The Maian Baths

The Dunchovian horses were known for their endurance and strength, and there were many on hand. The two tribes did not know the ways of the cities, but they were used to getting to work quickly, and the Dunchovians quickly worked out how to distribute the load amongst their herd. Astra looked for rocky ground to make sure that she would not fall into any more holes.

When Radagaisic, the chief of the Greater Marcion tribe, heard about the "grave" that Astra had fallen into, he frowned. Falling into a grave was a bad omen. He called Carduman, Balischo, Viani, Astra, Gloria, and the Red Boar chief into a huddle. Was it still safe to proceed?

Meanwhile, it had now been two days since Vedagaisic had parted from Balischo at the outskirts of Themsycira. During that first morning he had fallen into a deep sleep in a bed of straw that the Aqualarians had given him. This, by the way, was not an insult, but rather true courtesy, as fresh straw agreed well with the Dunchovian idea of comfort. That same afternoon, refreshed, Vedagaisic met with a conclave of wise men and women from the College of Seers, and trusted members of the Queen's Own Privy Council, although not with the Queen herself.

In accord with Aqualarian custom, they met at one of the Aqualarian baths. Vedagaisic followed the maxim, "When in Aqualaria, do what the Aqualarians do." He let the others take the lead, and mimicked their actions appropriately. The sexes were divided, and the men went into the right side of the building. Vedagaisic removed his travelling clothes and handed them to a servant. He then followed the other men into a steamy room. A manservant poured some oily, lukewarm water on him that smelled faintly of roses, and took a wooden tool and scraped any grime from him. One of the Queen's councillers handed one of the senior scrapers a pair of silver coins, each over half the size of the counciller's palm. The scraper seemed quite satisfied, and that men led the party into a large room. On the ceiling was a great mosaic of the sky, complete with clouds, haloes, and rainbows. The sun glistened. There were large holes in the roof that lit the room that were covered with a lightly smoked glass. The men plunged into the pool. Vedagaisic braced himself - and found it delightful. The pool was unexpectedly warm, and the water was not like normal water. Vedagaisic felt like he weighed much less than he normally did.

One of the men of the college noticed his smile and said, "Nice, eh? These aren't the Amazonia Baths, but I think that those are overrated. You aren't rushed here, and the crowds are not as much of a problem. They still are not quite finished with the mural yet." Vedagaisic nodded and looked impressed. Some of the college men explained that the mosaic represented some of the secrets of the weather. The haloes, for example, could be seen at certain places in the sky relative to the sun, but not to others. The conversation turned from the nice points about the sky to Aqualarian art, and then to practical matters of horsemanship, which suited Vedagaisic. A servant then said a few words to the man with the large silver coins, and that man nodded and started out of the pool. Vedagaisic was reluctant to leave the pool, but reasoned that too much luxury would spoil the enjoyment. They were led into a room without water, but it was hot. Vedagaisic was surprised that he was not sweating. The air in the room was very dry. After about five minutes, the lead counciller said, "Vedagaisic, some of us take a plunge into a very cold bath afterward. If you are not used to it, it could be uncomfortable. You don't have to do it."

Vedagaisic was a Dunchovian, a hearty man of the plains. For him not to plunge into the cold with the city men would have been unthinkable. Curiosity played at least as big a role as pride in joining the Aqualarian men into taking the plunge into the cold water.

Vedagaisic bellowed enthusastically. It was good that it was socially acceptable to shout when going into the cold baths. The water was indeed cold, but no worse than the Marcion in the winter. He made a point of lingering just a little longer than the rest of the Aqualarians, and then joined them in a changing room.

Vedagaisic dried off with a linen towel that yet another servant gave him, and changed into a silk robe, loin cloth, and fleece slippers. His clothes were so light that he still felt half-naked. The lead counciller now had a purse, and paid a senior servant a couple of gold coins. The college man turned to him and said, "We are getting the full treatment today, Vedagaisic. This should take any knots out of your back from the long ride."

The men removed their robes and lay face down on a table. An contralto voice spoke softly in Vedagaisic's ear - "Which scent would you like, mister?" Vedagaisic jerked his head back. He was surprised that there was a woman here, in what appeared to be a servant's position. Vedagaisic blinked, and tried to speak, but did not know what to say. The college man helped him out. "This is his first time. Vedagaisic is Dunchovian."

The woman smiled and said, "Welcome to Themyscira, mister! I hope that you are enjoying the baths. You must have had a long ride."

"I am enjoying them very much. This part is new to me, so if you have any suggestions ...."

The woman said, "I would say that the Black Forest preparation might be good for you. It has a gum leaf that will heat you right up, and smells nice, but it is not too daring. Do you want just a sample before trying it?"

The woman held out a cork from a bottle. The scent was a new experience to Vedgaisic. Pine sap would be the closest of scents familiar to him, but mixed in were some savoury spices. "That will work very nicely."

The woman poured the oil on his back, and rubbed it in. The oil warmed his muscles. Vedagaisic was pleased. He thought, "This is not even their grandest bath! I am amazed that the rulers do not try to spend all day here." But it would not do to look google-eyed. He maintained self control, and grinned appreciatively, chatting with the woman and the college man.

The surprises continued. This room was somewhere in the centre of the building, and there were both men and women getting their backs rubbed here. Vedagaisic thought, "When in Aqualaria, do as the Aqualarians do." He was a grown man, but somehow the sight of women wearing semi- sheer silk robes seemed far more daring than the nearly naked steingeweser. He resolved to get used to it.

Finally, the members of the council, both men and woman, were led to a portico out of doors, still dressed in the silk robes and slippers. Some stood around a long table set with elegant glasses, while others sat on cushions spread on the polished stone. A servant filled some of the glasses with wine. The college man whispered, "You do not have to drink wine if you do not feel like it. Asking for ruby juice is just fine."

"What in the heck is ruby juice?" thought Vedagaisic. But the college man was now engaged in conversation with one of his fellows. Vedagaisic was alone with his thoughts. He was a little surprised that the company had not yet gathered to get down to business, and ask him many questions.

1. Vedagaisic decides to break the ice and tell someone about the events of the last few days.
2. A young lady from the group comes up to him and wants to talk to him privately.
3. A servant pours a red juice into his glass.

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