Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Hosted by Denise
Previously on the Whitechapel Interlude…
It has been said, the more civilized the society, the more variable the timing of daily routines such as sleeping and eating. Count Cyrus St. Loreto embraced the conceit that meals are, in part, an expression of a man’s relationship with the society in which he was embedded. Dinner to welcome his guests began promptly at eleven-thirty.
Prompt word:
TREATMENT
In the mountain-wrinkled central plains of Romania, night and day are tormented lovers; the agony of separation an endless yearning, binding each to the other; the pair passing the ages in mindless hope of reunification.
In Transylvania, the night learned to approach with barely discernible steps, lest the native life, both human and not, be startled into action prematurely; sauntering among lengthening shadows, the darkness grew until the sun, abdicating it’s role as protector, retreated behind the distant mountains.
The dining hall at Castle Noctis Ostium was large enough to accommodate a small crowd, without danger of the participants feeling like a crowd of people, the table was appropriate to the scale of the room, long but not too broad, and the staff worked with such subtle skill that guests and host might be the only living creatures within miles, the light was natural and mimic’d the night-sky, illumination where necessary, soft shadows where it was not.
“You have the mechanism we’ve been sent to return to the Order in London?” [like the goblets of wine, angular yet transparent]
“You live here alone?” [like the wine and other refreshments, sparkling yet with an undefinable bouquet]
“You are my guests, my home is your home; allow me to indulge my admittedly under-exercised social side; be it small or grand, consider every treat meant to convince you that home is where the heart has always been.” [like the entire feast, a dizzying variety, yet of singular intent]
About clarkscottroger
Stellar writing, Clark. Mood, ambiance, inference. Masterful piece accompanied by the masterful Ludwig.(nice choice)
thankee
I like the description of night and day as tormented lovers and the sun as protector abdicating its role when it sets. I wonder what the mechanism is they are eager to bring back to London. It sounds like it might be risky for the guests to eat at that table.
Thanks, Frank
They are referring to the single missing part of the time mechanism that the Order hopes will allow then to stop Professor Egmont.
What a fabulous accompaniment to this installment! The table is laid, the scene is set, and this reader is full of anticipation for what’s to follow, whatever it might be…
Thank you, Chris. (This sequence should be fun and interesting, before the Narrative is forced to return to London)
This six and the prompt word treatment made me think of a stage treatment for a play.
The imagery was very engaging.
Thank you.
really well done, Ludwig too!
Thanks, Paul
The music is perfect background for this SSS. I am a little curious about the intent in [like the entire feast, a dizzying variety, yet of singular intent]. Should they be afraid?
The […] would be of Count St. Loreto. If history is any guage, Anselm and Sarah would do well to be on their guard.
And here is where everything starts to get very, very sticky.
Indeed
A riveting piece skillfully written, and a sublime musical accompaniment.
Thank you, Keith
Excellent observations of darkness and light at play, in both nature, man and beast. That the scene takes place at a dining table in a grand dining room adds to the idea of transition (nourishment, giving and taking).
Beethoven’s 7th, the 2nd movement has got to be one of the most moving/sad/tragic/uplifting/spiritual pieces ever written. It fits well here with your scene.
Funny about the song element. It’s closer to writing a Six from a box of words and phrases. (Unless I get hit by a song, not infrequently I’ll stumble across music that says, “Now write your story to feel like this…”), I’ll go wandering through youtube, I had a sense of the feeling for the song, and some worked…sorta. But when I hit this one, I was, all, ok. That’s what the soundtrack would be playing.