The Glass Crown

[David M. Crampton]

In the time that I'd set the sequel down, I came to feel like I'd lost
track of where my characters were headed, and why. I spent a long
time trying to figure out what their motivations were, what their
goals were, and basically, WTF. So, in the end, I did what always
ends up working best. I asked them. And here, for your reading
pleasure, is the conversation. :)

Dave - Caroline, how has Herod's quest become your quest?

Caroline - I'd have to say it's Chuck. There's a tension between us
that you seemed to write in from the very start. Sure, Herod set me,
his Priestess, on the vaguest quest ever launched, but itw as my rite
to pass from child to adult. It was my choice to aid the boat, and,
now that I'm away from home, every choice will be fully mine. That's
as scary as it is freeing.

Dave - Madness, why don't you want Caroline to succeed?

Madness - That's quite an assumption there, young man. You've taken
my opposition, possibly fatal though it may be, as a sign that her
failure is on my Christmas list. It's equally as likely that I am
challenging her, pushing her, so that she will step past her limits,
discover the unknown, and revel in it.

Dave - You totally want her to fail.

Madness - Grandly, yes.

Dave - Why?

Madness - Herod may have reached a level that he can be called a god
with some truth, but he truly is your Mr. MopeyPants. He and I both
know, with certainty, what will come. He fights it, he blocks it off,
he whines about it, but none of that will change the future, even an
iota. Consider this: You are a schoolboy, and have the crush of a
lifetime on an unsuspecting schoolgirl. She does not deign to
acknowledge your existence, and yet you cannot let her go. What do
you do? You write a note expressing either your undying affection, or
one asking her to check the "like" or "not like" box.

Dave - Then why not kill Caroline outright?

Caroline - Hey!

Madness - Her adventure is delicious.

Dave - Fierce, why will you try to kill Caroline?

Caroline - What?

Fierce - Because I love her.

Dave - Um, could you, maybe, elaborate?

Fierce - She is breaking free of Herod's influence of self-loathing
and cyclical emotional whininess, but it's taking too long. At this
rate, she won't be ready for what's coming. She woke me on the boat,
and I've been waiting for the right moment since.

Dave - So, you're not working with Madness?

Fierce - HA!

Dave - Herod, why are you so *(@&#@ quiet?

Herod - [silence]

We hope you've enjoyed the puppet theater inside my head. Now we
return you to your regularly scheduled internetting.

-Dave

[Jody Bartilson]

LOL  :-)

[thndrlion]

and loki has nothing to say?... interesting

[David M. Crampton]

Loki doesn't have much in the way of motivations, other than being there
when needed. Like all the others, he's definitely support cast, but
he's far less involved in the meddling.

-Dave

--
David M. Crampton
--
http://www.davidmcrampton.com/

[David M. Crampton]

A passage from the words that I got down on paper today, inspired by
Jim Hines...

Caroline was her dream self. She was the center of her universe here,
but was helpless in the waking world. Instead of an affirming
connection to her sleeping body, she felt a frayed cord that faded
into nowhere. Something was wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen
for two more chapters!

-Dave