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--- timelines:empty_america_-_archived_version [2018/06/20 04:35] – [47] petike
+++ timelines:empty_america_-_archived_version [2018/06/20 05:37] – [28: I Don't Know Where I'm A-Gonna Go...] petike
@@ Line 3657: / Line 3657: @@
 ==== 28: I Don't Know Where I'm A-Gonna Go... ====
-[Another Little Intermission - for the next few parts, the chunks are going
+[Another Little Intermission - for the next few parts, the chunks are going to be a bit more bite sized]
-to be a bit more bite sized]
 (Jen Men, Mu-lan-P'i [San Francisco] January, 1258)
-*plink*
+<nowiki>*plink*</nowiki>
-Ordinarily, little noises do not distract Roger Bacon from his studies, but
+Ordinarily, little noises do not distract Roger Bacon from his studies, but he has tuned his ears to be alert for this one. He gets up from his writing table and, slippers whisking on the tile floor, he hurries across his study to the bronze vase adorned with downward-facing, open-mouthed dragon-heads each of which was directly above a hollow bronze frog which sat back on its haunches, mouth gaping. Bacon finds the little iron ball inside one of the frogs' mouths. It had fallen out of the mouth of the dragon on the
-he has tuned his ears to be alert for this one. He gets up from his writing
+south-facing side of the vase. That means that the temblor must have come from the south [FN28.01]. Bacon did not feel anything, but his experience has told him that the vase, whose internal mechanism still fascinates him, is singularly accurate at detecting earthquakes. No doubt the Ministry will be getting a report from a local official somewhere to the south, that a minor earthquake took place in his jurisdiction. The Cathayans pay particular attention to earthquakes, since they see them as harbingers of
-table and, slippers whisking on the tile floor, he hurries across his study
+social disorder, and their records reveal numerous tremors in Jen Men since its founding.
-to the bronze vase adorned with downward-facing, open-mouthed dragon-heads
-each of which was directly above a hollow bronze frog which sat back on its
-haunches, mouth gaping. Bacon finds the little iron ball inside one of the
-frogs' mouths. It had fallen out of the mouth of the dragon on the
-south-facing side of the vase. That means that the temblor must have come
-from the south [FN28.01]. Bacon did not feel anything, but his experience
-has told him that the vase, whose internal mechanism still fascinates him,
-is singularly accurate at detecting earthquakes. No doubt the Ministry will
-be getting a report from a local official somewhere to the south, that a
-minor earthquake took place in his jurisdiction. The Cathayans pay
-particular attention to earthquakes, since they see them as harbingers of
-social disorder, and their records reveal numerous tremors in Jen Men since
-its founding.
-Bacon sits down and goes back to his work. And what work! In the years
+Bacon sits down and goes back to his work. And what work! In the years that he has spent studying Cathayan learning, he has come to some startling conclusions. While the Cathayans have made some astounding discoveries, Bacon believes that some of the foundations of their learning were fundamentally wrong. He just cannot wrap his Western mind around the whole yin-yang dualism. So, he has taken upon an enormous task - he will verify as much of the Cathayan learning as he can using his own methods. And he will write it all down. He figures he must start somewhere, so he picks medicine. And Galen goes out the window, humors and all. So far, he has been able to confirm the Cathayan discovery of the circulation of the blood
-that he has spent studying Cathayan learning, he has come to some startling
+[second century B.C.], deficiency diseases [third century A.D.], endocrinology [second century B.C.], and diabetes [seventh century A.D.]. He is still working on what it all means, but he knows that he is going to turn Western "medicine" on its head.
-conclusions. While the Cathayans have made some astounding discoveries,
-Bacon believes that some of the foundations of their learning were
-fundamentally wrong. He just cannot wrap his Western mind around the whole
-yin-yang dualism. So, he has taken upon an enormous task - he will verify
-as much of the Cathayan learning as he can using his own methods. And he
-will write it all down. He figures he must start somewhere, so he picks
-medicine. And Galen goes out the window, humors and all. So far, he has
-been able to confirm the Cathayan discovery of the circulation of the blood
-[second century B.C.], deficiency diseases [third century A.D.],
-endocrinology [second century B.C.], and diabetes [seventh century A.D.]. He
-is still working on what it all means, but he knows that he is going to turn
-Western "medicine" on its head.
-Given the difficulty in getting his work back to Europe, Bacon has mostly
+Given the difficulty in getting his work back to Europe, Bacon has mostly been writing for himself, at least until he can make his way back to England. Considering the task he has set out to accomplish, that could be never. Occasionally he fears that all his work will die with him on the far side of a mysterious continent, halfway around the world from home. But he is one of the few Catholic clerics in Jen Men, and as such he has a near-monopoly on administering the sacraments. More than one penitent merchant has discovered that, for his sins to be remitted, he must convey some of Bacon's letters back to London, Venice, Cambridge, Paris or Constantinople. Thus, thought Bacon, is religion made to serve the ends of
-been writing for himself, at least until he can make his way back to
+Natural Philosophy. And he is sending to Europe not only the Cathayan scientific discoveries that he himself has verified, but a general exposition of oriental learning. An avid astrologer, he eagerly passes along Cathayan theories about sunspots [fourth century B.C.], fully aware of the implications for the idea that heavenly bodies are perfect.
-England. Considering the task he has set out to accomplish, that could be
-never. Occasionally he fears that all his work will die with him on the far
-side of a mysterious continent, halfway around the world from home. But he
-is one of the few Catholic clerics in Jen Men, and as such he has a
-near-monopoly on administering the sacraments. More than one penitent
-merchant has discovered that, for his sins to be remitted, he must convey
-some of Bacon's letters back to London, Venice, Cambridge, Paris or
-Constantinople. Thus, thought Bacon, is religion made to serve the ends of
-Natural Philosophy. And he is sending to Europe not only the Cathayan
-scientific discoveries that he himself has verified, but a general
-exposition of oriental learning. An avid astrologer, he eagerly passes along
-Cathayan theories about sunspots [fourth century B.C.], fully aware of the
-implications for the idea that heavenly bodies are perfect.
-Bacon also has an actual job to do. He is a secretary with the Bureau of
+Bacon also has an actual job to do. He is a secretary with the Bureau of Merchant Shipping, helping to regulate the trade in and out of Jen Men. He finds it a pleasant change from his previous job in Kuei-Men [Acapulco]. Since it is an older settlement, Jen Men is a bit more comfortable for a civilized man like Bacon. The bustling streets, winding their way up and down the steep hillsides, the lavish houses of the wealthy merchants, the beautiful temples and government pavilions... Bacon sighs just thinking about it. If he wasn't set on bringing all of Cathayan knowledge to the people of Christendom, he could easily see living out his anointed span in Jen Men. And if he got homesick, there was a not-insignificant community of Europeans to keep him company. An eclectic mix, these men in exile, self-imposed or otherwise. A few Englishmen, like Bacon, but many more Venetians, Genoese, Aragonese and Catalans. Even a few Byzantine Greeks, who very conspicuously snubbed Bacon.
-Merchant Shipping, helping to regulate the trade in and out of Jen Men. He
-finds it a pleasant change from his previous job in Kuei-Men [Acapulco].
-Since it is an older settlement, Jen Men is a bit more comfortable for a
-civilized man like Bacon. The bustling streets, winding their way up and
-down the steep hillsides, the lavish houses of the wealthy merchants, the
-beautiful temples and government pavilions ... Bacon sighs just thinking
-about it. If he wasn't set on bringing all of Cathayan knowledge to the
-people of Christendom, he could easily see living out his anointed span in
-Jen Men. And if he got homesick, there was a not-insignificant community of
-Europeans to keep him company. An eclectic mix, these men in exile,
-self-imposed or otherwise. A few Englishmen, like Bacon, but many more
-Venetians, Genoese, Aragonese and Catalans. Even a few Byzantine Greeks,
-who very conspicuously snubbed Bacon.
-Bacon smiles. It has been years since he has seen his old friend Enrico
+Bacon smiles. It has been years since he has seen his old friend Enrico Pescatore. Fascinating and lively fellow, for all his wickedness. Or maybe because of his wickedness. For years, Pescatore flitted around Mu-lan-P'i, suddenly appearing at Bacon's home or office to borrow money or just to stay out of sight for a while. Always on the move, always on the make, always a hair's-breadth away from his fortune. And then, a few years ago, in what Bacon took to be a personal vindication for Pescatore, he parleyed a large jar of Fjaraland ambergris into a sizable sum of paper cash. The Cathayans were mad for ambergris, which they called it 'dragon's spittle' and made into quite exquisite perfumes. After the deal, he showed up at Bacon's doorstep with a cask of Italian wine that probably cost him twenty times as much as it would have in Milan. But they had to celebrate, Pescatore insisted. And so they did, well into the night. Whenever the priest asked him what they were celebrating, the grinning Genoese just hoisted is cup and toasted fickle fortune once again.
-Pescatore. Fascinating and lively fellow, for all his wickedness. Or maybe
-because of his wickedness. For years, Pescatore flitted around Mu-lan-P'i,
-suddenly appearing at Bacon's home or office to borrow money or just to stay
-out of sight for a while. Always on the move, always on the make, always a
-hair's-breadth away from his fortune. And then, a few years ago, in what
-Bacon took to be a personal vindication for Pescatore, he parleyed a large
-jar of Fjaraland ambergris into a sizable sum of paper cash. The Cathayans
-were mad for ambergris, which they called it 'dragon's spittle' and made
-into quite exquisite perfumes. After the deal, he showed up at Bacon's
-doorstep with a cask of Italian wine that probably cost him twenty times as
-much as it would have in Milan. But they had to celebrate, Pescatore
-insisted. And so they did, well into the night. Whenever the priest asked
-him what they were celebrating, the grinning Genoese just hoisted is cup and
-toasted fickle fortune once again.
-The next day, Bacon awoke with a splitting hangover to find Pescatore gone.
+The next day, Bacon awoke with a splitting hangover to find Pescatore gone. Out again, moving fast. The paper he got for the ambergris, Pescatore changed - quite illegally and at a vicious discount - into silver, which he used to purchase from a Pisan merchant several straw-stuffed crates of Syrian glassware. The glassware he sold to a corrupt Cathayan official at the Bureau of Mines - who had a passion for Western exotica which he financed by a well-concealed skim of everything that passed through his office - for gold. A small sea-chest of the stuff, dust and flake glittering in the lamp-light of Bacon's study as the two men gazed at it. Pescatore snapped closed the lid, and with a grunt, hoisted the chest to his shoulder. With his other hand, he dropped a heavy purse on Bacon's desk.
-Out again, moving fast. The paper he got for the ambergris, Pescatore
-changed - quite illegally and at a vicious discount - into silver, which he
-used to purchase from a Pisan merchant several straw-stuffed crates of
-Syrian glassware. The glassware he sold to a corrupt Cathayan official at
-the Bureau of Mines - who had a passion for Western exotica which he
-financed by a well-concealed skim of everything that passed through his
-office - for gold. A small sea-chest of the stuff, dust and flake
-glittering in the lamp-light of Bacon's study as the two men gazed at it.
-Pescatore snapped closed the lid, and with a grunt, hoisted the chest to his
-shoulder. With his other hand, he dropped a heavy purse on Bacon's desk.
-"For your church." Bacon had been granted permission to build a small
+"For your church." Bacon had been granted permission to build a small church in Jen Men, and had been diligently seeking sponsorship from the European merchant community in Jen Men, with only modest success, so far. He looked at Pescatore, who had up until now, been openly indifferent to the project, to Bacon's irritation. But looking at Pescatore with that chest of gold hefted on his shoulder, Bacon felt suddenly fearful for him. The Genoese was in over his head. Discovery of that chest in his hands meant death by torture.
-church in Jen Men, and had been diligently seeking sponsorship from the
-European merchant community in Jen Men, with only modest success, so far.
-He looked at Pescatore, who had up until now, been openly indifferent to the
-project, to Bacon's irritation. But looking at Pescatore with that chest of
-gold hefted on his shoulder, Bacon felt suddenly fearful for him. The
-Genoese was in over his head. Discovery of that chest in his hands meant
-death by torture.
-"You cannot buy your way to absolution, Enrico. You must confess, repent
+"You cannot buy your way to absolution, Enrico. You must confess, repent and perform your penance."
-and perform your penance."
-Pescatore put his free hand on Bacon's shoulder. "No time, friar. This
+Pescatore put his free hand on Bacon's shoulder. "No time, friar. This one, it is very close."
-one, it is very close."
 Bacon got it. "You cheated the Bureau man."
-"Men are only cheated when they realize it. Until then, they are quite
+"Men are only cheated when they realize it. Until then, they are quite happy. My guess is that he will be happy for the next day or two, until the Venetian glass dealer arrives from Zhongmezhou and tells him what the pieces are actually worth."
-happy. My guess is that he will be happy for the next day or two, until the
-Venetian glass dealer arrives from Zhongmezhou and tells him what the pieces
-are actually worth."
 "Then you must run."
-Pescatore nodded. He patted the lid of the chest. "I have got what I came
+Pescatore nodded. He patted the lid of the chest. "I have got what I came here for, and it is time to go."
-here for, and it is time to go."
-Bacon laid his hand on Pescatore's head, murmured the words of absolution.
+Bacon laid his hand on Pescatore's head, murmured the words of absolution. He figured that cheating a corrupt man - who wasn't even a Christian, after all - was sort of a way of setting things right and that setting things right earned Pescatore God's forgiveness. Decades in the land of the Cathayans has made his theology a big unorthodox. "Go my friend, and wherever the winds carry you, may God be with you."
-He figured that cheating a corrupt man - who wasn't even a Christian, after
-all - was sort of a way of setting things right and that setting things
-right earned Pescatore God's forgiveness. Decades in the land of the
-Cathayans has made his theology a big unorthodox. "Go my friend, and
-wherever the winds carry you, may God be with you."
-And with that, Pescatore was gone. Bacon never saw him again. He hoped
+And with that, Pescatore was gone. Bacon never saw him again. He hoped Pescatore made it [FN28.02].
-Pescatore made it [FN28.02].
 <nowiki>* * *</nowiki>
-It was not a minor quake that Bacon's seismograph detected in January 1258,
+It was not a minor quake that Bacon's seismograph detected in January 1258, but the most violent volcanic explosion of the last two thousand years [FN28.03] at OTL's El Chichon, Mexico. In the Ursulines and Ultima Thule, the climactic effects are ugly - a string of crop failures leading to the bankruptcy of some of the more marginal sugar and plantations in the Ursulines, and tight food supplies pretty much everywhere in the New World. Fortunately for the Ursuline sugar growers, however, the Persian sugar crop
-but the most violent volcanic explosion of the last two thousand years
+also fails, jacking up prices for sugar in the Islamic world, which enabled most Ursuline planters to survive, even with reduced production.
-[FN28.03] at OTL's El Chichon, Mexico. In the Ursulines and Ultima Thule,
-the climactic effects are ugly - a string of crop failures leading to the
-bankruptcy of some of the more marginal sugar and plantations in the
-Ursulines, and tight food supplies pretty much everywhere in the New World.
-Fortunately for the Ursuline sugar growers, however, the Persian sugar crop
-also fails, jacking up prices for sugar in the Islamic world, which enabled
-most Ursuline planters to survive, even with reduced production.
-In Europe, the eruption causes a persistently cloudy appearance to the sky
+In Europe, the eruption causes a persistently cloudy appearance to the sky and a particularly rainy and chilly winter in France, western Germany and northern Italy. England has a brief, hot summer, but then suffers from heavy rains beginning in August, ruining crops and triggering famine. Thousands of villagers flee into London. Many of them perish from hunger, but others sell themselves into servitude for a trip to Avalon. As the price of food rises, grain shipments from Vinland and Niwe Wessex - who are not hit as hard - begin to arrive, and much of the cod catch from the Markland fisheries winds up making its way to England. Even the pagan Norse from Domstolland get into the act, selling their surplus wheat and barley
-and a particularly rainy and chilly winter in France, western Germany and
+across the Western Ocean - through Venetian intermediaries, of course. One country's crisis is another's opportunity.
-northern Italy. England has a brief, hot summer, but then suffers from
-heavy rains beginning in August, ruining crops and triggering famine.
-Thousands of villagers flee into London. Many of them perish from hunger,
-but others sell themselves into servitude for a trip to Avalon. As the
-price of food rises, grain shipments from Vinland and Niwe Wessex - who are
-not hit as hard - begin to arrive, and much of the cod catch from the
-Markland fisheries winds up making its way to England. Even the pagan Norse
-from Domstolland get into the act, selling their surplus wheat and barley
-across the Western Ocean - through Venetian intermediaries, of course. One
-country's crisis is another's opportunity.
-And on May 18, 1258, Europe witnesses a total lunar eclipse, darker than any
+And on May 18, 1258, Europe witnesses a total lunar eclipse, darker than any other in memory, and lacking the blood-red quality of the usual lunar eclipse. Although usually "the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes," the utter blackening of the moon signals the death of Batu Khan, the conqueror of the Empire of the Romans and much else besides. And it also signals the advent of his successor, Sartak Khan [FN28.04].
-other in memory, and lacking the blood-red quality of the usual lunar
-eclipse. Although usually "the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of
-princes," the utter blackening of the moon signals the death of Batu Khan,
-the conqueror of the Empire of the Romans and much else besides. And it
-also signals the advent of his successor, Sartak Khan [FN28.04].
 The interesting thing about Sartak is that he is a Christian.
@@ Line 3828: / Line 3711: @@
 __Notes:__
-[FN28.01] Chinese proto-seismograph, second century B.C. A nice
+[FN28.01] Chinese proto-seismograph, second century B.C. A nice reconstruction of this is at
-reconstruction of this is at
 http://www.iris.washington.edu/about/ENO/iows/1_2002a.htm
-[FN28.02] He does. Pescatore and his gold become very prominent in the
+[FN28.02] He does. Pescatore and his gold become very prominent in the Genoese diaspora with whom he had been associating since his original troubles with his Venetian colleganza, and he eventually settles, very
-Genoese diaspora with whom he had been associating since his original
+comfortably, in Lisbon. There he marries and founds a family company that prospers greatly in the Ursulines trade. Pescatore's companions in his first trip to Mu-lan-P'i, Carlo and Martino, make their fortune as well and die defending their beloved Florence against the forces of Batu Khan.
-troubles with his Venetian colleganza, and he eventually settles, very
-comfortably, in Lisbon. There he marries and founds a family company that
-prospers greatly in the Ursulines trade. Pescatore's companions in his
-first trip to Mu-lan-P'i, Carlo and Martino, make their fortune as well and
-die defending their beloved Florence against the forces of Batu Khan.
-[FN28.03] http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2000/2000_Stothers1.pdf Although
+[FN28.03] http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2000/2000_Stothers1.pdf Although it is unclear where exactly it occurred, I have arbitrarily placed it at El Chichón, in Mexico, because it seems like the evidence points in that direction.
-it is unclear where exactly it occurred, I have arbitrarily placed it at El
-Chichón, in Mexico, because it seems like the evidence points in that
-direction.
-[FN28.04] OTL, both Batu died in 1255 and Sartak in 1256. ATL, Batu gets
+[FN28.04] OTL, both Batu died in 1255 and Sartak in 1256. ATL, Batu gets an extra three years and Sartak gets a real shot at being Khan.
-an extra three years and Sartak gets a real shot at being Khan.
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