The Chamberlains
attendant · human
Two palace servants whose job is to carry the emperor's train, and who carry it whether or not there is one.
What they are like
- Kind
- 7/10
- Brave
- 3/10
- Clever
- 4/10
- Honest
- 5/10
- Curious
- 2/10
- Patient
- 10/10
How we meet them
Bending down behind the emperor and taking hold of nothing at the correct height. Nobody has told them to. They have simply worked out what will be expected.
Personality
Conscientious to the point of comedy. They are not pretending in order to save themselves. They are pretending because it is the job and the job has to be done properly.
What they want
To do it correctly. That is the whole of it, and it is what makes them funny.
How they change
Reach for a train that is not there without being told to, and are still holding it, more tightly than before, on the last line of the story.
How they speak
Almost nothing, and only to each other, and always about logistics. They discuss the height of a thing that does not exist.
How the story treats them
Nobody notices them at all, which is the mark of a chamberlain doing the job well.
One surprising thing
They get the last line of the whole story. After the crowd has said it out loud, they hold on tighter than ever to the train that does not exist.
If they were real today
The two people still setting up the chairs for a meeting that everybody knows has been cancelled.
Things they say
- “A little higher on your side.”
- “Mind the corner.”
Key moments
Nobody told them to
They bend down behind the emperor, take hold of the train that is not there, lift it to the correct height and hold it, entirely on their own initiative.
Tighter than ever
The crowd is saying it out loud all around them. The chamberlains adjust their grip and keep the train off the ground until they are indoors.
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