A few very good questions

[rthstewart]

Some very good questions

 

  

 

Did Lucy hear their Dead from behind the Wall of water and lilies?

 I didn’t think much about this until two reviewers asked.  The answer came to me as I was thinking of Jalur, Edmund’s Tiger Guard, waiting for him, knowing his King was near, and yet not coming across.  Briony, Lucy’s She-Wolf Guard, would be surprised when Jalur speaks of this because Briony feels she has a connection with Lucy, even across a long age and a world’s distance.    So, Lucy, living as she does with one foot in the world of spirit and light, has a connection already that the others do not.  She hears the Dead, and always has.  Take this too far and we end up with “I see dead people,” so we’ll stop right there.

 

 

Will Asim and the Russells, Jill, Polly and Digory be in the story again?

Yes, absolutely.  Part 2, The Queen Susan in Tashbaan, is Susan’s story, and, by extension, though to a much smaller extent, Edmund and Peter’s story as well.  In theory, it will all come together in Part 3, as I move ahead to 1945-1949 and The Train Crash. 

 

 

 

What about Susan’s story?

I’m telling it now, and will tell it further in Part 3.  If you read, carefully, the scant paragraphs in TLB where Susan is discussed, it is Eustace, Jill, and Polly who heap the most abuse upon her.  Peter flatly says she is no longer a “friend of Narnia” and then he changes the subject.  Elecktrum points this out in her NFFR interview (As Cast from Narnian Fanfiction Revolution, http://ascastpodcast.com – check it out!).  Edmund and Lucy say nothing.  Further, at that point, the characters do not themselves know they are dead.

 

Additionally, just because a character says something does not mean it is True, save, in this universe for Aslan.  A character may be lying, a character may be wrong.  A character may not know the whole of the facts.

 

It has become convention in fan fic that Susan forgets and abandons, turns away from Narnia.  It is typically dated from her time in America.  We have read it so much, it has become accepted as canon. While the text of TLB supports this interpretation, others are possible as well.  What is posited in The Stone Gryphon is another possible interpretation. 

 

 

Lhanae noted that there has not been, so far, much interaction between Susan and Peter.  I’ve thought about this and so far, no, there has not.  They are together in one flashback in Part 1, hunting the hag with Ibiza.  I really like the hints of their managerial relationship in that flashback. 

 

I know where and why it gets wrong footed (Susan not being a “Friend of Narnia”), but for that to mean anything to any of them, I have to establish the closeness first.  The same is true for Lucy and Susan.  It might work well with some true Narnian flashbacks in Part 2 – if I can keep them distinct.  Or, I can do this in Part 3…

 

I need to do more there and thank you for the reminder.  Let me see how I can address it in the chapters ahead.

 

 

 

The stone gryphon has made an oblique appearance two or three times in Part 1.  Part 3 explains it more fully and Edmund will give him a name.  I don’t have many surprises in the story, and I suppose this is one of them.  The clues are all there and if you really want to know, email or PM and I’ll let you know. 

 

In Part 2, Bardon was turned to stone in the Witch’s courtyard, a fact which I need to have him say at some point. 

 

Miniver had pointed out to me that Gryphons are actually much larger than depicted in the films.  I’ve sort of run with that and they are big enough to ride, as well as fight, more like winged horses with knights on their backs, or even dragons with riders aback.

 

 

Comments

[andi-horton.livejournal.com]

My first concrete thought on reaching the end of this post was "if this all goes where I think it's going, I am totally adopting the conclusion as a new part of canon." And goodness, how self-absorbed must I be that my next thought was "yay! Excuse to postpone writing The Fic yet again!" ??

On second thought, don't answer that! Just pass the ice cubes, so I can have a prayer of keeping cool and staying focused enough to read the new chap through all the way to the end in one sitting!

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Don't you dare use that as an excuse. There is more than one way to skin a .. uhhh, more than one way to interpret TLB. I want to know your perfectly rendered, loving view of Susan's story.

I'll pass the ice cubes but I really feel that I am abusing my poor, few, loyal readers. I tried to make it simpler! Really!!

[andi-horton.livejournal.com]

Drat. You will not even allow me this cop-out?!

You did make this chap simpler, too, and yet I have read the same paragraph about twelve times over now. It is nothing to do with you, it is all the heat. I have a fan here but it is only blowing more hot air on me . . . I think it will take a cool shower to bring me to my senses.

The twelve-times-read paragraph is pretty good, though.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am sorry. Tell me which paragraph it is and I'll change it. And I guess you probably don't have a/c usually where you live, do you?

[andi-horton.livejournal.com]

If you change it now, after I have read it so many times, I will think I am losing my mind! It's the one where Susan is reflecting on deceptive appearances and her own disguise. As I said, it is is a good paragraph. This chapter is, as I said, simpler and a lovely, enjoyable read, and yet . . . The Heat.

We do have a window-sized air conditioner but it is sitting on the floor because all the windows in our new place have been painted shut. I am about ready to end my shower by taking a chisel to the windowsill and smashing our damage deposit to smithereens.

[andi-horton.livejournal.com]

All right, just because I feel the need to blather at you with my conclusions: I am going to run with at least part of what you have mentioned about what certain of the characters say in TLB, but it will still dovetail with the rest of Susan's piece. It's just, part of what has held me back from starting this is I couldn't wrap my head around HOW Susan got to the point that is described in the seventh book. Surely somebody who hated to hurt people would find it painful to wound everybody with her behaviour that way!. I just couldn't imagine it. Then something you said sort of made a few things click perfectly into place, so I now have my explanation, and suddenly this thing can actually be written!

[(Anonymous)]

This is really fascinating stuff. Some questions that I hadn't really thought about much, and now I'm going... 'Oh, yeah'. I did wonder how you were going to address the 'no longer a Friend of Narnia' part, since the setup for TQSiT, even though just a few chapters old, made this seem improbable. Now you've got me thinking in other interesting directions. Can't wait to see your take on it.

Cheers,
Min23
: )

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

The initial groundwork was set in Part 1 with the whole idea of Edmund's that Susan disguise what her experiences are as a "silly children's game." That's the language used in TLB attributed to Susan's description of Narnia. At first, I had intended to leave it at that, but I've since taken it further. I've already given a very probable explanation for the nylons and lipsticks. As I mentioned above, just because one character or even three think Susan is vain and superficial does not necessary mean that she really is. As for Peter, well, the roots for his disapproval of Susan's decisions are already in the story. I hope I can deliver. I was pretty rattled by the previous chapter. People were probably nicer to me in their reviews than the chapter deserved.

[(Anonymous)]

You have no idea how happy you just made me when you said that you would do more with your Peter, Susan, and Lucy interactions! =D Of course, I wouldn't want to exclude Edmund now, as I would also love to know more about his and Susan's "tighter" bond. I'm glad I helped somewhat then~

I also look forward on how you will handle Susan's abandonment of Narnia. You've been dropping hints on how you'll end it, and I'm trying to piece together what you have planned. Unless of course you aren't dropping hints, and I'm just looking at things a little too closely than how they're really meant to be looked at. Silly me then, but I must admit that I do enjoy formulating my own theory based on your writing.

Interesting perspective also on why Lucy did not react as much to the Wall as Edmund did. I also look forward to Part 3 when the rest of your wonderful cast makes an appearance! Shame though that Asim may not get to see and talk to Susan as a Queen of Narnia, as she may have probably dismissed Narnia by the time she gets back from England (of course, I don't know when exactly you will have her stop believing, so this is all based on my assumptions). I'm very excited though for an Asim and Lucy meeting regardless! =D

I guess I should end my ramblings for now, but I do want to say before I end this that I do love these little tidbits you throw at us. =P These pseudo-A/N's are very enlightening and entertaining. =)

[(Anonymous)]

This is Lhanae, btw. =)
I was stupid and forgot to add that tidbit before I posted my message, but I'm guessing that you may have realized it was me when I addressed the Peter, Susan, and Lucy issue at the beginning of my post. =P

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

I figured that Lhanae!

[ravurian]

A friend recently rec'd The Stone Gryphon to me, and I've been enjoying it immensely. I've friended your journal to keep up with it and have been reading back through some of your entries (clearly).

I think that, wrt to Susan's no longer being a Friend of Narnia, you've already set up the basis for such an epic misjudgement by creating a division between Real Narnia and the Narnia of Susan's letters. If Susan has been communicating priviliged information to her siblings in the UK using Narnia as the code, and if the Establishment has become aware of her letters (as you have already demonstrated), she will have been instructed to cease. If her siblings were to bring up Narnia in conversation later (even post-War), it could represent a potential security breach, particularly if Susan were still actively working for the intelligence services. Susan would have to divert the conversation, for fear of it being overheard by someone who knew her professional associations, or the specifics of her wartime correspondence, for fear that the conversation might seem to indicate that they were all agents of some other power.

She would, in doing so, not be distancing herself from the real Narnia, but the coded Narnia of her letters. Peter seems to lack the subtlety to remember the distinction (in The Stone Gryphon so far, he has to be constantly reminded even while reading Susan's letters), and Polly, Jill and Eustace potentially wouldn't know that there was a distinction. Lucy and Edmund certainly would, of course.

I imagine that that's where you're going with it?

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Welcome! Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear how you found it, who did the rec'cing, etc. It's such a strange story and so demanding, I really treasure those who contact me.
In any event, you have nailed it with Polly, Jill, and Eustace. As for Susan, yes, that's one way to look at it. One of my reviewers, Love and Rock Music, had gone so far as to say that Susan is actually taking the more mature approach, in making Narnia relevant and that maybe, by comparison with the enormity of WW2, Narnia might seem like a children's game. That's not quite where I'm going with it either, but it's on the right track, as the later chapters make clear. I think Ch. 10 will bring this into sharper focus. The trick has been and will be to make the split between Susan and Peter one where the reader comes away angry a bit at both of them, and whether you think one is right or the other, will depend upon who you are as a person. It's easy in the typical fan fic formula if Susan is vain and shallow, then Peter doesn't sound pompous. I worked really hard on Peter's character in Part 1, and I don't want to undo that. But, I've worked hard on Susan in Part 2 and it's not going to be possible at this point to take her backwards.

The security risk point is an excellent one, and I've been thinking about the Official Secrets Act quite a bit. Edmund and Susan's position is, and will be, "it's just a silly story, it's not a code, how ridiculous!" To say otherwise would be very bad -- they are both "living the cover."

I'm not really answering the question, but this was a story I'd never intended to tell. I **think** I know how I'm going to do this. I just hope I've got the skill as a writer to do it.