the days of the king by filip florian (excerpt)

8/6/2019 The Days of the King by Filip Florian (Excerpt)

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FILIP FLORIANTrasatd frm th Rmaia by Aistair Ia Byth

A n o v e l

The DAys

OF The KINg


2/15

FILIP FLORIANTranslated from the Romanian by Alistair Ian Blyth

The Days

of the King

D

HOUGHTONMIFFLINHARCOURTBOSTON NEWYORK

2011


3/15

Cyrght 2011 y F Fra

Traat yrght 2011 y Atar Ia Byth

A rght reerveFr rmat aut erm t rerue eet rm th k,

wrte t Perm, Hught Mf Harurt Puhg Cmay,

215 Park Aveue Suth, New Yrk, New Yrk 10003.

www.hmhk.m

Library o Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fra, F.[Zee regeu. Egh]

The ay the kg / F Fra ; traate rm

the Rmaa y Atar Ia Byth.

. m.

isbn 978-0-547-38835-9

1. DettFt. 2. FrehFt. 3. Kg a ruerFt.

4. Iegtmate hre. 5. Buharet (Rmaa)Htry 19th

eturyFt. I. Byth, Atar Ia. II. Tte.

pc840.416.l64z5513 2011

859'.33522 2010049821

Bk eg y La Lkwt

Prte the Ute State Amera

doc 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


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Contents

1 Farewell

Belated Prologue

2 The Captains Shadows

3 Stained Sheets

4 The Dwarf on the Tightrope

5 Footwear for Dolls

6 Hubbub and Babies

7 Hurried Times

8 The Parade

Notes

1

3

13

29

65

95

119

161

193

197


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1

1 D Farewell

THE FAREWELL EVENING Ber ue jut a t

ught t have ue: wth the rawy y the e-

tt rawe ar the e, h hea ure that mt, g-

gat reat whe mate ha g ag ee e y the

aer a ruke huar. Prevuy, he ha rae x mug eer, ught a rk r aye wh etere the taver,

ke gae, hugge re a trager (what a mm-

t!), a w e at ru wht, t the heer the

kter, may eaue h ew ar ayer ha ve

t make hm emerge trumhat, t heatg ra ay-

ght ut y the ght the ae the tae a heve.

He earte rm Der Gre Br ater ghta, ettg themthk that he wu quky retur rm the atre a r-

er ather ru r e a a; ay ae, he et h at

the ak h har, a ue verat, rather hrt the

eeve, that ha t u a ae h uggage r Bukaret

a w eae h ext rm the ee. Later, at the rthe,

they weme hm wth wh a tear, the way whre whe they take a a t heart. The etahmet

t hut u h h hr, t true, ut the gr


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2

were ae t ther arewe e y e, uerg m-

ute rm ther utmer a avhg hm e tme

a weet a g a e ake. It wa a ght the

hue. Frue Hega eve rake e me hamage,a her aaty a maam he ke hm the rw a

gre hm y h y, eggg hm t rget ther teeth, ut

rememer ther tt. I Ra rm, a he wa g her k

wth a u jame (wth her rght ha), w a

the trkg her ttm (wth her et), the gr etere e

y e a awe hm t take a eurey eave. He e a

um eare, wth t tu -re ga mtatg ruy,

he eeath hetut k; wth h he re a ar

rue kee; he ra the t h tgue ag the e

a ea a mky ak, havg rt rke t wth a-

m; he t tw ehy uttk; a he wy reathe warm

ar ver a ry ey ut he u t utt a ere t

waw t. H ger, ke te tte ake, ver avea thgh, ete the h a armt, twe

amg ur ye ure (eeath the u e, where the

akeg there ver mt urrw, uf e them, ut

t e), ahe e wth ther ta, te e

a, ure aru them, a ae them arewe. Bere

gug h tr t the eeveth e, the arget a mt

mg ay he ha ever me ar, Jeh Strau ur-ate r a g tme t a hamer t a arge a a au-

r, eh a arra. The, grahy a a, he ak e-

twee Ra thgh, tryg t aa there h at.


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3

Belated Prologue

FIRSTOF ALL, hwever, a a g that kg are ate

y the Lr, t eete y mrta, t ame t a that

the yug Cut Faer wa a w y a atarrh. I

a armhar y the reae that warme h e a h

eght Chrta amePhe, Euge, Fera, Mare,Cmet, Bauu, Le, a Gerge the ut r-

tate a ge etwee h am, ee atae a trave

k, e a eggg, ae h rw wth methate

tture, ghe, a uke tk re (Lakritze, a he

ae t, athugh rglisser zoethout, arg t h Freh-

a Femh-eakg ujet reetvey) ut weat, ever,

eee, a the wter ey the ww mae hm mag-e the thre the Ute Prate Mava a

Waaha a a ky t, a e. Perha ther r-

umtae, ha he ee g heath, rg r hutg,

urre y rgtme t auau ere a geture, he

mght t have hatee t tur w the rt rm

the eat; he mght t have vewe the Rmaa rw amethg atry. It wa 1866, at the egg the e

rtght the mth Feruary, a the ue h


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4

wry-we ather wu t have ge am. But Le

ha aae h ream a amy at Chrtmate, h

y havg ee were t the rya ryt the Ntre

Dame Churh Laeke a h u havg aee t theheave. The grahy he et eh hm wa ue ke a

eaae, exet that the hue wa t mare r eruea ut

the eeer ue rya . Br the Bavara ate

Ehreurg, the Duke Saxe-Curg-Saae, he

wa a e the Imera Rua Imavky Regmet

at ve, a geera at tweve, a e marha at twety-ve (a-

ter the amag 1815 agat Baarte), ruer h atve

uhy at a teer age, thre marre (t Pre Chartte

Auguta, e egtmate h the uture Kg Ega,

Gerge IV, the t the atre Care Bauer, wh ha hat-

y ee gve the tte Cute Mtgmery, a ay

t Pre Lue-Mare Ora, aughter Kg Lu-

Phe I Frae), twe a wwer, he emarke u age am the tumut a r aar (wth Araa Caret,

a wth the tte Bare Eghve), ather x

a e aughter, ter atrarh, gete marh (the

rt that ewy rme a trgua tate, Begum), u-

waverg the ae mtary threat a Duth terrtra

am, teau arryg h a thrugh t the very e

(uh a the trut the tet rt rara, theBrue-Mehee e, augurate May 5, 1835), ue-

ta aver t Quee Vtra Ega (a authr, eh

the ee, her marta aae wth h ehew, Aert),

aet at eutraty the trm-te year 1848, a ma

mewhat extravagat h he a uture r h y

aughter, Mare-Chartte Ame, et ar the ea te the we the Emerr Maxma Mex. I hrt,


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a ma wth ever mre tra gray har, whh ater ture

atgether whte.

It hghy key that ut th whe ere evet,

ate, juture, rtute, auat, a ate,the Cut Faer wa thkg a earer ee

the e h ather, what e mght a a trak wth

the e that re reue wth rara. I 1830,

at a tme whe he wa t yet ae Le I Begum

ut merey Gerge Chrte Frr Saxe-Curg, the

uke ha ure ather at ee t ter te wth

weru harater, tte, a hr, whe he eare hm-

e uterete the rw Greee, whh ha ee -

ere t hm a atter. Nw h , uk a armhar,

h rehea aame a h ugh wreg a eveg e,

amtere hme that Baka reeet a mee. A

hy a the mre weme e he ha jut vere that

the rther art the eua, where the ma hwethe wer ure the Dau (le Danube) a me ta-

h muta, the Karate (les Carpathes), hhy a

the ee art were t muh hear , the a were m-

et, a mathemat mty erve r tayg hee. A

, ere er, he wrte a etter ( vet k) rejetg the

e the tw hamer Buure, the Eete A-

emy a the Seate, whh, Feruary 11, at e k,ree y the uhtme ree a the ata teret, ha

he a jt meetg a vte uamuy t eevate hm t

the thre, rehrteg hm F I. I a eh whe t

eve the wtet t r the mt reae hmg ge

u have mae the jurey t Bre e tha a week,

the ete eee u the ak the Dmvta wththe ee a re a t ghtg, ug huer


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three geteme a a rme mter, wh thu aw ther

mmeate a thwarte a ther ger-term vg

rjet hug ut t ry.

I the e, the geteme, N. Geu, L. Catargu,a N. Haraama trumvrate exeee a mem-

er the Prey Leuteaya I. Ghka, reet

the Cu, mmee aew ther rummagg thrugh

the age utru geeaga tree, earh a-

ther re aae ug a yaty a tamg h-

try. Frt, hwever, weare y evet a revera, earu

et the arva the uture e rete agat them,

a heu that ee wu e a we uer, they wet

t e, eeg g ut tuy. They ha et the revu

ght at the aae eruag Pre Aexaru Ia Cua I

t g the at h aat, ummary ak h ag, a

ree t the rer, erte y a at ae tr.

Wth h uhe Para euat mee aaw, a 48 revutary, ut rt a remt a reema,

gverr the rt Gaat, mter war the Jay

gvermet, a a ret Rmaa uat, -

era h utk, Cua ha ee t muh eamre

thre a mtre, rgetu that ey a erta t

me thg eme aau. He ha verke the ar-

rag the amtrat, the uerg u aea, mre t the t, Ru-Turkh rearat t hat

a uera rge ver the Ute Rmaa Prate. He

ha awe the whth u that tuay re rm the

a ra, t y the wake art, arrage, a gg,

ut a whe tte hre ra a ke r he rae

ere a ra hwer, t ette a thk ayer the ra-mat the a h Dva. Ne year ha ae e the


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eghtee m ha aeme rk at at the urgg

the Great Pwer, a ayg ae trgue a emty ha

exame every aet the tuat, mae ther auat,

aweghg every wr rer that ther w mght eearae at the hea ther ta rgram tw re

tatemet: We desire Unifcation, but we desire as ardently a

oreign prince ( the Mava e) a It is necessary that

the ruling prince be chosen rom one o the sovereign amilies o

Europe; and this need is imperative and absolute ( the Wa-

aha e). Suh were the text that ha ee et t gather

ut ek rawer, uar, a het ut tte y tte

ee ega t reet them, a t ear that th vee

whh they ha a emarke mght ru agru. A the

eaer the eavg erat, havg re rm ther

heet rerehe a earheae, quky hage ther trat-

egy. Havg urt ther a ther eae m a u

Brue rut, the urGeera Nae Geu, m-ter the terr a reg aar uer Beu Va,

memer the 1848 revutary mmttee, the rva

gvermet, a the rt Prey Leuteay; Lar Cat-

argu, wth h wke ee, he ut the y a-

tmet a reet a en amille; Ce Nae Hara-

am, awer, a urt vtuaer rm Crava; a

I Ghka, arre Turkhe revutary 1848, g-tme Bey Samwere w ruet that they wu

have w eve a w ygurt ere tatg t. C-

equety, they t hate t rue a ew ame, ut

extee g, uee eeer twar the rya urt the

wet. They ha ee t reae the t tut,

he, aaits accomplis wth e autu ug aret. Waerg y rutu rute ver a tet


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attere wth ret, marhe, wy muta, rga,

a mtary atr, may ther eeer gt gge w

the were, ut ther, ew umer, u the eate

trak t Par. It wa there, ay ae, that the eree the Great Pwer wa uerway, at whh the Sume Prte,

trgue y the rather ermve w wg rm the

rate, whe t make ue tuat a w

the frman Nvemer 1861, wherey uat wa t

e rege y r the urat the reg A. I. Cua,

whh wa mte t eve year. There were ay whe e

mght rghty have a that the u the geteme rm

Buharet quvere ke eave, a the etetare

Frae, Ageterre, Turkey, Prua, Rua, Autra a Sar-

a ue te a et ve rarey eutere,

reemg the ak arm. It wa a at the e that

Feruary, whe e e a garage ate w the See,

that tw the eeer rea y the Rmaa gvermet,the emare I C. Brtau a I Beau, gave r

ther k at akg thrugh a, wmmg ke he

the water hgh ety, a gag gre t a-ut-

aee ureau, rare, a ur. They maage t

ehat a atter. They the e-regar, tuhe e-

tve r, tute ere a tk a t meet them ha-

way. A ther ert t et ymathy were t va,artuary amg the ae, where the e that ut

away me t ree. A t wa that the ueta

Hrtee Cru, the emerr ter ter, kuy et

mt a ue ymathe, rt a rawg t

the game the Bare e Fraque. Tuhe y the ate

that araway tte utry, whh ha arey me t egut wa areay aut t urave, wth t thre vaat a


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aga tramg t uther rter, the are ae

the tae wth a muh a a t were a a ve

whh a maurhe a qute y umtve rha

at ut t the treet y vau a. Suh a arra-tve u t he ut arue eeg arty, ma-

, a aet her e re Matha Druy e

Lhuy, we t e ther tha the mter reg aar,

wh haee t e reet the eree w aut t

me t the . It wa the a mere rmaty that, thrugh

the g he meham juga e, the meage

hu e veye urther. At at, rme a reare

y a reature ear t hm, ee whm, a a ewr, he

ha uke rm the ame reat, a eruae y the he

h w mat r, Nae III ategray -

e ay Ottma tervet rth the Daue a

et a eevet ear t the ra r a Rmaa rw.

Amg the ame ut rwar, ur umer, he et the y e ae wth the Freh mera e a we

a the Prua rya hue. Kar Ete Frerh Zehyru

Luwg Hheer-Sgmarge wa aut t eerate

h twety-eveth rthay, a a a euteat rag

Ber, he ha ee watg r amt a eae t e r-

mte t ata. Beaue the h he ha uere a

rty rg rage h et jaw ha we aru a eayemar. The a wa reau a, thugh y, a wth-

ut utg h ather r Mterret v Bmark,

he u hme akg the ma wh wa g h gum

wth a ae whether he wu ke t w hm t Bukar-

et, ermaety.

Jeh Strau ha ever hear that ty a uethat t mut e thua me away, mewhere the


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e. I ay ae, the matter eeme t hm reter-

u a gat, eeay e h watg rm

tw me a a wma were getg ther har, a the

yug er, gve hw muh u ha aumuate agh jawe, wa ray eeg k eehat. Later, ater

uh, hwever, the tr u ut y hae that the a-

tet wth a ae a g a a waut wa the me

Pre Kar At, the mtary gverr Rhea, a-

ver t Kaer Whem, a reety ate rme m-

ter. He wa amae. The, r a g ew week, he awe

h aher e t w t gete ure etwee h

rete urgery, the rm he ue wth Segre the tm-

at a uy arg hue, Der Gre Br, a the Eeve

Ttte rthe. It wa t ut Ar 14, whe the a

were m a Segre ha wue h mue a

aw e the eghrh at ght, that he rea, t

h athmet, a hrt tem a gaette aut the h-g a ete: Today, the lieutenancy and the ministry have

proclaimed, by means o bills posted on the streets, the candidacy

o Prince Karl o Hohenzollern or the throne o Romania. The

event seems to have flled the whole nation with rejoicing. That

eveg, a the jva Kar Prua atere wth the ther

Kar (w at at a ata) the yer the Ber Oera

Hue, areg hm a Turk, the ett et -at r mug eer, r hatter a wht at the ar, r

r the eeve ttte, tw er ve vey wehe a the e

huge e the het Ra. Frequety reg h ga

wth ha, u g h e, a gag thrugh the e

ww at the tar a the eave the hue ar the

way, Herr Strau regrette t havg take the yug -er eruy. He e aee reamg eautu wme a


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matet rw watg at h r r hm t que ther

tthahe. A ew ay ater, a urer the rag reg-

met hae hm a yewh evee wth a ret a the

ea the hue Hheer-Sgmarge. It wa ra-g uket, ut the evee wa ry whe t emerge rm

eeath the mtary ae.

the days of the king by filip florian (excerpt)

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