backup

gopher/Trobairitz/parting-the-veil-01.txt

@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ the tiny faces painted in colors and patterns like flowers and
 animals mimicking those creatures in their play. A young one of
 perhaps eight or nine darted around her from behind and shot off
 in a weave through the crowd entering their holiday like buzzing
-bees. The girl, or perhaps a boy, lept long to avoid a puddle
+bees. The girl, or perhaps a boy, leapt long to avoid a puddle
 where the pier met the solid ground and continued onward up the
 cobblestones to a majestic fountain of dark stone and brilliant
 blue water. There they boy, for his voice gave him away, chortled
@@ -56,10 +56,70 @@ with relief. A festival was in full bloom and she was just in time
 to see it all. A moment later she had reached the fountain herself
 and peered up into the shining sun with a squint to see the
 towering stone figure of the sea god wrestling with a tentacled
-beast. Poseidon, perhaps?
+beast. Poseidon, perhaps? A bird perched atop the mythic statue,
+pecking lightly at his crown, then taking flight in a great swoop
+down toward the water and then immediately back up into the air.
+Sinda watch as creature twirled in play and slid into the
+distance.
 
-A bird perched atop the mythic statue, pecking lightly at his
-crown, then taking flight in a great swoop down toward Sinda
+What a magical place, she thought, just like the posters and
+salesmen had said.
+
+The crowd from the ferry was moving as a unit toward the festival
+gates and the city proper so she let herself be pulled along.
+Great arches extended upward from either side of the street
+reaching their zenith above the closest rooftops before sweeping
+back down to a central pillar dividing the road in half. Around
+this center column were concentric rings of flowers in brilliant
+hues to match the tiled roofs. A makeshift garden sprang up around
+the flower beds which must have once held a manicured lawn, but
+which was being trampled over by the swells of people coming and
+going, laughing in glee.
+
+In the lane ahead, a wide street that could easily hold twenty or
+more abreast, the street vendors had carved out their positions in
+hectic fashion, some choosing the edges of the throng and leaning
+their tents against a building while others built outposts in the
+midst of traffic with tables and banners. From the nearest tent
+wafted smells of meat and sharp sauces on a grill that set her
+mouth watering. Before Sinda could begin to shift toward the food
+the press had her moving beyond. A tiny cry came from a child
+nearby who had dropped a frozen pastry onto the dirty cobbles.
+
+Next to her a burly man in a multi-layered vest shouted something
+in Arabic and flashed a golden tooth her way and opening a great
+pink parasol overhead. Other similar coverings were opening around
+the crowd as well now that she looked for them. More pinks here,
+and yellows and soft blues: all pastel. It must be something to do
+with the festival, but she had no idea what it could mean.
+
+Beyond the entrance the crowds began to thin and spread out as the
+parade of people stopped to shop or made their ways down side
+streets. To Sinda's left a crowd had formed around a pair of
+street musicians dueling with long stringed instruments across the
+alley from one another. The children danced in spinning circles
+like old dervishes and an old man clapped and sang along quite out
+of tune, but with such enthusiasm that it didn't seem to matter.
+
+Just ahead a low wooden beam jutted out more than a man's height
+into the street, its purpose unknown, but highly decorated for the
+occasion. A pair of girls sat on top as if to ride it like an
+animal, one with a parasol of her own in yellow and the other
+holding frozen cream in a paper mug. Their heads leaned together
+in conspiracy and shot looks further into the crowd at something
+Sinda couldn't see.
+
+Just beyond the girls a group of men sat at a high make-shift bar
+on stools stapled together from wooden boxes. The sign above the
+bar in at least three languages announced its purpose. Can't have
+a party without a huff-bar, she thought. Sinda slid up to the end,
+dropped a coin--larger than she'd expected, but this was
+a holiday--and did a quick line before continuing on.
+
+This was the life. It was a carnival in full swing. Perhaps she'd
+have time with Borzin to explore the tents before they set out,
+but probably not. A holiday in the wilderness is what she signed
+up for and that's what she was going to get.
 
 
 ***
@@ -75,9 +135,6 @@ crown, then taking flight in a great swoop down toward Sinda
 - End: Guide to the cottage.
 - Pulse: Excitement and freedom at being on her own
 
-Carnival atmosphere, food trucks, tossing hovering rings, trained
-birds.
-
 Looks for a ride, finds a square gig pulled by a long nosed animal
 the driver calls "bajingan". Slowly travels through the town on
 the way up the hill.