Tanya's ride to Paree had been grim at best. Though not subjected to abuse, it was not uncommon to see naked hatred in the eyes of her guards. She always measured how much leeway her manacles gave her and made plans to respond to any attack.
She got very little sleep.
On her return, however, she was treated to an almost obsessive level of servitude. The train was entirely dedicated to her, her select guards, and staff chosen to cater to her every whim. Her former jailors suggested (insisted) that she make her presence known at every stop so that everyone could see she was alive and in good spirits.
Tanya had no issues with both requests but despite protests by Gladieau, she insisted on wearing her uniform. Excellent meals, impeccable service and fine coffee at all hours had put her in a fine mood and she didn't mind the slower pace of her return. Luxuries were rare in the Empire after the war and taking advantage of what was freely offered just made sense to her.
"Again, I will not be wearing that, that thing no matter how much it costs or how 'fetching' it is. I have no desire to fetch anything with that dress or otherwise!" She put down her coffee cup firmly. "That reminds me, why are you on this train at all? I have no need of a lawyer, translator or guide. I'm a free person, on a train that has only one destination."
"Ah, Lt. Colonel, I have imposed without informing you. The truth is while your popularity in Paree has gotten quite good, mine can't be said to be on the same level. While I may be toasted by your fans, it only takes one disgruntled Arene-ian to decide that I'm to blame for your freedom. Contrawise, despite being from the Republic, I might find more amenable lodgings in the Empire."
"So far from home? And your Germanian is just this side of atrocious."
"Tell me, do people spontaneously riot in the streets in Berun?"
"Not in my lifetime."
"That's good enough for me."
"Well, Gladieau, I can't tell you what's required to be a lawyer in my Fatherland, but I wish you well."
"That will not be a problem, I have made ample preparations."
"As long as you're content. But please cease in your attempts to change my image. I'm happy exactly where I am now: a valued officer that has returned after being fully exonerated. Finally, my career can return to a reasonable path! And I'd rather not have that sullied by frivolous images of a prancing lederhosen-garbed fraulein."
The look on his face revealed that was EXACTLY the image he had in mind.
"Since that matter has been settled, can you please send Doctor Dupont in?"
"Eh? Surely you're not feeling ill?!"
"Nothing of the sort. Hop to it!"
He hopped and soon Tanya was alone with the physician.
Mme Dupont was an older woman and a respected doctor despite the prejudices against her gender. Tanya naturally had no such limitations but had other reasons for wanting a female doctor: she had grown two inches while in the Republic and her uniforms were close to becoming unprofessional. Tanya tried to her best to minimize the fact she was a) young and b) female in her affairs... even to herself! But it was reaching the point where she couldn't ignore it any longer. Through force of will, she forced herself to recognize that her body was maturing.
The doctor listened attentively as Tanya explained the situation with a crimson face. She asked a few questions which the Colonel answered promptly and truthfully. "Examine you, I must. Let us draw the curtains." The two closed all the curtains to the car they were in ignoring the surprised looks of the guards outside. "Disrobe mademoiselle."
"Completely?" Tanya desperately grasped for some semblance of dignity.
"Naturally. Come now, are we not both women?"
That's the problem! the former salaryman screamed internally but followed orders like a soldier being sent to die on a nameless hill.
After an impersonal and yet all-too-personal examination, she allowed Tanya to reclothe herself. "So, your lack of menstruation is not unusal. You have experienced privations, no? And the rather extreme level of physical activity has given you the body of a very young man, not a young woman. It is not uncommon to see this in athletes. Combining both has delayed your maturation by any number ofmonths, if not years but changes in diet and exercise have served to correct most of these issues."
"But what do I do about it?"
The doctor tilted her head to one side and smiled. "Do? My dear, one doesn't 'do' anything, one 'deals' with any matters that arise. You should eat nutritious foods, I'll have a list drawn up, and, for now, wear looser, simpler clothing such as a skirt. Looser for comfort in case you are susceptible to cramps and a skirt to allow easier access." She pulled out a package wrapped in unmarked brown paper and tied with a pink string.
"Are you always so prepared?" Tanya asked faintly.
"I have such a thing ready whenever I consult with a young lady." She explained to Tanya what she needed to do and expect leaving out no details as if she were discussing the weather. "Now, it is a bit soon, physiologically, to discuss more intimate matters but you should learn of them soon. Would you like a lesson on matters between women and men?"
"No, please, no. The military gave all non-adult recruits a crash course on those... things. Mostly to warn us about disease but also the, the, the rest." Tanya, to the best her ability, tried hard NOT to remember the very blunt presentation because, naturally, she had been give the female side of the discussion and wasn't keen on thinking of herself that way.
Now, however, she HAD to think about it and found that her opinion hadn't changed in the slightest. Except for the fact of her femaleness, she never wanted to put those particular lessons to their ultimate test excepting the ones on disabling unwelcome would-be paramours. The Empire held a very dim view of rapists and maiming or killing would be AT WORST deemed 'a bit excessive'. As a mage, Tanya had several creative ways of dealing with such men and lacked any inhibitions about using any and all of them.
Ladylike restraint was not one of her virtues.
Still blushing, Tanya said, "Doctor, I appreciate all your advice. If you EVER need my help, my door is open to you."
"I am a physician, am I not? Doing so is only to be expected. You, poor thing, have no mother or sisters or aunts to teach you such and your female colleagues may have never even thought to inform you. Now you are ready, no?"
"Prepared, perhaps, but not ready at all."
"You will be fine. You've faced much worse and survived. This is so much more simple. Half of humanity manages and so will you."
Perhaps it was this that convinced Tanya the most. Not that she looked down on women (or at least no more than she also looked down on men) but the fact there were a billion people better than her at anything galvanized her will. Right now she was statistically indistinguishable from dead last and intended on correcting it immediately.
Using akushitan shorthand in her journal, she made cryptic notes that even someone from that country would have problems interpreting. Tanya had no data, as of yet, but according to the doctor data would soon make itself abundantly known. Given that there was no way of telling when 'day 1' would be, she very reluctantly took her advice to wear skirts rather than pants for at least the remainder of her time in the Republic. (Also, her uniform was rapidly becoming embarrassingly small in a thoroughly unprofessional way... and there was hardly a tailor that would make her a new one in the Republic!)
Plus she kept the somewhat primitive 'preventative' in place just in case. When bothered by its presence, she just told herself it was like bandaging a wound that could bleed at any time and tried not to think about it.
Naturally, Gladieau was pleased by her change in attire but somehow managed to avoid complementing Tanya as if he realized this would not improve his chances of survival.
Continuing her promise, she made an appearance at each stop as the train meandered its way to the Germanian border. The people who greeted her were rather surprised by the fresh-faced girl on the train in attractive but not ostentatious clothing. It gave credence to the stories that she was no monster, but just someone who was caught in circumstance. That being the case, they were emboldened to request a song to commemorate her visit and she usually complied. This is the best way to cement my 'innocent' verdict and keep these hair-trigger Republic types from burning down another town. Or maybe that's just in Paree? At any rate, there's no problem in a little song or two.
Being out of touch with events in the Empire, and having significant amount of leisure at hand, Tanya translated a lot of songs from English to both Francois and Germanian. What japanese songs she knew simply didn't translate well to those languages are were decidedly too 'modern'. It was a pleasant activity though she was still concerned over the state of her nation in her absence.
With her free time, she had been tempted to send letters to her colleagues in the Empire but realized that anything she sent would travel at the speed of rail and would hardly arrive much before she did. She contented herself with a terse telephonic message to High Command that she was well and would return home soon.
At any rate, what could happen in so short a time?
* * *
Having only one true passenger and two dozen 'others' did not amount to any real work for the three maids on the train. Linens would be dropped off in towns along the way and new ones picked up. Likewise supplies were delivered and trash whisked away by personnel at the train stations. This left them with plenty of time for gossip... a pasttime they indulged in with great regularity.
Felite, the youngest, was sitting on her bunk but looking dreamily in the distance. "I wonder what Miss Tanya will sing next. Maybe that one song... "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow!"
Isabelle shook her head. "She hasn't repeated herself yet. What an amazing repertoire! I don't think I've ever heard any of them. How odd that she knows so many Albish songs."
Lucie said, "Who knows how artists think? Perhaps her teacher was from the Commonwealth or she just likes the sounds better."
They all nodded, as tempermental creative types were universal. "Still, to have such a number is an accomplishment, and her translations are quite pretty."
Felite pursed her lips in thought. "I don't think she has a repertoire I think she's writing all of them."
"What? That's quite impossible; there are too many!"
"Her desk is covered with notes and lyrics and the wastebin is full of used up paper. If she knew those songs, why would this be necessary? And there's that journal she always has near her. She's constantly jotting notes in it. Ideas! Inspirations!"
"Did you see how she has stopped wearing that dreadful uniform? It's because she wants everyone to know her as a person and not some terrible monster now that the war is over. She may be an officer to the Empire, but she is a songstress to the Republic!"
Chapter 15 – still departing
Perhaps Tanya shouldn't have been surprised when local musicians started accompanying her songs (after a quick lesson and straining their improvisational skills to the extreme). After the third attempt at this, she finally said, "If you want to play with me, you need to travel ON the train and learn on the way!" She definitely shouldn't have been surprised when a few extra cars were added to her train just to accomodate the musicians.
"Is this REALLY necessary, Monsieur Allard?" In addition to sleeping quarters, a special car that had an open side was also added. She wasn't sure about its original purpose (most likely something to do with oversized cargo) but it provided a convenient stage for the performances. They would just roll down a heavy tarp and tie it into place before the train had to move again.
The conductor (of the band, not the train) just nodded matter-of-factly. "Certainement. As you no doubt realize, it is inefficient to load and unload the instruments at each stop. Plus this provides a natural stage, protected from weather." He looked over the setup with pride. "It's a little rough right now, but we'll improve it as we go without impacting our schedule." Allard was a hefty man with a permanent redness to his cheeks and a voice that needed no amplification. He spoke with grand gestures but with subtle delicacy when conducting.
"I mean the sheer number number of performers. You have dozens of instruments... practically a mini-orchestra." There were a bewildering variety available from xylophones to tubas... and was that a banjo?
He nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what it is! Your performances are too diverse... I can never tell what will be needed next! This way we can have good chance of matching your vision, no?" He laughed then causing the percussionist to almost fall off the platform.
As it turned out, Allard had a genius insight into arranging music. Given Tanya's sometimes detailed, sometimes vague recollections of what the music should sound like, he was able to arrange and train the other musicians in how to accompany her singing. Music in this era had a strong preference toward background singers but she insisted such embellishments were unnecessary and eventually he agreed with her.
He was right about the weather, however. The tarp that was normally kept rolled up on the roof when in the station was mounted on poles to provide a dry area for the audience when the weather turned sour. It was hardly enough, though, as there were throngs of people who seemed content to huddle under umbrellas, with raincoats or sometimes with no protection whatsoever.
Tayna frowned when she saw so many people being drenched but there were little she could do. Crap, they're going to think I'm heartless for having them stand out in this rain while I'm comfortably dry. How can I fix that? She happened to notice that there was a child standing at the edge of the crowd, jumping up and down trying to see the 'stage' and had an inspiration.
"Allard, I'm changing the playlist." She quickly scribbled a list of songs and handed it to him. "He looked at it and his eyes widened. "Brilliant! In fact, I'll play the first part myself."
"You play the banjo?"
"I am, as you say, not just a pretty face!"
Long experience made her comfortable with the jewel-enhanced microphone despite its weight. Even in the dimmer light because of the rain, her golden hair and brilliant blue eyes stood out proudly... or maybe because there was nothing else to outshine her?
"Hello everyone!" Her voice drew happy applause that quickly faded when she raised her hand. "As you undoubtedly noticed, the weather isn't ideal. I've heard the rain in the Republic is not for the faint of heart!" This drew chuckles from the crowd, long experienced with their own weather. "Because of this, can I ask that the adults make room and let the children come under the tarp. I have a few songs that might make things a little sunnier today."
After some shuffling, the area around Tanya was ringed by children, youngest closest to her and radiating outwards roughly by age. Without further ado, she began to sing accompanied by the conductor on his banjo. "Why are there so many song about rainbows, and what's on the other side?" The children stood enraptured and, it must be said, the adults as well. "All of us under its spell, we know that it's probably magic..." "Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me." When her voice trailed off, she was met with thunderous applause.
She remembered a busker she had seen in Ueno Park that seemed to know how to work the crowd... maybe some of his tricks would work? So she followed with a few upbeat tunes, "You are My Sunshine" and "Keep on the Sunny Side"... but she encouraged the crowd to sing along with the chorus on both of those. She mixed in some local tunes, asking the kids to teach her the songs they knew. She would then sing it with them accompanied easily by the musicians as they had heard all these old song before.
For the finale, the conductor once again paired with her, this time on the violin as she belted out a soulful rendition of a Judy Garland favorite. "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. There's a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby." When she got to the end, there's wasn't a dry eye in the crowd, rain notwithstanding. "If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, Why oh why can't I?"
As she finished, the rainclouds, perhaps giving up against her music assault, finally began to peter out. While not visible immediately, the departing crowds were pleasantly surprised when more than one rainbow that greeted them on their way home.
Allard carefully put away his violin and asked, "Whatever inspired you to make such beautiful songs? Especially that first one... so unique!"
"A frog," Tanya said flatly.
He nodded sagely. "So it is with artists. The muse may strike at any time!"
* * *
Two of Tanya's guards mostly kept to themselves. Per their mission, they had codenames (Droit and Gauche) but they only used these when alone with each other or sending messages to high command. They had followed von Degurechaff from the very beginning with a single mission: to kill her if it looked like she would escape.
From the start, the Republic knew that she was perhaps the most dangerous girl, no, the most dangerous person ever to enter their country. Reactionaries wanted to surround her with deadly mages so they could overpower her at a moment's notice. Cooler heads pointed out one crucial point: without her computation jewel and weapons, she was almost certainly harmless. But if there were so many orbs within arm's reach of her then she might be able to get one and kill her guards before they had a chance to subdue her.
So those in charge decided to limit the risk to just two mages, the best they had left after the war but gave them stern instructions: never get too close to the Devil of the Rhine and always be prepared to shoot to kill. As there were only two, they had different shifts and had to meet up so that the left and right hands would know what each other was doing. (They spent so much time together that there was a persistent rumor that they were homosexual... which earned one of the other guards a black eye and a bloody nose.)
"How was your surveillance, Gauche?"
"Very good. I managed to capture La Bijou quite clearly in my orb when she was near the civilians."
"Excellent. The images of the crowd were quite clear as well. Nothing is amiss."
With practiced skills, they duplicated the recordings on each other's orb for safety. "Anything else to report Droit?"
"Well, I did manage to catch this one when no one was looking." An image of Tanya in a light cotton dress sprang up from the orb. She was holding onto the rail of the train car with one hand as it was departing the station. Her other hand, kept a sunbonnet from blowing away and she was looking at a rainbow in the distance.
"Sacre bleu! I must have that!"
"Ho ho! What do you have to trade, my friend?"
"I happen to have one just after she took a shower. Her wet hair made her blouse in back a bit transparent. Worthwhile, no?"
"Worthwhile, yes!" A short, but very intense haggling session ensued.
Thus the smallest, but possibly the most passionate, Tanya von Degurechaff fan club held another meeting.
Chapter 16 – still STILL departing
Fifteen stops later (along with the addition of another train car... this time to improve the quality of the loudspeakers) and they were finally approaching the border between the two countries. This, however, did little to speed things along. The stops had gotten more numerous and the crowds even larger but eventually they would be at the final destination just before the boundary, Strasbourg.
Frankly, going there made Tanya a bit nervous. It was the largest city on the Republic side of the Rhine and it had suffered the most correspondingly in the war. If she was the Devil of the Rhine, then this land was Hell itself. Perhaps as a point of pride, the city was being rebuilt much faster than one would expect. However, the scars of war were likely still raw. As a warrior, a commander, a tactian and even as a strategist, there was no one who left so indelible a mark on the area than she.
Her final performance was to be at the Strasbourg opera house, surprisingly untouched in all the battles. Too fragile and too obvious to serve as a hardened defensive point, it was ignored by the Empire and Republic alike in the Great War. Even the fires that swept through large portions of the city seemed to feel it wasn't worth the effort to burn.
Le Train de Tanya was obviously recognized as it entered the city. As they traveled, the train had been updated several times but the two luxury cars (one with a largish bedroom and bath and the other a 'living' area) had always remained the same. Their stylish grey and red exterior were iconic and always drew attention. Added to that were the gold colored highlights and trim and there was little doubt who rode inside.
With the addition of the loudspeakers, now they could play recordings of Tanya singing even over the noise of train and the surrounding area. So they arrived at the city central train station merrily playing Edelweiss (which had become something of her theme song). With an exceedingly good sense of timing, the conductor (of the train) managed to stop at the station just as the song came to an end. The train whistle blew, letting off the excess steam as they came to a stop.
Inside, Tanya, Gladieau and Allard were discussing the upcoming arrangements. The lawyer was in charge of the planning an coordination while the other two concentrated on the musical side of things. Originally, she had just planned a little outdoor event like they had been doing but the lawyer convinced her that there was a lot of money to be made.
Gladieau ran his hand through his hair nervously. "One performance simply isn't enough... the demand is too high! We'd need no less than ten, perhaps twenty to even mostly satisfy the crowds!"
Tanya quickly vetoed that idea. "Twenty full concerts? Are you mad? These train station stops aren't even a patch on what a full production would be like. Two at most and then I'm going home!"
The conductor nodded. "Artistically, a smaller number would be best. Perhaps some people will miss the show but that is the nature of a performance." He shook his head, "Who would think that an opera house of this size would still be too small?"
She interleaved her fingers with her index fingers pointed together upwards. "You have hit upon it, Allard. Why not have just two concerts, but in a much bigger venue?"
"There is no larger, that's why we chose it."
"They are there for the music, right? So why not have one performance inside for the elites and one 'people's' performance outside with loudspeakers to broadcast the sound? The orb-enhanced loudspeakers have good fidelity and volume, right? Even if they can't see the concert, they can still enjoy it."
Gladieau murmured, "That might just work. It'll be quite the loss of revenue."
Tanya smiled wickedly, reminding the other two of her less savory reputation. "Not at all! Just increase the price of the indoor tickets by a factor of ten."
"Ten?!" they said together.
"If anyone complains, tell them part of the ticket sales are going to fund the rebuilding of Strasbourg. In fact, make that essential to the advertising. Also tell them that the public broadcast will be free of charge and there will be a different playlist for the two. We'll still use the Opera House for both and, who knows, some people may buy tickets for both showings.
"Mon Dieu, Degurechaff, that is positively inspired! We'll do the public show first to whet their appetites and the private showing just before you leave."
Allard nodded, deep in thought. "And since there's a free concert, no one can truly complain about the price without seeming foolish. If I may be so bold, your talents were truly wasted in the military."
The still-young woman smiled again, but this time with pure pleasure, (almost) entirely wiping away the memory of the previous smile. Finally! People are seeing me as something other than just a death machine! My reputation will be rock solid after this, but how to make a bit more money before we go...
"Why not offer a private show for even more money?"
"There are limits to everything, Gladieau. That will make things seem crass but you've heard of charity banquets? I propose something smaller and more intimate."
They listened to her thoughts and only briefly wondered how such a young girl came up with such novel ideas. Soon they were lost in planning and execution...
* * *
"She's doing... what?" The local Free Arene cell leader's eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
"According to the adverts, it's a charity event for Strasbourg. To, ummm, help rebui..."
"I know what a charity event is, fool! What's her real motive?!"
"That's all we've been able to find out. One thing we did discover is that she will be going back to the Empire immediately after its all over. But that's our big chance!"
"How so?"
"There's a dinner with the Devil after the music. You can buy tickets and be guaranteed a chance to meet her and shake her hand. Apparently."
"Excellent! Buy up all the tickets and we can overwhelm her!"
The other man looked uncomfortable. "That won't be possible. Well, see for yourself."
The cell leader looked at the flyer and paused. "Get all our funds together and buy one ticket."
* * *
The first event was, to put it bluntly, an unqualified success. Nearly thirty percent of the city was able to hear the concert on the magically amplified loudspeakers and every inch of space was packed by people straining to hear. Some entrepreneurs even rented out their house's balconies – and rooftops! -- to those unable to find a spot on the street. Newspapers with editions depicting her picture ran long into the night endlessly reprinting the same news. Finally, most just gave up and just printed her pictures below their newspaper's banner and sold them for the same price as a full paper.
One particular highlight was when a children's choir sang "Do Re Mi" with Tanya after an admittedly tiring two days of rehearsals. The singing wasn't the problem... it was getting the kids to step onto the right stairs during the final segment! She cut performers out who didn't understand the direction until she had seven that could meet her standards.
During a break on the second day, one of the kids who made the cut brought a largish picture-book. "Marguerite? What's this?" This particular girl was among the less annoying and she followed directions well so Tanya appointed her the second-in-command so that she could delegate responsibilities.
"It's your phonograph album."
"My... what?"
Tanya realized why the book was so large then. It was the same size as the phonograph and the pictures were sized to fit the format. The two perused it; one confused, one delighted. "This was just released yesterday and my papa waited in line all night so he could get a copy. You're supposed to listen to it and turn the pages when you change songs."
"Someone bring me a phonograph!" One of the stagehands hustled one over and the other children clustered around so they could see what was going on.
The first page after they opened the cover was a long picture of her iconic train carriages. The photograph was of a very high quality and Tanya recognized the technique involved: someone had a very good computation orb and transferred stored images to film. It was used frequently to make surveillance photos during the war, but who had done it this time?
The phonograph started with Tanya speaking, "Hello everyone! Can I ask that the adults make room and let the children come under the tarp. I have a few songs that might make things a little sunnier today." The next picture had the local children sitting around Tanya under the tarp/tent while the others followed along mixed in with other pictures from the long train ride. Tanya singing, watching sunsets, talking with townsfolk, laying on a picnic blanket, working at her desk, drinking coffee and so on.
After they watched and listened to the whole thing, Tany quietly signed it, "To Marguerite, my loyal second-in-command, with gratitude, Tanya von Degurechaff." She then hustled over to Gladieau and dragged him to a side room. "Tell me about this phonograph recording of me."
He wiped his face with a (formerly) dry handkerchief. "I have no idea von Degurechaff! I first heard about it last night and hadn't had a chance to inform you. Shall I give them an order to cease and desist?"
"What, no, it's too late for that."
"Then, perhaps, ask for royalties?"
"Hardly. They went this far without asking for permission." She stood in thought while he sweated. We can't put this genie back in the bottle but how to take advantage of it without ruining the reputation I've built. It also irks me that they have been FOLLOWING me somehow. Wait, there's one way...
"Okay, do this. Threaten the publishers with legal action but offer them a compromise. They can continue to publish this, but half of the gross income is to be donated to charity. Keep that in mind, the gross income. That will keep them from cooking the books to get one past on us."
"Certainly! What charity?"
"Spare me... no, have it go to a new charity: the Tonya von Degurechaff Foundation for Orphans."
"Oh. Oh! Delightful! I'll see to it and get one of my colleagues to be the chief trustee. A good man, but terrible as a defense attorney. Too honest, you see."
"Sounds perfect for this," she said drolly. "Now hop to, we have to rehearse for the final performance!"