rthstewart | This and that

So, while procrastinating on Queen Susan (not strictly procrastinating, as I now have a rough outline, more musings on that below), I started Palace Guard. FF.net was really screwing with me. It was adding random "f's" to words and I couldn't figure out whether the Cheetah was Delia or Dalia. I'd settled on E, switched to A, then had to go back again and delete the random F's.
So, the canines have issues with the felines. And now it's brought me to the point where I really wonder if I am going to have Lambert and Briony discuss natural family planning, wolf style. Because, you know, now probably is not the best time for the newly bonded pair to have a litter. It's soooo weird. But, if the female goes into heat only once a year, as wolves do, it would be so much easier. I'd wager that will be a first. Boldly going where no one even bothers.

Listened to all of Elecktrum's interview last night with NFFR which was beyond cool. I'm a bit alarmed to realize that I have been thinking of Susan in ways that are similar to hers and that we have read those pages of Last Battle in the same way. I've not figured out how I feel about that one.

As for Susan's story, I'm pushing through in my thinking on it. It's going to be a completely AU version of Tashbaan because it's not Tashbaan, it's Washington DC. I was thinking that for her to be effective at what she is doing, she should invent a husband for herself, and decided that even as a true part of her "silly game" I simply can't have the husband, who is off fighting the Ettins, even have the name of one of her brothers.
A Narnian style recording device, like a camera, has completely stumped me. I almost posted a call for help on that one. I still don't know what I'll do there, though I'm leaning toward using a crow with a really really good memory. Some sort of "magic" might work, but I don't think I want to do that either. I was thinking of something where you could lay it on top of a document, like play dough or silly putty or tape, and it automatically lifts up the image, thereby depriving the original of some of its ink.

Geography is sort of messing me up too, as I'm trying to figure out if there is a comparable "war in africa" front for Narnia. I'm thinking Galma, which would be set up as the way by which the Ettins are supplying their Northern forces. So that would make France, what? The Marsh or Owlwood north of Cair Paravel? I think that works.

Musings over.

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I didn't even notice the Delia/Dalia slip-up as I read it, though I saw a different reviewer mentioned it. Usually if I'm into the story, I don't notice those little things about that. Dalia sounds more unusual than Delia, and I'm glad you went with that spelling then.

Had to look up what NFFR is since an interview with elecktrum sounds very interesting. I'm glad you mentioned it, since she's one of the best writers in this fandom. As for what she says about Susan -- that was a very interesting theory, and too be honest, I had always hoped she would make it to Aslan's country but never really thought about how she had other things to do before she could reunite with the rest of her family. Like what you have done with Susan in your stories, it makes her seem more realistic and that she didn't really deny Narnia as was suggested in "The Last Battle." The only problem I find with it was that Peter stated to Tirian specifically that Susan was no longer a Friend of Narnia.

Now, onto your Narnia universe. I am drawing a blank as to a recording device that would exist in that universe or even anything from the Middle Ages. The closest thing would be what you already mentioned, a Good Beast with a very excellent memory. It's a shame there were no cameras back then (I did a little research about camera obscura but I don't think that's a viable solution either). And could Terebinthia be France, or would that be too far away?

Thanks for looking up camera obscura! That's a good point about Peter. He does say that, doesn't he? I did read that part, and need to re-read it again, but as I recall, Edmund does not say anything, does he? He definitely doesn't say anything when Jill, Eustace and Polly are going on about her nylons and lipsticks.
I was wondering about Terebinthia as well, but think I want something that is more "attached" to Ettinsmoor. This is the problem -- trying to tell a WW2 espionage story in Narnia-speak. I'm obviously mad. Mad.

A Narnian style recording device, like a camera, has completely stumped me. I almost posted a call for help on that one. I still don't know what I'll do there, though I'm leaning toward using a crow with a really really good memory. Some sort of "magic" might work, but I don't think I want to do that either. I was thinking of something where you could lay it on top of a document, like play dough or silly putty or tape, and it automatically lifts up the image, thereby depriving the original of some of its ink.

A few thoughts....

Carbon-paper was in use in the 1940s, wasn't it? Depending on how much your Pevensies remember of Spare Oom they may reinvent that particular wheel.

There's loads of old-school 'invisible ink' things, lemon juice and whatnot, which I suspect kids from that era would have played with.

There's also the option of having them make code, which I am really not going to start researching because then before I know it I'll have reread Stephenson's Cryptonomicon and I'll have lost a month of real time. They could do codes, they could do mnemonics, those weird indexes where you lay a sheet of paper full of cutouts over a page of text, etc etc. La la la running the hell away from this train of thought before it eats me.

Also -- giggling at the idea of a Crow mentat. "It is by Shinies alone I put my mind in motion."

In this case, what I"m looking for is a way for Susan to quickly copy "parchment" that she's sneaking peeks at-- which in wartime DC means she has a camera, but as I'm doing this Narnia-style means... what? Now reaslitically, if every secret document is on parchment by hand, it's not as if we're dealing with NAFTA length treaties here. They are short, so she could probably skim them and get the gist. She's sneaking into offices and opening briefcases while Peridan does his best Roald Dahl imitation -- I've been constructing a Claire Booth Luce inspired Tarkheena. Gawd this is going to be weird. It's not Peridan! He wouldn't do that! yeah, well, and Peridan isn't an RAF pilot based on Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming either. Locks aren't the problem. A dwarf is going to give her a refresher course -- locking picking tumbler and chamber research here I come. I'm figuring a crow is my best bet as an imitation camera, especially since I'm associating Susan with crows. I'd actually wondered where Fitchley Susan and Edmund would have gotten a lock picking kit, but I've solved that problem as she gets in Tashbaan from Sallowpad. This is the thing... some of it (OK a lot of it), the reader is just going to have to "go" with. I mean if we're dealing with talking crows, and I've already established that they are clever, and with extraordary eyesight, and can problem solve, I'm just going a bit uhhhh, ok, so a whole heck of a further to a Crow with photographic memory.

Yeah, Mentat Crow. There ya go. Cross over! I am mad. Really. Obviously. mad. Bangs head against wall, goes and research Wolf reproduction instead.

but as I recall, Edmund does not say anything, does he?

He didn't say a thing, and neither did Lucy. After Jill, Polly and Eustace's rant about poor Susan, Peter decided to change the subject. I suppose it could always work in yours favor then. After all, it IS Susan's story and not Peter's and Aslan won't tell anyone else's story to others. I would like to think Edmund would know more about what Susan is doing than Peter would... at least in your universe. :-)

Hmm. Attached to Ettinsmoor... If you are going by Pauline Baynes' map, then it would be the Northern Marshes or the area just east of Lantern Waste (Beaversdam, the Witch's and Miraz' castles). Otherwise, north of Ettinsmoor, you could have the Giants of Harfang giving the Ettins a helping hand.

This and that

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Mentat Crows

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