Ignacy's Light, Part 1
Mielec, Poland, December 12, 1865
Ignacy Lukasiewicz!
Knocks on the door, growing in volume and impatience. Ignacy sat in his study, quietly smoking his pipe. He knew what was coming.
The door smashed into splinters. What was worse than the cold gale, violently pouring into the opening hall of the Lukasiewicz estate, was the people that it brought. Three men, black coats, official badges. Imperial Investigators, without a doubt.
"Jan Jozef Ignacy Lukasiewicz, Governor of Mielec County, you hereby stand accused of High Treason, of consorting with the enemies of His Most Royal Majesty Zygmunt IV, and of attempting to overthrow his Most Just Government, in favor of the cowardly imposition of a Republic."
He left with the men, having no other choice. None would ever see him again, and the world would be darkened by his passing.
Ignacy woke up in a cold sweat. More cold than sweat, it had been snowing for what seemed an eternity. Even the minor nobles had to cut down on wood in the thick of winter.
At any rate, Ignacy was a noble, a local governor, and an amateur chemist. He was also a liberal. While for many years he had kept his opinions to himself, a few ill-judged remarks at a ball in Krakow had put his political position in serious doubt. Things get around, and it was now whispered in many circles that Ignacy Lukasiewicz supported...radicals.
"Radicals," he muttered to himself, thinking about the most dangerous label in Poland. He knew that Warsaw kept it's eyes open in this region, and that persecution of the intelligensia was increasing. As he shuffled out of bed, (knowing full well that he'd get frostbite if the steward didn't light the fires soon,) he thought about his position. About his wife, Aniela, and little Apolinarius.
Indeed, he would probably soon be arrested. The Republicanist writers he had been acquainted with in Warsaw had been arrested last week, according to his contacts, and the combination of the rumors of his remarks at the ball, and the information that the writers would give the government, would be more than enough for the Investigators to whisk him off to some prison on the Ottoman border.
There the "interrogations" would begin. Even if he ever was released, the best he could hope for would be ignominous poverty, bereft of anything close to contentment. In the midst of all this, poor Ignacy was overwhelmed. He simply wanted to run his County and conduct his experiments, not orchestrate a revolution! But times were changing, and Zigmunt knew how tenuous his hold on the throne was. He would destroy anyone who he even suspected of plotting against him.
He had to escape, somewhere that he wouldn't be pursued...but where? Where could he flee that would provide him amnesty?
The Holy Roman Empire was in chaos. If some Prussian picketer didn't kill him, the Empire would probably deport him. The same for Muscovy, considering the gruesome reports of Alexius' purges. The Ottoman Empire, perhaps? No, they weren't in a position to take him.
France would send him back, without a doubt. They'd already expelled all their liberals, (Most fleeing to Asia, or so the rumors said,) and certainly didn't want more. The Federated Kingdoms...? No, they were close allies with the HRE and Poland. And supposedly the food was awful, too.
But then where could he flee? Europe was locked in monarchy...impossible to be fully safe in. Where could he conduct his experiments without percecution for his ideas? And most importantly, where would he be able to get away from this damned cold?
That was when he saw the letter from the Frenchman. The letter from Persia.
Even little backwards Denmark had its first railway in....ehm... 1854 I think.... or there abouts.
