[I] -I- The Second Tale of Westala and Villtin
Tale Chronicler
last episode of The Tale of Westala and Villtin [a], posted on August
18th 2004.
[a] Message-ID <MPG.1b8df5c14...@news.individual.net>
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.pratchett/msg/c920d5bb72e909b7
If you want to read up on the whole story so far, the first Tale of
Westala and Villtin (Ill in Anorankhmar: A New Hope) is available here:
http://tale.cunobaros.com/
It's time to pick up the thread again. When we last saw our two
storytellers, Marco and Orjan, they set off to the festival at
Hanoverian Hinckley (something Westala and Villtin also did in at the
end of their story), an event which coincided with Orjan and Marco
setting off to the 2004 DWCon at the Hanover Hotel in Hinckley.
Well, they're setting off again tomorrow, so we'll just pretend this
two-year hiatus never happened and tell you of the continuing
adventures of Westala, Villtin and all the other people in and around
Anorankhmar.
It will be a bit different this time, though.
Firstly, we are now three writers sharing the burden, as Elin has
joined Marco and Orjan.
Secondly, we won't have a framing story with incessant eating, and each
episode will usually contain sections and scenes from more than one
writer (and we won't indicate who've written what, so you won't know
who to blame).
Thirdly, all episodes will be posted by this humble chronicler (who
will only post episodes and announcements about the Tale) to make
killfiling/up-scoring easier. And in order to avoid problems with
enormous reference lines further down the line (ahaha) all episodes
will be posted as followups to this post.
Fourthly, we'll try to keep a relatively regular schedule, and keep the
episodes to a reasonably even length. Bear in mind that this is an
ambition rather than a promise, and unexpected events (net/computer
deprivation, illness, laziness, etc) may cause delays.
Fiftly, the webified version will be illustrated by Ann-Cathrine Loo,
who illustrated the first (there might be more, we hear) book, Ill in
Anorankhmar.
So soon, without further ado, we will present to you the long-awaited
sequel, starting with a prologue.
Your humble,
Tale Chronicler
--
The Tales of Westala and Villtin, both the first one and the ongoing
second one, can be read on the web, at:
http://tale.cunobaros.com/
Tale Chronicler
A Tale of Westala and Villtin
by Elin Rosén, Marco Villalta, and Orjan Westin
-----------------------------------------------
Prologue
In which the past is given due consideration,
the future is viewed with some apprehension,
and the present is given much appreciation.
-----------------------------------------------
It started, as often is the case, with curiosity. Of course, the d'Avid
family had always been inquisitive, beginning with the founder of the
line who started with simple questions along the lines of "Your money
or your life?". Through ambition, daring and the ever effective
combination of charm and ruthlessness he made himself a name and was
later ennobled in recognition of having killed and dismembered a dozen
thugs who attacked the king of Anorankhmar.[1]
The fortunes of the family had waxed and waned over the centuries, but
there had always been this streak of curiosity running strongly in the
line. That sort of people are useful. Dangerous, but useful, and they
had often been called in by the reigning monarch to find things out.
What are our enemies planning, who will win the races, what is the name
of that handsome lady, and how can we find out if this crown is really
massive gold -- those were but a few of the many questions they had
supplied the answers to.
But since the civil war which led to the demise of the monarchy, there
had been more wane than wax, and the current holder of the title,
traditionally named Kendy, was not busy with any official positions or
holdings outside the city. He did, however, have an extensive library,
gathered together by generation upon generation of curious d'Avids. If
he didn't know something, he could probably find it somewhere,
especially if it was obscure.
Lord d'Avid was not the kind of person you would associate with
nefarious plots and power struggles -- that kind of thing had long been
bred out of the line. In fact, if the theories are correct and
millions and millions of almost identical universes lie separated side
by side by nothing more than a choice, it is true to say that in a
million universes Lord Kendy d'Avid continued studying whatever took
his fancy, oblivious to what was going on in the city outside his
substantial town house in one of the more select neighbourhoods. In a
million universes he peered over old annals and chronicles and wrote
essays on history, governance and leadership. In a million universes
he had no part in the silent revolution.
But as chance would have it, in this particular universe he looked up
from the tome he was perusing, noticed a bit owlishly that the late
summer sun was shining through the dirty windows in the library and
made a choice that set him on a different path. He rang for the butler
and asked, to the servant's surprise and concern, for a coat and purse,
as he was going out for a stroll about town.
A few minutes later, he blinked against the light and took a deep
breath, trying to recall when he had last been outside. Still in deep
thought over this matter, he stepped out into the street, only to be
knocked down by the past.
"Oh, I do apologise," the past said and helped him onto his feet, "I
hope you are all right?"
"Um, yes, thank you," Kendy said confusedly, trying to recall both when
he had been out last and who he saw in front of him.
"Well, I am sorry, but if you'll allow, I really need to be on my way."
Kendy, still shocked, simply nodded. Then, when it was too late, he
called out.
"You, wait, who are you?"
The past was no longer there, but had stridden confidently into the
future.
* * *
The common room of The Plummeting Lemming was dark, lit only by the
last fading embers of the great log fire that had burned earlier in the
evening. The city was unusually quiet at the moment, even for the
subdued state that had lately become normal. Since many of the
Citizens were at the festival in nearby Hanoverian Hinckley, the inn
had closed early. The kitchen however glowed warm and inviting.
Kaylad, who owned the inn with her husband Lowmar, stood ladling soup
into bowls and passing them around the large central table that
functioned as workbench for the cooks, and dinner table for the
innkeepers' family. Lowmar himself busied himself with pouring drinks
for their guests, delighted to have his kitchen full of beautiful, and
in some cases not overly dressed, women.
Tessan, Kaylad's and Lowmar's daughter, was chatting to a pretty but
somewhat subdued young woman Lowmar had only come to know in the past
little while. Her name was Mega Vole and she was a former member of
the Dancing Rodents, a group of female assassins, though you wouldn't
have known it to look at her. Since arriving in Anorankhmar she had
abandoned her Dancing Rodent-issue leather microskirt and heeled boots
in favour of more comfortable clothes. Currently she was dressed in a
long, soft gown of fine, dark blue wool and her hair was tied up in a
simple ponytail.
Next to Mega Vole sat a striking woman, whose already good looks were
enhanced by the confidence she radiated. Her name was Fiftyseven and
she was an even more recent acquaintance of Lowmar's. She had been one
of the women kept by Affor of the Grey Hem, a slaver who had made it a
habit to kidnap Tessan, and had helped rescue the girl. For which
Lowmar was eternally grateful, though he had been made to understand
Tessan was never really in any danger. Affor, it seemed, was not quite
as fierce as his reputation would have it.
Unlike Mega Vole, Fiftyseven had stuck by the tools, and clothes, of
her trade and was dressed mainly in chainmail and her own skin, with
patches of green and black leather to cover the more interesting bits.
Lowmar tried not to look at her more than necessary lest Kaylad saw and
thumped him for it. She was easy on the eyes, though.
The other women in the room Lowmar had known for a long time; there was
Messy Marall of the Stargazer clan of the Clench, Capulette, with her
husband Gideoallet, and Tily, another longtime friend. They were all
chatting and laughing, mainly about the events of the past few weeks.
During the last year Anorankhmar had suffered under the pressure of a
group that called itself The Cult of Me and a pair of thugs and
sorcerers employed by them, Fix Ballong and Dextra Bos. The Cult had
kidnapped some of Lowmar's friends, men that were trying to raise
resistance among the citizens, and things had looked very bleak.
Then Westala and Villtin had arrived in the city, a pair of adventurers
and mercenaries that periodically came to Anorankhmar in search of
entertainment. Lowmar and Kaylad had come to know them the first time
Affor kidnapped Tessan, some years ago. That time it had been the
mismatched adventurers who rescued her, and they had been friends of
the innkeepers ever since.
When the two had found out about the missing "cabal", as the resistance
group was known, they had set out to find them. Lowmar had accompanied
them on this mission, as had two more adventurers; Newra the Moonlight
Raider, and Autopet, a longtime friend of Westala and Villtin.
Meanwhile Affor had turned up again and taken Lowmar's absence as his
chance to get Tessan back.
Luckily Capulette had heard and, not being a woman who let things lie
if they needed fixing, had gone after her. At Affor's hide-out
Capulette had met Fiftyseven and convinced her to help save Tessan.
All this Lowmar had been told when he returned with Westala, Villtin
and the freed cabal after having defeated and disposed of Bos and
Ballong.
Suddenly the door banged open and an enormous pile of rolled up
documents stumbled in, followed by an equally enormous pile of bags and
parcels. Last came a young red-headed woman with a big sword on her
back.
"No rush, no rush," she grinned, "here's something for everyone."
"Trust her, I think we might even have a kitchen sink in here
somewhere," added the pile of parcels.
Once all the bags and things had been put on the unused end of the
table together with the documents, Lassie -- Tily's man and retrieved
cabal member -- and Autopet were revealed. They brushed themselves off
and were handed a bowl of steaming soup each by Kaylad.
"Hello Newra," Capulette said, "did you have any trouble getting the
things?"
"No, the boys were very good." She patted Autopet, who wasn't fast
enough to get away, on the head.
She started sorting through the rolls of parchment. "We have maps of
the city and countryside, plans of the sewer system,[2] land deeds
matching the names Mega Vole supplied and the addresses of every
registered seamstress and masseuse in and within fifty miles of the
city.
And this," she held up a slender roll, "is my _piece de resistance_;
Certificates from the seamstresses guild, signed, stamped and sealed,
and with our names on them." She handed one each to Fiftyseven, Messy
and Capulette.
"In the other pile we have bolts of cloth, pins, needles, good scissors
and cutting knives, measuring tapes, chalk, some soft leather, thimbles
and assorted other goodies." Newra pulled out a parcel wrapped in soft
tissue paper.
"This, is for you," she handed it to Mega Vole, "Courtesy of Ally
Chance over on Beech Street. Oh, and she says you owe her an enormous
favour, by the way." Newra directed the last at Lowmar, who groaned.
Meanwhile Mega Vole had unwrapped the parcel and was blushing
furiously. It held a spectacular red dress with a corset-bodice
decorated in embroidered silk and lace. It was sure to cling
flatteringly, Ally Chance's skill with a needle was legendary. Almost
as legendary as her other skills.
"She says good luck with the young man." Newra added mischievously.
"With that dress I think *he* might be the one needing the luck,"
Capulette grinned.
"Yes," added Fiftyseven, "or the cold bath."
Mega Vole blushed furiously. Despite her former profession that kind
of jokes made her uncomfortable, it was so personal now that it wasn't
a job. Of course, having left the Dancing Rodents while still being an
apprentice might have something to do with it too.
As soon as the others had stopped chuckling they rolled out the maps
and got down to business.
"All right," Newra began, "Mega Vole, you said that the Dancing Rodents
live in a sort of walled village or complex in the hills up the coast
from the city." She looked at the map.
"Yes," Mega Vole nodded, "about three days travel away. It has to be
somewhere unnoticable, out of the way, it's pretty big."
"Oh," Kaylad said suddenly from over by the stove, "that has to be the
old Sunfriar monastery."
As one the others turned to look at her. "The what?"
"The Sunfriar monastery. Don't you remember, Lowmar? When we were
kids, every spring festival these strange monks in orange robes would
come into the city to dance the sundance. I talked to one of them once
and he said they lived in a monastery in the hills north-west of the
city. And they always came by boat."
"I've never heard of them. And what spring festival?" Tessan
interrupted, "You've never said anything about that."
"No, Kaylad's right," Lowmar said with a faraway look in his eyes.
"There used to be a spring festival of the sun. There used to be
monks, but it has to be, what... 40 years ago now, at least. Before
any of you were born."
"What happened?" Capulette asked. "How come none of us have ever heard
about it? I was born here after all, and so was Tily, and Tessan."
"Well..." Kaylad hesitated, "I'm not really sure, I was only a child at
the time myself. There was some sort of trouble between the monks and
the nobles. One year they just didn't come and the festival had turned
into a market. I remember everything was very tense and none of the
grown-ups wanted to talk about it. After a while I guess we just
forgot." She shrugged. "I only remembered just now, I haven't thought
about it in years."
"But the Dancing Rodents have been around longer than that, haven't
they? I thought it was an ancient organisation," Fiftyseven asked,
mystified.
"That's what leads us to this," Autopet said and opened another map,
one that showed the streets and buildings of Anorankhmar.
"This house," Autopet indicated a house by the southern wall of the
city, "is owned by a Lady Valanis, first name Solerie, and according to
Mega Vole she is the in-city contact of the Rodents. Apparently her
house used to be the Dancing Rodent headquarters before they moved the
organisation out of the city."
"At least that's what mistress Peril Rat said when we first came there
anyway." Mega Vole added.
"As you may notice the house backs onto the river," Newra continued,
"and we believe that there is a disused sewer outlet there that has
been converted so boats can come in at night, thus avoiding the gates
and having to declare content of said boats."
"Valanis is pretty well known in the slavery and exotic toy trade,"
Fiftyseven commented, "Affor never did business with her, but she has a
good reputation in certain circles. A very bad one in others. She
refuses to trade with men, considers them not quite human I've heard.
And if even half of what I've heard goes on in that house is true, I'm
not so sure she is either."
Gideoallet nodded. "I've heard the name. There was something about an
assassination attempt on one of the nobles a few years ago. One of
Lady Gleur's friends I believe, quite the young dandy."
"That secret dock is how the Rodents get in and out of the city
unnoticed, anyway. I remember it was like a stone-walled tunnel under
the house." Mega Vole supplied helpfully.
"So if you can get in contact with this Valanis you may be able to get
in contact with the Rodents." Lowmar concluded.
"Exactly," Newra agreed, "and this is where we get lucky. The
certificates Ally Chance signed for us makes us members of the
seamstresses' guild, and we know that someone claiming to work for this
Lady Valanis is in fact looking for seamstresses to employ right now."
"We do?" Capulette sounded confused.
Newra looked pleased with herself and nodded. "We do. Miss Chance
told us when we went there to ask her about that other business."
"Ah, so that's why the certificates," Fiftyseven realised.
"And that's why you've filled my kitchen with sewing supplies," Kaylad
observed drily.
Newra nodded again, with a grin much like that of a cat who has just
caught a fat sparrow. "Ladies, we have a way in."
* * *
The barman at The Unobtrusive Beagle, the most popular tavern in
Hanoverian Hinckley, took one look at the approaching men and decided
that he wasn't going to argue with anything they said. The tall one
was too muscled, and the slender one was too armed.
And they were *real* weapons, and *real* muscles. He'd seen plenty of
odd costumes over the last couple of days -- the band of troubadours
dressed up as ogres probably took the cake -- but there was nothing
fake about these two. *Exaggerated*, maybe, but he wouldn't say that
to their faces. Or indeed anything more offensive than:
"What can I get you?"
"My turn to buy, is it?" said the porcupine of edge-tools, who had
dark, short-cut hair. "Wait, don't tell me. Ale?"
The muscle-man, who had fair hair and beard, nodded happily. "And
cider for you, right?"
"Right," said the barman. "Spangled Chicken? Sturdy Arc?"
"That'll do nicely," the mercenaries chorused. Then they exchanged
glances.
"Should we stop doing that?" asked the shorter man.
"Yeah, it's getting a bit scary," the taller man agreed.
"Oh, hello!" A very lightly sober man slapped the points-outwards
pin-cushion on the back. "How'ya doin', mate? Feelin' better now?
You were looking a bit pale before at the sword-fightin'
demonshtrashun! Ya know, when yer frien' took a swing at yer shield!
Took ya by shurprise, did it? Hahaha!"
The swordsman frowned, appearing to the barman like he pondered which
blade to gut the drunkard with. "Actually, no, I knew he---"
"Well, don' think more about that now, mate. Whassat yer drinkin'?
Barman! Another pint o' cider for master Villtin here. And I'll have
one too."
The barman looked at Villtin, then at the coin the drunkard had slapped
on the bar, then at the drunkard himself, then back at Villtin.
"Go on, you heard the man," the warrior said, got his drink, and
followed his friend outside.
Around the big bonfire, dancing shapes moved through the smoke in
sinous movements to the beat hammered out by a woman frowning in
concentration.
"Pretty good, eh?" Westala elbowed his companion, who promptly swore.
"Watch it! I've got a full pint of cider in each hand here."
"So drink them, then."
Villtin shot his big friend a dark look. "You should know by now that
I don't drink..." He paused, awkwardly aware that the music had
stopped and he had shouted the three last words out for all to hear.
In quieter tones he concluded the sentence: "... much."
"Want any help?" Westala asked hopefully.
Villtin ignored him, preferring to rest his eyes at the woman who had
supplied the music. She took a towel and wiped the sweat from her
forehead, then wiped the big metal pan she had been playing on. A
wooden cinder from the fire drifted lazily through the air, and landed
in the pan.
"Hey, wood, beat it!" The woman flicked it back into the fire with a
drumstick.
"Out of the pan and into the fire," Villtin muttered darkly.
"What?"
Villtin turned to Westala. "Oh, nothing. It's just..."
"What?"
Villtin took a swig of cider. "Nah, it's nothing. Just a sudden sense
of dread."
Westala's hand dropped to the handle of his _seax_, a large utility
knife hanging horizontally from his belt, and looked around furtively.
"Where?"
"Nowhere, you big oaf. There are no threats here." Villtin took
another swig of cider, from the other pint. "I just got a sudden
feeling we'd be heading into danger soon."
"Oh." Westala grinned. "Like walking into a big forest and ignoring
the sign saying 'Here be dragons'?"
"Trust me, if there's a sign spelling out a warning, I will consider it
most carefully."
Villtin looked into his cups. "Halfpint, meet halfpint," he said, and
carefully poured the contents of one into the other. He put the empty
cup down and raised the other. "Pint."
Westala emptied his own and grinned. "Now that's a good idea, I'll have
another ale, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind. It's your turn to buy."
--------
[1] Of course, the official version of the story doesn't reveal that he
was the leader of the attackers, or that he urged them on and then
attacked them from behind as soon as he was sure they were occupied by
the monarch's guards. It does say, though, that when asked he gave his
name as Kendy from the hamlet Aveide, and he was given a manor in the
same village in reward by the grateful king.
The unofficial annals of the family reveal that his real name was
William Robert Neone, known and feared as "Butcher Bill", but he chose
to point to the brother he had just slain and declaring him to be the
famous outlaw in order to earn a substantial bounty.
[2] Once upon a time Anorankhmar had been the centre of the Anorian
empire, which sprawled over most of the continent known by the ancients
as Decrementafinalis and all the way to Candymars on the edge of the
Kinawan lands far to the East.
Back then the city was organised, prosperous and, thanks to the
efficient sewer system constructed by Emperor Artifex, a lot less dirty
than it was now. Since then the sewers had mostly been forgotten and
fallen into disrepair, but they were still there, perforating the
ground under
the city.
-----------------------------------------------
Richard Bos
> * * * * Return of the Striking Knights * * * *
> A Tale of Westala and Villtin
> by Elin Ros=E9n, Marco Villalta, and Orjan Westin
> million universes Lord Kendy d'Avid continued studying whatever took
I'll leave the spotting of this one to the victim in question.
> Meanwhile Mega Vole had unwrapped the parcel and was blushing
> furiously. It held a spectacular red dress with a corset-bodice
> decorated in embroidered silk and lace. It was sure to cling
> flatteringly, Ally Chance's skill with a needle was legendary.
And this one.
> "The Sunfriar monastery. Don't you remember, Lowmar? When we were
> kids, every spring festival these strange monks in orange robes would
> come into the city to dance the sundance. I talked to one of them once
> and he said they lived in a monastery in the hills north-west of the
> city. And they always came by boat."
This has to be a reference, but I don't know to what.
> "This house," Autopet indicated a house by the southern wall of the
> city, "is owned by a Lady Valanis, first name Solerie, and according to
> Mega Vole she is the in-city contact of the Rodents.
"Sol" and "Sun" are the same thing, of course. Another ref?
> Villtin ignored him, preferring to rest his eyes at the woman who had
> supplied the music. She took a towel and wiped the sweat from her
> forehead, then wiped the big metal pan she had been playing on.
Speaking of whom, we haven't seen her here for too long. If she's at the
con, say hi.
> Westala's hand dropped to the handle of his _seax_, a large utility
> knife
*Raises eyebrows* If you consider gutting people to be utility...
> [2] Once upon a time Anorankhmar had been the centre of the Anorian
> empire, which sprawled over most of the continent known by the ancients
> as Decrementafinalis
Lower End?
> and all the way to Candymars
Mars is, of course, a candy bar, but other than that, no idea.
> on the edge of the Kinawan lands far to the East.
Okinawa is far to the East. A doubtful annotation, probably.
Richard
redtiger
Tale Chronicler wrote:
> Lord d'Avid was not the kind of person you would associate with
> nefarious plots and power struggles -- that kind of thing had long been
> bred out of the line. In fact, if the theories are correct and
> millions and millions of almost identical universes lie separated side
> by side by nothing more than a choice, it is true to say that in a
> million universes Lord Kendy d'Avid continued studying whatever took
> his fancy, oblivious to what was going on in the city outside his
> substantial town house in one of the more select neighbourhoods. In a
> million universes he peered over old annals and chronicles and wrote
> essays on history, governance and leadership. In a million universes
> he had no part in the silent revolution.
>
Ah! A nod towards MAA there. Richard got the others I recognised.
Anyone else?
Anthony
sig? What sig?
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: ral...@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos)
> "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com> wrote:
>
>> * * * * Return of the Striking Knights * * * *
>> A Tale of Westala and Villtin
>> by Elin Ros=E9n, Marco Villalta, and Orjan Westin
>
>> million universes Lord Kendy d'Avid continued studying
>> whatever took
>
> I'll leave the spotting of this one to the victim in
> question.
Consider it spotted. Also that apart from the obvious
reference to yrumble serpent and my fondness for spending
hours persuing obscure trivia across the internet, which made
me the perfect person to do annotation compiling, it's also a
paraphrase of the opening scenes of Men At Arms, with Kendy as
Lord d'Eath (thank you so much), who would have descended into
bookish eccentricity (yes, okay, fair enough) in the millions
of universes in which he hadn't been run over by the past, in
the form of Constable Carrot.
>> and all the way to Candymars
>
> Mars is, of course, a candy bar, but other than that, no
> idea.
The Taleoverse version of Hersheba?
And Hannoverian Hinckley's tavern, The Unobtrusive Beagle, is
a ref to the bar at the Hanover, which was called The Snooty
Fox but has now been radically refurbished and renamed Triumph
(presumably at the same time as the hotel itself became
Hinckley Island).
--
Dave
Official Absentee of EU Skiffeysoc
http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/sesoc
"The need to compile lists is a personality disorder,
as is the need to assert the superiority of some things
over other things."
-Jeremy Hardy
Orjan Westin
> The time: 19 Aug 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: ral...@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos)
>
>> "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com> wrote:
>>
>>> * * * * Return of the Striking Knights * * * *
>>> A Tale of Westala and Villtin
>>> by Elin Ros=E9n, Marco Villalta, and Orjan Westin
>>
>>> million universes Lord Kendy d'Avid continued studying
>>> whatever took
>>
>> I'll leave the spotting of this one to the victim in
>> question.
>
> Consider it spotted. Also that apart from the obvious
> reference to yrumble serpent and my fondness for spending
> hours persuing obscure trivia across the internet, which made
> me the perfect person to do annotation compiling, it's also a
> paraphrase of the opening scenes of Men At Arms, with Kendy as
> Lord d'Eath (thank you so much),
You're welcome. I've felt bad for saying you were pants for years.
> who would have descended into
> bookish eccentricity (yes, okay, fair enough) in the millions
> of universes in which he hadn't been run over by the past, in
> the form of Constable Carrot.
Well spotted. If things go as planned, it might even be a bit of
foreshadowing in there.
>>> and all the way to Candymars
>>
>> Mars is, of course, a candy bar, but other than that, no
>> idea.
>
> The Taleoverse version of Hersheba?
Yup, that's half of it. The other half lies in this world, far away on the
route to Kinawan (aren't there any Feist readers here?)
> And Hannoverian Hinckley's tavern, The Unobtrusive Beagle, is
> a ref to the bar at the Hanover, which was called The Snooty
> Fox
Yup. Now you only have the rest to find. Decrementafinalis, for instance,
should have been rather easy for a programmer like Richard, at least if he
has some unsurpressed memories of eighties rock music.
I'll let someone else give hints on the monks, the first lord d'Avid and the
other references.
Orjan
--
The Tale of Westala and Villtin
http://tale.cunobaros.com/
Fiction, Thoughts and Software
http://www.cunobaros.com/
Sabremeister Brian
Orjan Westin (nos...@cunobaros.com) spake thusly:
<snip>
>
> Yup. Now you only have the rest to find. Decrementafinalis, for
> instance, should have been rather easy for a programmer like
> Richard,
> at least if he has some unsurpressed memories of eighties rock
> music.
I'll guess at "take away the end product"
--
www.sabremeister.me.uk
www.livejournal.com/users/sabremeister/
Use brian at sabremeister dot me dot uk to reply
"You are writing children's books, you need to be a ruthless killer."
- JK Rowling
jester
<bpwak...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>In a speech called 4l1650F...@individual.net,
>Orjan Westin (nos...@cunobaros.com) spake thusly:
>
><snip>
>>
>> Yup. Now you only have the rest to find. Decrementafinalis, for
>> instance, should have been rather easy for a programmer like
>> Richard,
>> at least if he has some unsurpressed memories of eighties rock
>> music.
>
>I'll guess at "take away the end product"
Nah, 's Europe. The Final Countdown.
--
Andy Brown
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
--Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
Richard Bos
> Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> > The time: 19 Aug 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> > speaker: ral...@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos)
> >
> >> "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> and all the way to Candymars
> >>
> >> Mars is, of course, a candy bar, but other than that, no
> >> idea.
> >
> > The Taleoverse version of Hersheba?
>
> Yup, that's half of it. The other half lies in this world, far away on the
> route to Kinawan (aren't there any Feist readers here?)
Not any more - two was bad enough.
> > And Hannoverian Hinckley's tavern, The Unobtrusive Beagle, is
> > a ref to the bar at the Hanover, which was called The Snooty
> > Fox
>
> Yup. Now you only have the rest to find. Decrementafinalis, for instance,
> should have been rather easy for a programmer like Richard, at least if he
> has some unsurpressed memories of eighties rock music.
*Argh*
No, I have some memories of the music of the 80s, some fond, some not so
fond, but I had indeed suppressed _that_ atrocity.
Richard
CCA
> "Valanis is pretty well known in the slavery and exotic toy trade,"
> Fiftyseven commented, "Affor never did business with her, but she has a
> good reputation in certain circles. A very bad one in others. She
> refuses to trade with men, considers them not quite human I've heard.
> And if even half of what I've heard goes on in that house is true, I'm
> not so sure she is either."
Something's grabbing me about this, but I don't know what.
Nothing I've spotted yet that others haven't, but it's late...
CCA
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: "Orjan Westin" <nos...@cunobaros.com>
> I'll let someone else give hints on the monks, the first
> lord d'Avid and the other references.
"William Robert Neone, known and feared as 'Butcher Bill'"
"Butcher Bill" suggests William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting
from "Gangs of New York". Robert Neone (NEone) suggests Rob
Anybody mac Feegle, which, of course, gives us a Scottish
connection. The complicated double cross described doesn't fit
Rob, but might fit Bill (I've not actually seen the film). Am
I close?
CCA
> Meanwhile Mega Vole had unwrapped the parcel and was blushing
> furiously. It held a spectacular red dress with a corset-bodice
> decorated in embroidered silk and lace. It was sure to cling
> flatteringly, Ally Chance's skill with a needle was legendary. Almost
> as legendary as her other skills.
I'm wondering if Ally Chance is Random C (given the talent with
dressmaking). Brain has given up on trying to turn one name into the
other though...
> "Oh, hello!" A very lightly sober man slapped the points-outwards
> pin-cushion on the back. "How'ya doin', mate? Feelin' better now?
> You were looking a bit pale before at the sword-fightin'
> demonshtrashun! Ya know, when yer frien' took a swing at yer shield!
> Took ya by shurprise, did it? Hahaha!"
I *think* this may refer to an incident at DWCon 2004 when a sword
stuck fast in his shield appeared to take Marco by surprise somewhat.
ICBW.
> Around the big bonfire, dancing shapes moved through the smoke in
> sinous movements to the beat hammered out by a woman frowning in
> concentration...She took a towel and wiped the sweat from her
> forehead, then wiped the big metal pan she had been playing on. A
> wooden cinder from the fire drifted lazily through the air, and landed
> in the pan.
I'm guessing this may by Cyba, who provided steel-pan music at the last
Con.
CCA
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: "CCA" <sphir...@aol.com>
> Tale Chronicler wrote:
>
>> Meanwhile Mega Vole had unwrapped the parcel and was
>> blushing furiously. It held a spectacular red dress with
>> a corset-bodice decorated in embroidered silk and lace.
>> It was sure to cling flatteringly, Ally Chance's skill
>> with a needle was legendary. Almost as legendary as her
>> other skills.
>
> I'm wondering if Ally Chance is Random C (given the talent
> with dressmaking). Brain has given up on trying to turn
> one name into the other though...
It helps if you know what the C stands for...
Richard Bos
> Tale Chronicler wrote:
>
> > Meanwhile Mega Vole had unwrapped the parcel and was blushing
> > furiously. It held a spectacular red dress with a corset-bodice
> > decorated in embroidered silk and lace. It was sure to cling
> > flatteringly, Ally Chance's skill with a needle was legendary. Almost
> > as legendary as her other skills.
>
> I'm wondering if Ally Chance is Random C (given the talent with
> dressmaking). Brain has given up on trying to turn one name into the
> other though...
Chance == Random; Ally == Companion. Jus' like that.
Richard
8'FED
So obvious once you see the solution. I think it's only difficult at
first because the word "ally" is hardly ever used. People more often
say "X and Y are allies", or "X is allied with Y", but the singular
noun "ally" is covered in a thick layer of dust from lack of use.
Adrian.
CCA
> "CCA" <sphir...@aol.com> wrote:
> > I'm wondering if Ally Chance is Random C (given the talent with
> > dressmaking). Brain has given up on trying to turn one name into the
> > other though...
> Chance == Random; Ally == Companion. Jus' like that.
Aha!
Now will try to turn Lady Valanis into something that points to an
afper (or not, as the case may be...I remember not all characters do
point to someone here)
CCA
Daibhid Ceanaideach
Yep, I initially thought of the diminutive of names starting
"Al-", which is spelt the same way, but pronnounced as
"alley".
Daibhid Ceanaideach
Googling for "Valanis" finds that there's an edpidemologist
called Barbara Valanis, a writer called Kallya Valanis and a
function used in calculating stress called the Valanis-Landel
Function. I'm not sure if any of this helps, although I ran a
quick search to see if there'd ever been an afper called
Landel. There hadn't.
CCA
> The time: 23 Aug 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "CCA" <sphir...@aol.com>
> > Now will try to turn Lady Valanis into something that
> > points to an afper (or not, as the case may be...I remember
> > not all characters do point to someone here)
> Googling for "Valanis" finds that there's an edpidemologist
> called Barbara Valanis, a writer called Kallya Valanis and a
> function used in calculating stress called the Valanis-Landel
> Function. I'm not sure if any of this helps, although I ran a
> quick search to see if there'd ever been an afper called
> Landel. There hadn't.
Googling on 'Solerie' brings up the Camelot Herald, which displays a
character called Solerie as the following...
Member of The Watch
24th level Saracen Infiltrator
The Member of The Watch bit seems intriguing with regard to the Tale...
*googles again*
Okay, now I'm at this URL...
http://matera.swifthost.net/fic/roots/roots23.htm
...showing something called 'Tales of the Tonkatoi', which features a
female werewolf (or possibly other animagus type character - I didn't
read far enough ahead to find out) called Solerie, which is what I sort
of suspected when I read the 'not quite human' bit.
So 'Member of the Watch' plus 'female werewolf' points somewhat towards
Angua to me... Which makes me think that the afper in question could
be Loriba, who's been known to dress up as Angua on occasional DWCons.
CCA
The Roxter
> The time: 23 Aug 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "CCA" <sphir...@aol.com>
>
>> Tale Chronicler wrote:
>>
>>> Meanwhile Mega Vole had unwrapped the parcel and was
>>> blushing furiously. It held a spectacular red dress with
>>> a corset-bodice decorated in embroidered silk and lace.
>>> It was sure to cling flatteringly, Ally Chance's skill
>>> with a needle was legendary. Almost as legendary as her
>>> other skills.
>> I'm wondering if Ally Chance is Random C (given the talent
>> with dressmaking). Brain has given up on trying to turn
>> one name into the other though...
>
> It helps if you know what the C stands for...
As an old-timer I remember, an exquisite example of Random's wonderfully
cynical sense of hoomer.
-rockappreciates
--
Orjan Westin
<re: Solerie Valanis>
> Googling on 'Solerie' brings up the Camelot Herald, which displays a
> character called Solerie as the following...
>
> Member of The Watch
> 24th level Saracen Infiltrator
>
> The Member of The Watch bit seems intriguing with regard to the
> Tale...
<snip>
> ...showing something called 'Tales of the Tonkatoi', which features a
> female werewolf (or possibly other animagus type character - I didn't
> read far enough ahead to find out) called Solerie, which is what I
> sort of suspected when I read the 'not quite human' bit.
>
> So 'Member of the Watch' plus 'female werewolf' points somewhat
> towards Angua to me... Which makes me think that the afper in
> question could be Loriba, who's been known to dress up as Angua on
> occasional DWCons.
This is absolutely fascinating, but I feel I need to help a bit so you don't
get too lost.
Hm, how much to reveal...
It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen minutes of fame some
decades ago, and hit the headlines with a bang.
Hendrik Schober
> [Solerie Valanis]
> It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen minutes of fame some
> decades ago, and hit the headlines with a bang.
"I believe an eye for an eye is elemental" (Lou Reed)
Schobi
--
Spam...@gmx.de is never read
I'm Schobi at suespammers dot org
"The sarcasm is mightier than the sword."
Eric Jarvis
CCA
> CCA wrote:
[snip me googling and writing down first thing I came to. Note to
others: this probably isn't a good idea]
> This is absolutely fascinating
You know, I was fitted with a sarcasm detector quite some time ago...
> but I feel I need to help a bit so you don't
> get too lost.
Already got lost and given up and waiting for someone else to find it.
I'm presuming I'm wrong about it being Loriba too.
> Hm, how much to reveal...
>
> It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen minutes of fame some
> decades ago, and hit the headlines with a bang.
Okay, up is well and truly given.
(How many decades?)
CCA, going to do something else now.
Orjan Westin
> Orjan Westin <nos...@cunobaros.com> wrote:
>> [Solerie Valanis]
>> It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen minutes of fame
>> some decades ago, and hit the headlines with a bang.
>
> "I believe an eye for an eye is elemental" (Lou Reed)
Bingo
CCA
> Orjan Westin <nos...@cunobaros.com> wrote:
> > [Solerie Valanis]
> > It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen minutes of fame some
> > decades ago, and hit the headlines with a bang.
> "I believe an eye for an eye is elemental" (Lou Reed)
And now I've got it. But will leave to someone else to point out, as I
don't know much about the woman in question.
Note to self: do not google for annotations next time.
CCA
BriD(bethbriuk@yahoo.co.uk)
I'm sure this is going to be a ref. from the first tale but I didn't
see all the annotations so please forgive me if it is old news.And it
is a while since I read the Tale
Affor of the Grey Hem = Affordable Graham.
BriD
Daibhid Ceanaideach
> CCA wrote:
>
> <re: Solerie Valanis>
>
>> Googling on 'Solerie' brings up the Camelot Herald, which
>> displays a character called Solerie as the following...
>>
>> Member of The Watch
>> 24th level Saracen Infiltrator
>>
>> The Member of The Watch bit seems intriguing with regard
>> to the Tale...
>
> <snip>
>
>> ...showing something called 'Tales of the Tonkatoi', which
>> features a female werewolf (or possibly other animagus
>> type character - I didn't read far enough ahead to find
>> out) called Solerie, which is what I sort of suspected
>> when I read the 'not quite human' bit.
>>
>> So 'Member of the Watch' plus 'female werewolf' points
>> somewhat towards Angua to me... Which makes me think that
>> the afper in question could be Loriba, who's been known to
>> dress up as Angua on occasional DWCons.
>
> This is absolutely fascinating, but I feel I need to help a
> bit so you don't get too lost.
>
> Hm, how much to reveal...
>
> It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen
> minutes of fame some decades ago, and hit the headlines
> with a bang.
Ah, that knocked my memory just enough to look up Andy Warhol
on Wikipedia.
Valerie Solanas, attempted assassin of Warhol and only member
of the Society for Cutting Up Men.
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: "CCA" <sphir...@aol.com>
> Hendrik Schober wrote:
Googling for annotations is fine; it's what I do. It's
filtering out the coincidences that's the problem...
Hendrik Schober
> Hendrik Schober wrote:
> > Orjan Westin <nos...@cunobaros.com> wrote:
> > > [Solerie Valanis]
> > > It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen minutes of fame
> > > some decades ago, and hit the headlines with a bang.
> >
> > "I believe an eye for an eye is elemental" (Lou Reed)
>
> Bingo
Actually, I got this wrong. This one's sung by
John Cale, and the words were by both of them.
What can I say in my defence? It is long ago
that I learned that album by heart. Also, it's
11:30pm here and I'm still at work because I
need to fix this bug because I need the next
two days of because I need them to prepare a
feast for 50 friends on Saturday...
Martyn Clapham
<ral...@xs4all.nl> writes
>"Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com> wrote:
>
>> Villtin ignored him, preferring to rest his eyes at the woman who had
>> supplied the music. She took a towel and wiped the sweat from her
>> forehead, then wiped the big metal pan she had been playing on.
>
>con, say hi.
>
I doubt we'll be able to do that at any time in the future as she's gone
off and married Robert Rankin.
Yes, _that_ Robert Rankin!
I heard this from Mr Briggs on Friday night and have since checked
myself as it sounded so unbelievable.
Mart.
--
Livejournal at http://pendlemac.livejournal.com
Caroline's afpersonal God of Misunderstandings & afpSlave to CCA.
IM stuff :- ICQ: 246971821 Yahoo, AIM or MSN: pendlemac
all via gateways to pend...@myjabber.net
Tale Chronicler
Tale Chronicler wrote:
> * * * * Return of the Striking Knights * * * *
> by Elin Rosén, Marco Villalta, and Orjan Westin
> -----------------------------------------------
>
> Prologue
> In which the past is given due consideration,
> the future is viewed with some apprehension,
> and the present is given much appreciation.
> -----------------------------------------------
This is now available on the Tale website here:
http://tale.cunobaros.com/tales/index.html
The site has also been revamped and re-structured, in preparation for
this Tale.
Your humble,
Tale Chronicler
--
The Tales of Westala and Villtin, both the first one and the ongoing
second one, can be read on the web, at:
http://tale.cunobaros.com/
The Roxter
Seems like there might be a sideways annotation to R. A. Lafferty's
"Tales of the Cameroi" there too.
-rock
--
Graycat
Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> The time: 23 Aug 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Orjan Westin" <nos...@cunobaros.com>
>
> > It refers to a roundworld person who had her fifteen
> > minutes of fame some decades ago, and hit the headlines
> > with a bang.
>
> Ah, that knocked my memory just enough to look up Andy Warhol
> on Wikipedia.
>
> Valerie Solanas, attempted assassin of Warhol and only member
> of the Society for Cutting Up Men.
And there you go. Trust me, there will be more...and worse :o)
--
Elin
CCA
> Valerie Solanas, attempted assassin of Warhol and only member
> of the Society for Cutting Up Men.
Aha - hence the reference to assassinating one of Lady Gleur's friends,
and said victim being 'quite the young dandy' (ref: The Dandy Warhols,
a group I've heard of by name but not heard any of their music)
CCA
Graycat
well done :o)
--
Elin
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: "CCA" <sphir...@aol.com>
And Jean Gleur was jester, whose real name is Andy, or am I
pushing it?
Eric Jarvis
<1156419066....@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>:
If you've watched television over the past ten years you almost certainly
have heard at least some. One song was used as part of a long running ad
campaign and I've noticed several used as background for montages on TV.
--
eric
www.ericjarvis.co.uk
"live fast, die only if strictly necessary"
jester
This is starting to get more tenuous than some of the attempted
annotations for pTerry's books.
(I should know, I've been there 8-)
--
Andy Brown
[In response to the question "who's your favourite monarch?"]
King Cnut - He had the idea before French Connection UK did.
Steve (Steeljam); afp, March 2003.
CCA
> CCA sphir...@aol.com wrote in
> > Aha - hence the reference to assassinating one of Lady Gleur's friends,
> > and said victim being 'quite the young dandy' (ref: The Dandy Warhols,
> > a group I've heard of by name but not heard any of their music)
> If you've watched television over the past ten years you almost certainly
> have heard at least some. One song was used as part of a long running ad
> campaign and I've noticed several used as background for montages on TV.
Well, probably heard but not recognised - mainly due to being more into
R&B/soul, or 'silly teeny rap' as I see Torak's calling it. (Yes, that
pissed me off, can you tell?)
CCAgggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Graycat
Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> The time: 24 Aug 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "CCA" <sphir...@aol.com>
>
> > Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> >
> >> Valerie Solanas, attempted assassin of Warhol and only
> >> member of the Society for Cutting Up Men.
> >
> > Aha - hence the reference to assassinating one of Lady
> > Gleur's friends, and said victim being 'quite the young
> > dandy' (ref: The Dandy Warhols, a group I've heard of by
> > name but not heard any of their music) CCA
>
> And Jean Gleur was jester, whose real name is Andy, or am I
> pushing it?
I think you are :o)
--
Elin
Torak
Well, R&B and soul in their proper incarnations mean James Brown, Aretha
Franklin and so on. It seems rather pushing it to apply the term to
people like Jennifer Lopez and whatever other artists adopt the moniker
nowadays.
Menno Flexor Willemse
Tale Chronicler wrote:
>
> Tessan, Kaylad's and Lowmar's daughter, was chatting to a pretty but
> somewhat subdued young woman Lowmar had only come to know in the past
> little while. Her name was Mega Vole and she was a former member of
> the Dancing Rodents, a group of female assassins, though you wouldn't
> have known it to look at her.
Well, I finally got this one in the first Tale, but of course, there is
also a certain countertenor who has been observed in Hannoveran
Hinckley in a large red cassock. Who goes by a name just one letter
removed from the one presented here. Needless to say, picturing *that*
individual as a pretty young woman in revealing apparel broke my brain
in several places.
Cheers,
Flexor-who-hates-to-be-alone-in-brain-breakage
Ssirienna
"Menno Flexor Willemse" <fle...@wanadoo.nl> wrote in message
news:1156431890.1...@74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com...
> Hello World,
>
(snipped)
>
> Well, I finally got this one in the first Tale, but of course, there is
> also a certain countertenor who has been observed in Hannoveran
> Hinckley in a large red cassock. Who goes by a name just one letter
> removed from the one presented here. Needless to say, picturing *that*
> individual as a pretty young woman in revealing apparel broke my brain
> in several places.
>
> Cheers,
> Flexor-who-hates-to-be-alone-in-brain-breakage
>
Ahha!!
May I just say thank you SO MUCH for that wonderful
rendition of Waltzing Matilda you did in the Folk Songs
of the MR (and other bits as well)
It was absolutely perfect - voice and guitar together!
Thank you very much,
Ssirienna
Orjan Westin
> The time: 22 Aug 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Orjan Westin" <nos...@cunobaros.com>
>
>> I'll let someone else give hints on the monks, the first
>> lord d'Avid and the other references.
>
> "William Robert Neone, known and feared as 'Butcher Bill'"
>
> "Butcher Bill" suggests William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting
> from "Gangs of New York".
One point. (Not that that connection is important for that character, but it
ties in with a theme appearing later)
> Robert Neone (NEone) suggests Rob
> Anybody mac Feegle, which, of course, gives us a Scottish
> connection.
Another point.
And of course, a short version of the name describes the character - will
rob anyone.
> The complicated double cross described doesn't fit
> Rob, but might fit Bill (I've not actually seen the film). Am
> I close?
No, that bit was, I'm afraid, original.
Menno Flexor Willemse
Ssirienna wrote:
>
> Ahha!!
>
> May I just say thank you SO MUCH for that wonderful
> rendition of Waltzing Matilda you did in the Folk Songs
> of the MR (and other bits as well)
>
> It was absolutely perfect - voice and guitar together!
> Thank you very much,
>
> Ssirienna
*blush*
Thank you, thank you!
Ssirienna
You're more than welcome.
You had a lovely warm dark voice which suited
the melancholia in the song perfectly!
Credit where due!
One day - I may even have the same amount of courage
to do the same ... stand on a stage and sing ... that is!
Ssirienna
(still practising)
Richard Bos
> In message <44e64a3f...@news.xs4all.nl>, Richard Bos
> <ral...@xs4all.nl> writes
> >"Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Villtin ignored him, preferring to rest his eyes at the woman who had
> >> supplied the music. She took a towel and wiped the sweat from her
> >> forehead, then wiped the big metal pan she had been playing on.
> >
> >Speaking of whom, we haven't seen her here for too long. If she's at the
> >con, say hi.
>
> I doubt we'll be able to do that at any time in the future as she's gone
> off and married Robert Rankin.
>
> Yes, _that_ Robert Rankin!
>
> I heard this from Mr Briggs on Friday night and have since checked
> myself as it sounded so unbelievable.
Allow me to boggle for a moment.
Well, congrats to them, anyway.
Richard
Marco Villalta
> Tale Chronicler wrote:
>
>> "Oh, hello!" A very lightly sober man slapped the points-outwards
>> pin-cushion on the back. "How'ya doin', mate? Feelin' better now?
>> You were looking a bit pale before at the sword-fightin'
>> demonshtrashun! Ya know, when yer frien' took a swing at yer
>> shield! Took ya by shurprise, did it? Hahaha!"
>
> I *think* this may refer to an incident at DWCon 2004 when a sword
> stuck fast in his shield appeared to take Marco by surprise
> somewhat. ICBW.
You're not wrong at all. Karen/Hypatia has a nice picture of it:
<http://hypatia.fotopic.net/p7124552.html>
The drunkard in the Tale doesn't refer to any specific person, by the
way. I just needed an excuse for the second pint of cider to appear
(which also happened for real, but not quite that way). But I did get
a fair few comments along those lines.
... did I *really* look that shocked? After all, I did know that
Orjan was going to cut into the shield. Okay, so we hadn't actually
practised it beforehand. And when I picked up the shield I was a bit
surprised by its weight -- not to mention the combined weight when the
sword was stuck in it. And when the point of a big sword suddenly
appears less than a foot from your face, with some force, it's kinda
natural to focus on it.
But still! I knew it was coming...
--
Marco Villalta -- afpStuff in headers
Marco Villalta
> CCA wrote:
>
>> Well, probably heard but not recognised - mainly due to being more
>> into R&B/soul, or 'silly teeny rap' as I see Torak's calling it.
>> (Yes, that pissed me off, can you tell?)
>
> Well, R&B and soul in their proper incarnations mean James Brown,
> Aretha Franklin and so on. It seems rather pushing it to apply the
> term to people like Jennifer Lopez and whatever other artists adopt
> the moniker nowadays.
define Rythm_N_Blues = "Aretha Franklin, James Brown, et al"
define RnB = "Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z, et al"
--
Marco Villalta
Providing solutions and cannon-fodder to a.f.p since 2001.
Marco Villalta
> "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com> wrote:
>
>> "The Sunfriar monastery. Don't you remember, Lowmar? When we were
>> kids, every spring festival these strange monks in orange robes
>> would come into the city to dance the sundance. I talked to one of
>> them once and he said they lived in a monastery in the hills north-
>> west of the city. And they always came by boat."
>
> This has to be a reference, but I don't know to what.
I think it's just a cigar. Or, as it may be in this case, just a
festival with a sundance.
>> Westala's hand dropped to the handle of his _seax_, a large utility
>> knife
>
> *Raises eyebrows* If you consider gutting people to be utility...
Well, while it's *handy* for chopping people, it would probably more
often be employed to chop wood.
Torak
> Torak <perr...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>CCA wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Well, probably heard but not recognised - mainly due to being more
>>>into R&B/soul, or 'silly teeny rap' as I see Torak's calling it.
>>>(Yes, that pissed me off, can you tell?)
>>
>>Well, R&B and soul in their proper incarnations mean James Brown,
>>Aretha Franklin and so on. It seems rather pushing it to apply the
>>term to people like Jennifer Lopez and whatever other artists adopt
>>the moniker nowadays.
>
>
> define Rythm_N_Blues = "Aretha Franklin, James Brown, et al"
> define RnB = "Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z, et al"
Nah, you'd need an extra variable for era. Pre-1985 and Post-1985. Or
something. Because Franklin, Brown and so on were already abbreviated to
R&B, after all.
Marco Villalta
> Marco Villalta wrote:
>
>> define Rythm_N_Blues = "Aretha Franklin, James Brown, et al"
>> define RnB = "Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z, et al"
>
> Nah, you'd need an extra variable for era. Pre-1985 and Post-1985.
> Or something. Because Franklin, Brown and so on were already
> abbreviated to R&B, after all.
Yes, but the definitions were intended for the mainstream audience.
Franklin, Brown, et al *were* abbreviated to R&B, but they have been
re-elongated to Rythm & Blues again.
Changing the subject, why are you awake at this time of night, anyway?
Torak
Can't sleep - long story.
Lister
Mike Stevens
Shorter stories?
--
Mike Stevens
narrowboat Felis Catus III
web-site www.mike-stevens.co.uk
No man is an island. So is Man.
Torak
Oh?
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: Marco Villalta <marcos.b...@spray.se>
> Richard Bos <ral...@xs4all.nl> wrote:
>> "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com> wrote:
>>
>>> "The Sunfriar monastery. Don't you remember, Lowmar?
>>> When we were kids, every spring festival these strange
>>> monks in orange robes would come into the city to dance
>>> the sundance. I talked to one of them once and he said
>>> they lived in a monastery in the hills north- west of the
>>> city. And they always came by boat."
>>
>> This has to be a reference, but I don't know to what.
>
> I think it's just a cigar. Or, as it may be in this case,
> just a festival with a sundance.
So, no young goats involved? Possibly connected with a macho
partidge?
Lister
wrote:
Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family newsgroup, if you
see what I mean.
Sabremeister Brian
Lister (fa...@SPAMclara.net) spake thusly:
> On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 15:09:01 +0200, Torak <perr...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Lister wrote:
>>> On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 12:27:56 +0200, Torak <perr...@hotmail.com>
>>>> Marco Villalta wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Changing the subject, why are you awake at this time of night,
>>>>> anyway?
>>>>
>>>> Can't sleep - long story.
>>>
>>> I know a good cure for that
What immediately sprang to mind was Spike Milligan's cure for
seasickness.
>> Oh?
>
>
> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family newsgroup, if
> you
> see what I mean.
What makes you think this is a family newsgroup? We have threads about
sex and violence (sometimes in the same place), heated intellectual
debate about diverse and serious topics, with people espousing lots of
different PoVs, and not many bother to censor their language when it
becomes necessary to mention the nitty gritty.
--
www.sabremeister.me.uk
www.livejournal.com/users/sabremeister/
Use brian at sabremeister dot me dot uk to reply
"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."
- Woody Allen
Torak
>>>On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 12:27:56 +0200, Torak <perr...@hotmail.com>
>>>>Marco Villalta wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Changing the subject, why are you awake at this time of night, anyway?
>>>>
>>>>Can't sleep - long story.
>>>
>>>I know a good cure for that
>>
>>Oh?
>
> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family newsgroup, if you
> see what I mean.
AFP, then? :-p
Oh, you mean "read Hansard"?
That said, I'm told there are a number of good cures, most of which
require company.
Lesley Weston
bpwak...@hotmail.com wrote on 04/09/2006 12:36 PM:
> In a speech called 56vof2d0mq4vn2as1...@4ax.com,
> Lister (fa...@SPAMclara.net) spake thusly:
<snip>
>> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family newsgroup, if
>> you
>> see what I mean.
>
> What makes you think this is a family newsgroup? We have threads about
> sex and violence (sometimes in the same place), heated intellectual
> debate about diverse and serious topics, with people espousing lots of
> different PoVs, and not many bother to censor their language when it
> becomes necessary to mention the nitty gritty.
>
He seems to have gone away though, so we can't start this one again, however
much fun we all had last time.
--
Lesley Weston.
Brightly_coloured_blob is real, but I don't often check even the few bits
that get through Yahoo's filters. To reach me, use leswes att shaw dott ca,
changing spelling and spacing as required.
Lister
<brightly_co...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>in article 4m3diaF...@individual.net, Sabremeister Brian at
>bpwak...@hotmail.com wrote on 04/09/2006 12:36 PM:
>
>> In a speech called 56vof2d0mq4vn2as1...@4ax.com,
>> Lister (fa...@SPAMclara.net) spake thusly:
>
><snip>
>
>>> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family newsgroup, if
>>> you
>>> see what I mean.
>>
>> What makes you think this is a family newsgroup? We have threads about
>> sex and violence (sometimes in the same place), heated intellectual
>> debate about diverse and serious topics, with people espousing lots of
>> different PoVs, and not many bother to censor their language when it
>> becomes necessary to mention the nitty gritty.
>>
>He seems to have gone away though, so we can't start this one again, however
>much fun we all had last time.
He? Who's he?
--
Age, catemite - fac mihi hunc diem felicissimum
E.S.
Lister wrote:
Richard Heathfield.
Lister
wrote:
>Lister wrote:
>> On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 15:09:01 +0200, Torak <perr...@hotmail.com>
>>>Lister wrote:
>>>>On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 12:27:56 +0200, Torak <perr...@hotmail.com>
>>>>>Marco Villalta wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Changing the subject, why are you awake at this time of night, anyway?
>>>>>
>>>>>Can't sleep - long story.
>>>>
>>>>I know a good cure for that
>>>
>>>Oh?
>>
>> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family newsgroup, if you
>> see what I mean.
>
>AFP, then? :-p
>
>
>Oh, you mean "read Hansard"?
>
If that means what I think it means, then yes :)
>
>That said, I'm told there are a number of good cures, most of which
>require company.
Indeed...
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: Lister <fa...@SPAMclara.net>
> On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 21:59:30 +0200, Torak
> <perr...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Lister wrote:
>>>>>>Can't sleep - long story.
>>>>>
>>>>>I know a good cure for that
>>>>
>>>>Oh?
>>>
>>> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family
>>> newsgroup, if you see what I mean.
>>
>>AFP, then? :-p
>>
>>Oh, you mean "read Hansard"?
>
> If that means what I think it means, then yes :)
Hansard is the record of Parliamentary debates. In detail.
Guaranteed to put anyone to sleep, but probably not what you
were thinking of...
Lesley Weston
He Who Must Not Be Named Lest He Make a Monster Thread Out of the Above. I'm
not going to give any more clues, but I know you were around when it was
happening.
Lister
<brightly_co...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>in article hr9rf2droa1prv2oo...@4ax.com, Lister at
>fa...@SPAMclara.net wrote on 05/09/2006 9:36 AM:
>
>> On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 20:54:02 GMT, Lesley Weston
>> <brightly_co...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> in article 4m3diaF...@individual.net, Sabremeister Brian at
>>> bpwak...@hotmail.com wrote on 04/09/2006 12:36 PM:
>>>
>>>> In a speech called 56vof2d0mq4vn2as1...@4ax.com,
>>>> Lister (fa...@SPAMclara.net) spake thusly:
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>>>> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family newsgroup, if
>>>>> you
>>>>> see what I mean.
>>>>
>>>> What makes you think this is a family newsgroup? We have threads about
>>>> sex and violence (sometimes in the same place), heated intellectual
>>>> debate about diverse and serious topics, with people espousing lots of
>>>> different PoVs, and not many bother to censor their language when it
>>>> becomes necessary to mention the nitty gritty.
>>>>
>>> He seems to have gone away though, so we can't start this one again, however
>>> much fun we all had last time.
>>
>>
>> He? Who's he?
>>
>>
>He Who Must Not Be Named Lest He Make a Monster Thread Out of the Above. I'm
>not going to give any more clues, but I know you were around when it was
>happening.
Hmm, I think I know who you mean.
Lister
<daibhidc...@aol.com> wrote:
>The time: 05 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
>speaker: Lister <fa...@SPAMclara.net>
>
>> On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 21:59:30 +0200, Torak
>> <perr...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Lister wrote:
>
>>>>>>>Can't sleep - long story.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I know a good cure for that
>>>>>
>>>>>Oh?
>>>>
>>>> Yeah. Unfortunately it's not printable in a family
>>>> newsgroup, if you see what I mean.
>>>
>>>AFP, then? :-p
>>>
>>>Oh, you mean "read Hansard"?
>>
>> If that means what I think it means, then yes :)
>
>Hansard is the record of Parliamentary debates. In detail.
>Guaranteed to put anyone to sleep, but probably not what you
>were thinking of...
I do know what Hansard is :)
Diane L
> in article hr9rf2droa1prv2oo...@4ax.com, Lister at
> fa...@SPAMclara.net wrote on 05/09/2006 9:36 AM:
<Snip mention of afp as 'a family newsgroup'.>
>> He? Who's he?
>>
>>
> He Who Must Not Be Named Lest He Make a Monster Thread Out of the
> Above.
All on his own?
Diane L.
Lesley Weston
With a little help from his friends perhaps, and even from his
not-so-much-friends.
Tale Chronicler
A Tale of Westala and Villtin
by Elin Rosén, Marco Villalta, and Orjan Westin
-----------------------------------------------
Episode One
In which we hear comments on fashion,
see tentative passion,
are given insight into governance,
and are on the outlook of romance.
-----------------------------------------------
The Voyagers' Club was one of the most exclusive establishments in
Anorankhmar, steeped in history and power. For centuries it had
provided a home away from home for those nobles of the surrounding
lands that did not have a house in the city, and rooms had been passed
down from father to son for generations.
Lord Kendy d'Avid peered at the discreet brass plaque announcing the
club's existence and nodded to himself before taking a deep breath and
pulling the handle. The door didn't budge.
The peer blinked and took a step backwards, confused. Could the club
have closed? He tried to remember when he had last visited but found
his memory a bit hazy. Had he been ten or eleven years old? His father
had insisted he'd wear his tartan cap, and he had hidden that on his
eleventh birthday because he decided he was too big to wear a garment
only seen on those with small minds. So, he must have been ten, then.
Or was it the school cap his father had insisted on?
Lost in thought, Kendy didn't notice the tap on his shoulder at first,
but the subsequent poke in the back made him turn around. The
fancifully dressed nobleman he saw standing in front of him lowered his
walking stick and frowned.
"Out of the way, man! Don't you have any respect for your betters?"
Kendy jumped aside, stammering excuses, pulled his hat off and let the
man past. Without a second glance at Kendy, the man put his hand in his
coat pocket, took out some coins and dropped them in Kendy's hat. Then
he pushed the door open and entered the club. Kendy heard a voice greet
"Lord Drikhen" before the door closed.
He blinked again, put his hat on, took his hat off, extracted the
money, smiled when he saw that the coins were zorkmints - a currency
not accepted anywhere since they were made of an amalgam of bauxite and
cellulose - pocketed the coins, put his hat on, took a step forward,
pushed the door and entered the club.
A gray-haired majordomo greeted him gravely and gave him a long
searching look before bowing from the waist.
"Lord d'Avid. Allow me to welcome you back to the Voyagers' Club, sir."
"Thank you." Kendy ransacked his memory. "Ah, yes, Monocul, is it? So
you're still around? I trust your brother is well?"
"Yes, sir, thank you for asking. My brother Subterr is still looking
after the supplies of drinks here."
"Yes, of course," Kendy exclaimed, "I remember my father spoke very
fondly of his beers."
"That was very kind of him, and with your permission I shall tell my
brother you said so." The majordomo hesitated for a brief moment and
continued with a concerned frown. "Ah, I should inform you, sir, that
tonight, formal attire is called for."
Kendy looked down on himself. Red socks, blue knee-length breeches with
orange stripes, green velvet coat over a saffron shirt... His hat, in
purple felt, fell off his head. He narrowly beat Monocul in picking it
up again.
"Yes?"
"A tie is usually called for, sir." Monocul coughed delicately. "As are
shoes."
Kendy looked down again, surprised. "So that's what I forgot to bring!
I knew it was something, and I've been wondering what all the way here.
Be a good chap and try to find a pair for me, will you? And a tie. I'll
be in the library."
"I'm afraid the library has been reserved for tonight's lecture, sir.
Can I recommend the slightly mauve drawing room?"
Kendy frowned. "Lecture? What lecture?"
"It's a rather recent idea," Monocul frowned slightly, "which has been
a regular feature once a week the last twenty years or so." His voice
said clearer than words that as far as he was concerned, this meant it
was only a passing fad. "Tonight's subject is /Principles of
Governance/, chaired by the Clench scholar Marall. It will begin after
dinner."
"Fascinating!" Kendy rubbed his hands. "Sounds like I'll have a real
night out, eh? It's good to be back, Monocul. Put me down for a seat.
And for dinner. And shoes, of course."
"Very well, sir."
* * *
The candle was dripping little beads of wax onto the tablecloth,
staining it. Somewhere behind her a man was playing the violin, badly
but with great enthusiasm. Mega Vole noticed these things because she
was too shy to look at the man in front of her, and he was too shy to
speak to her. She wished she hadn't worn the red dress, it was much too
fine for this restaurant, and it showed too much skin and curves.
What if he didn't like her curves? She wished she were a bit more
confident, confident enough to use her training maybe. To be able to
use that walk that made men melt. But she wasn't a Dancing Rodent, now.
And she wanted him to like her, not her training. But what if he
didn't? She had no experience with men, not really.
What if he wanted to kiss her and she didn't know how to do it right?
She would die for sure then. And he'd never want to see her again.
Which really wouldn't be a problem if she was dead, she supposed. But
then she wouldn't be able to see him even if he wanted to see her
again. What if he wanted to see her again? Surely he'd notice that she
wasn't really what he wanted if they went out a second time? Or even
this time...
He was so worldly, with that dashing scar on his chin. Probably came
from defending some defenceless woman... no, not woman, no other
women... some defenceless child, that was better. Conon! Even the name
was heroic. Mega Vole sighed.
"Um... er..." The young man across the table said, and then fell quiet
again. "Er... That's a very nice dress," he finally ventured.
It was a damn fine dress, he thought. Showed all the right bits in the
right way. If his friends had been able to see him now, eating - well,
sitting anyway - with the most beautiful woman in the room, in the city
even! Though Kev would probably have made a move on her then and she'd
have realised that she was here with the wrong man.
He didn't have any moves. He wasn't worldly. He wasn't in her league.
How he had ever dared ask if she would have dinner with him he'd never
know.
She had been beautiful then too, when he saw her in the market. She was
wearing a blue dress and her hair was tied back too keep it out of her
face. She was buying a fish.
Fish, he sighed to himself, wonderful thing. Why had he never realised
before what a delightful animal fish was? All silvery. And blue! The
best colour in the world!
Mercifully the food arrived and gave them something to do, and
something to talk about. As the evening went on and the food was
accompanied by wine the talking grew easier, and at the end of the
night they were both laughing and looking radiant.
"What happened to you, to give you that scar?" Mega Vole asked,
forgetting her shyness.
"Well... once when I was a kid we were playing knights and bandits, and
I was the bandit. When I was defeated I was tied to a tree, on the farm
where I grew up. And then when they had tied me up the neighbour's dog
came running and scared everyone. In their hurry the others only untied
my arms, so when I tried to run I fell on my face."
Conon smiled crookedly, "I usually say I got it while fighting for my
life and single-handedly fending off a whole gang of bandits..."
Mega Vole laughed, he really was very very cute.
* * *
Kendy settled down in a comfortable armchair and had a look around. The
library looked much like he remembered it from his last visit, although
it seemed much smaller than it had when he was a child. By the table at
the front a pretty young woman in black robes was looking through her
notes, and he surmised this was the Clench person who would hold the
evening's lecture.
Other members of the club came in to take their seats, and Kendy amused
himself by identifying them from old memories and older portraits he'd
seen of their ancestors. That aquiline nose suggested its owner was of
the Remillard-Muldowney family, and that suave expression on another
face must belong to a Gleur, he surmised. There was the man he'd met
coming in, Lord Drikhen, and a cheerful, somewhat chubby face and
vertically limited stature indicated a Sopracasa.
It was with some surprise Kendy realised the latter was Victor, his old
school chum. Of course, the last ten years or so Kendy had kept pretty
much to himself, and before now he hadn't really reflected on the
passing of time, but seeing Victor in a neatly trimmed goatee was still
strange.
Presently the company settled down, servants brought drinks to all who
wanted them, and the majordomo introduced the young woman as Messy
Marall, a noted Clench scholar. A genteel applause followed, and she
began talking.
"Gentlemen, tonight I will to talk about governance, a subject I am
sure you are all intimately familiar with." At this, a number of the
noblemen gave little nods. "I will not presume to lecture you, but
rather discuss with you the constitution of our fair city."
She took a sip from a glass of water. "First of all, how is Anorankhmar
governed?"
Kendy sat up straight, his hand high in the air. "Ooo, me, miss, ooo,
ooo..."
She gave him a surprised look, then nodded.
"Ooo, miss, the city is governed by the mayor, who is appointed by the
senate, which comprises one hundred and forty-nine seats that are held
by the noble families, miss. The mayor can make laws but any nobleman
may challenge them and may take it to the senate for a vote, and
seventy-five votes against will strike it down, miss. If the senate
wishes to make a law the mayor must accept it, but it has to gather at
least one hundred votes in the senate to pass, miss."
She gave him a big smile. "Very well done, Lord...?"
"d'Avid, Kendy d'Avid," he said, both shaken and curiously stirred by
his own audacity.
"... Lord d'Avid. So it is stated in the constitution, which was
written and signed by the heads of those one hundred and forty-nine
families, who led the movement against the monarchy. It also says
specifically that those numbers are absolute, not proportional."
She checked her notes and took a another sip of water. In the silence,
Kendy noted a muted sniggering around him, but he ignored that when she
began talking again.
She elaborated on the principles behind the constitution, argumented on
its paragraphs, and described the organisation of the departments that
managed the daily workings of the city.
Kendy listened with great interest, occasionally frowning at one of the
other lords who seemed more interested in drinks and gossiping than the
lecture. He found it fascinating - as he was wont to find any new
information - and when Ms Marall eventually concluded her lecture, he
stood up and applauded.
When he realised he was the only one doing so, he blushed and quickly
sat down again.
"My lords," Messy said, "I thank you for your attention, and hope you
have heard something of interest tonight. As you know, the last time
the senate convened was nine years ago, to decide whether the stars in
the official livery should be replaced by crescents. Since then--""
Kendy frowned. "Excuse me miss, did you say /nine/ years?"
"Er, yes, why?"
"Why hasn't there been any more sessions since?"
Messy gave him a surprised look. "But, surely you must know?" She
glanced around the room. "I mean, most of you gentlemen are senators,
aren't you?"
There was an affirmative chorus, and Kendy, after racking his memory,
recalled his father had mentioned having a seat in the senate once,
long ago.
"Erm..." Kendy said. "I've never been to a session. My father took care
of that, and since I inherited the title I haven't been called."
"I haven't had a call for a session in years," the Remillard-Muldowney
fellow said sourly. "I can't recall when I last received one."
"Well, there you have it then," Victor Sopracasa shrugged. "That means
that all is well with the city."
Lord Drikhen, who was sitting to Kendy's left, emptied his glass of
brandy and eyed the lecturer. "Looksh pretty enough from where I'm
shitting, I'd shay."
This brought laughter from the other lords, and a slight blush from
Messy.
"I remember that livery vote," another lord said, "and I haven't seen
any point in participating in any more after that. I have more
important things to do with my time. As far as I'm concerned, a mayor
should be able to do his job without running to us asking for advice
all the time." He shrugged. "Seems like we've finally got a capable
fellow, so we should just be grateful for that."
"Hear, hear!" Lord Remillard-Muldowney stood up and raised his glass.
"To the mayor!"
The other lords followed suit, although Lord Drikhen had to be
supported by a servant to avoid falling over. "The mayor!"
Messy looked at them in bewilderment. "My lords," she said when they
had quieted down again, "I think the reason the mayor has not asked for
your advice is that he died five years ago."
There were exclamations of surprise, and Lord Drikhen stood up again,
raised his glass, saw it was empty, had it refilled, and raised it
again. "May he resht in pish! To the mayor!"
The other lords followed suit. "The mayor!"
Kendy waved his hand in the air.
"Ooo miss, then we must elect a new mayor, miss."
"Er... yes. That would be the prudent thing to do, Lord d'Avid, but I'm
afraid there is a slight problem. The mayor must be elected by a grand
majority, that is one hundred votes, and there are currently not that
many members of the senate in the city."
She gave him an apologetic shrug. "I thought you knew," she said in a
small voice.
Kendy looked around, shocked, as this sunk in. The assembled lords
evidenced a range of reactions. Lord Remillard-Muldowney shrugged, Lord
Drihken argued with a servant, insisting on another refill of his glass
and repeating he was "schober, damme", and Victor Sopracasa surveyed
the room with a calculating look.
Messy Marall gathered her notes and left, but Kendy remained seated,
listening to the conversations around him. It seemed that the
prevailing sentiment was that if the city had worked five years without
a mayor, then it could jolly well go on doing just that. As long as
their own vassalls, serfs and servants worked hard, the lords had no
reason to care about the city.
As Lord Remillard-Muldowney summed it up: "The mayor only governs the
commoners, anyway, and what are they to me?"
Long after the other lords had left the library, and Lord Drikhen had
been carried to his room, Kendy sat thinking. He looked up at the
bookshelves lining the room and muttered "Who can be made mayor,
anyway?" to himself, before taking out a large volume on law and
putting it on a reading table.
* * *
It was past dark and Lassie and Tily were walking home along the river,
somewhat unsteadily and giggling quite a lot. It appeared they had been
enjoying themselves at one of the city's many taverns. Occasionally
they stopped for a quick kiss, or a not so quick one.
It must have been purely by chance that their way took them right past
Lady Valanis' house, and that they chose that spot for one of their not
so brief kisses. And that they happened to notice the number and
placement of the guards and what people came or went through the large
door in the surrounding wall.
And certainly it must have been an accident that Tily lost her shawl
right by the river, so that Lassie had to climb down the embankment and
get it just as a small, unlit boat left through a hidden opening in the
house's river wall. Just as it was certainly by chance that neither of
the two could be recognised as one of the seamstresses who would be
paying a visit to the house on the following day.
-----------------------------------------------
Your humble,
Tale Chronicler
--
The Tales of Westala and Villtin, both the first one and the ongoing
second one, can be read on the web, at:
http://tale.cunobaros.com/
CCA
> "Thank you." Kendy ransacked his memory. "Ah, yes, Monocul, is it? So
> you're still around? I trust your brother is well?"
> "Yes, sir, thank you for asking. My brother Subterr is still looking
> after the supplies of drinks here."
> "Yes, of course," Kendy exclaimed, "I remember my father spoke very
> fondly of his beers."
I'm thinking these are probably Phil and Andy Davison. (Mainly due to
the bit with the beers, and also Subterr = subterranean, a reference to
Andy being an underground train driver.)
>Lord Drihken argued with a servant, insisting on another refill of his glass
> and repeating he was "schober, damme"
Hendrik Schober? Drihken being an anagram of Hendrik too.
Haven't worked Victor Sopracasa out yet...
CCA
Eric Jarvis
<1158319435.7...@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>:
>
> Haven't worked Victor Sopracasa out yet...
>
That'll be one Senor/Herr Oberheim.
--
eric
www.ericjarvis.co.uk
"live fast, die only if strictly necessary"
CCA
> CCA sphir...@aol.com wrote
> > Haven't worked Victor Sopracasa out yet...
> That'll be one Senor/Herr Oberheim
Buggerit - I'd got as far as 'Overhouse' but hadn't thought of
translating it any further...
CCA
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com>
Excellent stuff. Don't feel Westala and Villtin *have* to
appear, by the way; if you want to keep focussing on this
Kendy fellow go right ahead 8-)...
Annotations: Skipping the ones CCA and Eric got...
> The Voyagers' Club was one of the most exclusive
> establishments in Anorankhmar, steeped in history and
> power.
Reference to the Travellers' Club, the oldest of the "smoke
filled room" style gentlemen's clubs in London.
> zorkmints - a currency not accepted anywhere since they
> were made of an amalgam of bauxite and cellulose
I've just looked up bauxite, remembering it was some sort of
metal ore, but it's aluminium, so this isn't a play on "wooden
nickel"...
> Kendy looked down on himself. Red socks, blue knee-length
> breeches with orange stripes, green velvet coat over a
> saffron shirt... His hat, in purple felt, fell off his
> head.
The scary thing is that I could, in fact, assemble an outfit
not entirely unlike that from my wardrobe, and would probably
wear it.
It wasn't what I was wearing at the '04 con, was it?
> Conon! Even the name was heroic.
Heroic, as in Conan.
Beyond this I have no idea. Well, I have lots of ideas, they
just don't seem to go anywhere...
> Kendy sat up straight, his hand high in the air. "Ooo, me,
> miss, ooo, ooo..."
Reference to Victor in "Thief of Time".
> both shaken and curiously
> stirred by his own audacity.
Play on "Shaken, not stirred"
Also very much how Kendy's RW counterpart feels when he jumps
into a Usenet discussion with both feet, as it happens...
Graycat
Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> The time: 15 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com>
> > Conon! Even the name was heroic.
>
> Heroic, as in Conan.
>
> Beyond this I have no idea. Well, I have lots of ideas, they
> just don't seem to go anywhere...
Oh dear...as I recall the writer got a little carried away on this
one...there are many far fetched layers[1], so go wild with that
imagination :o)
How to hint...the past and Mega Vole's RW counterpart would be two good
starting points, though not neccesarily at the same time.
[1] Some of wich are even impossible for pretty much all except the
writer(s)...
--
Elin
Daibhid Ceanaideach
>
> Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
>> The time: 15 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
>> speaker: "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com>
>
>> > Conon! Even the name was heroic.
>>
>> Heroic, as in Conan.
>>
>> Beyond this I have no idea. Well, I have lots of ideas,
>> they just don't seem to go anywhere...
>
> Oh dear...as I recall the writer got a little carried away
> on this one...there are many far fetched layers[1], so go
> wild with that imagination :o)
>
> How to hint...the past and Mega Vole's RW counterpart would
> be two good starting points, though not neccesarily at the
> same time.
The past gives me an Athenian general, a Pope, and a French
troubadour and Crusader. I haven't got very far with them.
My usual first stop for relationship refs, Afphrid, appears to
be down. I hate Googling people for information like this,
since it feels like online stalking[1], but I've discovered
Supermouse has a livejournal and friended her[2], so that's
another good thing to come out of it.
So, anyway, Supermouse's SO is named Pol, which I can't
connect with Conon either.
Speculating wildly, as advised, it occurs to me that if
"Conon" is not quite "Conan" then, likewise, it's not quite
"Cohen", meaning his friend "Kev", who seems to be more what
he sees as the heroic, lady's man type, might be much more of
a Cohen; ie *that* Kev.
It's a quarter to midnight, and I have the strong suspision
that this post reads like that's when it was written. I'll get
back to this in the morning.
[1]Yes, I know it's freely available info and if I paid
attention and was able to remember real stuff I wouldn't
*need* to look it up, I'd *know*, but still...
[2]Oh, yeah. I've had a livejournal since February and keep
forgetting to mention it on the group. I'm averaging an entry
every two months, so it's not like your missing anything,
though.
Arthur Hagen
> The time: 15 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com>
>
>> were made of an amalgam of bauxite and cellulose
>
> I've just looked up bauxite, remembering it was some sort of
> metal ore, but it's aluminium, so this isn't a play on "wooden
> nickel"...
Zorkmids was the currency used in the Zork series, as well as the related
Spellbreaker, Wishbringer and Enchanter.
Regards,
--
*Art
Sabremeister Brian
1158332187....@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com,
CCA (sphir...@aol.com) spake thusly:
I got it from the stature and the goatee.
--
www.sabremeister.me.uk
www.livejournal.com/users/sabremeister/
Use brian at sabremeister dot me dot uk to reply
"I want a lot of medical jargon, I'll talk to a doctor!"
"You are talking to a doctor."
- Mal and Simon, /Firefly/
raymond larsson
says...
> Tale Chronicler wrote:
>
> > "Thank you." Kendy ransacked his memory. "Ah, yes, Monocul, is it? So
> > you're still around? I trust your brother is well?"
> > "Yes, sir, thank you for asking. My brother Subterr is still looking
> > after the supplies of drinks here."
> > "Yes, of course," Kendy exclaimed, "I remember my father spoke very
> > fondly of his beers."
>
> I'm thinking these are probably Phil and Andy Davison. (Mainly due to
> the bit with the beers, and also Subterr = subterranean, a reference to
> Andy being an underground train driver.)
A monocle for a Cyclops?
E.S.
Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> The time: 15 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com>
>
> > Conon! Even the name was heroic.
>
> Heroic, as in Conan.
>
> Beyond this I have no idea. Well, I have lots of ideas, they
> just don't seem to go anywhere...
There's a voice in the back of my head that keeps chanting "O'Brian"
when it hears the name Conan...
Probably not related.
Orjan Westin
Yup.
> A monocle for a Cyclops?
Exactly. Mono + ocular kind of thing.
Orjan
--
The Tale of Westala and Villtin
http://tale.cunobaros.com/
Fiction, Thoughts and Software
http://www.cunobaros.com/
Orjan Westin
> The time: 15 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com>
>
> Excellent stuff. Don't feel Westala and Villtin *have* to
> appear, by the way; if you want to keep focussing on this
> Kendy fellow go right ahead 8-)...
>
> Annotations: Skipping the ones CCA and Eric got...
>
>> The Voyagers' Club was one of the most exclusive
>> establishments in Anorankhmar, steeped in history and
>> power.
>
> Reference to the Travellers' Club, the oldest of the "smoke
> filled room" style gentlemen's clubs in London.
Yup.
>> zorkmints - a currency not accepted anywhere since they
>> were made of an amalgam of bauxite and cellulose
>
> I've just looked up bauxite, remembering it was some sort of
> metal ore, but it's aluminium, so this isn't a play on "wooden
> nickel"...
Arthur got this one. Paper and aluminium are common packaging materials.
>> Kendy looked down on himself. Red socks, blue knee-length
>> breeches with orange stripes, green velvet coat over a
>> saffron shirt... His hat, in purple felt, fell off his
>> head.
>
> The scary thing is that I could, in fact, assemble an outfit
> not entirely unlike that from my wardrobe, and would probably
> wear it.
>
> It wasn't what I was wearing at the '04 con, was it?
Not as far as I'm aware. Just put it down to the writer being a keen
observer of humans and extrapolating from that.
>> Kendy sat up straight, his hand high in the air. "Ooo, me,
>> miss, ooo, ooo..."
>
> Reference to Victor in "Thief of Time".
Yup. And also Terry Pratchett, who's used that line here.
>> both shaken and curiously
>> stirred by his own audacity.
>
> Play on "Shaken, not stirred"
Yup.
> Also very much how Kendy's RW counterpart feels when he jumps
> into a Usenet discussion with both feet, as it happens...
See "observer" above.
Orjan Westin
> CCA sphir...@aol.com wrote in
> <1158319435.7...@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>:
>>
>> Haven't worked Victor Sopracasa out yet...
>>
>
> That'll be one Senor/Herr Oberheim.
Very good. Also see meaning of Vincent and Victor.
Graeme Wall
"Orjan Westin" <nos...@cunobaros.com> wrote:
[snip]
> >
> > Play on "Shaken, not stirred"
Which everbody gets wrong, it should be 'stirred, not shaken'. The original
line was a reference to mixing cocktails, mixing the ingredients by shaking
is thought to 'bruise the alcohol', hence James Bond's preference, as a
connoisseur[1], for cocktails to be stirred. Also it pissed off merkin
barmen.
[1] aka poser
--
Graeme Wall
My genealogy website:
<http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/genealogy/index.html>
Torak
> "Orjan Westin" <nos...@cunobaros.com> wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
>>>Play on "Shaken, not stirred"
>
> Which everbody gets wrong, it should be 'stirred, not shaken'. The original
> line was a reference to mixing cocktails, mixing the ingredients by shaking
> is thought to 'bruise the alcohol', hence James Bond's preference, as a
> connoisseur[1], for cocktails to be stirred. Also it pissed off merkin
> barmen.
>
> [1] aka poser
I've also heard it described as shaking breaking the ice cubes so they
melt faster, thus diluting it... so he's actually ordering a weak
martini and being snotty about it.
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: Graeme Wall <Gra...@greywall.demon.co.uk>
> In message <4n1t6pF...@individual.net>
> "Orjan Westin" <nos...@cunobaros.com> wrote:
>
> [snip]
>> >
>> > Play on "Shaken, not stirred"
>
> Which everbody gets wrong, it should be 'stirred, not
> shaken'.
This is because the image of James Bond that exists in the
public imagination is the one from the films, where the line
got swapped round for reasons unknown.
Richard Bos
> The time: 15 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Tale Chronicler" <chron...@tale.cunobaros.com>
> Annotations: Skipping the ones CCA and Eric got...
>
> > zorkmints - a currency not accepted anywhere since they
> > were made of an amalgam of bauxite and cellulose
>
> I've just looked up bauxite, remembering it was some sort of
> metal ore, but it's aluminium, so this isn't a play on "wooden
> nickel"...
Even so, paper and aluminium film aren't exactly high-quality materials
to make coins from.
Not that you can make an amalgam of cellulose with anything, really...
> > Conon! Even the name was heroic.
>
> Heroic, as in Conan.
>
> Beyond this I have no idea. Well, I have lots of ideas, they
> just don't seem to go anywhere...
Since Graycat has invited us to go Baconian on this one, I'll kick
off...
_Obviously_ Conon is Co-non, that is, non-Conan, the opposite of a hero.
Richard
Sabremeister Brian
Richard Bos (ral...@xs4all.nl) spake thusly:
Or it could be The Highlander. What was his name, Connor McCloud?
McLeod? Something like that.
--
www.sabremeister.me.uk
www.livejournal.com/users/sabremeister/
Use brian at sabremeister dot me dot uk to reply
Literary threat #19:
They say the pen is mightier than the sword -
and I'm pretty handy with both, you know...
Graycat
Well, you're getting closer.
> Speculating wildly, as advised, it occurs to me that if
> "Conon" is not quite "Conan" then, likewise, it's not quite
> "Cohen", meaning his friend "Kev", who seems to be more what
> he sees as the heroic, lady's man type, might be much more of
> a Cohen; ie *that* Kev.
Then again, maybe not :o)
Elin
Graycat
Graycat skrev:
> Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> > Speculating wildly, as advised, it occurs to me that if
> > "Conon" is not quite "Conan" then, likewise, it's not quite
> > "Cohen", meaning his friend "Kev", who seems to be more what
> > he sees as the heroic, lady's man type, might be much more of
> > a Cohen; ie *that* Kev.
>
> Then again, maybe not :o)
Kev's aclue to a connection with a book by some guy though...
Elin
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: "Graycat" <rosen...@gmail.com>
>
One of Nanny Ogg's sons is called Kev. That relevent?
--
Dave
Official Absentee of EU Skiffeysoc
BriD
Not the Kevin who is alleged to be Pterrys average reader then?
BriD
Alec Cawley
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
Perhaps the Kevin who is the Roundworld lookalike of Cohen, who was at the
Con.
Orjan Westin
> The time: 17 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: "Graycat" <rosen...@gmail.com>
>
>>
>> Graycat skrev:
>>
>>> Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
>>
>>>> Speculating wildly, as advised, it occurs to me that if
>>>> "Conon" is not quite "Conan" then, likewise, it's not
>>>> quite "Cohen", meaning his friend "Kev", who seems to be
>>>> more what he sees as the heroic, lady's man type, might
>>>> be much more of a Cohen; ie *that* Kev.
>>>
>>> Then again, maybe not :o)
>>
>> Kev's aclue to a connection with a book by some guy
>> though...
>
> One of Nanny Ogg's sons is called Kev. That relevent?
No. It's another Guy...
Daibhid Ceanaideach
speaker: Alec Cawley <al...@spamspam.co.uk>
> "BriD" <beth...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in
> news:1158512597.055306.300660
> @i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>> Not the Kevin who is alleged to be Pterrys average reader
>> then?
>
> Perhaps the Kevin who is the Roundworld lookalike of Cohen,
> who was at the Con.
That's what I said in the first place, and was told I was on
the wrong track.
--
Dave
Official Absentee of EU Skiffeysoc
Daibhid Ceanaideach
> Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
>> The time: 17 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
>> speaker: "Graycat" <rosen...@gmail.com>
>>> Kev's aclue to a connection with a book by some guy
>>> though...
>>
>> One of Nanny Ogg's sons is called Kev. That relevent?
>
> No. It's another Guy...
Aha. "A book by some guy" is afpspeak for "A Discworld novel we
should all have memorised" in my experience. I have now deduced
that you're talking about a Guy I haven't actually read but whom
Wikipedia tells me is the creator of a character called Kevin
Lainne/Liadon.
Kevin has a friend called Paul Schafer/Pwyll Twiceborn, which
connects Kev's friend with the name of Supermouse's SO (Paul S.
"Pol" Brown[1]).
Sticking "Pol" into Wikipedia, incidentally, gets me another
character from a fantasy epic I haven't read. I have yet to
deduce the significance, if any, of this.
[1]Reading my previous posts, you may get the impression that,
even after my Google search, I still hadn't twigged who he
actually *was*. But that would be a level of cluelessness
unmatched in the annals of the group.
Elin
>The time: 17 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
>speaker: "Orjan Westin" <nos...@cunobaros.com>
>
>> Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
>>> The time: 17 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
>>> speaker: "Graycat" <rosen...@gmail.com>
>
>>>> Kev's aclue to a connection with a book by some guy
>>>> though...
>>>
>>> One of Nanny Ogg's sons is called Kev. That relevent?
>>
>> No. It's another Guy...
>
>Aha. "A book by some guy" is afpspeak for "A Discworld novel we
>should all have memorised" in my experience. I have now deduced
>that you're talking about a Guy I haven't actually read but whom
>Wikipedia tells me is the creator of a character called Kevin
>Lainne/Liadon.
>
>Kevin has a friend called Paul Schafer/Pwyll Twiceborn, which
>connects Kev's friend with the name of Supermouse's SO (Paul S.
>"Pol" Brown[1]).
Well done! Just a couple of things left now, like how the names
connect and the story Conon tells...
BriD
Daibhid Ceanaideach wrote:
> The time: 17 Sep 2006. The place: alt.fan.pratchett. The
> speaker: Alec Cawley <al...@spamspam.co.uk>
>
> > "BriD" <beth...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in
> > news:1158512597.055306.300660
> > @i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>
> >> Not the Kevin who is alleged to be Pterrys average reader
> >> then?
> >
> > Perhaps the Kevin who is the Roundworld lookalike of Cohen,
> > who was at the Con.
>
> That's what I said in the first place, and was told I was on
> the wrong track.
>
> --
> Dave
Bugger (And sorry) I did check the thread because I thought someone
(Probably you!) would have thought of that connection.
BriD
Daibhid Ceanaideach
> Well done! Just a couple of things left now, like how the
> names connect and the story Conon tells...
Okay, here's a theory:
Near where I live is the River Conon, which flows into the
Cromarty Firth, an inlet of the Moray Firth. Murray Keane
(Murray/Moray) played Hermes in "Hercules, the Legendary
Journeys". In Disney's "Hercules", Hermes was voiced by Paul
Shaffer, whose name is very similar to Paul Schafer/Pwyll
Twiceborn.
Also, the water in the River Conon is brown.
Conon = Paul Brown. Simple as that.
Yes, okay, I haven't a clue. I've looked at historic people
called Conon, and mythical people called Pwyll, and fictional
people called Pol, and I got *nothin'*.