, Anna
28 Bryony, Judith, Bronwen, Farsight
29 Muriel, Raquel, Grace
30 Catherine, Crane, Snipe, Winifred, Dominique, Ferdinand
31 Alma, Allan, Morris, Miranda
32 Dabchick, Nigel
33 Raquel, Thistle, Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Phœbe
34 Eleanor, Woad, Catherine, Crane
35 Muriel, Hail, Joan, Breve, Eric, Nell, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
36 Selena,Sætwæn, Borage, Grace, Gatekeeper, Raquel, Thistle
37 Siân, Mackerel, Winifred, Obsidian
38 Carla, Petrel, Alkanet, Ferdinand
39 Dominique, Oxlip, Alma, Allan, Tress, Bryony
40 Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Ella, Kestrel, Judith, Storm
41 Ella, Kestrel, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane
42 Weights & Measures and Sunrise & Sunset Times included in Ch 41
43 Ella, Kestrel, Serenity, Smile, Gwendoline, Rook, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane, Sapphire, Mere
44 Pearl, Merlin, Rainbow, Perch, Joan, Breve, truth, Rachael, Hedger, Ruby, Deepwater
45 Janet, Blackdyke, Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster
46 Janet, Gina, Alastair, Joan, Breve, Truth, Bræth, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
47 The Squad, Mercedes, Fen, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
48 Bronwen, Forest, Opal, Spice, Vincent, Kathleen, Niall, Bluebell, Sophie
49 Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster, Imogen, Wryneck, Phœbe, Knapps
50 Erin, Nightjar, Eleanor, Woad
51 Gina, Jonas, Janet, Gerald, Patrick, Tansy, Craig, Barret, Ryan
52 Constance, Rye, Bling, Bullace, Berry, Jimmy, Leveret, Rory, Shelagh, Silas
53 Rachael, Hedger, Eve, Gilla, Mallard, Fiona, Fergal, Tinder, Nightingale, Fran, Dyker
54 Pamela, Mullein, Patricia, Chestnut, Lavinia, Ophæn, Catherine, Crane
55 Susan, Kingfisher, Janet, Gina, Jonas, Ruth, Kilroy, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
56 Gina, Jonas, Patricia, Chestnut, The Squad, Hazel, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch, Mangel, Clary, Brendan
57 Erin, Nightjar, Xera, Josephine, Wels, Michelle, Musk, Swansdown, Tenor
58 Timothy, Axel, Nectar, Waverley,Yvette, Whitebear, Firefly, Farsight, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch
59 Lilac, Firefly, Farsight, Lucinda, Gimlet, Leech, Janet, Blackdyke
60 Douglas, Lunelight, Yvette, Whitebear, Thrift, Haw, Harebell, Goosander, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew, Matilda, Evan, Heron
61 Brendan, Clary, Chloë, Apricot, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna, Otis, Harry, Gimlet, Leech, Jodie
62 Gimlet, Leech, Lark, Seth, Charles, Bruana, Noah, Kirsty, Shirley, Mint, Kevin, Faith, Oak, Lilly, Jason, Gem, Ellen
63 Honesty, Peter, Bella, Abel, Kell, Deal, Siobhan, Scout, Jodie
64 Heather, Jon, Anise, Holly, Gift, Dirk, Lilac, Jasmine, Ash, Beech, Ivy, David
65 Sérent, Dace, Opal, Spice, Vincent, Clarissa, Gorse, Eagle, Frond, Diana, Gander, Gyre, Tania, Alice, Alec
66 Suki, Tull, Buzzard, Mint, Kevin, Harmony, Fran, Dyker, Joining the Clans, Pamela, Mullein, Mist, Francis, Kristiana, Cliff, Patricia, Chestnut, Timothy, Axel, Nectar, Waverly, Tarragon, Edrydd, Louise, Turnstone, Jane, Mase, Cynthia, Merle, Warbler, Spearmint, Stonecrop
67 Warbler, Jed, Fiona, Fergal, Marcy, Wayland, Otday, Xoë, Luval, Spearmint, Stonecrop, Merle, Cynthia, Eorle, Betony, Smile
68 Pansy, Pim,Phlox, Stuart, Marilyn, Goth, Lunelight, Douglas, Crystal, Godwit, Estelle, Slimlyspoon, Lyre, George, Damson, Lilac
69 Honesty, Peter, Abel, Bella, Judith, storm, Matilda, Evean, Iola, Heron, Mint, Kevin, Lilac, Happith, Gloria, Peregrine
70 Lillian, Tussock, Modesty, Thyme, Vivienne, Minyet, Ivy, David, Jasmine, Lilac, Ash, Beech
71 Quartet & Rebecca, Gimlet & Leech, The Squad, Lyre & George, Deadth, Gift
72 Gareth, Willow, Ivy, David, Kæna,Chive, Hyssop, Birch, Lucinda, Camomile, Meredith, Cormorant, Whisker, Florence, Murre, Iola, Milligan, Yarrow, Flagstaff, Swansdown, Tenor, Morgan, Yinjærik, Silvia, Harmaish, Billie, Jo, Stacey, Juniper
73 The Growers, The Reluctants, Miriam, Roger, Lauren, Dermot, Lindsay, Scott, Will, Chris, Plume, Stacey, Juniper
74 Warbler, Jed, Veronica, Campion, Mast, Lucinda, Cormorant, Camomile, Yellowstone
75 Katheen, Raymnd, Niall, Bluebe, Sophie, Hazel, Ivy, Shadow, Allison, Amber, Judith, Storm Alwydd, Matthew, Beatrix, Jackdaw, The Squad, Elders, Jennt, Bronze, Maeve, Wain, Monique, Piddock, Melissa, Roebuck, Aaron, Carley Jade, Zoë, Vikki, Bekka, Mint, Torrent
76 Gimlet, Leech, Gwendoline, Georgina, Quail. Birchbark, Hemlock, Peter, Honesty, Bella, Hannah, Aaron, Torrent, Zoë, Bekka, Vikki, Jade, Carley, Chough, Anvil, Clematis, Stonechat, Peace, Xanders, Gosellyn, Yew, Thomas, Campion, Will, Iris, Gareth
77 Zoë, Torrent, Chough, Stonechat, Veronica, Mast, Sledge, Cloudberry, Aconite, Cygnet, Smokt
78 Jed, Warbler, Luval, Glaze, Seriousth, Blackdyke, Happith, Camilla
79 Torrent, Zoë, Stonechat, Clematis, Aaron, Maeve, Gina, Bracken, Gosellyn, Paene, Veronica, Mast, Fracha, Squid, Silverherb
80 George/Gage, Niall, Alwydd, Marcy/Beth, Freddy/Bittern, Wayland, Chris, Manic/Glen, Guy, Liam, Jed, Fergal, Sharky
81 The Squad, Manic/Glen, Jackdaw, Beatrix, Freddy/Bittern, Fiona, Fergal, Wayland, Jade, Stonechat, Beauty, Mast, Veronica, Raven, Tyelt, Fid
82 Gimlet, Leech, Scentleaf, Ramsom, Grouse, Aspen, Stonechat, Bekka, Carley, Vikki, Morgelle, Bistort, Fritillary, Jed, Warbler, Spearmint, Alwydd, Billie, Diver, Seal, Whitethorn
83 Alastair, Carrom, Céline, Quickthorn, Coral, Morgelle, Fritillary, Bistort, Walnut, Tarragon, Edrydd, Octopus, Sweetbean, Shrike, Zoë, Torrent, Aaron, Vinnek, Zephyr, Eleanor, Woad, George/Gage, The Squad, Ingot, Yellowstone, Phthalen, Will
84 Morgelle, Bistort, Fritillary, Alsike, Campion, Siskin, Gosellyn, Yew, Rowan, Thomas, Will, Aaron, Dabchick, Nigel, Tuyere
85 Jo, Knott, Sallow, Margæt, Irena, Tabby, Jade, Phthalen, Yumalle, Stonechat, Spearmint, Alwydd, Seriousth, Warbler, Jed, Brett, Russel, Barleycorn, Crossbill, Lizo, Hendrix, Monkshood, Eyrie, Whelk, Gove, Gilla, Faarl, Eyebright, Alma, axx, Allan, daisy, Suki, Tull
86 Cherville, Nightshade, Rowan, Milligan, Wayland, Beth, Liam, Chris, Gage
87 Reedmace, Ganger, Jodie, Blade, Frœp, Mica, Eddique, Njacek, Whiteout, Sandpiper, Serin, Cherville, Nightshade, peregrine, Eleanor, Woad, Buzzard, Silas, Oak, Wolf, Kathleen, Reef, Raymond, Sophie, Niall, Bluebell
88 Cloud, Sven, Claudia, Stoat, Thomas, Aaron, Nigel, Yew, Milligan, Gareth, Campion, Will, Basil, Gosellyn, Vinnek, Plume
89 Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna, Silverherb, Cloudberry, Smokt, Skylark, Beatrix, Beth, Amethyst, Mint, Wayland, Bittern, Fiona, Fergal, Joan, Bræth, Nell, Milligan, Iola, Ashdell, Alice, Molly, Rill, Briar
90 Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Beth, Beatrix, Sanderling, Falcon, Gosellyn, Gage, Will, Fiona, Jackdaw, Wayland, Merle, Cynthia, Jed, Warbler
91 Morgelle, Tuyere, Fritillary, Bistort, Jed, Otday, The Squad, Turner, Gudrun, Ptarmigan, Swegn, Campion, Otis, Asphodel, Jana, Treen, Xeffer, Stonechat, Bekka, Vikki, Carley, Beatrix, Jackdaw
92 Turner, Otday, Mackerel, Eorl, Betony, The Council, Will, Yew, Basil, Gerald, Oier, Patrick, Happith, Angélique, Kroïn, Mako
93 Beth, Greensward, Beatrix, Odo, Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Otday, Turner, Gace, Rachael, Groundsel, Irena, Warbler, Jed, Mayblossom, Mazun, Will, The Squad
94 Bistort, Honey, Morgelle, Basil, Willow, Happith, Mako, Kroïn, Diana, Coaltit, Gær, Lavinia, Joseph (son), Ruby, Deepwater, Gudrun, Vinnek, Tuyere, Otday, Turner
95 Turner, Otday, Waverly, Jed, Tarse, Zoë, Zephyr, Agrimony, Torrent, Columbine, Stonechat, Bekka, Vikki, Carley, The Council, Gage, Lilly
96 Faith, Oak, Lilly, Fran, Suki, Dyker, Verbena, Jenny, Bronze, Quietth, Alwydd, Evan, Gage, Will, Woad, Bluebell, Niall, Sophie, Wayland, Kathleen, Raymond, Bling, Bittern
97 Jade, Phthalen, Yumalle, Margæt, Tabby, Larov, Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Fritillary, Brmling, Tench, Knawel, Loosestrife, Agrimony, Jana, Will, Gale, Linden, Thomas, Guelder, Jodie, Peach, Peregrine, Reedmace, Ganger, The Council, Faith, Oak, Lilly, Ellen, Gem, Beth, Geän
98 Turner, Otday, Anbar, Bernice, Silverherb, Havern, Annalen
99 Kæna, Chive, Ivy, David, Birch, Suki, Hyssop, Whitebeam, Jodie, Ganger, Reedmace, Whiteout, Sandpiper, Catherine, Braid, Maidenhair, Snowberry, Snipe, Lærie, Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Fritillary, Ælfgyfu, Jennet, Cattail, Guy, Vikki, Buckwheat, Eddique, Annabelle, Fenda, Wheatear, Bram, Coolmint, Carley, Dunlin
100 Burdock, Bekka, Bram, Wheatear, Cranberry, Edrian, Gareth, George, Georgina, Quail, Birchbark, Hemlock, Bramling, Tench, Knawel, Turner, Otday, Ruby, Deepwater, Barleycorn, Russel, Gareth, Plantain, Gibb, Lizo, Thomas, Mere, Marten, Hendrix, Cuckoo, Campion, Gage, Lilly, Faith
101 Theresa, Therese, Zylanna, Zylenna, Cwm, Ivy, David, Greenshank, Buzzard, Zeeëend, Zrina, Zlovan, Torrent, Alastair, Céline, Meld, Frogbit, Midnight, Wildcat, Posy, Coral, Dandelion, Thomas, Lizo, Council
102 Beth, Beatrix, Falcon, Gosellyn, Neil, Maple, Mouse, Ember, Goose, Blackcap, Suede, Gareth, Robert, Madder, Eider, Campion, Crossbill, Barleycorn, George, Céline, Midnight, Alastair, Pamela, Mullein, Swager, Msrgæt, Sturgeon, Elliot, Jake, Paris, Rosebay, Sheridan, Gælle, Maybells, Emmer, Beauty, Patricia, Chestnut, Irena, Moor
103 Steve, Limpet, Vlæna, Qorice, Crossbow, Dayflower, Flagon, Gareth, Næna, Stargazer, Willow, Box, Jude, Nathan, Ryland, Eller, Wæn, Stert, Truedawn, Martin, Campion, Raspberry
104 Coolmint, Valerian, Vikki, Hawfinch, Corncrake, Speedwell, Cobb, Bill, Gary, Chalk, Norman, Hoopoe, Firkin, Gareth, Plover, Willow, Dewberry, Terry, Squill, Campion, Tracker, Oak, Vinnek,
105 Council, Thomas, Pilot, Vinnek, Dale, Luca, Almond, Macus, Skua, Cranesbill, Willow, Campion, Georgina, Osprey, Peter, Hotsprings, Fyre, Jimbo, Saxifrage, Toby, Bruana, Shirley, Kirsty, Noah, Frost, Gareth, Turner, Otday, Eorl, Axle, Ester, Spile, David, Betony
106 Jodie, Sunshine, Ganger, Peach, Spikenard, Scallop, Hobby, Pennyroyal, Smile, Otday, Turner, Janet, Astrid, Thistle, Shelagh, Silas, Basalt, Suki, Robert, Madder, Steve, Bekka, Cowslip, Swansdown, Susan, Aqualegia, Kingfisher, Carley, Syke, Margæt, Garnet, Catkin, Caltforce, Council, Thomas, Briar, Yew, Sagon, Joseph, Gareth, Gosellyn, Campion, Will, Qvuine, Aaron, Siskin, Jasmine, Tusk, Lilac, Ash, Beech, Rebecca, Fescue
107 Helen, Duncan, Irena, Scent, Silk, Loosestrife, Tench, Knawel, Bramling, Grebe, Madder, Robert, Otter, Luval, Honey, Beth, Beatrix, Falcon, Amethyst, Janet, Lilac, Jasmine, Ash, Beech, Fiona, Blackdyke, Bittern, George, Axel, Oak, Terry, Wolf, Vinnek, Dittander, Squill, Harmony, Jason, Lyre, Iola, Heron, Yew, Milligan, Alice, Crook, Eudes, Abigail, Gibb, Melanie, Storm, Annabelle, Eddique, Fenda, Lars, Reedmace, Jodie, Aaron, Nigel, Thomas Will
108 Aldeia, Coast, Chris, Wayland, Liam, Gage, Fiona, Fergal, Beth, Greensward, Jackdaw, Warbler, Jed, Guy, Bittern, Spearmint, Alwydd, Storm, Judith, Heidi, Iola, heron, Beatrix, Harle, Parsley, Fledgeling, Letta, Cockle, Puffin, Adela, Gibb, Coaltit, Dabchick, Morris, Lucimer, Sharky, Rampion, Siskin, Weir, Alsike, Milligan, Gosellyn, Wolf, campion, Gareth, Aaron, Nigel, Geoffrey, Will, Roebuck, Yew
109 George, Lyre, Iola, Milligan, Gibb, Adela, Wels, Francis, Weir, Cliff, Siward, Glæt, Judith, Madder, Briar, Axel, Molly, Coaltit, Dabchick, Bluesher, Qvuine, Spoonbill, Ashridge, Morris
Word Usage Key
Some commonly used words are below. Replace th on end of words with ness and t with d or ed and most of the rest are obvious if sounded out aloud. Some words with n or en on the end can be easily understood if the n is replaced by a d. Only difficult words and words that do not exist in English are now referred to specifically.
Agreän(s), those person(s) one has marital agreement with, spouse(s).
Bethinkt, thought.
Braekt, broke.
Cousine, female cousin.
Doet, did. Pronounced dote.
Doetn’t, didn’t. Pronounced dough + ent.
Findt, found,
Goen, gone
Goent, went.
Grandparents. In Folk like in many Earth languages there are words for either grandmother and grandfather like granddad, gran, granny. There are also words that are specific to maternal and paternal grandparents. Those are as follows. Maternal grand mother – granddam. Paternal grandmother – grandma. Maternal grandfather – grandfa. Paternal grandfather – grandda.
Heartfriend, a relationship of much more significance than being a girl- or boy-friend is on Earth. Oft such relationships are formed from as young as four and they are taken seriously by both children and adults. A child’s heartfriend is automatically one of their heartfriend’s parents’ children too, and a sibling to their heartfriend’s siblings. Such relationships rarely fail and are seen as precursors to becoming intendet and having agreement.
Intendet, fiancée or fiancé.
Knoewn, knew.
Lastdaysince, the day before yesterday.
Loes, lost.
Maekt, made.
Nextdaynigh, the day after tomorrow.
Sayt, said.
Seeën, saw.
Taekt, took.
Telt, told.
Uest, used.
1 Though a stride has been approximated to a metre [39·4 inches] and also to a yard [36 inches] elsewhere in the work George has more accurately evaluated it as 33 inches. There is no absolute value to a stride on Castle because there has never been a need for one. George is still in the process of working towards absolute standards of weights and measures.
2 Flait, fear.
3 Griselle, shallot. Many types are cultivated, and of any combination of shape and colour are known. Flat, round, tall, white, yellow, brown and red.
4 Ramsom, Allium ursinum the European wild garlic. Ramsom is similar to Ramps, Allium tricoccum found in North America. Both are bulb-forming perennials with broad, smooth, light green leaves and a scallion-like stalk and bulb. The entire plant of both species is edible.
5 Maker mark. A signature mark stamped, burnt or otherwise placed on an article indicating the individual crafter who had maekt the article.
6 Left and right throwers, left and right handed persons.
7 Aflaiten,frightened.
8 Crispstem, Ipomoea aquatica, water spinach or kangkong.
9 Duckweed, various species of small floating water weeds within the family Lemnaceae.
10 Sipps, croûtons.
11 Crisps in English English are chips in American English. Chips in English English are French Fries or Fries in American English.
12 Bracket fungus, mostly Fomitopsis betulina, the Birch polypore and Laetiporus sulphureus, the Sulphur polypore or Chicken of the Woods, though numerous others are eaten too.
13 Clansaver, a ubiquitous, nutritious and tender variety of ocean leaf [edible seaweed] with little taste of its own which readily absorbs other flavours, oft uest as a meat extender.
14 Kitcheners, though part of the kitchen staff the kitcheners are a distinct craft comprising kitchen supervisors and their staff of servers, waiters, dish washers and storekeepers.
15 The paddles of an undershot water wheel is are struck by the flow of water from below.
16 In an overshot, pitchback water wheel the water hits the wheel just below its highest point [overshot] on the side nearest the water source causing the wheel to revolve ‘backwards’ [pitchback]. The wheel efficiently rotates in the direction of the water as it leaves the wheel thus providing more power.
17 Whilth, distance measured in terms of the time taken to cover it.
18 Twixt, between.
19 Joint ail, rheumatism or arthritis.
20 Green bean, Phaseolus coccineus, runner bean. Here preserved by salting.
21 Starchroots, floury potatoes. Waxy potatoes are referred to as waxroots, though the distinction is neither absolute nor always adhered to.
22 Bulb flowers, tree onions, Egyptian walking onions, Allium x proliferum.
23 Wiedth, literally a nominal fingers width. Here used as in ‘knew herself to be every inch a Mistress cook.’
24 Keld, a seafish somewhat like the cod, Gadus morhua.
25 Delta, a small but meaty oily fish that lives in the brackish waters of the Arder estuary, it smokes well and large quantities are caught and hot smoked for a winter food supply. Delta are related to Liza aurata the Golden Grey Mullet but are not the same. They reach a maximum size of four spans and are sexually mature much younger than any Earth mullet spercies.
26 Ide, Leuciscus idus a member of the carp family. Usually cool smoked.
27 Oyster, Ostrea edulis.
28 Fireseed, the seed of an member of the umbelliferae family unique to Castle. The seed is used ground in food, it is too dangerous to use whole in food though it is so used in pickling spice mixes which are not eaten with the pickles. Fireseed is so hot an excess can blister the mouth before numbing the taste buds for many days, the blisters can take a lune to heal.
29 Mercyfruit, Capsicum annuum, hot pepper or chile.
30 Hotroot, white hotroot is Armoracia rusticana or horseradish. Green hotroot is Eutrema japonicum or wasabi.
31 Glider, squirrel like animal of the size of a coney.
32 Glæt, a hamster-like mammal of five to ten weights. [10-20 pounds, 5-10 Kg].
33 Coney, adult rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus.
34 Souslik, Spermophilus citellus, European ground squirrel.
35 Frog, mostly Pelophylax esculentus.
36 Snake, many species eaten on Castle.
37 Fæalla, an edible lizard of two to three weights, [4-6 pounds, 2-3 Kg].
38 Slaters, woodlice. Woodlice are Isopods of within the suborder Oniscidea, there are over 5,000 known species on Earth. There are fewer than that on Castle where they can reach two wiedths long and both a wiedth high and wide.
39 Little hunters, any of several species of large centipedes, the largest of which reach over a foot long and weigh over a weight, [2 pounds, 1 Kg]. They are usually boiled and peelt like graill, prawn or shrimp though they are popular spit roasted on a stick like a kebab on the Quarterday food stalls.
40 Scorpis, either of two species of large scorpions. The most common one is usually found living in lightly covered deciduous woodland mongst the fallen leafs and the other in semi-arid, grassy sand dunes.
41 Flaught, silly, foolish.
42 Tchungharri, fatty garlic sausages maekt with pounded walnuts. The receipt came to Castle with an Azerbaijani incomer centuries ago.
43 Blötroot, beetroot.
44 Green hotroot, wasabi.
45 Manchette, a small, round, high quality loaf baked without using a tin.
46 Spoonerism, an error in speech in which corresponding consonants, vowels or morphemes are switched between two words in a phrase. It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this mistake, though it is said he oft did so deliberately.
47 Sweetbean, a dried and powdered bean used as an aromatic spice. Unique to Castle.
48 Offcut meats or offcuts, a Castle term for heads, feet and tails. Occasionally other poorer cuts, like necks, are referred to as offcuts too. The name arose because the head, feet and tail are usually cut off when an animal is skinned, which may in the case of game be some time after it is grallocht.
