Jarn’s Journal Year 54 Day 33

Year 54 Day 33

I begin to suspect a conspiracy on the part of the women shamans. Four groups led by women had arrived by yesterday, and all of the leaders agreed on the idea of a direct transfer of power. Today the first male-led group arrived, and the shaman, whose wife I slept with last year, was clearly not pleased to find himself placed behind the women.

I explained the new rules: no more than one a night, first priority to those to whom I had not yet transferred power, equality between male and female shamans. The men were not pleased, but with four women already having slept with me and the new rules established, there wasn’t much they could do.

Quotes from Terry Pratchett

Here are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from @sueannbowling between October 23 and October 29, 2014. All but the last are from Mort, by Terry Pratchet.

“Lonely, dedicated drinkers always generate a mental field which insures complete privacy.” Especially when the lonely, dedicated drinker is Death.

“Death must be the loneliest creature in the Universe.” Mort realizes this when Death has disappeared.

“Funny thing about eyebrows. You never really noticed them until they’d gone.” Cutwell has been trying to create fireworks.

“DEATH IS WHOEVER DOES DEATH’S JOB.” Mort, as he finds he is taking on more and more of Death’s attributes, including the VOICE.

“When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.” Mort, when he challenges Death for Keli’s life.

“YOU COULD HAVE HAD ETERNITY.” Death to Mort, after the battle is over. Mort’s reply? “I’ve been very lucky.”

“He may know himself better than you know him.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Marna, speaking to Lai about Roi.

North Pole Weather 10/27/14

 

The sun will rise at 9:23 this morning and set 8 hours and 23 minutes later at 5:46. Temperatures? Skimming 0°F at night for the next week and generally 20’s in the daytime. Not that I’ve been out in it.

I’m still in the assisted living home, but the oxygen situation seems much better. At the moment, sitting in front of the computer, my blood oxygen is staying above 90 with no added oxygen. (97 at the moment I write this.) I still need a little when I’m exercising, but less and less with time.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Rescue Operation

It’s time again for Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

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“And he made it sound so reasonable. Like it wouldn’t be anything but a threat, and the Horizon government would respond to the threat by paying its levies. Well, it isn’t. In fact, it’s voted to leave the Confederation—only you pushed through that rule that they couldn’t.”

Roi hadn’t had to push very hard, and he’d had good reason. Another planet, Rakal, had voted to leave the Confederation five years before. As far as Roi was concerned, the Confederation existed primarily to prevent wars between planets—but that wasn’t why the ancestors of modern Humans had set it up. Humans shared space with a number of other species. Most had preferred different types of planets than those suitable for Humans, so relationships generally involved trade rather than hostilities.

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Again, this snippet is from Rescue Operation, continuing from last week.

Jarn’s Journal Year 54 Day 30

Year 54 Day 30

The first group in this year was one of the three descended from Storm Cloud’s old group, the one headed up by Wind Storm. She came to see me almost at once.

“You pass part of your power to the male shamans through their mates,” she said. “Could you not pass it directly to the female shamans?”

I didn’t believe I was passing anything on but they clearly did. “No reason I can think of, “ I said. Mentally I was counting up the shamans. “But no more than one a night. And those to whom I have not yet transferred power come first.”

She bowed, and her expression was positively smug. “Then I shall come to you at moonrise,” she said.

Wind Storm is a very determined woman.

Quotes from Mercedes Lackey

These are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from @sueannbowling between October 16 and October 22, 2014. All but the last are from “A Tangled Web” by Mercedes Lackey, a story in Harvest Moon.

“Having Aphrodite on your side was almost worse than having her as an enemy.” Persephone’s thought as she weaves (reluctantly.)

“Oh, the curse of being able to see clearly, both sides of everything!” Still Persephone, annoyed that she can see her mother’s side as well as her own.

“So much power seemed coupled with so little forethought.” Demeter’s reflection on the Olympian gods as a whole.

“If godmothers are so good at keeping things from getting out of hand, why are gods so bad at it?” Here the reference is to the gods of Olympus or Valhalla.

“Mortals, given the choice, would rather not think too far ahead, or even think at all.” Brunehilde to Leopold, suggesting that the reason these gods are as they are is because they owe their existence to the mortals who worship them – thus they have mortal failings.

“All mothers are like that, I think.” Brunhilde, after Persephone complains that her mother still considers her a child.

“A self-trained esper is always cause for worry.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derry is just beginning to suspect what he may be facing in Roi.

North Pole Weather 10/20/14

The sun will rise this morning at 9, and set 9 hours and 10 minutes later at 6:10. Weather? Well, I haven’t been outdoors much, but the weather report says back and forth through freezing this week. I doubt the snow will that, though.

I’m now in an assisted living facility, still tethered tp the oxygen supply. Just as well I didn’t try to go home, as I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have come close to managing.

Weekend Writing Warriors: Rescue Operation

Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday. Maybe I’ll get home this week.

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Henceforth, he’d suggest to the Council, any councilor who had to leave Central to untangle a sticky situation beyond one-ended teleport range would take an aide who could anchor a return teleport. For the few member systems beyond two-ended range, they’d set up a chain of anchors. And members in the field would keep in touch with Council decisions.

“Good idea,” Mako said when Roi’s office had become a temporary meeting place for the eleven that the regent trusted. “But it wouldn’t have stopped this vote. Zhaim may have been—must have been—lobbying those who voted for it. The rest of us had no warning at all.”

Jarn’s Journal Year 53 Day 112

Year 53 Day 112

I had no idea WildDog’s idea would be so popular.

Not that I wasn’t ready to ease my own sexual frustration! In fact, the women of the People have been looking more and more attractive to me. My night with WildDog’s wife proved that the likeness was even closer than I supposed. We fit in every way possible. It’s just as well that offspring are impossible, or I’d be tempted to settle down with a local wife.

At this point, with the People getting ready to leave on their annual migration, I think about half of the shamans have insisted I sleep with their women, to pass the “powers” on to them. Truth to tell, I’m getting a bit exhausted.

Quotations from Tolkien

Here are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from October 9 through October 15, 2014. All but the last are from The Two Towers, by JRR Tolkien.

“Oft evil will shall evil mar.” Theoden, quoting a saying to Gandalf as they discuss the palantir.

“Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves.” Gandalf, discussing how the palantir may have led to Sauruman’s downfall.

“If it must be, let’s get it over.” Sam, when Frodo has decided to climb down the face of the Emyn Muil by rope.

“If we kill him, we must kill him outright.” Frodo, after they have captured Gollum.

“What he means to do is another matter.” Frodo, still considering what to do with Gollum.

“Now that I see him, I do pity him.” Frodo, replying to his memory of Gandalf’s words about Gollum, back in the Shire. (It was the Shire in the book, though the speech was moved to Moira in the movie.)

“Just try and stop me.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Marna’s response to Lai’s suggestion that they take in Roi.