Apparently the other night there were twisters traveling through the region. Last night there was a small deluge in one area of Kitchener while the part of Kitchener I'm in got very little rain. I was driving through it, that's how I know. At one point I saw water spouting up from the storm sewer. I don't think that's a good sign.
I don't know how my time will be for the next while. I have to move in a couple of Saturdays. So, much of my "free" time will be packing. Story must, alas, be pushed to the side. After I move, I suspect I won't have much time or inclination for writing either, since my fiancée will be done teaching for the summer and will be wanting to spend all her time with me, not to mention that I'll be wanting to spend as much time with her as possible.
Saturday I'm moving. During the move (probably from Friday night some time until Saturday afternoon or maybe Sunday afternoon) this website will be offline. No worries, it's just scheduled maintenance. Everything should be fine, but, of course, there's always the unexpected.
Anyway, things have been busy. It's only 8pm right now and I feel like I'm going to go to sleep.
But first, some story!
The Duke turned to Marchan.
'Now, you,' he said slowly. 'You got me into a bit of trouble. The Doctor here had me bed-ridden for a month! And the Roubbes themselves seem to have had trouble healing me. I still feel quite sick.'
Marchan was surprised. He did not expect such a greeting. He froze, uncertain what to do.
'Now,' continued the Duke. 'Tell me what trouble you've gotten into here in the city?'
'No trouble, M'Lord Duke,' said Dana. 'He's been busy creating ...'
The Duke interrupted her. 'I did not ask you, M'Lady Duchess of Lossington. I asked the young lad here.'
Marchan picked up where Dana had left off. 'I've been creating handicrafts. The jewellers of this city are amazed at the simplest bit of work. Take this for instance.' With that Marchan pulled out one of the pieces he had been working on earlier in the day.
Everyone in the room crowed around to see it. The workmanship was exquisite. It was a King, each line on his face quite distinct. Royal robes hung naturally down from his shoulders. His crown was full of tiny diamonds and emeralds, appropriate for his size. His sceptre was topped with a ruby and the individual fingers of his left hand could just be made out holding it and a wedding band upon the third finger. In his right hand he held an orb topped with a stylized tower, an imperial ring upon the second finger. A regal sword hanging from his belt completed the ensemble.
'You must have been working on this a long time,' exclaimed the Duke.
'About an hour this morning,' said Marchan. 'A few of the diamonds I traded for the last set of pieces made very good carving instruments, thought I'm afraid I damaged them while using them.
'I've also received a lead to where there may be more dwarves. "Far to the east of here, at the north end of a peninsula, in the rock of a volcano, East across the Bay of Chitay."' This he chanted like a refrain, having memorised it.
'I've also made a few friends. Trevor and Richard, whom my mother met, and a boy named Peter out it in the Merchant's City. I've also been shopping for clothing to wear on the journey to the East.'
'You have been qutie busy,' said the Duke. 'I'm glad you have been behaving yourself and no one's been bothering that you're a dwarf.'
'Actually, here they seem to like dwarves,' said Marchan. 'My tailor and my shoemaker both seemed to want to give me fancy clothing. I had to almost trick them into letting me purchase travel clothes at full price.'
'Yes, people in the city seem to be more generous to stranger types,' said the Duke. He turned to Thomas. 'I think I need to rest now. I may have just been exhausted and my body needs rest. Come you can take my pulse and whatever else you need, then I'm going to nap until after dinner.'
The two of them left and David and Samuel came up to Marchan. 'How could you make such detailed work?' Samuel asked.
It's quite easy,' replied Marchan. 'I just imagine what I want to make and carve everything else away. I start with a rough idea, but think ahead for things sticking out like the sceptre, the orb and the sword.'
'Do you have others?' David wanted to know.
'Yes,' said Marchan. 'A whole set of the them. I've already sold two sets, though I don't think I'm going to be properly paid for one of them. That Duke we met at the Hall of Records, Mother, his son promised me his father would pay the rest of the price he offered.'
'Don't worry, my son, I will receive all he has, and then will pay you,' said Dana so fiercely that Marchan was taken a bit aback.
'Mother, what is it?' he asked.
'He usurped my place, but I will regain my place as Duchess of Lossington.'
'That is the business of the Hall of Records,' said Richard. "I would be happy to help you personally, M'Lady Dana.'
I think that's a good place to leave things. I've decided that Marchan's timeline is the correct one and that the Duke and Dana were at the Baron's castle for about six weeks as the Duke recovered. It was a very serious wound.
Tornado
by alan on Sat 3rd Jun 2006 8:17PM
Apparently the other night there were twisters traveling through the region. Last night there was a small deluge in one area of Kitchener while the part of Kitchener I'm in got very little rain. I was driving through it, that's how I know. At one point I saw water spouting up from the storm sewer. I don't think that's a good sign.
Busy busy busy
by alan on Mon 12th Jun 2006 11:10PM
I don't know how my time will be for the next while. I have to move in a couple of Saturdays. So, much of my "free" time will be packing. Story must, alas, be pushed to the side. After I move, I suspect I won't have much time or inclination for writing either, since my fiancée will be done teaching for the summer and will be wanting to spend all her time with me, not to mention that I'll be wanting to spend as much time with her as possible.
I gotta go now and pick up my tuxedo... :)
Moving
by alan on Fri 23rd Jun 2006 2:45AM
Saturday I'm moving. During the move (probably from Friday night some time until Saturday afternoon or maybe Sunday afternoon) this website will be offline. No worries, it's just scheduled maintenance. Everything should be fine, but, of course, there's always the unexpected.
Anyway, things have been busy. It's only 8pm right now and I feel like I'm going to go to sleep.
But first, some story!
The Duke turned to Marchan.
'Now, you,' he said slowly. 'You got me into a bit of trouble. The Doctor here had me bed-ridden for a month! And the Roubbes themselves seem to have had trouble healing me. I still feel quite sick.'
Marchan was surprised. He did not expect such a greeting. He froze, uncertain what to do.
'Now,' continued the Duke. 'Tell me what trouble you've gotten into here in the city?'
'No trouble, M'Lord Duke,' said Dana. 'He's been busy creating ...'
The Duke interrupted her. 'I did not ask you, M'Lady Duchess of Lossington. I asked the young lad here.'
Marchan picked up where Dana had left off. 'I've been creating handicrafts. The jewellers of this city are amazed at the simplest bit of work. Take this for instance.' With that Marchan pulled out one of the pieces he had been working on earlier in the day.
Everyone in the room crowed around to see it. The workmanship was exquisite. It was a King, each line on his face quite distinct. Royal robes hung naturally down from his shoulders. His crown was full of tiny diamonds and emeralds, appropriate for his size. His sceptre was topped with a ruby and the individual fingers of his left hand could just be made out holding it and a wedding band upon the third finger. In his right hand he held an orb topped with a stylized tower, an imperial ring upon the second finger. A regal sword hanging from his belt completed the ensemble.
'You must have been working on this a long time,' exclaimed the Duke.
'About an hour this morning,' said Marchan. 'A few of the diamonds I traded for the last set of pieces made very good carving instruments, thought I'm afraid I damaged them while using them.
'I've also received a lead to where there may be more dwarves. "Far to the east of here, at the north end of a peninsula, in the rock of a volcano, East across the Bay of Chitay."' This he chanted like a refrain, having memorised it.
'I've also made a few friends. Trevor and Richard, whom my mother met, and a boy named Peter out it in the Merchant's City. I've also been shopping for clothing to wear on the journey to the East.'
'You have been qutie busy,' said the Duke. 'I'm glad you have been behaving yourself and no one's been bothering that you're a dwarf.'
'Actually, here they seem to like dwarves,' said Marchan. 'My tailor and my shoemaker both seemed to want to give me fancy clothing. I had to almost trick them into letting me purchase travel clothes at full price.'
'Yes, people in the city seem to be more generous to stranger types,' said the Duke. He turned to Thomas. 'I think I need to rest now. I may have just been exhausted and my body needs rest. Come you can take my pulse and whatever else you need, then I'm going to nap until after dinner.'
The two of them left and David and Samuel came up to Marchan. 'How could you make such detailed work?' Samuel asked.
It's quite easy,' replied Marchan. 'I just imagine what I want to make and carve everything else away. I start with a rough idea, but think ahead for things sticking out like the sceptre, the orb and the sword.'
'Do you have others?' David wanted to know.
'Yes,' said Marchan. 'A whole set of the them. I've already sold two sets, though I don't think I'm going to be properly paid for one of them. That Duke we met at the Hall of Records, Mother, his son promised me his father would pay the rest of the price he offered.'
'Don't worry, my son, I will receive all he has, and then will pay you,' said Dana so fiercely that Marchan was taken a bit aback.
'Mother, what is it?' he asked.
'He usurped my place, but I will regain my place as Duchess of Lossington.'
'That is the business of the Hall of Records,' said Richard. "I would be happy to help you personally, M'Lady Dana.'
I think that's a good place to leave things. I've decided that Marchan's timeline is the correct one and that the Duke and Dana were at the Baron's castle for about six weeks as the Duke recovered. It was a very serious wound.
And now, I'm going to bed.