Chapter 12, Comings and Goings, H&M

[rthstewart]

Chapter 12, Comings and Goings.
So, here we are at the end of a story arc long contemplated but almost not told when H&M began its slow decline this time last year.

First off thanks to those of you who read here and gave me the courage and incentive to pick it up. There was a lovely response to my Two Hearts Day piece and then E asked for Acceptance of Terms. Anastigmat’s pic fic of Morgan with the lion broach and Deny the Child followed. For a character who was introduced two years ago for no purpose greater than to allow Edmund to riff on his titles and as a jab at the conduct of evil investment bankers, we all are now stuck with Evil Banker Morgan of the House of Linch.

If you are interested, here are some notes on what would have been/should have been: 
Maeve was the villain in a murder mystery to eliminate Morgan over Alan Meryl’s affections. After writing Alan and beginning to form Maeve, it just did not make sense. I also didn’t like the idea of a woman as a villain over affection, and didn’t like Morgan bedridden (see below).

The poisoning was always there but it was to have been Morgan who was poisoned at a dinner party (very Agatha Christie like), and rescued by Jina when she visits the apothecary and identifies the poison and its antidote. I have a lot of notes on medieval poisons.

There was to have been a very involved economic sub-plot that also implicated keeping Edmund’s identity a secret, the Lord Bar embezzlement, a prenuptial agreement, and tax policies. There were to have been reappearances by a very conniving Princess Evil More Dim and her kind, less dim, husband to be. Morgan and Alan were to have been more of a couple with Edmund as the definite odd man out with ensuing jealousy. This all became instead Constance and Alan Meryl.

I have complex charts and graphs of which Houses represented whom and over what accounts, all relating to the economic subplot.

Jalur was, at some point, going to come crashing through a window to save Morgan -- from what, I wasn't sure but it was probably a second assassination attempt.

The final meeting between Edmund and Director Linch is very, very different even from what was posted here in comments months ago. Until this week, I was still trying to hold on to some of it. I ended up tossing it all and going with what is presented here, with, yes, Edmund being a bit of jerk and the Director being protective of his daughter, but also mindful of his new client relationship with Narnia and the adage, "The client is always right." I liked what I wrote, but it no longer fit for Edmund had regressed and the Director had grown.

I really wanted to go the easy way out, have Seth pull a Mr. Noll, and die, thereby saving everyone the inconvenience of a greedy, craven, not especially talented, would-be murderer. But, I was mindful of the backstory -- how Noll’s suicide and the Moles’ treachery really affected Edmund (which he tells Morgan of in AW) and his views on retribution (which he discusses with Col. Clark). So, I didn’t.

I introduced Peridan completely forgetting about his real life counterpart. Oops. Once readers reminded me, I tweaked him a bit in this chapter to align him more closely with WC Reginald Tebbitt.

I have a whole thing in my head dividing the Houses on Hogwarts lines, with Stanleh as the Ravenclaws, Meryl as the Slytherins, and Linch as the Hufflepuffs and about their respective qualities that are tied to the House symbols of the red flower, yellow sun, green tree, and blue wave.

A few words about Morgan
This is my first attempt at Morgan’s rambling point of view. It was hard, and there is that moment between them, when Edmund is wanting her to say, “Can I come back to Narnia?” and she misses it completely. He is still, for all that the Code is changing, assuming that Morgan will remain in the Lone Islands, that she is committed to the relationship with Alan and assuming control of Meryl. Yeah, he’s looking for a convenient “out” and as presented here, Morgan is thinking he's really not such a great option, either.  Morgan has very real and valid misgivings, which Edmund is helpfully reinforcing.

A scene also written but in the end not included is Sallowpad telling Morgan why Edmund is being so weird about Seth Stanleh. That’s come out now. It’s not nice, especially because Edmund, having taken Morgan to task for concealing things, is now concealing from her why a brother betraying his family for material gain is so affecting him. And, the readers know the reasons, so I reverted to third party points of view rather than wallowing in Ed-agnst.

There was going to be a scene with Edmund, Morgan and Aslan, with Edmund seeking advice on how to deal with Seth and Morgan basically asking Aslan, “Why am I this way?”


In the realm of TMI, RL, and the modernity and morality of the story
As I’ve said, I wrote By Royal Decree when the US and world economy were in freefall brought about in part by the collapse of the subprime mortgage lending market. There are a couple of things lurking here. First off is that the lifestyle of the bankers is very much an observation of life in the modern American workplace of lawyers, accountants, consultants, and bankers. The 80 hour week is very real to my own life experience, even now.

Second is that this is something of a meditation upon the demise of the principle of “caveat emptor” or “let the buyer beware” and its more current incarnation, “you can disclaim responsibility in the small print.” While principles of warranty and product liability have protected buyers for decades in US law, still we see every day how marketers attempt to disclaim the possibility (or probability) that things won’t go as the buyer expects with the “disclaimer.” As in, “I lost 30 pounds in two weeks” followed by the statement “Results not typical.” Or the small print disclosures in mortgage documents that very clearly stated that the home owner would have to pay the full, outstanding amount of the mortgage in 5 years and that the no down payment was in fact loaded into the mortgage and that when all was said in done, the homeowner really could not afford the house she was buying. It’s all disclosed, right? So no problem, right?

This is the view that Pierce expresses – those victims of the pyramid were told, “You could lose your money,” so what’s the problem? Even Maeve, who does take a stand, expresses her views not as, this was wrong, but you will get caught. Peter and Lucy challenge Morgan on this issue and Morgan to her credit gives a different answer.

Now, in fact, there’s been loads of interesting consumer research going to issues of consumers' poor comprehension and poor science and math literacy and the ineffectiveness of disclaimers. Consumers read “You could lose 30 pounds in two weeks, results not typical” as meaning that they could lose even more weight. Yes, I understand that at some point, you can’t protect the person who just refuses to be reasonable, but there’s something really wrong when a complex, small print disclaimer written at a level requiring a post-secondary education is sufficient to eliminate responsibility for actually achieving what is promised in the glossy, compelling advertisement. I’m not an anti-advertisement person by the way – I like it and some part of my RL has been devoted to studying, protecting and improving it. But, well, see above.

These are very recent developments in consumer protection circles and are very relevant to said economic meltdown which was in the background of BRD. And while you want to whack Edmund on the side of the head for asking Morgan to defend her moral compass, he has just lived through and heard the Captains of Industry and Robber Barons say and do some things that are pretty reprehensible to his Narnian ideals. So yeah, not cool, Edmund, but I do see his concerns as legitimate.

Regrets and whinging
My regrets about this side of the story are many. I could not fully realize the vision of the Bankers and ground it in a historically researched combination of the de Medicis, the Rothschilds, and modern Swiss and Bahamian bankers. I could not develop Gertrude Meryl into a mentor or a villain; she is just weak. It is not a compelling mystery. I did not have the story telling ability to weave a Bonfire of the Vanities, Rising Sun, or Wall Street sort of financial mystery. I could not find a way to tell a story of how economic policy is based upon moral choices with winners and losers – that there is a reason, for instance, the US tax code grants exemptions for children and home ownership and why we have trade embargoes and economic sanctions. The worldbuilding, while extensive, is still fragmentary, inconsistent, and begs for expansion.

In the end, though, it’s a Not A Romance and I would not have told the story at all were it not for readers. Morgan and Harold have a ways to go, still, before we reach the Edmund of Apostolic Way, though even there, it is only after his return from the Wall of Water that he realizes his missed opportunities.

It’s on to the Narnia Fic Exchange now, and my femgenficathon. I had a brainwave for Part 3 of H&M two days and I need to let that gel a bit. I should return to AW before people forget it exists.

Thanks again!



EDIT:  For those interested in the Susan/Director of Linch ship, I blame Min, Linea, and H for this, which is also in the comments below.

Comments

[amine-eyes.livejournal.com]

OH CONSTANCE :DDDD *hearts in eyes*

I love how we find out how the events were orchestrated, it works wonderfully :DDD

And I did want to slap Edmund round the head, but as you show, it's because a) he has to go, b) the effect of Seth's betrayal, and c) all those complicated feelings, and it works :DDD

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I posted more on that below about Edmund THWACK. And thanks for reading!!! I was wondering if you were still following, so thank you!!!!

[the_rck]

Poor Morgan! I wanted to smack Edmund. I understood him, but I wanted to smack him.

I very much liked the reveal about Constance. It works well.

Thanks so much for writing!

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I commented more on Edmund being mean and why below. Some of it is understandable; some of it is just EDMUND! STOP BEING SO DENSE!!! but, poor Morgan doesn't help the situation either.

[magdalaena.livejournal.com]

It was really interesting to read about Your unrealizes plans, but even the final version was sufficiently "legal" for me. Especially by presenting a variety of bankers charachters without portraying all of them as Scrooges.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm glad it worked for you! (and I like your tree icon!)

[katharhino.livejournal.com]

Just left you a review on FF... but thanks for sharing all this behind-the-scenes making-of stuff! I find it fascinating to see how writers work. I know when I write, I'm tempted to explain my entire thought process but I worry that I'll bore people. Well, I'm not bored. I love the progression of your storybuilding.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

I felt it was all rather self serving but folks can skip it if they want. Several had commented that they'd assumed Maeve was the villain and she was for a long time until I actually wrote Alan and thought, really? Someone would kill over HIM? I just didn't like turning the women into such idiots that way, though Constance does very much take Maeve to task (with reason) for losing so much of her sense. Maeve turns mushy, but she wouldn't kill for love.

[autumnia]

Oh Edmund. For all that he was a jerk in this, I really do understand where he's coming from. It's hard to hate him here (and really, I don't at all) because the readers know what will happen and we know that Morgan's dream will come true. Edmund will leave forever and it will be a very, very long time before she sees him again. But even so and before the White Stag, when Morgan does return to Narnia, we see their relationship improve. When she and Edmund discuss the events of HHB, she is very clear in her concern and her fears for him.

What's very interesting is how it was Constance that truly set everything in motion. The upheaval in the Lone Islands really has come from her; leave it to the outsider to see that which the rest of the Bankers do not.

And I do hope we'll see more of Peridan in a future story or chapter. He is so much fun!

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

STOP TALKING ABOUT PERIDAN!!!! noooooooooooooooooooo!! I'll let someone else write him, yeah.

Ahem, now that I have that off my chest. Morgan and Edmund grow, over time. There really is just an appalling lack of understanding between the two of them, but they do improve. I'm giving some thought to what brings Edmund around for the following Spring when he tracks her down in Archenland after she and Lucy return from the audit of the mine. He has to understand that he really hurt her feelings and really has to do some wooing. This was something I'd originally planned to do but in Narnia, and then not do, but I will do something abbreviated. And then just when things start moving forward, again, Jina dies, and throws them both into a serious tailspin, with Morgan realizing that what comes into this world leaves this world it REALLY HURTS and she runs, and it doesn't help that Edmund's all angsty (again) because this is the second time a Hound has gone from his arms to Aslan's paws.

Errr right. Oh, and comment below includes what was going to be the bit between Sallowpad and Morgan -- or part of it anyway.

Thank you so much

[min023.livejournal.com]

Amazing chapter, and oh, the subtexts are astonishing. I agree with the others that Ed needs a smack, and Constance as revealed is quite scary. Review coming later when I don't have to be at work in half an hour : )

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU!

[linneasr.livejournal.com]

Arrrr, just wrote a lengthy review at FF and some electronic error lost it. I'll come back and write one again tomorrow.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

BAD BAD FF. It was doing that to me as well. I hope all is well!!!

[lady_songsmith]

Am I the only one who did not think Edmund was a jerk and want to smack him? I kinda wanted to smack all the Narnians who were griping about him being a jerk, actually.

Suddenly I have this feeling my worldview is decidedly off-kilter from everyone else's...

As I said on Twitter, I love that the houses are being set up to be led by all women! And I will be interested to see where Constance's story goes; she is a very sympathetic villain and I rather like her, but she was exhorting Seth to commit murder!

[katharhino.livejournal.com]

I wanted to smack him for being cold and withdrawn. But I think in Morgan's POV it's easy to lose sight of the fact that he's sort of trapped. If he pressures her, he's not respecting her role within her own background. So I give him a partial pass, anyway. Only partial because he's too dense to realize she needs SOME sign he wants her.

[(Anonymous)]

lady songsmith, I think I'm with you on this one!

The way I read it was that Edmund was definitely giving her an out of her situation and she just could not pick up the cue. I mean, she can't even look him in the eye! They're both stunted, they're both at fault, of course, but I am just as much of "Poor Edmund!" as I am of "Poor Morgan!", if not more. But then again, I'm an Edmund-apologist.

And hey! We can't help liking Peridan so much when it's your fault you make him so damn entertaining and, well,"explosive." That was hysterical.

I really enjoyed seeing a bit of Susan here, and enjoyed her interactions with Linch. I do have a question... I can't recall, have we ever had Susan's POV from the Narnia side at all? Maybe that's why, as I mentioned in the last review I left, I think, that I haven't gotten my head quite wrapped around Queen Susan in Narnia.

I have really enjoyed the Lone Island stint, but I do look forward to your return to AW! The way both stories tie in together and interweave is just plain fascinating to witness unfolding, especially in the Spare Oom side, when we still get the Narnian flashbacks. Just wonderful.

--Indil

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Indil. I have to say that at least on ff.net the chapter has landed with a terrible, horrible echoing thud. I tend to get very anxious and depressed with posting regardless and the response has been unbelievably rotten by my normal standards. Probably the worse in a year or more. Did it ALL SUCK? Did I get it THAT wrong? This same SLOOOOOW and non-existent reaction almost did me in completely last year and caused me to abandon this story and almost dump AW as well. I've got the urge to rip it all down (again) and abandon it (again) and anyway...

Errr, right, anyway, the issue with Morgan's lack of eye contact by the way is actually physiological and neurological. She's very very good on the quantitative side but there is in fact something not quite right about her. As I've worked with her character, I've thought that one reason she can resonate with some modern readers is that we all know people like that -- the math and computer lab prodigies who go on to work at Microsoft, google, and facebook and have patents at age 22.

I'm actually glad that for those who have share their thoughts, that they are divided on who is more at fault because I happen to like it when readers find ambiguity and disagree. Sometimes there is one, right answer. I do think Edmund should have told her WHY because you know, enough already, get over the angst. But, Morgan does not help the situation.

In any event, there actually is not that much of any Pevensie pov in the stories except Edmund's on the Narnia side because I've only done Royal Decree and H&M as full stories with canon, POV characters and those are Ed-centric. Palace Guard is all beast-centric. I have a fair amount of Peter in flashback, particularly post Tashbaan. I have Lucy in one of the funeral flashbacks. Susan's Narnian POV is in Part 1 with the swearing hummingbirds and she's with Wrasse in the funeral flashbacks in Part 2.

Thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

[I wrote too much again, so this is broken into two pieces with some digressions pulled out into the second comment]

I thought this was a great, but difficult chapter. And the difficulty was intentional- it's covering a difficult set of events. Edmund is both distracted by the resonance of Seth's situation with his past, and trying to do what he thinks is the right thing and stay clear of Morgan's commitment to Alan and to the banking houses in general.

Of course, he goes to far, fails to say even basic, simple things to soften the blow, and generally makes a hash of it all. I have a fair amount of sympathy because I have a tendency to misread situations myself, and take myself out of them when really that wasn't what was wanted. So while Morgan's POV showed how badly he messed it up, and how far he still has to go to understand her, I can easily imagine a version of Edmund's POV in which he's looking for any sign from her, doesn't see it, and just kind of withdraws as a result, thinking it's for the best. Or possibly thinking that if she isn't going to meet him halfway then he won't either, but I really don't think he's like that- I think he's distracted and insensitive, and is (worst of all) failing to make use of Jina, Willa, Sallowpad and the others to sort things out. Jina's dissapointment and frustration were wonderfully written.

And there's been good groundwork laid that Susan, while not hostile to Morgan, is not overly fond of her either. So she has no real reason to step in, and plenty of other things to occupy her instead. I loved the flirtation with The Linch- Susan's the character about whose romantic and sexual experiences in Narnia we know the least, except that she obviously had male lovers (and female?) at some point and was pursued by nearly everyone.

This chapter explains so much about Morgan and makes her mannerisms less exasperating and more tragic. And Edmund has no idea how difficult this is for her (because she can't explain it). I also really wanted Lucy to show up and smack them both around (possibly with knives), because she's the only other human who really gets along with Morgan to any substantial degree.

As far as the reaction and whether you should continue, absolutely please do! As much as I dread it, I very much want to finally see the whole picture of "Death of a Hound" since it hopefully, in addition to the tragedy, establishes Edmund and Morgan's relationship as strong one, to the point that it is something missing in AW (and of course I also want to see more AW- much more :-) Right now their relationship is more "missed" and less "opportunity". I know you said he doesn't realize things until after the Wall of Water, but there doesn't seem to be quite enough for him to realize yet, or perhaps it just seems like it would be too easy for him to rationalize it all away as being what she wanted. Underneath it all, Edmund can't grasp the blunt practicality of the "joint venture", even being as little of a romantic as he is.

If other folks are like me, they need to take a bit of time to absorb the sad, frustrating behavior in chapters like this. I couldn't manage to write any response yesterday. It's harder to be enthusiastic when things aren't going well for the characters (for instance, the line "Edmund would wonder, for the rest of his short life, what might have happened had the summer lasted another month or three." from chapter 4 is really one of the saddest sentences I've read, and it's supposed to be. How was the reaction to chapter 11? That's probably more indicative of general interest in the fic.

-H

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

It's been really interesting to read the reactions to Edmund and Morgan's interactions. People are pulling out a lot more than I was conscious of in writing it. Something I am seeing is that there is a stronger desire in readers for them to come to some sort of happy, comfortable place, for a time, and soon. Though, DUH since I don't tend to be a fan of tragedy myself. I need to think about this more -- how to provide some emotional satisfaction and resolution.

The point about missing and opportunity is very well-taken. I have assumed in writing Edmund's regret that two things are going on -- first that of all of them, he is the most able to put it away and aside -- that it's easier to do that when he can say, "oh it wasn't that important, it didn't last that long, no big deal." But, he also feels real regret that, given how little time he did have, that he did not make the most of it while he was there. He looks back now on things like that farewell in the Lone Islands and thinks, "Why didn't I just say, forget all this, Morgan. We'll figure something out, come back to Narnia." And the Wall of Water is when he realizes the full magnitude of his loss.

I've found interesting as well how readers are really picking up on how he's trying to respect her and what she is doing. People really want to know what is going on in Edmund's head besides the obvious (Seth, TRAITOR BROTHER) and how they end up getting over this hump. And yes, for all that it is tempting to thwack Edmund (for some readers, again there is division), I don't blame him entirely either. Some of it he has to ask and in other respects, he shows a lot of trust in and respect for her judgment. Also, we see the coldness from Linch's perspective, and he's now looking at it as a father who hasn't been especially predisposed to Edmund all winter, so he is hardly impartial. Further, Jina does tell Morgan that she should have told him.

I do, as mentioned, blame him for not explaining his emotional distance due to Seth. Had he disclosed that, well, that's one of the regrets, I think.

OK. that's all for now. Thank you again, so very, very much.

[(Anonymous)]

[and now the digressions, as they were in fact labeled, and other miscellany cut from my previous comment]

Digression: there's been plenty of innuendo of dryad sex all around for everyone but Edmund (Lucy's comment about Bacchanals and men not getting in the way in one of the maybe-rth-canon snippets being particularly illuminating). I have wondered a bit about the men. If his comments to Bacchus in Maenad of the Maquis is a guide, Peter is not at all interested in men (which seems to fit his character). There's been no comment one way or the other about Edmund. I'm not trying to push you in that direction- with Morgan around it's mostly irrelevant, and wouldn't add anything (made too much of, it would more likely subtract).

I can, however, see this Edmund deciding early on that princesses are irritating, trying something with a prince (or whomever) and deciding that it's all about as much fun but that men are no less irritating, and dismissing the whole question as "irrelevant" anyway and giving it no further thought. But aside from just liking the idea, I can mentally justify this by the facts that Edmund is relatively adventurous (with the book) and that as much as he loves the sex (and is specifically attracted to her as a woman), it's Morgan's unusual personality that really draws him in.

I did love Richard Russell's scandalous "proposition" in TSG (and Peter's amused and calm reaction to it, both at the time and after Asim left), and figure that Richard has probably tried everything at least once on general principle. Possibly twice, just to be sure, even if Mary is the one with more "exotic" tastes. Digory prefers not to ask, or even contemplate.

Digression #2: This so explains Morgan's kink about Edmund reading contracts to her. It's a perfect combination of details to occupy her mind and Edmunds presence and voice to engage the rest of her. The whole business with the book (an analytical approach to sex) always made perfect sense, and I love her dismay at the idea of Pierce going through the book with *Maeve* "of all people".

Writing-wise, my only criticism would be with the reveal of Constance. Not the reveal itself- we knew something was up with Constance and this was completely in line with the hints given. But it came as a bit of an info-dump with all of that background. I'm not quite sure what the alternative would be- in order to break it up a bit Constance would have had to have been worked into more scenes, which would be tricky- she stays *out* of scenes quite on purpose. Maybe just split into two scenes before going to Stanleh and during her time at Stanleh, and put one of the other POV bits in between. It read fine as it is, but that thought did occur to me.

Anyway, I hope you get enough response to feel encouraged about it all again soon, or at least by the time you planned to get back to these stories, anyway. I, for one, really want to find out more!

-H

[(Anonymous)]

So, I'm going to muse on Digression 1, rather than work on NFE for the moment and try to stop from angsting all over the place about what is up and done. First off, thanks so much, H. I really and hugely appreciate your thoughtful comments. As to Digression 1, goodness, you are paying close attention!! Closer than I am, at times, but.. well, not completely. Some of this is thought out completely, and other parts, are make it up as I go.

I will say that Peter's calm reaction to Richard in TSG is indicative of his character -- far more so than his reaction to Bacchus in Maenad. The prompt for MotM specifically asked for no slash, and so that's why that was in there. I wanted to acknowledge Bacchus' very, well to borrow from Capt Jack Harkness/Torchwood, omni-sexual view of things, but still stay within the prompt. And, I thought it was funny to have Bacchus say, well, if you don't want women, what about men? Having grounded this Narnia vision in the natural and biological of this world, there is in fact significant data supporting same sex couplings and relationships, particularly m/m, and then of course there are the mythological roots of Bacchus, dryads and the wood folk -- satyrs and fauns. So, it's certainly there in the background and while I don't have a particular story to tell, I could easily see (and assume) same sex bonding for all of the Pevensies in Narnia at some point. In my head canon, I've actually assumed that most of Lucy and Susan's Narnian lovers were in female form (Dryad or otherwise) -- the furthest I took that was the Star story with Lucy and Liliandil. In Spare Oom, I've assumed that Mary has tried to get Polly drunk to seduce her because she will try to get close to any whom Richard loves. And, as you say, I can see Richard trying anything at least once. I would not rule out Dryads, male or female, for Edmund or Peter -- just not during the Spring for Edmund.

Whoa, I'll just delete the long digression on Morgan and Edmund and the significance of "not father, brother, or Peter" and my further digressions on wild dryad tree sex and kingmaking rituals. Stopping now with a huge and sincere thanks.

[sedri.livejournal.com]

Morgan's point of view worked out beautifully, and I'm so glad you did it.

Also, whinge away if it makes you feel better, but please know that as a reader, I have no regrets whatsoever. It might have been an even better story had it included a more compelling mystery, a stronger Gertrude or complex economic policy, but as it stands now the story feels coherent, tightly woven and is satisfyling. I'm glad you're telling it. Thank you.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!!

[varnafinde.livejournal.com]

So finally I'm home and there's a mail alert for a new chapter in my mailbox!

I ejoyed it, even though it's more sad than the last few ones have been - it's just as well written as usual, though. I was interrupted after a few paragraphs, and I appreciated the break (and made sure to have a tissue ready for my continued reading) because there was an anticipated sadness there, and I could guess what it was going to be.

I need some time (and there might not be much this week), and then I'll review on ff.net ...

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. I did not find it especially sad -- I thought, except I did sniffle a few times and thought that was just me being overwrought. I am surprised that readers have found it difficult going. The biggest challenge was to write her as inattentive to emotional states and social cues around her, but still be really good in some areas, such as her quantitative and analytical ability. Their combined emotional intelligence is soooo low. Again, thank you very much.

[linneasr.livejournal.com]

Small postscript to the FF review, one day later: I would enjoy it, very much, if the Linch were to become the lover of Queen Susan, even briefly. Or if we could somehow see them interacting again (perhaps Linch brings Morgan to Cair Paravel?). I have the feeling they would be like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall together, both Lions in outlook and deportment.

[min023.livejournal.com]

Oh, now there's a thought. I would definitely support that particular piece of incitement ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

That was a great end to this section. I found Morgan's POV at the beginning somewhat uncomfortable to read - not because it wasn't good, but because I could really feel a sense of frustration in her to not be able to show what she was feeling. In that way, I think it worked really well. She may have missed it, but I certainly saw the moment of Edmund's opening, the "You will need to be here to do it?". These two really need their hounds/tigers! And I think that with the tree added to the broach, Edmund was trying to tell her something as well. I really hope they have the conversation about Seth's relevance at some point. The conversation with the beasts was also great - the whole thing feels very wistful and somewhat ominous haha. I have to admit that I am glad to know that everything works out mostly for the best. Probably one of my favourite things you have done in your entire group of work is the voices at the wall of water, and anything that connects to that and what comes after is wonderful for me.
Thanks again, I can't wait to see what you do next!

J.Apple

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Jamie! It's been interesting to read the comments about that segment from Morgan's pov. A lot of people found it uncomfortable reading and indeed found a lot of the chapter difficult. It is very long as well and maybe readers come out feeling like it's all a lot of grim!dark! Or something.

Yes, they will need to have conversation. I'd intended to have that in a letter that follows the Christmas/Yule that wasn't, but now, I've reconsidered. It needs to happen much, much sooner. I so appreciate hearing from you!

[linneasr.livejournal.com]

Hi, Rth
I just noticed something else about this last Chapter: Constance wants Morgan to move to Narnia. Presumably Aslan wants Morgan to move to Narnia (although He won't pressure, even a Divine Lion must have a preferred outcome). Does this make someone of dubious moral character a means of achieving a goal for the Lion? Do the ends ever justify the means, for Aslan? Or does He just see it all, the entire tapestry (Pace, Mr. Kay) before it's even woven?

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I'd not thought to tie Constance to the ends/means theme I've got running in TSG, but yes, I suppose it is there. A lot of fic writers/world builders are very focused on the precise outlines of Aslan -- who, what, extent of powers, and tied up with fate, choice, predestination.

I'm afraid this is one we'll have to put in the Rth really doesn't think much about it at all -- I never did well in theology and philosophy in college, either. I can't in my head fully reconcile free choice with divine omniscience.

Constance does have a role to play still, which really highlights her emotional intelligence -- were you the one who noted that in the review? To which again, I said, YES, that's it exactly.

I've always been uncomfortable with the idea of Morgan being destined to be the womb of Narnia. In fact, I even had a comment fic joke about that somewhere where Aslan is trying to tell her she's a child of prophecy and he only gets her attention when he tells her that Beavers would be cheaper to build a dam than Dwarfs because they will work for bark. I've wanted her to march into this knowing what she's doing for all that they are manipulated into it in the first place. Though, as Clio has pointed out, that's not wholly fair either, because Morgan cannot and doesn't fully understand the implications of single parenthood and her make up, as written, makes it pretty impossible for her to say to No.

Errr, where was I besides only on my first cuppa? I still try to hold to the idea that Morgan is not the only option. It's one of the reasons I inserted Aidan and his many small relations into the story -- besides the fact that I wanted to blow out of the water the fan fic convention as Lucy as bride of Aslan and perpetual virgin.

I've been toying with the idea, going to Morgan's choices, that in some way, she understands that the moment she decides, yes, I want to be a mother, I want to do this for all of us, is the day she sets in motion Edmund's return.

I'm a bit cross purposes here and I'm not sure I'll be able to resolve all the tensions.

[linneasr.livejournal.com]

Am back. Is it impossible for Morgan to say No? I hadn't noticed. Mmm. This makes me uncomfortable. It's a good thing that Aiden and his many small relations are there, and that within a few weeks post-White Stag, things at the Cair are normalizing (even if Jalur has become so silent). I don't want Morgan to be the Womb of Narnia, either. Interesting that it's the two who are tied to Edmund who hold their ties so tightly. We don't hear much about Lambert, other than a faint memory I have of a reported conversation between him and Aslan.

Sets in motion Edmund's return? That's an interesting idea, oh, yes, prrrrrrr.

For me, as a reader, it's perfectly acceptable to have a few outstanding tensions trailing along after the end of a story. If everything is perfectly tidy, it seems to close the cupboard door on my imagination, almost as though the fait accompli of it all doesn't leave any questions to be answered.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

RAWRR. I had a reply and I deleted it. Is it impossible for Morgan to say No? I hadn't noticed. Mmm. This makes me uncomfortable. Me too, I agree, and you are right. In fact, I have a line in the future where she says, "I don't think I can do that," and I need to change it to "I don't want to do that." This is where, though, her sense of loyalty collides with locked in, no alternative duty. There's a balance there, and I need to work to maintain it. (HELP ME, detailed conversations about OCs!!!)

As for the Lambert story, it's in It's The Thought That Counts, where Mr. Hoberry writes that Lambert waited until Yule to die so that he could swear fealty to Susan one final time. Dalia also challenges Susan on the relationship in The Palace Guard.

[(Anonymous)]

'E'

Wouldn't a big benefit for Morgan be Narnia itself? It mentions earlier in H&M that Morgan is more comfortable with animals and Narnian creatures than she is with humans, even other bankers. With her rat and crow like qualities, maybe Narnia is the first place she can be herself and not feel so awkward.

Also, her skills would be very much needed by the Narnians. Edmund or Susan might have figured out the tax code eventually, but possibly not in time to prevent danger to Narnia from Stanleh's venture. Yes, she's the most gifted Banker in the Lone Islands, but there are others (Maeve, Pierce) not too far behind her. In Narnia she'd be absolutely essential in their economic matters.

Maybe (and this is just pure speculation on my part) Morgan sees Edmund as part of a whole Narnia package. Edmund's a key part of the package, but not the whole thing.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Another winner from the F-list. Thanks, E. Yes, that is part of it, too. The last chapter makes this point about Morgan in two ways -- first there is the ways in which they assist and help her relate to the world -- the Assistance Dog, and so forth, and their appreciation for her Crow like skills and not being put off by her mannerisms because Narnians know that not everyone communicates the same way. The Beasts aren't put off at all by her lack of eye contact and awkward manners. But, also, there is this "thing" -- her moral compass -- which separates her from the Lone Island ethic. That ethic will change to a point -- though we know that change is not permanent. In the end, all this effort, all this time, and still in Caspian's time there will be a slave trade in the Lone Islands. Edmund will say to Peter in TQSiT that it felt very much to be wasted effort and yes, that's easy to see given how hard they worked there, for so long, to bring about real change.

Which, I know there's a story there, in this vision, of Edmund wandering about Narrohaven. I've not decided if any of the Banking Houses survived 1,000 years, or even if there is an Upper and Lower Town anymore, or any of the rest of it. Oh, I need THAT idea like I need dog hair in my shoes.

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

Edmund is dense and Morgan is Not Helpful, but they are precious. Always.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of Hermione telling Ron about his emotional capacity fitting in a teaspoon.

Love.

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