Thursday, October 2. 9:00 hours.

Jorge had been in his main house in Tauride for more than ten days. During this time, many changes had taken place, mainly related to his lifestyle; he had ordered new clothes and gotten rid of the ones he had brought from Spain; now he wore cotton, linen, and fine silk garments, some embroidered with gold and silver threads, but most of them were very simple and elegant. The orange and turquoise colors were not only worn by Jorge in his clothes but also by all his employees; and banners with a flaming dragon were also omnipresent, as well as emblems with the letter "T". The employees closest to Jorge were speaking more and more correct Spanish, and although he had started taking classes in Ketiri, he soon became discouraged, as he lacked the patience to learn a language so different from the ones he knew. Although Yusuf was essential for managing legal and important matters, Jorge felt uneasy in his presence, something he tried to overcome or at least disguise; on the other hand, he had become fond of the company of two employees of his house: Eukario, the protocol manager, and Miceros, the butler. The first was a true expert in local customs and history; he was a young mulatto of about forty years, very tall and lanky; he always dressed in immaculate white (except for a turban with the colors of the Tharakos estate), and had a smile with clean, large, and well-placed teeth that illuminated his face, something that happened very often because Eukario was very jovial. Since he spoke Spanish and other languages perfectly (apart from Ketiri, of course), he was first Jorge's frustrated teacher of the local language and later his translator and true right-hand man in dealing with people. The sympathy between them was mutual and intense from the first moment, and in fact, the employee soon felt a strong attraction to Jorge; but the evident lack of reciprocity and the difference in positions prevented advances in the romantic plane. Nevertheless, the relationship between them was optimal, and Jorge spent almost the whole day with him. As for Miceros, he had been an employee of the old Gurion estate in Benassur, (like the rest of Jorge's workers); it was evident that he missed the times of the old owner, but he was ostentatiously striving to satisfy his new master. Miceros' position, butler, was the most important in Tauride after Yusuf's, as he was in charge of everything related to the main house of the estate; he made sure the master's wishes were fulfilled, that nothing was missing, that he hired subordinate employees if necessary, that he provided and supervised everything. Although he was over fifty years old, he had learned Spanish quickly and efficiently; he had a strong local accent, but otherwise, he spoke and understood it fluently. Unlike Eukario, the butler dressed in an exquisite and formal way, with heavy, brocaded clothes that gave him a certain military air, something that, on the other hand, su...