The Complete Orsinia by Ursula K. Le Guin

Author:Ursula K. Le Guin [Guin, Ursula K. Le]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Library of America
Published: 2016-06-15T21:00:00+00:00

IV

The short, warm, summer night went by full of the thump and rattle of the presses, shouting, laughter, orating. They printed up a news-sheet over the journal’s name headed, in 72-point type, REVOLUTION. The shop was snowed under with it, it was all over the streets, men and horses were found to carry it to the provinces. It announced what they knew about the Paris revolution, and stated that the National Assembly was remaining in session to consider the urgent questions of relations with the new government of France, tax control, and succession to the throne of the kingdom. “Lots of fuses to that bomb,” Brelavay said when he read it. He and Oragon had been about the city all night, going from one deputy’s house to another to inform them that the Assembly would meet as usual at nine tomorrow. Leaving the printer’s shop Itale went with him and Sangiusto to Cathedral Square, which had been the center of agitation during the night. In the cool of August dawn, under a high, cloud-brindled, colorless sky, the square looked immense and empty. The cathedral stood indifferent as a mountain, intent only on holding up its ponderous, delicate towers and ranks of stone saints and kings. They went on to the Eleynaprade. Down the mall, one behind the other, stood the cavalry of the palace guard, the men sallow and sleepy on tall horses. Behind them on the lawns under the trees swarmed an aimless crowd, thousands of people drifting, dispersing, regathering. The constant movement and the low but immense sound of the voices of the crowd was improbable, bewildering, in the austere and indrawn hour of dawn.

Itale had meant to go on to Karantay’s flat for a few hours’ sleep, but stayed with the others in the crowd. Brelavay went to buy bread and cheese, since they were hungry. He went off and came back at a run, fearing something momentous would happen while he was gone ten minutes. The sky grew lighter, higher. Sunlight touched the crowns of the chestnuts. Nothing momentous had occurred but sunrise. It became a warm August morning. The crowd, grown enormous, now covered all the lawns beneath the grave, ignorant old trees. Itale and the other two had slowly pushed their way along the front of the crowd to the fence surrounding the gravelled area before the palace, and could see and hear the deputies of the left, gathered on the mall in front of the gates, arguing with officers of the guard. Itale was not paying much attention, as he was distracted by the increasing pressure and aimless turbulence of the crowd, and also was extremely sleepy.

“There’s Livenne,” Brelavay said. “Leftwing Noble from the Sovena.”

“They talked about him there. He hasn’t attended all month,” Itale said, and yawned till his eyes watered and he could not see the big, fair, young man who was saying, “Herr Colonel, you have no authority to keep the gates locked. The Assembly Room belongs to the Assembly.”

“Distinguished Sir, there has been no change in our orders,” the colonel of militia said for the tenth time.

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