Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 22:45:04 -0600
From: dnrock@rock.com
Subject: Arden's Saga 15

Arden's Saga
by:  dnrock(dnrock@rock.com)

This is a narrative.  It is a work of historical fiction.  The operative
word in that sentence is fiction.  A list of characters is provided
(Separate File) as some come and go and the time span may be lengthy
between appearances, in the serialized presentation, I thought it might
prove useful.  Sex between males, males and females, between females, of
both contemporaries and intergenerational is common.  I am sure, not common
enough for some and to common for others.  Some of the descriptions are
graphic, others not, still others are only statements of happening or just
illusions to occurrences.  The main characters are male and most of the sex
is between them.  Most of these characters are bisexual.

If the sexual nature is offensive or you are disqualified due to age or
location, don't read it.  You have been warned.  I hope you like what you
read and find the characters and their exploits/adventures interesting.

Nifty and I hold the copyright so posting it or making money from it
without permission or sharing, is unethical.  That said, if you wish to
quote reasonable length passages please be kind enough to sight them.  You
will find a few quotations or only slightly edited passages in some
chapters.  References are provided in the text.

Don't forget Nifty needs financial help.  Please make a donation if you
can.


15: Rise Up And Celebrate


1312, the 11th month, 21st day:

Following our custom, an official announcement of Lysandros birth was
proclaimed today.  "Amphidromia" in smaller places takes place on 5th or
7th day after birth.  Involves, if your a Pagan, a sacrifice and ceremony.
A naked father carried his child around the household hearth; women
purified themselves; friends and relatives send traditional gifts.  In the
old days they did not attend unless they had been present at the birth but
now it is different.

Families decorate the doorway of the house announcing the birth: Boy with a
wreath of olive, Girl with wool, because of their spinning.  Girls and
children of poorer families might be named at the same rite.  We tend to
name everyone separately now but almost everyone, religious belief aside,
decorates their doorways.

The Christians don't celebrate births, they want everyone to be named for a
saint, so name days are very popular and baptisms are more celebrated by
them.  Old customs are slow to die and here in Parga have not.  Many non
Pagan families still decorate the doorway.

It is now just 30 days to the winter solutes and a few less to the
beginning of the celebrations.  In our culture, the new year and the winter
solutes are the same, like the old Romans.  In fact, we have adopted the
new Roman calendar some time ago.  Before the Roman consequent every Greek
City state had it's own.  Some versions of the ancient Greek calendar
celebrated the new year on the summer solstice. The Athenians and the other
Ionian peoples began their year with the first new moon after the summer
solstice, the Dorians with the autumnal equinox, the Boeotians and other
Aeolians with the winter solstice.  No one said what we did here before the
adoption.

For us, we do it all in some fashion.  Every month of the year has at least
one, most several festivals.  The Christians have expropriated most of
them, but not here.  They even moved the birth of christ to the solutes.
(TN: Using the Julian Calendar then the solutes is on the 25th not the 21st
or 22nd.  The Eastern Church still uses the old calendar and the phases of
the moon so Christmas for them is about 12 days after the Western Church.
It appears that in Parga they adjust the calendar twice a year, so for them
the soloists was as it is for us. )  No one knows when the Jesus person was
born for sure.  Most babies are born in the spring or early summer.  In an
attempt to dampen the Saturnalia celebrations of the Pagan Romans, the
early Christians fixed the date at that time.  That makes sense it you are
in charge and want cooperation of those who you are attempting to convert.
Just co-opt what they are accustomed to for your own purposes.

Here only the winter solutes week is an official state declared time.
Lenaea, a festival of Dionysus is now a part of this.  (TN: the Greek
version of Saturnalia and there were others too.) All are celebrated by the
faithful of what ever, on the days they choose.  All other festivals during
the year are celebrated by the appropriate faithful on the day or days of
their choosing but not with official recognition.  Cultural recognition of
course.  Most festivals even the Christian ones are big parties for
everyone.  Dancing, music, theatre, food and often sports.  What people do
at their temples is none of our concern.  In the city, not small places,
when someone wants to use public spaces they must seek a permit.  We have a
number of sports events each year and those are state organized.  Festivals
for Apollo, Dionysus and a few others are very popular.  Since many Pagans
have both male and female gods to celebrate, one finds those festivals for
the male gods more attended by men and for women by women.  For us younger
men it is the best chance we have to meet and get to know the girls.  We
like these events very much and often join in the celebrations and party.
(TN: Arden may call himself a young man but in his culture he was still a
boy.)

My tutors told me: What made the winter solstice so special, is that it
marked the midpoint of winter, and it is one of the four important points
of the year, the others being the summer solstice, and the two equinoxes;
and in many cultures, all of this had a special metaphysical significance.
It was all part of a sensibility about the orderly periodicity of the
universe, the oscillation of the yearly cycle, a process of continual
birth, death and renewal.  All of this mirrored itself in the lives of
animals and human beings, too.  There is good reason to suspect that
funereal rituals and belief in some kind of afterlife resulted, in part,
from the perception that nature renewed itself; that crops and plants grew
again after the dormancy of winter.  The two solstices and equinoxes being
opposite each other, were often depicted as points on the great circle of
life by the ancients, especially those with a mathematical outlook.

This is one time of the year when everyone has something going on.
Chanukah and Kwanzaa, Yule and others, I like it.  I think we should get
the Argoanuts to celebrate the Gymnopdidia in the summer too.  It would
also be great fun.

(Translators Note: Dies Natalis Invicti Solis and Deus Sol Invictus was the
"birthday of the invincible sun", the celebration of the birth of Mithras,
the invincible sun.  Sol Invictus it is said came to Rome via Syria, as a
variant of Baal known as El Gabalsun, the Sun God.  It also has been put
forth that Mithras was a minor Zoroastrian deity and worshiped in India as
early as 1400 B.C.E.

Emperor Aurelian named Sol Invictus the supreme Roman Deity at some time in
the late 3rd century and became known as Deus Sol Invictus.

Dies natalis solis invicti or Dies Natalis Invicti Solis was celebrated on
December 25th, which in the Julian calendar was the Roman date for the
Winter Solstice.  Mithras offered salvation for His followers, He was
virgin born to save humanity from evil, he died and was resurrected to
become a messenger God between man and the God of Light, and his day of
worshiped was Sunday, the day of the sun. Followers of Mithras were male,
and typically soldiers, clerics, slaves and freeman. Mithras was once
again, the sun that battled against the forces of chaos and disorder, the
forces of darkness and despair, who brought the light, order and hope back
every year at Winter Solstice.  Arden would have been aware of all this and
I am sure much more.)


1312, the 11th month, 27th day:

I have been much to upset, followed by much to busy, to write anything for
the past several days.  Iason and I had a small fight.  Our fathers knew it
was only a matter of time before it happened, they told us so.  I write
small fight and in fact it was such but at the time, had I recorded it, I
am sure I would have said it was a major thing.

I was just so embarrassed and he had the gall to laugh at me in front of
the council.  Then Uncle Iason grabbed him and pulled up his kilt and
spanked him so hard he cried.  Now all the knights were laughing at us.  I
just wanted to run and hide and never see him again.  Karyakos and Uncle
Iason began upbraiding both of us until Uncle Tertius stopped them.  Volos
came rushing to my side with a wet cloth to wipe the blood from my face and
assist me in replacing my kilt.

"Iason, did you release the pin on Arden's kilt?"

Iason looked at the floor, "Yes Uncle."

"Arden, were you embarrassed when your kilt fell off?"

"No Uncle, when I tripped on it and everyone laughed, especially Iason."

"It hurt when your beloved took pleasure in your embarrassment?"

"Yes, but I took pleasure when his father spanked him."

"Then you are equal.  Your feelings have both been hurt and you are angry
with each other.  The last time something like this happened in this
chamber, your fathers were the two pages involved.  They began a fist fight
and did not talk to each other for several days.  That was all about a
Palace Girl's attention they both desired.  Our father was rather harsh in
his punishment but I am sure your father will be less so."

"Why should Arden be punished for what I did?"

"I can answer that," Karyakos said, "Because you both did what no lover
should ever do, you laughed at each other.  To laugh with is good, to laugh
at is not."

"When Karyakos and I scrapped, just over there.  My father was furious
because we disrupted the dignity of the chamber and its proceedings.
Prince Plato, was unable to dissuade him and he punished us by making us
clean the stables, by ourselves, for three consecutive days.  Needless to
say by the end of those three days we were friends again.  So I am going to
take his example for having disrupted the decorum of this body and ask you
two to clean the stables for the remainder of the day."

We went and we did not talk that much for a while either.  I was crushed
that he would pull a prank like that on me.  I felt bad that he had been
spanked and laughed at but not all that bad.  Iason had no idea I would
trip and cut my forehead.  It took us a little while but soon we were
making light of our work and our reactions to what happened.

I later learned that the Palace Girl, our fathers squabbled over, had eyes
for Sir. Pantaleon and he is today, so fond of his wife, that he spends as
much time at sea as possible.  Our mentors assured us we would have many
more difficulties and squabbles over time.  That we would learn how to deal
with each other as they had.  After their stable cleaning experience they
resolved never to go to bed angry, even if it required talking through the
night.  It has at times required that, they told us.  It was acceptable to
play little tricks on each other, but like our deeply passionate love, that
should be kept privet.  Since our room had so many staying there, we stayed
in theirs and they went to ours.  I am very sure all of our roommates
appreciated that and I suspect none got much sleep.  Iason and I got very
little of that sleep, since we kept repeating our making up, over and over.

I may be the more beautiful of us but he is the better lover.


1312 the 12th month, 19th day:

Today Kleitos was beside himself with joy, nine of our companions from
Koalhurst arrived this afternoon.  These were boys we had grown up with.
Most older, none younger than me.  Kleitos greeted them and saw to their
needs, Iason and I were busy with page duties.  Abrith had written us and
made all the arrangements.  Once we knew how many and who they were to be,
Kleitos worked with the chief steward to make arrangements for them.

These boys and others would be know as Prince Arden's State Service Corps.
The King and Consort had decided to reform the Kings' Representatives,
incorporating them and new blood into the State Service Corps.  This would
include the present 25 King's Representatives, some of the people in the
castle and add another 50 more to their ranks.  Eventually, probably under
our reign, they told us, the postal service, now run by the army and the
non military or civil ingegneres would be taken from the army and
incorporated.

Prince Arden's State Service Corps would be made up of young men who had
little or no interest in having families, at least until they were older.
A new residence and school would be built in the city but as close to the
castle as possible.  It would be next to the new university.  Graduates
needed two years of education beyond their 10th year, one year of military
service and one year of practical experience, to receive the schools
diploma.  They would become the police, justices of the peace, recorders,
tax collectors, ingegneres and managers of the state's properties.  Iason
and I would be expected to work out the details in the future.

For the present, until the school is completed, Arden's boys, as Father
called them, would live and train with the Argoanuts.  The Argonaute House
that was resident at the castle would help the army build the school.  All
available construction workers were now busy on existing projects.  Most of
the full time army was available, now that we were at peace, the part time
solders had little work in their fields and could keep the peace in rural
districts.

All expenses for these boys was being covered by the crown, they would only
be paid one forth of the lowest army rank while in school, full pay for the
year of military service and one year practical experience.  Full pay for
the position after that.

In the spring we would make a tour of the kingdom to requite another 25 or
so students.  Their symbol is my symbol, a gold laurel wreath with a hand
above it and a lightning bolt added below.  Kleitos and Alexandros the
younger will have opportunity to be a part of this new group.  I doubt they
will desire it.

Iason and I wondered just how the Crown could afford this, since taxes had
not been raised and we are not a rich place.  No one would tell us.  One
knight did ask that very question at a council meeting.  King Iason's
answer was clear but gave no numbers.  He told the council the treasury was
sound.  Production at the state's estates was higher than the normal and
that increase was greater then the recent defence costs.  The sale of the
Florentine ships more than covered the cost of the repairs, our naval
expenses and repairs, the cost of keeping and paying the captured army and
so on.  That surplus would be enough to cover the operation of both the
Argoanuts and Arden's Boys for several years.

The reparations or donation to the university would see it through its
first several years of operation which was still three years away.  The
cost of the university buildings was from his and Father's personal
treasure.  I didn't know he had one, neither did Iason.  The civil works
the army ingegneres were building, was already in the budget.  The the
Argoanuts should be self supporting in three or four years and Arden's Boys
would generate increased efficiency in government operations and in
production from the estates, which would finance that part of government in
the future.

Another asked if all this construction was putting an undue burden on our
manpower resources.  Karyakos answered.  Yes it has and will continue to do
so for some years to come.  That is why we must be innovative and creative
in what we do.  Archimedes and his ingegneres have developed new and more
efficient machines to assist making each worker more productive.  In
addition, they are developing new methods and techniques that require fewer
craftsmen.  In the past several years they have improved the efficiency,
therefore capacity, of our water power and wind mills, half again as
example.

Venice was so impressed with the performance of our war ships and the
quality of our repairs on the Florentine vessels, they have offered to
purchase all of our existing vessels.  We will build new ones and sell our
old ones as quickly as possible.  The new vessels will require only one
quarter of sailors, be two or three times faster and most twice the size of
our current ships.

Mentor was correct, if we sit quietly and pay attention, we will learn
much.

We met with our friends and new Arden's Boys at our evening meal, in the
great dining room with the King, Prince Consort and many of the knights,
scholars and senior administrators.  Our evening meals tend to be light
when we work in the castle and heavy when we work in the field.  This was
not an ordinary meal, it was the starting of the festival and not only rich
with food and wine but filled with singing, music, entertainment by players
and actors.  The Castle would celebrate on the 19th and 20th so its
residents could join the community on the semi official days that follow.
(TN: I think Arden means they will "party" when he uses celebrate.)

Many of the palace ladies and girls also joined us.  We had many chances to
dance, something we as a people love to do, with ourselves and with the
girls.  Other festivities were taking place in the other halls, as well.
Most of the festivities will be held in the town plaza, often with
something in the castle as well.  We also have large fires on the beaches
and torch light parades.  Before the Christians, we had a four day
celebration but since they want to celebrate Christ's birth on the 25, that
has added a day.

I am told in other places only the 25th is celebrated now.  The Eastern
Church seems to save their biggest event for Easter and Channica is 8 days
long but much less public.  The Eastern and Western Churches celebrate
Christmas, in the east about 12 days later then Parga, as the moon phase is
taken into account.  This is all very confusing for me.

(TN: I think this has something to do with the difference in calendars.
Parga's is adjusted annually as it is tied to the soloists.  The pre Julian
calendar was not accurate and by 1312 was already close to two weeks out.)

The older boys tell me the big festivals, especially this one, is the best
time to meet and get together with the girls, without the constant
interference of watchers.  Iason and I are not all that interested in girls
except for our sisters, we like them and like doing things with them.  The
little princes managed to escape their nurses and spend some time with us.
They liked the Koalhurst boys immediately but after a while Uncle Iason
made us take them back to Princess Elpis.


1312, the 12th month, 21th day:

Yesterday was overwhelming and exciting.  It was so powerful that I rose
early the next morning to write this.

Immediately after our morning meal the Argoanuts assembled in the court
yard and with all the princes in the lead, including Nikias, Joulous and
Justus; we marched slowly out the gates, across the drawbridge toward the
plaza.  The bronze Ganymede was wrapped in a shroud and was being carried
on a cart filled with straw and drawn by about 20 of the boys.  Goro joined
us.  The South House was providing an honour guard that carried the
standards of the Crown Prince, Prince Consort and the Argoanuts.

What we couldn't see from the front was about half the castle was
following, including the King, Princess Elpis and the older sisters, the
little princes were left inside.  Other surprises waited at the plaza.
Karyakos, Iason, Tertius and the boys marched with me.  Right behind us
were our guardians, they were flanked by some of the older South House
boys.  We were all behind the standard barriers.  People were lining the
street and filling the plaza already.  I don't know who planed all this but
it was obviously well done.  A small group of Army Ingegneres were set up
by the monument base for the final lift.  When we got into the square the
standard barriers moved to one side and we followed them.  The front
sections of each house pealed off and took up stations round the square,
crowd control I figured.

I could see lots of children had gathered on our side of the plaza, it is
the harbour side, a large open area.  A group of young palace children
moved in behind us mixing with the city children.  I think every 10 and 11
year old from the palace was here and many of the palace girls in the 12 to
15 age group; they seemed to take control of the younger ones, boys and
girls.  The young princes were caught in a dilemma, they wanted to join
their friends but they knew duty first.  In truth I reminded them of it.  I
looked over toward the castle side of the plaza and saw King Iason and
Princess Elpis greeting people I knew; they were Koalhurst people, Kleitos'
parents among them.  Then I saw my brother Abernath and his betrothed.  She
looked from here better than I had remembered her.  I knew my parents must
also be here and my sisters.  I could also see Arden's Boys in their bright
uniforms with them.

My attention was drawn to the statue which was being hoisted from the cart
into position by the device the ingegneres had erected; the work was being
done by about 25 Argoanuts.  That is when Prince Joulous tugged on my hand
and announced he needed to pee.  I turned to look and Damao extended his
hand.  Joulous, Justus and Nikias ran after him into the crowd of children.
When I looked back at the King I could not see him but I could see my
mother talking to Ikaros.

The statue was hoisted above the pedestal on a huge hemp rope and lowered
onto its little pins.  Goro was right in the middle of all this
supervising.  The boys came back and this time when I looked Princess Elpis
was pointing at us and my mother was laughing along with Ikaros.  About
half of our navy was in port and many sailors were in the crowd along with
most of the King's Guards, they seemed to spread out among the people as
did the army.  Just as the ingegneres were taking their hoisting trusses
down a loud sound of Conch Shell horns came from the harbour area.  It was
Admiral Pantaleon's flag ship.  Things slowed down, I assumed giving him
and his crew some time to join us.

Eight Argonaute trumpeters appeared and standing in front of the monument's
base sounded a Herald, followed by the first dozen notes of Odo's ode.
Behind the statue all I could see was a sea of Argoanuts in their blue and
red tunics with the gold laurel wreath and the Argo floating over it.  The
boys must have been told what to do for as soon as the trumpeters moved
aside they took Iason's and my hands and started pulling us across the open
ground to the statue.  As we moved, so did the crowd.

Karyakos stood and raised his hands.  Everyone quieted down.  "The princes
of Parga thank you for coming here today.  We are the patrons of Crown
Prince Iason's Argoanuts.  The Argoanuts of Parga are not quite like the
Argoanuts of legend.  They are heroes, that is true and they hold
allegiance to a young man named Iason, that is true also.  It is their goal
and purpose that is different.  They seek adventure just as the originals
but a different kind of adventure.  They seek to serve the people of Parga
and it is that service that marks their passage from boys to citizens.
This memorial is the first of many gifts.  It was invented, designed and
created by boys, these boys.  It is dedicated to the spirit of all boys.
Even the music and poetry you will be treated to, in a few moments, was
written by them, the fine art you will enjoy from now on created by them.
I give you the Ganymede of Parga.  The three little ones pulled on a small
rope and the shroud fell away revealing the gleaming bronze.  The figure
positively glowed in the strong sunlight of the late morning, causing a
loud gasp from the assembled throng.

Everyone cheered as we moved down to the ground level, to not block the
view.  Behind the figure the palace music master stood up and raised his
arms.  Suddenly the entire throng of Argoanuts began to sing the ode.  It
was thundering and magical.  Not mystical as before, just thrilling.  We
joined in even the three little ones.  As soon as the song was finished our
guardians lead us over to the our family.

My sisters were much more interested in the three boys and Iason's young
sisters than us.  They did comment, as did everyone, how good I looked
standing in bronze. The Argoanuts continued to sing our other songs which
helped keep the crowd of well wishers under some kind of control, as many
stood to listen.  We were immediately mobbed by hundreds of boys, mostly
apprentices and helpers in everything from glass blowing to cobbler.  I saw
several that were injured and few looked sick.  Volos made sure the
Argoanuts took them to the physicians.  After a while Uncle Iason and
Father asked us to take our mothers and the boys back to the castle.  That
was good since I wanted to talk to my brother and sisters as well as my
parents.

I knew my mother would get on well with Princess Elpis and they did seem
to.  On the way to the castle we were joined by the other Koalhurst people
and my new cadets.  Ikaros, Alexandros, Dysme, Adonis and Kleitos joined us
in the castle garden to help with all the visitors.  I could see right off,
my younger sister, while having a crush on Iason was completely overpowered
by Ikaros.  She was in love, I could tell.  When I whispered to her that
under his kilt was even more than she imagined, she turned absolutely the
brightest red one could.  Only a brother or sister could make such a
comment and not cause the other anger.

Kleitos' father seemed to have a much changed view of his youngest son.  I
noticed that and I also noticed how Abrith winked at me when he noticed, I
noticed.  My oldest sister Flavia, whispered that she needed me to
intercede with father on her and Perum's behalf.  Apparently several others
had already approached him to arrange a marriage.  I guessed Perum tested
the waters before asking his father to make the arrangements.  Why this has
not happened I was not sure.  Why she did not ask Abernath I have no idea
either.  In this culture, like many others, I am told, the oldest brother
is almost as important as the father.  If anything happens to the father
the oldest son becomes the automatic head of the household.

I also noticed my future sister in law was just a bit cold toward me.  I
was not sure why until later that day.  I realized she was jealous of me.
Well not me so much as jealous that my brother did not enjoy all the perks
of being a prince and that none of those perks would flow to her or her
children.  I asked Ikaros to explain the world to her, specifically that if
Abernath was in my place she would not be betrothed to him since the Crown
Prince Consort is betrothed to the Crown Prince and can not by law and
custom have a family of his own.  That does not mean he can not or does not
have concubines, just that he can never marry them and his children, even
if recognized, inherit nothing save any personal wealth he may leave them.

Later that night after having enjoyed much passion with my mentor I asked
his advice.  He was not overly forthcoming but did suggest that I must be
careful to separate my office from my loyalty to my sister.

"You must do what any brother who does not have royal power would, but no
more and never less.  Because you are a prince you have some influence and
you can not turn that off and on, it is permissible to use that influence
to correct a wrong or gain a fair solution.  You should not use your
authority or mine in any way that you would not for any other citizen
seeking your assistance or advice."


1312, the 12th month, 25th day:

I had no idea the festivities in the city would last as long as they have
or be as diverse.  Iason and I are so tired and since he and Odo won't
leave me alone I will put the pen down and continue this when time permits.


1312, the 12th month, 27th day:

Affairs of state, family matters, official duties and just being a
brother/lover and friend have kept me from recording anything for several
days now.  Our lessons will begin again in the morning.  Sometimes I just
wish I was a normal boy.  I wish I could just go and play, swim in the
river and just be me, Arden.  Iason has never know any different, he
doesn't seem to know what I am talking about.  Oh, sure he is empathetic
but he is always on stage anyway, so for him it is just normal.  Our
guardians understand, they remember being 12 and just playing and having
fun.

Damao and Heron asked to adopt Odo but Father suggested they hold off on
that until they are just a little older, perhaps 20 years.  I think Odo was
just a bit disappointed because he so desperately wanted a family.  Father
told him that he had a family and that all around him, loved him.  When
Damao and Heron were 20 years they could ask again and he would grant it.

Our touters told us in the old days boys lived in the gymnasiums and had an
adult male lovers who mentored them.  They were expected to have families
when they were in their 20's and to mentor a boy then, as they were
mentored.  Parga is different.

On Krite all boys were expected to have a male lover and life partner and
some would also have families but it was the women who chose them and
inheritance was through the maternal line.  This was largely due to the
limited resources of the island.  That was before the great devastation.
After that it was a long time in recovery and became particle.  The
limitation on resources didn't change and once the population recovered
only a select few could have families and boys were still encouraged to
form male partnerships.

Today Parga faces that same problem it always did.  We have about 75,000
people.  The scholars believe we can grow enough food to feed a maximum of
85,000.  This is using all the good farm and orchard land.  The pastures
can not support more animals then now and what forests we have are needed
and must be replanted and kept as forests.  At 75,000 we have enough food
to feed everyone quite well and still have some to export, even in lean
years.  The exports are needed to exchange for things we do not have or do
not create.  If we did not need to feed beasts of burden or grow flax and
hemp we could feed more people but we do.  Two thirds of our people are
needed for agriculture.  That leaves one third for everything else. (TN: It
appears Arden is including fishers in the two thirds)

They also told us that males represent over half of the population and that
half of the females are able to bare children.  As long as that group of
women have four children each, that survive to sexual maturity, the
population of the state will be stable.  Since records show that the
average is five children per female it is important to keep the number of
women having children below about 18,000.  To do that and because we have
more males than females anyway, it is important to keep about 3000 men over
16 in situations where they will not be producing children or very few.
(TN: this means that Parga must have a child and infant mortality rate
considerably below the normal for other places at this time.  A 50%
mortality for children between one and 14 seems to be the norm in the
literature.  It is obviously less in Parga.)