The Eclectic

Hassan El-Walid stepped off his carriage with a slight limp, his top hat in his arms, ready to be lifted onto his head. He took a deep breath as he looked up to the concrete building which was The Serenity, a large château divided into small apartments, when a familiar voice was heard.

     “Hassan! How are you? Are you free tonight?” bellowed a young man, five floors up.
     “I’m sorry James, I just got home, it’s been a long ride” returning with similar gusto.
     “Oh, come on. There’s just not enough people to have a kickabout!!”
     “In that case, I’ll meet you at the old field then!!”
     “Sure… see you tonight, aye?!” James called from his window which just so happens to be next to Hassan’s disappearing soon after.

Hassan paid the carriageman duly as his partner rushed to carry the luggage into Hassan’s room as directed earlier, dropping a long, cloth-wrapped article in the doorway. Hassan took small and slow steps into the Serene (which is what we will refer to as the large house divided into many apartments from now on) and bent down to pick up the article as he stepped in. Hassan took off his white gloves and put them into his inner-coat pocket, careful not to accidentally slip it into his vest. He carassed the black velvet that wrapped the heavy article and as he did, the cloth revealed a hilt. He stared at it for awhile before grasping it and pulling the sword out of its housing pointing it into the empty common room of the Serene. The wind blew the door shut behind him. He held the sword, tip pointing upwards and read the inscriptions:

Licentia Parilitas Frater

     “That’s a mighty sword,” a voice came from the stairs, startling Hassan for a moment. A lady dressed in a blue cocktail, probably much younger than Hassan stood at the foot of the stairs at the end of the carpeted common room.
     “I’m sorry, I thought I was alone,” said Hassan as he sheathed it back again.
     “It’s too early in the morning for the unsheathing of a sword, isn’t it?” asked the lady now walking towards the cushions near the empty fireplace, still emitting some smoke, evidence of a whole night of warmth.
     “Well, is it not early for a cocktail dress?”
     “Neither a full suit”
     “I was travelling”
     “Well, I had a party”
     “In the morning?”
     “Well, it lasted long”
     “Ah, that explains”
     “You don’t know anything”
     “I didn’t suspect anything”
     “I am NOT-”
     “I didn’t say you were,”ended Hassan with a smile. The both laughed; Hassan with his sword, and the blue cocktail lady with a glass, its stem clasped between her fingers, the bowl resting on her palm. “I have not seen you around, might I know who you are?”
     “Edwards, Elizabeth”
     “Walid, Hassan. Pleased to meet you”
     “Rather amused to meet you. I should introduce you to my twin cousins, they would be rather entertained. We live on the fourth level, and you?”
     “The penthouse level”
     “You must know the party host, then?”
     “Ah, James, quite the organizer of nightly assemblies”
     “I really have to go, I shall see you around, then?”
     ”God-willing”
     “Yes, if there is one. We should talk about that sword sometime…”
Hassan smiled as the Elizabeth left the Serene rather shakily, reminding himself to tell James that the concoction from his inherited vineyard seems rather strong.