The Seine is the single river of Paris: it borders the city, surrounds it and runs beneath it. Paris sits where the water brings its food.
Description
The current is very slow; under underground Paris it is barely perceptible. There are islets in mid-stream. At night the Moon rises out of the river.
The Seine carries provisions into the city, unloaded near Halls; the commercial sectors are ordered by their position relative to the current.
The “right side of the Seine” is a named zone and a reference for the commercial areas. The reforms of Laco Educa altered it, displacing creatures that stopped frequenting it.
The bank is a place of omens: «Mirar la orilla del Sena y vas a ver a tu enemigo» (“Look at the bank of the Seine and you will see your enemy”), a rule stated in-world, not verified, with no set hour or method.
The river joins the three Parises of the Archive: surface, underground and commercial.
Conflicting accounts
- Whether the three are one course that sinks and reappears, or separate stretches sharing a name, is unresolved.
Open questions
- Which creatures left the right bank is not recorded.
- Width, depth, color, docks, bridges, boats and the number of islets are not recorded.
- Whether a “left side” exists as a named zone is unknown.
- The nature and origin of the provisions are unknown.
- Who may read the omen, and how, is unknown.