maidservant at the tavern, of Malesov
“I carry the ale and wipe the spit, chuck, until my legs give out beneath me.”
Things Emma had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the eve of Pentecost, at Vespers
Master Peshek's cough is worse, God save him. If he dies, who knows what becomes of us? We'll be thrown out in the dirt. I pour ale till my hands blister from the lye, chuck, but I'd rather this than starving on the street.
Nota scribaeShe leaned so heavily on the table I feared it would break.
the third day of Easter week, at Prime
Cecily is whining again about that copper jug she bought from the tinker. I used it for the evening slops. She can have it back when she pays me for covering her taproom shifts all winter when she had the gripes.
Palm Sunday, at Sext
Saw a bailiff on the Kuttenberg road today and my heart jumped straight into my mouth. God's truth, you can't be too careful with soldiers and their lot creeping about. Better to keep certain things hidden in a sack and shut up about them, eh, Cecily?
Shut your mouth, Emma! Do you want us hung from a tree?
Nota scribaeShe looked over her shoulder thrice while speaking.
the second Wednesday of Lent, at None
Young Alice is weeping again over her late mother's tin ring she lost in the mud last autumn. I told her straight, let the mud keep it, chuck. The dead don't need rings, and tears won't bring Marushka back. Better to focus on dodging the miners' hands.
It was all I had of her. You have a stone for a heart, Emma.
Leave the poor girl be, Emma. We have all lost something to this bloody war.
the morning of Candlemas, at Terce
Peshek hasn't come down from his bed. Sick as a dog, coughing his lungs out. Now we have to run the taproom ourselves. Anna is keeping her head, at least. William just stands about like a useless lump of meat. God give me strength for these stairs.
I threw out three drunks before None, you ungrateful old hen. What did you do?
I kept them in beer, chuck. Try using your head instead of your fists.
Nota scribaeDictated in the kitchen. She sighed heavily before every sentence.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
He will pull through, Emma. And if not, I have strong arms to find us work.
Keep your voice down about it, you will frighten Alice.