MeiLin Miranda's Blog, page 13
June 3, 2013
Chapter 16 Part 7 | Son in Sorrow | IHGK Book 2
Temmin rose from the book oddly comforted. "He let the boy Ardunn live? He didn't change his mind once they were in Tremont?"
"No," said Teacher. "Tennoc took Ardunn to Marsury, where he became quite the pet of the Lady Inglatine. At Marsury he trained with the Brothers and Guardsmen, served with distinction against border incursions to the far north of Barle and the Leutan border, and married Eselda, the youngest of Temmin the Bastard's daughters by Cariodas. He was never allowed to return to Kellen, but was given a holding in northern Barle. Ardunn was the first Marquess of Hawksfield, and took the name Anamma."
"Anamma? But they're still at Hawksfield--I have Anamma cousins!" exclaimed Temmin.
May 31, 2013
Chapter 16 Part 6 | Son in Sorrow | IHGK Book 2
The Mothers soon gathered. Ardunn knelt before the King at the feet of Amma's image; his hands clasped his sword hilt and his new lord wrapped his hands round them both. In a strong voice, Ardunn swore his allegiance to Temmin of Tremont, swore away the name of Ulvyn, and placed his life at the King's disposal. He rose, saying, "I never considered anyone but you King at any event, let alone myself."
May 29, 2013
Chapter 4 Episode 1 | The Machine God | The Drifting Isle Chronicles
Juni 15th: Expedition Day
To Adewole, the early morning darkness possessed a surface tension holding back the sun. Even the lamp light in Mrs. Trudge's dining room struggled against it. The room felt encapsulated and small, and Adewole fidgeted. "Mrs. Trudge," he said, "you did not need to get up before dawn and see us off."
"How was I to stay in bed, knowing two of my lodgers are about to make history!" she exclaimed, shoveling fish onto his plate. "No, no, no, if you're going to risk your lives in those flimsy mechanical whirlybirds, you'll do it with food on your stomachs." Adewole winced at the word "flimsy."
Deviatka saluted him over an enormous pile of fried potatoes. "Eat up, old thing! Death is optional, but Mrs. Trudge's breakfast is inevitable."
On the center of the table between the toast rack and jam pots lay the newspaper. A photograph of the delegation press conference took up most of the paper above the fold, but for the masthead and a six-column headline screaming:
EXPEDITION DAY!!!
Explorers Depart for Dangerous Journey!
The Question: Is There Civilization on Inselmond?
May 27, 2013
Chapter 16 Part 5 | Son in Sorrow | IHGK Book 2
The King seemed to settle in to the same calm surrounding the younger man; he joined his hands loosely before him. "What else have you been told?"
"That I am the son of a man you hated for good reason," Ardunn answered. "I never knew him nor any of his kin--as far as I'm aware, I'm the only Ulvyn left, am I not?" At Tennoc's grim nod, he continued, "I know my grandfather was your stepfather and that he loved you until he went mad. And I know you grew up under a cloud, as I have."
The King cast a shrewd glance at Gwynna, who raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement. "You are also the heir of the last King of Kellen," he said.
May 24, 2013
Chapter 16 Part 4 | Son in Sorrow | IHGK Book 2
Gwynna covered her mouth with both hands. Tennoc was coming, and his own wife said he still loved her. Shivers began deep in her chest, spreading out to her fingertips like tiny cramps. Fear, excitement, hatred, love--they all shook her at once, and instead of the strong woman she'd been since Ardunn's birth she was a tree hit by lightning, its bark ripped open and its heartwood exposed. The door opened again and the King stepped through.
May 22, 2013
Chapter 3 Episode 5 | The Machine God | The Drifting Isle Chronicles
The group flew every day after that.
The final practice day before the great expedition, the flight crew loaded sandbags onto all five aircraft to simulate their cargo. The autogyros took off in formation, Hildy Goldstein on point, all passengers aboard and black mercury in the boilers.
They flew over Lake Sherrat, low enough to make white caps on the water and to see the ferry passengers wave their hats. When they flew over the University, Adewole realized the yellow-and-red brick courtyards taken together made a larger pattern, a checkerboarded star. Was it intentional? Adewole wondered how many patterns could only be seen from the air.
The formation took no chances and skirted the financial district's steel towers, though they did fly into the Drift, beneath the island itself. Adewole did his best to stare up through the spinning rotors to study its underside, but he couldn't make out much detail.
May 20, 2013
Chapter 16 Part 3 | Son in Sorrow | IHGK Book 2
Several days passed with no sign from the King, until a messenger arrived. The Temple was to expect a visitor the next day. Would it be some emisssary, or King Temmin himself? That morning, a nervous young Mother came to fetch Gwynna down to the emptied Worship Hall: the visitor stood just outside the doors.
A sharp pang stabbed at Gwynna; life had beaten most of whatever vanity she'd possessed out of her, but she had been beautiful eighteen years ago. Work had roughened her hands, for no one could afford to be idle in the Mother's House. She wore the simple undyed wool habit of a lay Mother, a blue linen veil over her head; it had been long since she'd dressed in fine clothes. She didn't have a mirror to see how she'd aged, and wondered how she would appear in her visitor's eyes. There was nothing to be done for it. She walked to the Worship Hall and stood as she had when Ardunn was a baby, at the feet of the Mother's great statue.
May 17, 2013
Chapter 16 Part 2 | Son in Sorrow | IHGK Book 2
Winter turned to spring and still Gwynna and the baby could not leave the Temple. Soldiers kept watch day and night in sun, rain and snow. The Brothers also kept watch to prevent the soldiers from entering, but they were protecting the sanctity of the Mother's Temple, not Ardunn; they would kill the baby themselves if Gwynna and Ardunn left their holy shelter.
Some days King Temmin stood among them--she could not call the man who'd spoken with her at the feet of the Mother that day "Tennoc." Sometimes he called to her, and sometimes she heard him. Sometimes he even sounded like Tennoc. The day came when the Mothers told her the new King had finally left Gwyrfal to turn his attention to conquering the rest of Kellen. Cror ar Crymavon was left behind with instructions to continue the watch.
May 15, 2013
Chapter 3 Episode 4 | The Machine God | The Drifting Isle Chronicles
Trinke snapped to even greater attention--Adewole hadn't thought it possible--and opened his notebook. "Minister Faber, you have a nine o'clock--"
"The Chancellor can wait for me for once, Trinke, the Founder knows I've waited for him enough times. Will my skirts be a hindrance, Miss Goldstein?"
They were not. The field crew tucked Faber into the two-seater autogyro seat and dressed her in goggles, gloves and a canvas duster hobbling her skirts enough to keep them out of the way. Hildy Goldstein took the pilot's seat behind her. The engine roared to life; smoke and steam billowed around it. Hildy opened the throttle, and the craft shot down the tarmac and wobbled into the air, rotors whirring.
May 13, 2013
Chapter 16 Part 1 | Son in Sorrow | IHGK Book 2
Harsin sat at breakfast the next day, alone but for his eldest daughter. Ansella's robin's egg blue morning room, cheerful even in the weak winter sun, served as consolation and goad to them both; they sat silent, picking at their eggs and coffee. The butler appeared, arms full of newsprint, but set the stack before the King alone. "Affton, where are my morning papers?" asked Sedra.
"There'll be no more of that," growled her father. "I'm done with you ruining your mind. All this reading will stunt your ability to bear children."
"Papa, you know that isn't true! Many educated women--"
