Penemue
From Changeling Venue
Contents |
Names
Penemue, Peter, Perceval, Peregrine, Philip, Phoenix, Pierre, Piers,
Descriptions
"Come in," he said.
I did, deciding as I crossed the threshold that I would not ask him how he had known who it was. His room was a gloomy place, candles burning despite the fact that it was daytime and he had four windows. The shutters were closed on three of them. The fourth was only part way open. He stood beside this one, staring out toward the sea. He was dressed all in black velvet with a silver chain about his neck. His belt was also of silver-a fine, linked affair. He played with a small dagger, and did not look at me as I entered. He was still pale, but his beard was neatly trimmed and he looked well scrubbed and a bit heavier than he had when last I had seen him.
---
"I was sitting on the edge of my bed. You were standing by my writing desk. As you turned away and headed toward the door, I resolved to kill you. I reached beneath my bed, where I keep a cocked crossbow with a bolt in it. I actually had my hand on it and was about to raise it when I realized something which stopped me."
He paused.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Look over there by the door."
I looked, I saw nothing special. I began to shake my head, just as he said, "On the floor."
Then I realized what it was--russet and olive and brown and green, with a small geometric pattern. He nodded.
"You were standing on my favorite rug. I did not want to get blood on it. Later, my anger passed. So I, too, am a victim of emotion and circumstance."
"Lovely story--" I began.
Life as Penemue's Servants
Books as far as the eye can see, and the eternal expectation to know most of what is there, to process what is there. For when you are called to his lordship's chambers your first expected to keep up with an intellectual discourse, keeping his lordship entertained. If one cannot entertain his lordship mind, then one does not stay long in his lordship's presence, and lacking the end of longing that his lordship has imposed upon you before sending you back to the harem without a male in sight.
Inspirations
Brand from the Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Penemue, ("The Inside") in Enoch lore, was one of the Watchers/Grigori. He "taught mankind the art of writing with ink and paper, and thereby many sinned from eternity to eternity and until this day. For man was not created for such a purpose." Penemue also taught "the children of men the bitter and the sweet and the secrets of wisdom." He is one of the curers of stupidity in man mentioned in Bereshith Rabba.
When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose. Then the Lord said: "My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years." At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown. (Genesis 6:1-4)
