Kevin L. O'Brien's Blog: Songs of the Seanchaí, page 13

Synopsis: Grand Quest III-Part 1 (a Sir Differel Dreamlands adventure)

With a Monarch's Voice Cry 'Havoc,' and Let Slip the Dogs of War

As the sun begins to set over Ulthar, a cloud barge of unknown design appears in the sky, flying a white flag. Escorted by the chase-boats, then covered by the destroyers, it lands next to the dreadnaught. A number of golden-skinned men disembark; Ubasti recognizes their leader as the man who conferred with Bres and the Moonbeast on the Moon. Kuranes and the Cat Queen greet them, and they announce they have come to parlay. Kuranes has a table set up with lamps and chairs, and orders food and drink brought. The lead golden-man, who claims to be an ambassador with plenipotentiary powers, states that his government, an island nation named Atullia, is allied with the Moonbeasts and the Fomorians, and that they will not tolerate any interference from Ooth-Nargai in their affairs. He is aware of the mission to the Underworld, and further states that his government would consider any attempt to disrupt morbidun production as an act of war. Since this warning is coming too late to stop the mission, for the sake of avoiding unnecessary hostilities, and to promote good relations, he is willing to forgive this one trespass as well as the other previous trespasses committed by Differel and Team Girl, but any future acts against his government's activities in this region, or its Fomorian and Moonbeast allies, will be retaliated against with the full force of their military might. He leaves it up to Kuranes as to whether there will be war or not.

55 days left

The party follows Elatha up the stairs. It is a long climb, but eventually they enter the roof of the cavern, and then ascend into a cellar room. From there they emerge into the street and make their way to the port. Hazuth-Kleg is a grim nightmare-city. This wasn't Eile and Sunny's first visit, but for the first time Eile felt apprehensive. In their previous visits, they had come alone and in disguise; this large a group, parading through the town so openly, is bound to attract unwanted attention. For once she is grateful they are accompanied by two powerful Fomorians. When they reach the port, Elatha takes them to a black galley to be ferried across the bay to his green glass tower. At first Kami refuses to board, but when both Medb and Elatha pledge to give their lives to protect her, and the girls and Cuideog also promise to protect her, she reluctantly agrees. However, she is frightened the entire short voyage.

They reach the tower, standing in the midst of the bay, and the first thing Elatha does is take them to the roof. From there, Crèmedevoyager leaps to the Moon to alert Kuranes of their return. He then gives them a suite consisting of a common room connected to bedrooms, each with its own bath. There are only six, so some doubling-up will have to be done. Eile and Sunny share a room with Cuideog; Differel and Victor another; Medb with Ceara; Tokoyo, Karella, and Uilmheidhrea; Saighlíne and Morgiana; and Kami and Ssas'sashu'ra. Ney and his Ghouls camp out in the common room. Elatha gives them a chance to clean up, then he provides breakfast; Cuideog is given a zebra and the Ghouls a corpse on another level. After that, he leaves them to themselves, until that evening when they he will feast them. The unexpected hospitality has everyone on edge; they expect treachery at any moment. Medb tries to reassure them, but they remember the Ghouls and their council, and they are wary.

Sometime mid-morning, while Kuranes and the Cat Queen negotiate terms of a non-aggression agreement with the Atullian ambassador, Crème drops down into the middle of their table. At Kuranes's insistence, he gives his report to everyone at the table. The Atullian ambassador is visibly shocked and angered that the mission succeeded, but he will keep his word and forgive the trespass. However, he will not allow Kuranes to dispatch a cloud barge unless he accompanies it in his own, and he will not be ready to leave until morning, after they have completed their negotiations. Crème departs to tell Medb, along with a squad of cat legionnaires. When they reach the Moon, however, they are ambushed by Cats From Saturn. The squad sacrifices itself to allow Crème to get away, but a Saturn Cat pursues. Crème shifts position in mid-fall and lands on a balcony instead of the roof. He rushes in as the Saturn Cat bounds after him, and finds himself in the girls' bedroom, where Eile and Sunny were engaged in quiet foreplay. Crème darts under the bed and the Saturn Cat attacks the girls, who defend themselves. The commotion attracts the Ghouls, then Differel, Saighlíne, and Morgiana. Finding itself outnumbered, the Saturn Cat flees, leaping back to the roof then to the Moon. Medb arrives too late to stop it, but Crème delivers his message. The others are now certain there is treachery afoot, and Medb is beginning to wonder herself, but when Elatha comes he gives every impression as being as surprised and angered as the rest at this violation, and promises to get to the bottom of it.

Later, Elatha has a private meeting with Medb, Differel, and the girls to fulfill the remainder of his ransom payment. First he states that it was the Moonbeasts who had called in the Cats From Saturn, as a way to counter the Cat Queen's legions. Then he gets down to business. Some years ago, Lady Miranda Guinevere Pendragon, Differel's Aunt Mandy, came to him with a proposal for gaining control of the human race through there dreams. The Fomorians could then enslave them in the Waking World and assume their rightful place as rulers of the Earth. Her plan involves recruiting volunteers that would come to the Dreamlands and become an army. The morbidun would be used to transform the volunteers into her soldiers, the cunae juice would allow them to turn ordinary Dreamworld weapons into modern weapons, and the moon rubies would make the transformations permanent. She had already obtained the cooperation of a foreign power - Atullia - to transport her troops and supply them, what she needed was the help of the Fomorians to collect and process the materials needed for the transformations. They have been working on this project for a long time, with Hazuth-Kleg as the collection point and administrative center. Differel is surprised he would be so forth coming, since now they know where the plan is being hatched, but he contradicts her, saying that while all the morbidun, cunae juice, and rubies were brought to here from their various production centers, that have been sent on to their real destination. All they have now is a final shipment of cunae juice and rubies, just enough to see the plan to fruition; the morbidun they destroyed was extra the Fomorians were making for their own use. When Medb demands to know where this shipment will be taken, Elatha claims he does not know; it is picked up by a Atullian transport. When she demands to know when the transport will arrive, he again claims not to know; it could arrive any moment.

The girls ask about Atullia. He explains that a million years ago or more, a people from another Dreamworld invaded this one. They fought the Leng Men, who were the dominant people at the time, but were unable to conquer them. However, neither could the Leng Men completely throw them back. They signed a treaty, ceding the island of Atullia to the invaders, in exchange for ending the invasion, and there the people lived and thrived. Since Atullia lies on the other side of the world from the Six Kingdoms, it should be no wonder that no one on this side has ever heard of them. But they are a great maritime power, like Great Britain, with naval and aeronautic forces that would rival Ooth-Nargai and Karchedon combined. They are said to have conquered an empire, but are opposed by Fabulous Cathuria, hence they seek a different direction in which to expand. No doubt Aunt Mandy has promised them territorial concessions when the plan succeeds. And therein lies the problem. Elatha no longer trusts Mandy. Fomorian she may be, but she is still ruled by her human ambitions and greed. He fears her plan may have levels she has not revealed yet; that ultimately, she intends to conquer all the Dreamworld for herself, including the Fomorians, Moonbeasts, and possible even Atullia itself. Medb asks him in that case to destroy the last shipment. That may not ruin her plan, but it will delay implementation long enough for them to come up with a way to stop it. Unfortunately, he cannot; he has given his word, but with this last shipment, his part is ended and he owes her no further loyalty. Differel asks if he would be willing to form an alliance at that time. He states that at best all he could offer would be signal service; he might be wrong about Mandy, in which case he cannot pass up an opportunity like this. However, if they can give him proof she is a threat to everyone, not just the humans, he would ally himself with her. Differel accepts that for now. She and the girls go back to brief the others while Medb remains with Elatha.

During a break in the negotiations, the Cat Queen receives word that the Cats of Saturn have taken the Moon. With Moon cut off to her people, they cannot send messages as quickly as before; a trip that would have taken a few hours will now take a few days or weeks, depending upon the distance. She cannot allow that, but unfortunately she hasn't the catpower to drive the Saturn Cats from the Moon and provide troops to support Kuranes in case of war. Since her people are her first priority, she must free the Moon, but she will delay until the negotiations are finished. However, she urges Kuranes to conclude them as soon as possible, even if he must concede to some of the Atullian's demands.

The party gathers for the feast in the tower's great hall; the Ghouls are also present, since they can eat raw unspoiled meat, but Cuideog declines, still being sated from the yak earlier in the day. Elatha is as good as his word, and the food and drink flow freely; even Differel seems to be overindulging a bit. However, Eile begins to suspect he hopes to sate them so that they will sleep soundly, and she deliberately hold back. Sunny notices, and she does the same. Later, after they retire, they stay up, uncertain as to what to expect. Even so, they doze off, and some time later they are awakened by what sounds like a heavy, low drone coming from outside. They rush to the balcony and just barely make out a gigantic black shape with blinking running lights pass overhead, heading out to sea. They realize it must be the transport, and they run to awaken Differel and Medb. Both of them are so groggy that it takes awhile for them to stumble out of bed, and by the time they reach their balconies the transport is out of sight. Medb recovers the soonest, and in a fit of rage she charges out of their suite to Elatha's level without bothering to dress. Differel and Victor take a moment to throw on robes and they follow the girls. They find Medb confronting Elatha in his study, holding a spear poised to run him through, but when he carefully explains that he never promised to withhold the shipment, Medb actually laughs and lowers the spear. Elatha then informs them that he has received word that Kuranes will arrive tomorrow morning, at which point they will all be free to go. He also informs Differel that, pursuant to their earlier discussion, he should inform her that Kuranes has signed a non-aggression pact with the Atullian ambassador, meaning that he cannot now wage war against them. He wanted her to be aware of it before Kuranes arrived. Back in their suite, Differel asks Medb if Elatha can be trusted in this. Medb reiterates that he does not lie, but whether he genuinely wanted to help her or was trying to set her against Kuranes, she cannot say. She can only advise her by asking who she would trust, Elatha or Kuranes, and if she is uncertain, to ask Victor.

Once back in bed, Differel does just that. Victor states he would trust Kuranes with his life, whereas Elatha is manipulative and deceitful for all his truthfulness. But then, so is Medb. In any event, if Kuranes made a pact with the Atullians, there must have been a very good reason why, and he will probably explain everything in the morning.

54 days left

The party, with Elatha, awaits on the roof terrace of his tower in the morning after breakfast, watching the western sky. In time, nine craft appear: Kuranes's flotilla, with another barge in front, as if leading the way. As they approach the tower, that one breaks off and comes around to the eastern side, docking at a lower level a third of the way down. The destroyers and chase boats take positions around the tower as the dreadnaught hoves in and docks with the roof. A gangplank descends and Kuranes, with the Cat Queen and Ubasti, disembark. Elatha has arranged a short reception, but it nearly goes awry when the Atullian delegation attends, and among their number, as military attaché, is the golden woman Differel fought in the Underworld, now scarred from her burning. The two women would have attacked one another if their companions had not restrained them, and Kuranes decides it would be best to leave. As a parting shot, Elatha declares to Medb that once the flotilla is out of Hazuth-Kleg airspace, the ransom will be fully paid. Medb acknowledges both that basic fact and the implied threat behind it.

On board the dreadnaught, Kuranes debriefs the party. He is disturbed by Elatha's revelation, but if indeed the involvement of Hazuth-Kleg has ended, there is now nothing he can do. When the girls ask why, Kuranes explains that, while Hazuth-Kleg is a part of Ooth-Nargai and therefore subject to his rule, it is a free-city, meaning that it can govern its own affairs. This came about in the early years of his reign, when Hazuth-Kleg actively opposed him. After a bloody war, he managed to conquer all of its territory, but the city proved too hard to take. As such, a treaty was signed in which the territory that Hazuth-Kleg formerly ruled would now be ruled by Kuranes, but the city itself would remain independent. As long as it made no hostile gestures or provided aid and comfort to the enemies of Ooth-Nargai, it could govern its affairs as it saw fit. When the girls try to argue that in fact the Fomorian plot was a hostile gesture and that it constituted aid and comfort, Kuranes contradicts them, saying that the plot, even as described by Elatha, poses no direct threat to Ooth-Nargai, or directly aids any of its enemies. Kuranes is not naïve; he understands that any threat to the rest of the Dreamlands is a threat to Ooth-Nargai, but he is not an absolute ruler, only a charismatic one. He has a privy council to which he has delegated much of his authority; they share rule with him, and sometimes he must defer to their decisions. As it now stands, they could argue that the Atullians could conquer all the Six Kingdoms and the lands beyond, while leaving Ooth-Nargai in peace. As such, they will make no move against them except to counter a direct, unambiguous threat.

Hence the non-aggression pact. The Atullians threatened war over Differel's activities, claiming the Fomorians and Moonbeasts were their allies. While Kuranes wasn't intimidated, with no knowledge of their involvement or their strength in this region, he could not chance an open break. The pact was meant to buy time, to prevent the privy council from acting unilaterally until they could acquire proof of bad acts. The pact does deny the ability of both sides to act indirectly against the other through proxies, or to target their allies. Considering Differel's reaction upon seeing the military attaché, he has no doubt the party had seen her collaborating with the Fomorians. That would technically be a violation of the pact, but they have no proof, and even if they did, there is still no proof that Mandy's plan targets Ooth-Nargai. Without either, he cannot set aside the pact. And while Mandy is certainly targeting the Six Kingdoms, they are not formally allies with Ooth-Nargai, not even the cats. Up until now, that hasn't really been necessary. However, that also means that while technically he can no longer directly aid Differel, only Saighlíne and the girls are citizens and agents of Ooth-Nargai, and the girls are not acting in their capacity as Knights of Celephais. Hence, there is nothing to stop Differel from continuing her investigation with their help. And as a reward for her many years of service to Ooth-Nargai, Kuranes releases Saighlíne from any further service indefinitely, thereby allowing her to help as well.

The Cat Queen then announces how the Cats From Saturn have taken the Moon, and she asks the help of Differel and Medb to take it back. For Differel, the nickel finally drops. It's classic divide and conquer. The pact prevents Kuranes from helping the cats, because that would put him in conflict with the Moonbeasts, one of the allies of Atullia. The cats are the single most powerful force in the whole of the Six Kingdoms; wipe them out, and everything south of the Oukranos River falls to the Atullians. The Cat Queen boasts she can field a Grand Army of a million cats if she must, but Differel is convinced she is being lured into a trap. In any event, once the Atullians have the Six Kingdoms, it would give them a base from which to launch an invasion of Ooth-Nargai, or help Hazuth-Kleg conquer the region. At that point, it would only be a matter of time before all the Dreamlands fell under their control. Kuranes points out that Karchedon is an allie of Ooth-Nargai, and as long as they control the seas, no one could successfully invade or support a conquest. Looking at Victor, Differel states that in that case, Karchedon would be the next target. Victor nods, saying that he must get word to them immediately. Kuranes tells him that a messenger arrived with a dispatch while he was gone. He had planned to give it to him later in private, but here and now seems a better time and place. He hands over a sealed envelope, which Victor opens and reads. It's good news: the Queen and her high council agree with his assessment that the activities he described pose a threat to Karchedon, and they are mobilizing. They give Victor plenipotentiary powers to negotiate with Kuranes whatever needs be done, and they authorize him to make whatever investigations and take whatever steps he deems fit. He goes off to a nearby desk to pen a reply and send it back with the messenger. Differel, Medb, and the girls agree to help the Cat Queen, and Kuranes leaves them to make whatever plans they need to.

The Cat Queen cannot discount Differel's analysis; in fact, she agrees with it, as does Medb. But she cannot delay too long; the longer she waits, the stronger the Saturn Cats' position will become. It will take long enough just to raise and mobilize the Grand Army. When Differel asks how long, the Queen replies a week. Differel asks for that time to prepare a plan. The Queen grants it, as long as she is consulted before any of them take any action on their own. Cuideog offers to help, but he needs to get back to his patron to report. The problem is, how to get there without talking days of travel. Saighlíne offers to provide transportation, but they must go to Celephais. The Cat Queen objects, saying that they must go to Ulthar; she must get a message to her council, and now that the Moon is cut off, the cloud barges are the fastest way. Victor interrupts to state that that is not necessarily so. To prove his point, he blows on a small recorder, and a winged reptilian creature about the size of a baboon appears out of thin air. Victor explains that it is a homunculus. They are created by the wizards of Punica to act as messengers, guards, and spies. They can phase in and out of reality, as well as teleport across great distances, to any place they have been to before or by following the sound of the recorder. He gives the creature a letter he wrote, plays a short tune, and it vanishes as it turns. He sent that one to Karchedon. He blows again and another appears. He plays another tune and the creature replies with a whistle. This one he can send to Ulthar; it has been there before. It cannot carry anything living; no living creature can survive the teleportation process. Instead, the cat Queen dictates a letter that will be delivered to Eberhard, proprietor of the Inn of the Quixotic Muse. He can then read it to the council. Victor gives the letter to the homunculus and sends it on its way. Saighlíne then asks Kuranes to return to Celephais.

Elatha and Bres are meeting with the Atullian ambassador and the military attaché. They express concern with developments so far. Differel and her friends may not have disrupted the plan, but they are getting close to doing so. The ambassador assures them that the plan is close to fruition, and as long as the site of its implementation is secret, they will be unable to stop it. Furthermore, the pact with Kuranes will hamper their efforts; without his help, they are severely handicapped. Elatha warns them not to underestimate Medb or the Twins. Aunt Mandy appears, much to the Fomorians' dismay, and states that while she agrees, the real danger is Differel. However, she knows her every move; her spy has been keeping her well informed. Even so, perhaps it is time to remove her from the stage, and the Twins as well. She has made the necessary arrangements, and by morning they will no longer be of any concern.

The flotilla arrives in Celephais by late afternoon, and the girls put the entire party up in their mansion. After some spa-style pampering and a large meal, they gather together in the girls' study for a council of war. Saighlíne has her own cloud barge; not as large or fancy as Kuranes's, but it is fast, well armed, and maneuverable. Though it would be a bit cramped, it could hold the entire party, Capt. Ney's Ghouls, and two squads of her personal guardsmen. They could get to the Plateau of Leng in a day. However, it will take a day, maybe two, to get it ready; she hasn't used it in several years. For once, Differel is in no hurry; she needs time to come up with a plan. The girls allow her the use of their study, which is filled with books and maps. They agree that until she does, their primary duty is to help the cats regain the Moon, and without Kuranes's help, they will need allies, and the spiders are their best bet for now. With that in place, everyone retires for the night. However, as the girls settle into bed for some sensual fun, Medb appears. She tells them that war is inevitable; she has seen it in a prescient vision. Therefore, she is off to collect an ally only she can secure. The problem is they live far away; it will take some time to reach them and some time to return. She can travel fastest alone. The girls still want to come with her, but she tells them Differel will have greater need of them than her. She also reminds them she has explored the length and breadth of the Dreamlands for years before the girls arrived, and she can take care of herself. With that, she leaves, taking Crèmedevoyager, Teehar, and Conaed with her.

Differel is awakened in the night by a sound from a nightmare from her childhood. Victor asks her about it, and she explains that when she was little, she had the same nightmare for weeks on end, featuring hordes of humanoid insect creatures that devoured everything in their path; she called them Chiggers. They made a sound that she would never forget. It got to the point that she was afraid to go to sleep at night, they terrified her so much. Finally, Aunt Mandy of all people taught her a mental discipline that allowed her to calm her mind and take control of her nightmares. After that, she never had them again. Even now, the memory of them terrorizes her; she deals with it by throwing herself into her work, hoping she'll forget them again. She hasn't had one for over a quarter-century, and she doesn't understand why they should suddenly return. Then Victor informs her that Dreamers do not dream in the Dreamlands. Confused, she knows she heard the sound, then she hears it again while awake. Panic seizes her, and then a figure appears in one of the windows. Screaming, she throws herself out of bed and runs to the opposite side of the room to get as far away as possible. Victor turns and sees a man-shaped insectoid creature perched on the sill. He jumps out of bed and grabs a pistol off the nightstand, firing as the Chigger leaps at him. It falls dead, but another replaces it. He runs for his sword as house guards enter the room. They rush to engage the Chiggers as Eile and Sunny appear through the shared balcony and a horn sounded somewhere on the grounds. Eile and Victor join the guards as Sunny checks on Differel. Though she stares at the tableau, she appears catatonic. Sunny then uses her bow to support the fighters. The guards are able to hold the Chiggers at bay for a short time, but they trade one for one until they are all dead or incapacitated. Three more Chiggers come in; one grabs Victor, one goes for Eile, and a third for Differel. Sunny shoots that one while Eile cuts down her own, but it collapses on top of her. The Chigger holding Victor makes to rip his face off, and something inside Differel snaps. Screaming, but this time in rage, Caliburn appears in her hand as she leaps over the bed. She lops off the head of the Chigger, who drops Victor, and without a pause she throws herself at the others still coming through the window. Victor helps Eile up and they join Differel as the Ghouls appear. Meanwhile, the household guard has mobilized and attacked those still outside the bedroom. It's over before anyone really realizes it. Differel stands in the midst of the bodies piled around her, panting, a look of blazing fury on her face, then she closes her eyes and roars before collapsing to her knees and sobbing. Eile has Victor take her to their bedroom to clean up and sleep as she and Sunny take charge of the mop up.

53 days left

The next morning, the girls take stock of the attack. About two dozen Chiggers had invaded to mansion. Differel seemed to be the target; no one else was attacked, though the other members of the party had helped in the defense. Half their guards were killed or injured, most while defending the bedroom. However, service with the girls was popular, so there would be no shortage of applicants to fill the vacancies. Most of the Chiggers were killed by being hacked, and all but one dissolved when dead, even those shot by Sunny. However, the one shot by victor was still intact. Sunny speculates it is because of the lead ball embedded in its chest, to which Ceara concurs. Saighlíne goes to report to Kuranes and then to her mansion to prepare her barge. Shadow-stalker leaves to inform the Cat Queen of what happened.

After breakfast, Sunny decides to dissect the body, and they move it into the inner courtyard on a table. Differel comes to watch, but it is clear that the sight of the Chigger horrifies her, and she leaves after only a few minutes. As Sunny examines it, she sees a Moon ruby embedded at the base of the throat. Using a knife she pries it loose, and immediately the body transforms into a skinned human. Elatha's description of the morbidun being used to transform people into soldiers comes to mind, and they realize that Aunt Mandy is creating an army of Chiggers.

Differel shuts herself away in the girls' study, isolated from everyone including Victor. The only contact she has is with servants who respond to her rings for tea, the occasional sandwich, or to stock and refresh the fire, and even then she just gives simple orders and refuses to answer questions. Saighlíne reports that the barge should be ready to sail by tomorrow noon at the latest. The Cat Queen stops by and asks that she be taken along; she wishes to negotiate with the spider council herself. However, she wants to stop at Ulthar to collect her guard. Fortunately the cats need no special accommodations, so they will not crowd the barge any more than it will be. The rest of the day the party makes preparations, then they relax. After dinner, the girls give an impromptu concert, and some of the party join in. Before they retire, however, Differel asks Victor to join her, but she makes no report of her progress.

Continued in Part 2

Synopsis: Team Girl Dieselpunk AR Story - Part 1

Eile Chica, former fighter pilot, now a famous barnstormer, racer, and playgirl, is posing nude on the hood of a Stutz Bearcat hoverroadster as part of a promotional campaign, for which Stutz will pay her a huge honorarium and the roadster. As the shoot concludes, Mach, her jack-of-all-trades mechanic, tells her she has a call. She goes into her office and finds the caller is Gen. Morgan Leia Ross, her superior in the Military Intelligence Division of the US Army. She tells Eile that Maela, a freelance spy, contacted the War Department about secret plans she wants to sell the US. She will be at a party in Washington DC. Payment is to be in the form of a bearer bond in the amount of $100,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency or gold. She orders Eile to go to Washington to attend the party, examine the plans, purchase them if possible, steal them if not. Everything she needs will be provided for her upon her arrival, including the payment. After she hangs up, she informs Mach they will be going on a trip and he needs to get the van ready. First, however, she needs some relaxation. She discards her robe and heads into her bedroom as he follows.

Sonne “Sunny” Hiver, a seaplane pilot who runs a charter passenger and cargo service while also smuggling contraband, relaxes on the right wing float of her Grumman G-21 Goose flying boat, the Daring Daffy, after skinny-dipping in the ocean off Cape Cod. She and her partner Dirk Golde have just completed a long charter flight and are taking a well-earned vacation. She hears a call over her radio and goes inside to take it. It’s from Oda Jaeger, her superior in the Evidenzbureau, the directorate for military intelligence for the Pan-Germanic Empire. She tells her that Maela contacted the Imperial embassy in Washington and offered to sell them her plans. She orders her to go to the party and get them. The payment will be waiting for her at the hotel. After she signs off, Sunny makes her way through the cabin of her plane to the beds in the back, where Dirk is waiting for her. She informs him their vacation has been cut short, but they don’t need to leave until tomorrow morning. He suggests they don’t waste any of it and she crawls in on top of him.

Lady Differel Van Helsing, Countess of East Anglia, society celebrity and international traveler, approaches the steps of her indoor pool in her multistory penthouse apartment in New York City. She accepts a glass of wine from her robot majordomo, Aelfraed, then sheds her robe and steps into the water. After only a few laps however, she receives a call, and she takes it poolside. It’s from Edward Penbryn, her immediate superior at the Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 6. They have learned from their informants in Washington that the Americans and Pan-Germans have been offered plans by Maela to be sold at a party in the US capital, but she has not made a similar offer to His Majesty’s government. He states that Whitehall has determined that they cannot allow either rival to receive these plans, whatever they are, so he instructs her to steal them if possible, either from Maela or the agent who purchases them. As Differel disconnects Aelfraed informs her that the new prospect has arrived and is waiting for her in the interview room. She exits the pool, dries off, puts on the robe, and goes to the room. A man in a robe awaits her; he tells her his name is Victor. They shed their robes and he carries her to the bed.

The next day, Eile drives her new Bearcat as Mach follows in a hovervan. They talk over a two-way radio headset as she explains that she needs him to be her escort, a prospect he’s not happy with. She explains Ross should have everything ready upon their arrival. Sunny flies over them in her seaplane as she instructs Dirk on what she’ll need in Washington. He gets on the radio to contact his people there. Beneath them, Differel streaks past in her high-speed express train. She briefs Victor on his job as her escort as her personal tailor measures him for a formal white tie and tails suit.

Eile and Mach arrive at a warehouse in Maryland. There they meet Ross’s adjutant, Brig. Torain Thegn. He has their clothes for the party and a Duesenberg Grand Phaeton hoverlimo with robot driver. Mach sees to the transfer of the luggage while Eile consults a map and asks Thegn to deliver the package to a particular location. She and Mach then leave.

Sunny lands on the Potomac River and pulls up to the seaplane airport. There they are greeted by Dirk’s confederates with a hovertruck and a Mercedes-Benz Spectre III hoverlimo with robot driver. They assure her that the location is prepared and they will have the goods there on time. Satisfied, she and Dirk leave in the limo.

Upon arriving in Washington, Differel and Victor disembark as Aelfraed brings up her Pierce Silver Arrow hoverlimo. Her robots load the luggage in the trunk and they drive off. As they drive through the city past the sights, Differel activates Vlad and gives him coded instructions. She then tells Victor that if she speaks the word “topaz” to him, he is to go to their room and say it to Aelfraed. He will then be driven to the train and taken back to New York.

The three pairs arrive at the Sheraton Grand Monarch hotel, the most luxurious and expensive hotel in the city. The party is being given by Marseilles Sheraton, owner of the hotel and the queen of Washington society, and will be held in the ballroom on the roof, a single huge area covered by a three story structure of glass and mirrors. When they check into their rooms, Eile and Sunny find messages from Maela, requesting meetings at different times and places during the ball. Since it won’t begin until nightfall and they have some hours before they need to get ready, the couples avail themselves of the hotel’s amenities. The men visit the gymnasium and both Mach and Dirk in turn are approached by a hotel employee and offered $100,000 to obtain the plans from their lady companions. Victor however overhears the pitch being made to Mach and realizes there is at least one other party in the hotel that wants the plans. Meanwhile Differel meets with Sheraton. The celebutante has worked with MI6 before as well as numerous freelance agents. Differel wants to know what Maela looks like, and is willing to pay for the information. Afterwards, she takes a swim and sits in the steam room. While there, another guest slips her a package sealed in a rubber packet. When Differel opens it, she finds a photo of Maela. It disintegrates in the hot moist air, but Differel has committed the image to memory. Back in her room, Victor tells her what he overheard.

The party begins and the couples mingle. Each has a chance to meet with Sheraton. Neither Eile nor Sunny know what Maela looks like, so they can only wait until their rendezvous. Eile goes to the appointed spot at the appointed time and a woman gives her the contact code word; it’s Maela. She shows her a copy of the plans: they appear to be for a new kind of aircraft engine. She explains that it is a turbojet engine that would use diesel fuel to create combustion and heat air as the exhaust. It would give any aircraft equipped with it a speed of over 1100 km/hr, which is faster than the best turboprop aircraft or British ioncraft, though not the US rocket planes; however, they don’t consume as much fuel and they are more maneuverable. But Eile realizes the plans are incomplete; there are critical details missing from the drawings. Maela acknowledges that, and states that if Eile wants the complete plans, she is to leave the payment inside a decorative vase. Once Maela recovers it, the plans will be left in the same vase; Eile can pick them up after an hour. Eile makes no commitment, but Maela tells her not to try to follow her, she has confederates in the crowd keeping an eye on Eile.

Differel searches for Maela and finds her talking with Eile. She can’t hear what they’re saying, but she suspects she knows. She recognizes Eile from the media and she is concerned she may be a turncoat. She instructs Victor to follow Eile while she follows Maela.

Eile spots Victor. She instructs Mach to deal with him, then loudly sends him off to get her a drink. He works around behind Victor, pulls a gun on him, and forces him to leave. They go out to the lobby and get on an elevator, heading for the underground carport. However, it isn’t an express elevator, and it makes a stop at an intermediate floor. Mach hides the gun as people start to walk in and Victor attacks him, scaring the people out. The elevator continues on down. Victor manages to get Mach to drop the gun and they engage in a nasty fistfight as each tries to subdue the other long enough to get to the gun.

Eile believes the watch put on her by Maela has been dealt with, so she searches for the spy. She finds her just before she meets with Sunny. Eile realizes that something is wrong: either Maela is running a con or she hopes to start a bidding war. Either way, Eile decides not to play her game. She waits until Sunny walks away, then confronts Maela. She demands that Maela hand over the plans. However, Dirk gets behind her, and then Sunny reappears. Sunny states that she had also decided to steal the plans once she verified they were real. Her intention was for her and Dirk to take her to some quiet place, but Eile’s mucked that up. Now they’ll have to wait until Dirk gets rid of Eile. Eile realizes something must have happened to Mach, otherwise he would have dealt with Dirk by now.

Victor finally manages to knock Mach out. He dumps him out of the elevator and starts back up to the ballroom.

Differel doesn’t see Victor and realizes something must have happened to him. She activates a signal device then confronts the little group. In the confusion, Eile takes out Dirk and retrieves her gun as well as his, while Sunny takes Maela hostage. They now have a three-way standoff. Sunny tells Eile and Differel to back off or she’ll kill Maela. Differel suggests letting Maela go; with her gone, there is no reason for the confrontation and they can stand down. They can get the plans another day. Eile tells them that she thinks the plans are faked and Maela is just out to scam them. Maela tries to protest but Sunny silences her, knocking her out. However, Eile can see that Sunny and Differel might believe her.

Mach wakes up and takes the elevator back up.

A thunderous crash sounds as a robot drops through the glass ceiling. It is twelve feet tall, painted flat black, and has machine guns instead of hands and a cannon on its shoulders. It starts firing, causing people to duck for cover, but it isn’t trying to hit anyone.

Victor arrives just as the robot appears and starts shooting. He hesitates, then slips back into the elevator and starts down.

Differel shoots at Sunny, who returns fire but retreats for cover. Eile shoots at both her and Differel, but she also retreats. Differel, however, runs up to Maela’s unconscious body and rifles through her clothes.

Victor arrives in the room he shares with Differel and tells Aelfraed “Sapphire”. Aelfraed responds by stating it is at his command.

Eile and Sunny both take potshots at Differel, but cannot get a clear target because of the robot firing over their heads. Differel removes a packet from Maela’s dress and runs off towards the robot. Mach arrives at Eile’s side and takes one of her guns, then moves off to try to get a shot at Differel. Differel reaches the robot as Mach fires; she returns fire and wings him. She then tears off her dress and climbs up the back of the robot to strap herself into a seat behind its head. Eile and Sunny break cover, shooting, as the robot rises into the air. Eile reaches Mach and finds it’s only a flesh wound. Sunny continues to shoot until the robot, clear of the broken roof, streaks off into the night sky. Sunny turns and bolts for a set of emergency stairs as Eile and Mach head for the stairs by the elevator.

Sunny reaches the underground carport, runs for a stall, and pulls a cover off of a DKW Super Sport 500 hoverbike. Ripping the skirt off her dress, she mounts it and speeds off.

Eile and Mach reach the street and cross it to a parking lot, where the van sits waiting. She goes inside as he activates external controls and opens the roof. Inside sits a Northrop F-78G Peregrine air superiority fighter rocketcraft. She puts on a parachute, then hikes her skirt and climbs into the cockpit, and puts on her helmet. As soon as the roof opens up, she starts it up and it rises out of the van. Once she is clear, she activates the rocket engine and shoots off down the street. She rises up and swings around while patching into Capital Airspace Defense, and gets a signal off the radar units. She then heads for the robot.

Differel directs Vlad north back to New York, but he informs her they have a bogie coming up behind. Eile shoots past, then cuts her engine, breaks and swings around, then activates it again and flies in from the left front. Differel knows the rocketcraft can outrun Vlad’s ioncraft engine, but uses his maneuverability to swing out of the way when she fires her machine guns and cannons. He in turn fires back, but the rocketcraft is too fast. They dance around each other for some minutes when Vlad announces more rocketcraft are approaching. As Eile makes another pass, Differel shoots with her pistol and hits a small unarmored spot that nonetheless puts the craft out of commission. Eile points it towards the river and bails out. Differel watches as the craft crashes into the river, then instructs Vlad to fly over the surface, hoping the other pursuing craft will think she crashed and confident that they won’t be able to see Vlad in the darkness. Once he announces pursuit has broken off, she directs him towards New York.

Sunny sees the parachute and catches up to where Eile lands. She then offers a lift. Eile is surprised and suspicious, but accepts. As they go along, Eile asks why she’s helping her. Sunny replies by asking her how she knew about the plans. Eile tells her that Maela contacted the US government. Sunny states that she also contacted the Empire, and apparently at least one other power as well. She then states that she thinks Eile’s right; something strange is going on. It could very well be a con, though her gut doesn’t think so, but if it isn’t it makes no sense for Maela to sell the same plans to more than one buyer, greed notwithstanding. The risk of discovery is too great; an auction would be safer, but she didn’t ask for bids, just a straight payment up front. Besides, she’s just an independent agent, not a member of an organization, so she doesn’t have the resources to make an auction work, though she might represent a third party in this instance. But be that as it may, if the plans are genuine, the robot lady may have the complete copies, and they need to find out. Eile asks how they can know where she’s going, and Sunny states that she shot the robot with a tracker. Her seaplane has a receiver and they should be able to follow her. Besides, she thinks she knows who she is.

They arrive at the seaplane airport and go to her flying boat. They go aboard as dock workers load her bike into the hold. Eile is nervous to see Dirk, but after Sunny introduces them he smiles and says no hard feelings. Sunny and Eile then go forward and Sunny starts the engine. They take off and as soon as they are in the air, she activates the homing receiver. The bearing leads straight to New York. Sunny gets excited and turns the controls over to Eile as she rushes into the cabin. Dirk inquires as to when they will get rid of her, and Sunny replies not until they have the complete plans.

When Sunny returns to the cockpit, she shows Eile a copy of Life magazine. On the cover is a photograph of Differel wearing a jacket and skirt with gloves, a cravat, and a beret, smoking a small thin cigar. She’s also holding a sword. Eile remembers the hoopla that accompanied her arrival in the US. Eile flips to the article and skims it, discovering that she is considered Britain’s wealthiest, most alluring, eligible, and eccentric bachelorette. It also states that she was exiled from Britain for some unknown disgrace and she spends most of her time in New York when not traveling the world. Eile asks to use the radio, and she calls Mach, telling him they are headed for New York and for him to meet them there.

When she signs off, Sunny asks if she’s examined her copy of the plans yet. Eile replies she looked at them at the party, but hasn’t had a chance to examine them thoroughly. Sunny then hands her her copy. Eile remarks it’s a copy like hers, but Sunny says she’s betting it isn’t like hers. Eile compares it with her own and sees that they are missing different sets of details. She asks Sunny how she knew. Sunny states she didn’t, but it makes sense in light of what they already suspect. If that’s true, though, it makes the situation even murkier: providing partial details to tantalize is SOP, but not providing different sets of partial details to different parties. Does Differel have the complete set of unaltered plans, does she have two sets of altered plans that would make any one of their sets complete, or does she simply have a third copy with its own set of missing details like theirs? And if the latter, do they need all three to make the plans complete or is there a fourth missing set somewhere? There are just too many unanswered questions at present.

When she finishes, Eile tells Sunny that Dirk is a member of a separatists group seeking to reinstate the Confederacy and institutional slavery of non-white races. Sunny says she doesn’t care, as long as he’s useful to the Pan-Germanic cause, though she supposes that now he’s been compromised. Eile warns her that his loyalty is to the Lost Cause, not Pan-Germany, but she still doesn’t care. They then get into an argument over the inferiority of blacks. While Eile believes that most blacks are lazy and shiftless, she knows that some are very intelligent and capable people, such as the Tuskegee Airmen she flew with in Argentina. Sunny rejects Dirk’s virulent racism, and has no doubt that blacks can be noble and productive people, but she is committed to the belief that whites are inherently superior and no black can ever aspire to be a true equal with any white. Eile leaves the cockpit before their argument becomes violent and reads the rest of the article in the cabin, as Dirk provides her with food and drink.

Differel arrives at her apartment in New York. After climbing down off of Vlad, he goes off to his ‘coffin’ to recharge. Differel is greeted by Aelfraed. When she asks where Victor is, he tells her he did not return with them from Washington. Differel is surprised by how disappointed she feels, but she can’t do anything about it at the moment. Instead, she gives the packet to Aelfraed and tells him to put it in the safe, then instructs him to draw her bath. After that some supper and then to bed.

Eile and Sunny take turns napping and flying the seaplane, but they arrive in New York by dawn. They land in the East River and pull up to a seaplane airport in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. Eile directs Sunny to a US safe house where she changes clothes and gets a new gun. According to the Life article Differel lives in the four-story penthouse at the top of the Schindler Building in Midtown Manhattan, so the question is, how to reach her? Sunny has an idea, which is why she didn’t clean up or change clothes. Mach arrives with a Packard Deluxe Eight hoverroadster. Eile takes a few minutes to bandage his arm and they wait for him to change. Eile and Sunny then drive off in the Packard while Mach follows on the bike.

When they arrive they park a couple of blocks away and walk to the corner of the building where they meet Dirk. Sunny tells Eile to follow her lead, takes off the coat she wore, and runs to the doorman, bawling about how she was assaulted and almost raped and begging him to help her. Eile comes running up behind her and plays her concerned friend. Sunny acts hysterical, and the doorman takes them into the lobby. There a guard comes over to offer additional help, and Eile and Sunny knock them both out. Sunny takes the executive key for the elevator from the doorman as Eile undresses them while Mach and Dirk walk in. Mach and Dirk put on their uniforms and then they head on up to the lobby of the penthouse. They use the executive key to get into the foyer, but find they cannot enter the hall beyond. Mach and Dirk buzz the door and a robot answers. They claim there is a problem and they require entrance. The robot lets them into the hall and Eile and Sunny rush in before the doors can be closed. Robots enter the hall from all directions and surround them.

Differel is sitting in the sauna on the pool floor when Aelfraed informs her that intruders have breached the building’s lobby security and are on their way up. She throws on a robe and grabs a submachine gun as she activates Vlad. She then heads upstairs. Once she enters the hall she recognizes Eile and Sunny as the girls from the party. She steps into the hall and informs them that her robots have had the preprogrammed mitzvah against harming people modified to not harming anyone who does not threaten her, and breaking into her house is a threat. As such, the robots will attack them if they try to carry through with their attack. Eile and Sunny look at each other, then nod to Mach and Dirk, who put their guns away as they do. Differel orders the robots to disperse, all but Aelfraed, and as they leave, Vlad comes up the stairs and trains his machine guns on them. She puts aside her gun and asks them what they want. When they say they came for the complete plans, she pulls the packet out of her robe pocket and asks if they mean those.

Dirk answers yes, then activates a device in his pocket. There is a buzzing sound and Aelfraed goes haywire and collapses. Vlad also goes haywire, but it manages to stay upright and swing the machine guns around, so Dirk shoots it three times in key places and it collapses, twitching. Mach turns on him and Dirk pistol-whips him. Differel snatches up her submachine gun as Eile and Sunny pull out their pistols, but Dirk pulls out a satchel charge. He demands they drop their guns, which they do. When Sunny wants to know what’s going on, he explains that Sheraton has offered $100,000 for the plans. That’s more than enough to start the separatist movement; certainly more than enough to spread a wave of violence across the country that will paralyze, even cripple the government. He demands the packet from Differel. She tries to explain something but he cuts her off and threatens to set off the charge. She tosses it to him. He then demands the copies from Sunny and Eile. They hand them over. He motions the girls over to Differel and backs up towards the exit, stating how he’ll set off the charge if they try to follow. As he pulls open the doors, however, Victor appears behind him, raises a gun to his head, and calmly pulls the trigger, blowing Dirk’s brains out. He then pulls a device out of Dirk’s pocket and smashes it under foot. The buzzing stops, and after a few moments Aelfraed gets on its feet.

As Sunny goes to retrieve the plans and Eile checks on Mach, Differel demands to know what’s going on. Victor states that he is with MI5. His superiors had learned that the IRA had contacted the American separatists about the plans, hoping to cause chaos in the US to inconvenience the UK to their advantage. He was seconded to Differel to watch her back in case the separatists tried to take the plans. As such, when she stole them, he used a code word programmed into Aelfraed to hide him in the penthouse just in case. Differel is not happy about the deception, but she understands why their superiors thought it necessary. She also tells Sunny not to try to run off with the plans, because they are worthless as they are. In response to her surprised look, she replies that if they will give her a chance to get dressed, she’ll explain everything.

While they wait, Aelfraed gives Eile a first aid kit for Mach and offers to let Sunny clean up in the floor’s bathroom; it has a shower. He then provides them with refreshments on the terrace, except for Mach who is doing repairs on Vlad. Differel joins them for a short while, then leads them down to the next floor where the pool is located. From there she brings them inside to the game room and down the circular stairs to the bottom floor, and finally through the family room into her private study. She takes the plans from Sunny and inserts the ones given to her and Eile into a magnifying projector, creating images on a wall. She shows them what they already knew: the plans are incomplete, with different sets of missing details. She then combines the two images and they see how they compliment each other, filling some but not all of each other’s gaps. She explains that she had begun to suspect this might be the case when she examined the contents of the packet she took off Maela. She shows them two plans, both of which are identical, both of which are incomplete. She inserts one into the projector and superimposes it onto the other two images. The plans now look complete, but before Eile or Sunny can try to steal them, Differel points their attention to a previously empty portion: there is now a very small part a new design there, indicating that there is still more that they need.

The question is, where to find it. They naturally think of Maela, but as Differel, Sunny, and Victor debate the merits of searching for her and kidnapping her, Eile takes a closer look at the images. She notices a series of numbers in the center: two sets of three combinations. She points them out to the others and Differel tries switching off each image, indicating that all three plans are needed to see all the numbers. But what are they? Eile believes they are geographic coordinates. They debate over which are latitude and longitude, and whether they are north or south, east or west, respectively. Eile states that by convention latitude always comes first, and can never be more than 90 degrees, while plus and minus signs are used to indicate direction and longitudes greater than 180 always indicate east from prime meridian, but when the numbers are plotted they indicate a position in the Canadian Arctic, which doesn’t make sense. However, assuming south latitude instead of north ends up in Antarctica, which makes even less sense. But if they’re not map coordinates, what are they? Victor suggests that they are coordinates. He suggests that this is all some sort of puzzle, one they were meant to solve together, in which case the solution should be obvious rather than obscure. In any event, if they’re not coordinates, they could be anything. They agree that makes sense.

Sunny offers to fly them all up, but Differel has a better idea. She asks where she can rendezvous with them. Though a strange request, Eile suggests her hangar complex in western New York. Differel says she will arrive in 24 hours. She gives the plans to Victor for safe keeping and tells them they are welcome to spend the night. They may avail themselves of the house’s amenities, but the robots will keep them out of trouble, including trying to break into her secure rooms. If they behave themselves, though, Aelfraed will take good care of them. She then changes into a flying costume. Mach has repaired Vlad good as new, for which she is grateful. She then mounts the giant robot and it flies off to some unknown destination.

They decide to take advantage of her offer, but first they have business to attend to. Eile, Mach, and Sunny go downstairs and slip out the service entrance; Sunny then returns to her seaplane as Eile and Mach go back to the safe house. Eile figures it will have to be closed down now that Sunny knows about it, but first she gets in touch with Gen. Ross and brings her up to speed, including telling her the coordinates. She also requests a new fighter. She and Mach then destroy the radio, the code books, and the records, get a change of clothes and extra weapons, and take a taxi back to the Schindler Building. Eile is not too surprised when the replacement doorman and guard let them in; she figures Differel arranged it through Aelfraed.

Sunny reaches her seaplane and reports to Oda Jaeger, particularly Dirk’s betrayal and assassination. She doesn’t have the coordinates for where they will be going, but she knows their destination is somewhere on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipeligo. She will carry a homing device with her and activate it once they reach their destination. Afterwards she changes clothes, packs some weapons and gear, and takes a taxi back to the penthouse.

Differel and Vlad arrive at a secret base in the Catskills Mountains. In a hangar buried inside a mountain is a semi-rigid airship that she uses for missions. She activates the base robots and set them to work preparing the airship for launch. Meanwhile she contacts Penbryn and tells him all that’s happened, including giving him the coordinates. He tells her that once she has the plans, she should kill Eile and Sunny. She acknowledges the order.

After spending the day swimming, saunaing, and sunbathing (all without swimsuits; Mach spent the day examining the robots), they have a gourmet dinner, play some pool, then retire for the night. Eile and Mach stay in the same room. After about an hour, Sunny goes into Victor’s room. He realizes she is trying to seduce him to convert him to her side, but he lets her stay anyways.

Early the next morning, Aelfraed drives them to the seaplane airport. They board the Daring Daffy and head north, arriving at Eile’s hangar complex by noon. An hour later, an airship appears over the lake. Eile contacts it and it turns out to be Differel. The airship drops close to the ground and anchors itself in place, and Differel descends riding Vlad. She offers everyone a ride on her luxury airship, powered by six ioncraft engines and eight supplementary turboprop engines, with the usual lifters in place. It is manned entirely by robots. It is fueled and provisioned for a week, but it will only take two days to reach the coordinates, giving them three days on site if necessary. Sunny doesn’t want to leave her seaplane, but Differel states her airship has a trapeze mount for carrying a parasite airplane. She believes it should be strong enough to hold her seaplane, and she believes they will have a use for it. Eile only wishes she had a fighter.

They depart in mid-afternoon, after transferring additional weapons and gear on board. Connecting the Daring Daffy to the trapeze mount is tricky, but they manage to pull it off. They then settle into their cabins. Eile and Sunny are placed in one while Victor and Mach share another, which is just as well since the berths are too narrow for sharing. For the rest of the first day, Differel shows her four passengers around the airship. Built into the hull framework along the keel are fuel, water, and ballast tanks, along with the pantry, the electrical room, the radio room, and the cargo holds. Access to the engine cars is from the keel as well. The gondola has two levels. The top level has a forward promenade and lounge, a library/study, a bar, the ward room, Differel’s private stateroom and bath, guest cabins, showers, lavatories, and storage cabinets. The second level has the forward control room, the navigation room, the kitchen, the infirmary, and a hangar/hold. They then have an early supper and sit around the wardroom talking, smoking, and drinking.

Differel explains that her mother and father had been Special Branch agents fighting Irish subversion and violence, then later worked for the Secret Service Bureau. Her mother was killed by the Irish Republican Brotherhood and her father was assassinated by a German agent during the Great War. She joined MI6 when she came of age, taking her father’s title and playing the bon vivant peeress and clown to distract the unwary. Being involved in foreign intelligence gathering rather than domestic counter-intelligence, she spent most of her time overseas, playing the feckless world traveler and maintaining residences in seven major cities, including New York, but still making her home in her ancestral manor in Norfolk. When relations between the US and the UK began to cool, however, she was permanently assigned to America, using a manufactured disgrace as an excuse to have her exiled. Though she figures that her cover is now blown, since undoubtedly Eile and Sunny both reported to their superiors what she is. But it couldn’t be helped.

They finally retire, but after a short while Victor goes to Differel’s stateroom to spend the night.

The next day they spend the time watching the sights go by or reading or playing cards. Eile explains how she was in college when the brush war between Argentina and Brazil, aided and abetted by the Pan-Germans and America, broke out. Because her major was aircraft engineering, she volunteered, hoping to be made a mechanic so she could get some practical training. Instead, she was sent to officer’s school, then flight school, and became a fighter pilot. She trained and led young, inexperienced Brazilian pilots, then flew with the Tuskegee Airmen. She was a natural fighter pilot and became an ace of aces with 25 kills. Her biggest feat was when she shot down the Red Baron, who had been an ace of aces in the Great War and had been training and leading Argentinean pilots for some years. During the brush war he racked up 55 kills, mostly by taking advantage of the American pilots cutting their rocket engines to make turns to pounce on them. She faked him out by not cutting her engine and executing a high-g turn, catching him off guard. Later she and the Tuskegee Airmen went to his crash site and gave him a burial with full military honors.

She came out of the war a hero and got rich off making endorsements. When they started to drop off, she put her piloting skills to good use barnstorming and then racing. The latter earned her more endorsements, which she invested, making herself wealthy. She continues to race on occasion, but mostly lives as a celebrity playgirl making appearances at social and sporting events. She became involved with Gen. Ross when she stumbled upon a spy ring in one of her earlier races. Ever since then, she has gathered intelligence for counter-espionage in the States and for espionage outside. Though like Differel she imagines her cover has also been blown.

Sometime during the night they cross the Arctic Circle and in the morning Differel estimates they will arrive at the coordinates by noon. They have a conference to discuss what to do when they arrive and decide to use Sunny’s seaplane to approach the destination, leaving the airship to orbit at a safe but close distance. After that they take a break before they need to prepare. Sunny explains how her parents were charter pilots, who used her Goose to ferry passengers and cargo wherever they needed to go. They also smuggled contraband, including guns. She went everywhere with them, and while they lived in numerous houses around the country, the Goose was the only home she knew. She had no formal schooling, but they taught her the basics, including how to fly, and she read books and magazines, whatever she could get a hold of. One day they were killed by rival smugglers, but Sunny managed to escape in the Goose. It was only after that that she learned her parents had been spies for Pan-Germany, that their charter service and smuggling was just a cover. When the Empire offered to support her if she would spy for them, she accepted out of respect for her parents, not because she believes in the rightness of the Empire or its philosophies. Still, they have supported her well and she feels obligated to continue with them if she can, though like the others she believes her cover is also blown.

Continued in Part 2

Alfred the Great, King of England

Another time Medb hErenn tried to unite a nation to become a force against evil, she allied herself with Alfred King of Wessex, the only British king honored with the title "The Great".

When he was defeated by the Vikings trying to conquer England and driven into the marshes of Somerset, Medb appeared to him in the guise of a peasant and gave him and his small band of men shelter. She pretended to leave him to gather firewood and asked him to watch over some hearthcakes she had cooking by the fire. Concerned for his kingdom, he neglected his promise and the cakes burned. When she returned she scolded him for his error, but he apologized and asked her forgiveness. It was then that she revealed herself and offered him her help, explaining that the cakes were a test: to see if he still had the heart for the coming struggle, which he proved by his neglect. However, his willingness to accept his error rather than "pull rank" surprised and impressed her, in that he could also feel concern for the needs of a subject.

She led him and his men to Athelney, an island in the marshes where they constructed a fort. She helped him organize a resistance against the Vikings, to maintain lines of communications with his nobles, and to gather their forces to strike against the Vikings in the Spring. She advised him on tactics which helped him defeat and drive the Vikings from Wessex, and she helped him negotiate a lasting peace. With wars ended she helped him to reorganize the military, inspired him to set up the burghal system of forts and garrisons, encouraged him to create a viable navy, advised him on legal reform, and supported his revival of learning and education. She also informed him of the wider world and encouraged him to send ambassadors to the Middle East and India among other places, as well as to form alliances with Welsh and Irish rulers.

Though her ultimate goal of forging a united nation of Britannia in the 9th and 10th centuries ultimately failed with successive generations, her efforts with Alfred's did create the Anglo-Saxon nation, which held sway over England until the Norman invasion in 1066.

For more information, see this article.

Dumb Sunny Jokes Meet the Wolf Man

Eile and Sunny were buying groceries one day, and the bagger asks, "Paper or plastic?"

Sunny says, "Doesn't matter. I'm bi-sacksual."

Eile slaps her upside the head.

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Eile, Sunny, and Differel all went to an antique store and saw a beautiful old mirror. The lady working at the store said, "This is a magic mirror. You must say something true. And if it's true, your wish will come true. If it's not true, you will disappear."

They decided to buy the mirror, and brought it home with them. First Differel walked up to the mirror and said, "I think I'm the most beautiful girl in the world." Poof, she vanished.

Then Eile walked up to the mirror and said, "I think I'm the smartest girl in the world." Poof, she disappeared.

Finally Sunny walked up to the mirror and said, "I think ... " Then Poof, she disappeared.

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Q: What does Sunny say when you ask her if her blinker is on?

A: It's on. It's off. It's on. It's off. It's on. It's off.

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Q: How do you measure Sunny's intelligence?

A: Stick a tire pressure gauge in her ear.

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Q: How do you keep Sunny busy all day?

A: Put her in a round room and tell her to sit in the corner.

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Returning home from shopping, Sunny was shocked to find that her house had been ransacked and and Eile kidnapped. She telephoned the police at once and reported the crime. The police dispatcher broadcast the call on the channels and a K-9 unit patrolling nearby was the first to respond.

As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, Sunny ran out on the porch and shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog.

Then she sat down on the steps, put her face in her hands and moaned, "I came home to find my Eile kidnapped. I called the police for help, and what do they do? They send me a BLIND policeman!"

=====

Q: What is the difference between Sunny's intellect and Bigfoot?

A: Bigfoot has actually been seen.

=====

Q: What do you get when you offer Sunny a penny for her thoughts?

A: Change.

=====

Q: What does Sunny say after multiple orgasms?

A: Way to go team!

=====

One day Sunny decided to go horse back riding.

After a very long search, she finally found a horse she thought she could ride. Things started off well enough, slowly trotting along, but soon the undulations started going faster and faster.

Being inexperienced at horseback riding Sunny started to fall off. She tried everything, first grabbing the mane, then she tried to grab the saddle, but could not hold on.

Seconds before falling off, the horse finally stopped, allowing her to get off, and gratefully thank the shopper for unplugging the mechanical horse as they were about to enter the department store.

L. Neil Smith: Loony Paranoid

I've wanted to do this for some time, and now seems a good time to start.

L. Neil Smith (full name Lester Neil Smith III) is descibed on Wikipedia as "a libertarian science fiction author and political activist." His webpage can be found here. He calls himself a libertarian, but politically he is a paleolibertarian and an anarcho-capitalist (basically an ultraconservative wingnut who wants to get rid of government entirely and let the free market control things).

He is also a paranoid loon. (I'm sure Smith will forgive this harsh characterization, since he routinely calls others far worse.)

As Shakespeare once wrote: "I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." The Internet is full of pages extolling his accomplishments. In this series of posts, I would like to talk about the things few people know about him or discuss outside of "libertarian" circles.

First, however, it's important to understand where this man is coming from. He publishes an online magazine called L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise , where he and like-minded anarchists can post articles attacking "collectivists" (Republicans as well as Democrats), Pres. Barack Obama, and the evil Federal Government.

That last part is not an exaggeration. Smith doesn't believe Obama and the US government are stupid and incompetent; he believes they are evil incarnate, out to destroy the American way of life in a bid for absolute power. He believes they want to enslave -- literally! -- every man, woman, and child, and torture and kill anyone who resists them.

Here are two recent examples in his own words:

The Plan

Barry the Red

But there are older examples as well:

Yoonies

Empire of Lies

Things I Know But Can't Prove

And perhaps the most lurid example of all:

The Last Good Year

But where does this kind of paranoia come from? I don't know, but it may stem from a deep-seated fear of being a victim. Smith seems to feel that the worst issue confronting Mankind at this time is gun control; you can read his essay, "Why Did it Have to be ... Guns?", on his webpage (URL at the top). (In fact, he calls gun control "victim disarmament".) But it goes deeper than that. He has stated, "Every man, woman, and responsible child has an unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon -- rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- any time, any place, without asking anyone's permission."

His reason? "[T]he universe is a savage place where every natural force -- and most man-made ones -- are out to obliterate you."

In other words, since the "horror-filled" universe itself is out to get you, you'd better be packing mucho heat to defend yourself, or you're just a sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

This kind of ingrained psychological terror is usually learned early, but whenever he acquired it it seems reasonable that it serves as a strong contributing factor to his phobia-like paranoia of the modern world.

Another factor may be due to a common characteristic of reactionaries: a longing for a past "golden age". He wrote:

"...I want America back the way I remember it. No, it wasn't perfect, not by a long shot. But it was a hell of a lot better when I was a little kid than it is now. I want an America with no more grand utopian schemes to save an environment that doesn't need saving, to prevent global warming that isn't happening, or to force people to participate in a collectivized medical system that is a hollow farce and a justification for snoopery, robbery, and tyranny." ["The Genocide Agenda" from Down With Power]

It's significant that his Golden Age stems from his childhood; many such visions do. It's because as children the world seems special and wondrous, and it's only when we become adults that we realize how innocent and simple that worldview was. Most adults adjust to their new realization of how the world really is, but some feel so disillusioned or fearful or angry that they cling to their innocent childhood vision as the way things should be. I believe that is a strong motivation for his paranoia as well.

In future posts I will examine some of Smith's claims, as well as critique the "historical" basis for his first work, The Probability Broach. Nonetheless, it is clear that my characterization of his loonieness seems justified based on his own writings.

Artistic License

Artistic License can be summed up in this way:

"Creators are allowed to be inaccurate if the inaccuracy serves the story better than accuracy would."

In other words, telling a good story is what's important, so if something has to be fudged for the sake of a good story, it will be fudged.

The key is that the writer knows the story has inaccuracies, rather than being a case where he is ignorant or careless or indifferent. Very often he knows that what he wrote was wrong, but wrote it that way anyways. This is sometimes called Acceptable Breaks From Reality. There can be many reasons for this, including satisfying the Rules of Cool, Drama, or Funny. Another reason can be that Reality Is Unrealistic, so that the audience expects to see the inaccuracies and wouldn't believe the realistic portrayals if the writer used them. Still another is that the required information to make the element realistic was lacking, so the writer made an educated guess that turned out to be wrong.

The problem, though, is that for an Artistic License to work, the story must be good, otherwise the inaccuracies will just make a bad story seem worse. Also, it cannot excuse every form of inaccuracy. Readers still expect a story to have Internal Consistency and for the characters to act in the manner they have come to expect. So it cannot excuse Character Derailment (when an established character exhibits behavior contrary to what has been previously shown) or Contrived Stupidity (when the plot forces a character to do something stupid and forbids any other option). It also cannot excuse false claims of accuracy (known as Dan Browning).

Below is a list of Artistic License categories that I have used, either consciously or unconsciously:

Animal Care -- animals are treated in ways that would harm or kill them in Real Life

***** Even I use the Automaton Horses trope, in which a steed is given less care than would be realistic, because my plots rarely requires a full description of the proper care of a pack or riding animal. However, I make sure Team Girl takes proper care of Snowshoe Kitty.

Astronomy -- in space, things happen that are impossible in Real Life

***** A common inaccuracy is the Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale trope. For example, they will depict the asteroid belt as being much, much more crowded looking than it really is, or they will severely underestimate travel times to other planets or stars, or they will hand-wave just how much power interstellar travel would require.

Except for Space Opera and Wagon Train to the Stars stories, I try to avert or invert this trope as much as possible. My premise for interstellar spacefight is closer to sea voyages during The Age of Discovery (circa 16th to 18th centuries), which could last for weeks, months, even years, and forced seamen to endure cramped, spartan conditions on board ships with bad water and inadequate food. I lampshade this inversion in The Price of Folly , when the characters are aghast that anyone would willingly spend a minimum of 8 months just to travel 6 light years.

Biology -- nature operates in ways that are unrealistic

***** I technically use the Single Specimen Species trope in The Beast of Exmoor when I portray the cryptid as being solitary (partially justified in that it is a cat), but I also imply the Cat From Mars must be a member of a whole population.

Then there is Sunny’s conception. It is theoretically possible to combine two human eggs into a single viable zygote, but the technical difficulties are enormous.

And there are the parasites that create Vampirism in anyone they infect. I hand-wave the notion of how they can induce their victim to drink blood, and how they can benefit from that.

Cars -- liberties that are taken with the way automobiles operate

***** A common trope in movies and TV is Every Car Is a Pinto, in which just about any car will explode when it gets into an accident. This only happens if the gas tank ruptures and a spark occurs to ignite the leaking gas, which contrary to expectations rarely happens. It happened in Pintos only because a design flaw allowed their rear axles to pierce the tank while simultaneously creating the necessary spark. Yet exploding cars are AWESOMELY COOL!!!! So all cars explode in fiction.

I have yet to write about crashing cars, but I intend to ignore this trope.

Chemistry -- chemicals and molecules have properties that are impossible

***** My story Far-Sight uses an unusual combination of minerals that combine their crystalline properties to create a working scrying glass.

In The Price of Folly the artifact is made of a polymer with side chains that grant it semiconducting and photoelectric properties, among others.

Economics -- money and finances work in ways that are unrealistic

***** I don't know much about economics, so I tend to hand-wave it away by invoking Like Reality Unless Noted. That way, I don't have to explain what economic system is being used and how, because I can let my readers assume it is whatever they are most familiar with. There are, however, three special cases:

The Dreamlands -- Most fantasy worlds, especially in RPG's, suffer from two serious economic flaws: they assume the existence of copious amounts of silver and gold coins without having banks (though there are notable exceptions), and they allow the influx of large amounts of silver, gold, and gems without suffering from hyperinflation due to rampant devaluation. However, most such worlds are meant to be settings for adventure stories, so often their background is left to the Anthropic Principle rather than being explored.

For me, the Dreamlands is also a setting for adventure; however, these adventures are driven as much by what happens in society in general as they are by the whims of the characters. As such, I try to understand how that society should work as well as I can. For example, two forms of currency dominate the central Dreamlands, the silver Tahler and the gold Crown. There is only a single known source for silver and gold, and both currencies are minted by monopolies: the former by a single entrepreneur and the latter by the city-state of Celephais. Both carefully control how much currency they produce, and banks in turn control how much money remains in circulation, melting down and recasting excess coins into ingots or using the ingots to purchase extra coins as needed. That way, the existing money is not devalued, and prices and wages can remain more or less fixed.

Team Girl -- Many writers portray their characters as having no jobs yet having enough money to buy what they want or need. Contrarily, I depict Eile and Sunny as poor in earlier stories, dependent upon Eile's graphic design business and the generosity of Medb and Sunny's parents. Later they start an adventuring company to undertake adventures for other people for a commission, and they invest in savings and CD's, then stocks and bonds, gradually building a portfolio until they can live off the interest and dividends in later life.

They do much the same in the Dreamlands, except their income comes from loot they plunder from lost treasure hoards and abandoned temples. Later they engage in trading ventures, underwrite other adventurers and merchants, and invest in new businesses and industries. Considering the opportunities in and the laissez-faire nature of the Dreamlands, they get richer quicker there than in the Waking world.

Sir Differel -- She is the closest to the character type who has no job but a seemingly infinite amount of money, but this is justified in that she is Director of the Caerleon Order (so cannot have a "day job") and is independently wealthy. Her families (the Van Helsings and the Pendragons) supported themselves and the Order through judicious investments that produce large interest and dividends payments. As such, though she pays attention to the contents and value of her personal portfolio, she allows Aelfraed to handle the day-to-day financial and investment operations. For the most part, as long as she can receive electric lighting, tea, cigarillos, and fish and chips whenever she wants them, she doesn't particularly care how her money is managed or spent.

Engineering -- unrealistic machines and structures

***** The Dreamlands contain many building and statues that violate basic engineering principles, such as the 250-foot tall gold and brass statue of Danu that stands astride the entrance to the harbor of the city-state of Karchedon. These are justified, however, in that they are built with the help of Dream-magic, which also helps keep them erect.

Gruff Tolls has a cable suspension bridge woven from spider webbing.

The Temple of Ubasti has a trapdoor the size of the floor of a high school gymnasium.

However, fantastic structures also exist in the Waking World.

In An Octopus’s Garden has an underwater cyclopean tower that stands at least a mile tall, but justified in that it uses Alien Geometries.

The Denver Walker features and alien tripod robot that also stands very tall, but justified by the Applied Phlebotinum of a super-strong super-light-weight material supported by Nanomachines.

Geography -- taking liberties with regional sites and landforms

***** Most of my Team Girl stories take place in Colorado, where I live, so I try to be fairly accurate on what's where and how far away it is. In other places, however, while I do as much research as I can, if I can't find what I need I'll invent it.

Geology -- earth-based processes operate in ways that are unrealistic

***** The Dreamlands are not powered by plate tectonics, but there are still earthquakes, volcanoes, and similar phenomena. Meanwhile, the Cthulhu Mythos is part of the background of my Waking World stories, and that includes phenomena such as rising and collapsing landmasses that were accepted parts of geology before the sixties.

Gun Safety -- guns are handled and used in ways that get people killed in the Real World

***** What I know about guns could get me killed, but I can also read. Since I am fairly certain that part of the modern gun craze can be attributed to how unrealistically easy and simple guns are used in movies and TV, I try to depict their use in a more realistic, and safer, manner.

There are few guns in the Dreamlands and they are available only to soldiers in Ooth-Nargai, who are well-trained in their safe operation.

In Survival and Sacrifice , Eile and Sunny arm themselves when Differel's ancestral manor is invaded by a horde of monsters, but they had been previously trained in the proper use of military weaponry.

In Man Friday I describe Differel's intense training in the use of firearms.

History -- taking liberties with historical events

***** I try to depict historical events as accurately as possible, but in most cases they simply serve as background. However, in stories dealing with time travel, I do play with the details, going on the idea that much of what happened didn't make it into the history books because it occurred behind the scenes. For example, I have an unpublished story in which Team Girl and Differel participate in the Battle of New Orleans with Jean Lafitte and Gen. Andrew Jackson. I wrote it as a mix of the 1958 movie The Buccaneer and actual history.

Law -- taking liberties with how legal practices and procedures are portrayed

***** In an unpublished story, Medb hErenn defends Differel wrongfully accused of terrorism and treason. Though I have researched British court procedure, the trial takes place in Her Majesty's Star Chamber Court (which was a real court, but no longer exists), so I am able to fudge some aspects of British jurisprudence for the sake of the story. For example, the real Star Chamber allowed only written evidence, but I permit witness testimony, and if found guilty, Differel's sentence of death by hanging would be carried out immediately. Plus, I had fun writing the freewheeling direct and redirect by Medb and her rival barrister prosecutor.

Linguistics -- taking liberties with languages and translations

***** I make extensive use of the Eternal English trope as an Acceptable Break From Reality. This is when writers ignore linguistic shifts over time, such that a woman from 2000 can travel back to 1000 and talk with a barmaid, and both can understand each other. (When in reality the barmaid would be speaking Old English, which would sound more like German. Even if they could understand each other, they would both use idioms and figures of speech the other would not comprehend.) I can justify this by stating that Team Girl and Differel used Mabuse's sleep teaching machine to learn the dialects they would encounter, but really I do it because my readers expect to be able to understand what the characters of the past are saying.

Martial Arts -- stage combat rather than realistic combat

***** I subvert this with Differel, in that her Master-at-Arms Giles Holt teaches her forms of martial arts, including commando fighting, that allow her to kill or subdue an opponent as quickly and efficiently as possible, with no useless and superfluous motion. Though sometimes she comes up against an adversary who is just as good as she is. Also, when she teaches the same techniques to her frenemy, Lady Margaret Chesham, Margaret doesn't pull her punches.

Medicine -- taking liberties with medical information and procedures

***** In the unpublished story "The Bloodthirsty Eile", I describe emergency/trauma procedures that would probably make a doctor cringe, and would have killed Eile if she wasn't a Vampire.

Military -- taking liberties with military structure and procedures

***** The members of Differel's paramilitary force, which she uses to interdict incursions of monsters, are recruited from the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the Special Air and Boat Services. For the sake of convenience, it uses the same rank structure, training, and organization as Her Majesty's Armed Forces. I research as much as I can, but where necessary I make what I hope are intelligent guesses when I have no information.

Nuclear Physics -- nuclear reactions, weapons, and radiation are portrayed in unrealistic ways

***** In The Price of Folly, the artifact's age is determined by how much thorium-232 contained in its composition had decayed over time.

In The Denver Walker, Washington tries to destroy the alien berserker robot with an airburst from a one megaton thermonuclear warhead. It didn't work. I don't deal with either the fallout or the radioactive contamination of the target area.

Pharmacology -- liberties taken with how medications, drugs, and poisons work

***** Medb's metabolism makes her nearly Immune to Drugs, just as she can drink ten times the amount of alcohol as a normal person before becoming intoxicated.

In an unpublished story, Dr. Mabuse lampshades the Side Effects Include... from drugs she demands that Differel take to counteract her serious injuries.

Mabuse's wonder drugs have attributes identical to Magical Antibiotics.

Physics -- playing fast and loose with the physical laws and processes of the universe

***** This is the most common Artistic License I take, being as my stories tend to deal more with physics than biology or chemistry. So, where to begin...

My story Do Unto Others... deals with time travel.

A scientist in Far-Sight uses tachyons to create a telescope that can see into deep space in real time.

The artifact in The Price of Folly can create wormholes.

Team Girl uses trans-dimensional technology to travel to a parallel earth in The Double Image .

Religion -- playing fast and loose with religious tenets, beliefs, and practices

***** In Immanuel , Team Girl experience a theophany, in a non-traditional manner that some people may find disagreeable.

Ships -- ship life and travel are portrayed in unrealistic ways

***** In The Lions of Inganok , Medb takes a boat trip across the Cerenarian Sea. I don't describe the details of the voyage; there was no point. However, it only lasted 16 days, so it wasn't really long enough to become too inconvenient, except that the food was probably rather bland and simple.

Statistics -- playing fast and loose with interpreting and acting upon probabilities

***** In Masie's Mind , the eponymous artificial intelligence denies that she is a person because her responses are dictated by probability calculations, not a conscious mind. Team Girl doesn't agree.

Traditional Christianity -- misconceptions, fallacies, and outright lies about Christian doctrine, practices, and beliefs

***** In The Post-Traumatic Redemption , Pastor Sjauken explains his interpretation of certain aspects of Christian doctrine, which mirror my own. I expect some people will find them unappealing, even blasphemous.

Next week, I will discuss tropes associated with morality in stories.

Dreamlands Bestiary: The Siabhra

The Siabhra are a race native to the Dreamlands. Little is known about them, because they are malicious and will attack anyone who enters their territory. They will not kill trespassers who leave, but they have been observed to carry away wounded interlopers who cannot get away, who are never seen again. They are infamous for being relentless, in that they never give up until their target is killed or driven off, and like Cats they attack en masse. Even so, an adventurer powerful enough to hold them off can gain their respect, and if he or she treats them fairly and with respect, he or she can befriend them.

What little is known about them comes from such adventurers, most notably Medb hErenn.

They are small and slight, hardly bigger than children, but are human in appearance except for their odd turquoise coloration and their shining eyes. They wear clothes, decorate themselves with jewelry and other ornaments, and carry weapons at all times. They love music; they have beautiful voices and sing frequently, and they dance almost as often as they sing. In fact, one way to gain their trust is to demonstrate skill in music.

They live in tribal communities, almost as one big family. Their are master craftsmen, and their artistic skills, such as architecture and clothing design, are quite sophisticated. This extends to metalwork, but they are vulnerable to iron and to a lesser extent silver, so they work in bronze, brass, and gold. They make excellent glassmakers and gemworkers. Their musical instruments are considered the best in the whole of the Dreamlands, capable of a delicacy of sound and expression few Humans can take advantage of even if they can do justice to their design.

They live in the wilderness, as far away from Humans and other races as possible; they have a large presence in the Underworld. Though they farm and raise small animals for food, they also hunt, and need a fair-sized territory to support themselves. Even as they mercilessly destroy anyone who enters their territory, they rarely leave it themselves, so homesteaders who live on their borders are safe provided they never stray across. Medb has reported that they do not engage in theft of crops or farm animals unless desperate for food, and they never steal children. In fact, they seem to revere any child under the age of puberty, and do not attack them even if they enter their territory. She told of one community that found a little girl from a neighboring farm wandering lost one night, sheltered and fed her, and then returned her safe the next morning. The farmer gave them some grain as a reward, and that sparked an informal trade arrangement that has lasted for several generations.

Though they avoid all other races, they have treaties with Cats, allowing them access to their territory along defined right-of-ways. Also, Kuranes is a friend, and he allows them to live in Ooth-Nargai as long as they behave themselves. However, they can act as mercenaries, especially for the Fomorians, usually in the capacity of enforcers and punishers. In such circumstances, they will not stop until they have found and killed their targets, no matter where they go.

Synopsis: Grand Quest II-Part 2

But Darkness and the Gloomy Shade of Death Environ You

Continued from Part 1

59 days left

The next "day", the Ghouls lead the party to Shuggob's dwelling. The Fomorians have him under house arrest because they hope to learn more of his secrets. Differel is suspicious that there are so few guards around, which is shared by others, but there is little choice. Medb, Tokoyo, and Sunny easily take down the guards. With Sunny, Ceara, Karella, Victor, Saighlíne, Ssas'sashu'ra, Uilmheidhrea, and Capt. Ney's Ghouls held in reserve, Medb goes down with Eile, Differel, Kami, Morgiana, Tokoyo, and Marrowsucker's Ghouls. They meet no resistance, and Medb enters the dwelling with Eile and Ney. Shuggob is in the middle of preparing a potion, and he seems so distracted he doesn't even realize he has guests, and when he does their sudden appearance doesn't faze him at all; he simply asks Eile for an ingredient on a shelf behind her. As he works, he listens to Medb's claim that they have come to rescue him, then asks for another ingredient, replying that he cannot leave his preparation.

Differel is listening outside the door, wondering why they just don't simply grab him, when the Ghouls start screaming and gibbering. When she looks she sees a dozen spiders as big as elephants attacking them. They are almost pure white, with glistening, moist skins. Differel shouts a warning as she fires a pistol, then throws herself at one of the arachnids. Caliburn cuts through its body like it was made of gelatin, but she does little damage until she hacks through the eyes. Shouting to the others to attack the head, she goes after another, but three converge on her and pin her against a boulder. She manages to shoot one, but she can barely hold the other two off. Then a normal spider jumps onto the back of one and bites it in the head. It jumps clear as the white spider throws itself into convulsions. Even so, the third spider manages to grab Differel around the waist with its fangs, when Shuggob appears and throws a pinkish-purple liquid gel into its face. The spider's body immediately begins to dissolve and it collapses on top of Differel.

Medb pulls the spider off her and helps her to her feet. When she looks around, she sees that the white spiders have been routed. None of the their party seems hurt, but half of Marrowsucker's Ghouls are dead or injured. She also sees the normal spider is surrounded by the others, but she calls out not to hurt it, and Medb seconds her. As they approach, Eile and Sunny run up to the spider and greet it. It turns out to be a friend of theirs, and Medb's, named Cuideog. Shuggob offers them his hospitality, such as it is, and they accept.

As the remaining Ghouls tend to their brethren with Sunny's help, Cuideog explained why he was there. The white spiders are the descendents of Leng spiders who migrated to the Underworld to find living room. However, they were so profoundly changed by the environment that the spiders of the Upper Dreamlands declared them anathema and cut off all contact. As long as the abominations were content to remain in their vales within the Peaks of Thok, the Leng spiders were content to leave them in peace, but word has come to the Leng spider governing council that the Fomorians have made a pact with the Thok spiders. In exchange for their help, whatever it may be, the Fomorians promised to help them claim the Plateau of Leng for themselves. His spider lord patron, Rígomun, sent him to try to find out what was going on. When Differel asked why him, Medb explained that though a runt, Cuideog has survived through four migrations by practicing stealth and concealment, as well as cleverness. That, and his duties as messenger, spy, and bard for his lord, make him ideal for this kind of mission. Differel then strikes a deal with Cuideog. They are also trying to discover what the Fomorians are doing, though it extends far beyond just the spiders of Leng and threatens the whole of the Dreamlands. If he helps them here in the Underworld, she will help his people in the Upper Dreamlands. He agrees.

The injured Ghouls recover quickly, thanks to Shuggob's potions. He also provides water for the party and offers them food and drink. The offer is welcome, since they have only four days food left, five if they stretch it, but they are naturally reticent, uncertain of its safety. Medb tries some and determines that it is not only safe, but also delicious and invigorating. Shuggob reveals himself to be far from the absent-minded wizard he appeared earlier; though he can concentrate on a problem to the exclusion of everything else, it is largely an act. He fooled the Fomorians that way into letting him stay in his dwelling, where he was able to cook up the Thok spider solvent. He planned to use it as a weapon to free his enslaved people. The Fomorians are using the spiders as overseers and enforcers in the Underworld, augmented by a few humans; hence, their own numbers are fairly low. He will guide them to the vale where the morbida fungus can be found, and he can provide enough solvent to kill every spider on site. Meanwhile, the Ghouls can take care of the humans, while the party deals with the Fomorians.

Despite the presence of the Ghouls, Medb decides it would be best to post a guard. Differel takes the first watch when the others retire. This gives her a chance to talk more with Cuideog. Earlier, Medb had explained what she knew about spiders: how they have a code of law they call the Torah, a body of interpretation called the Talmud, and a collection of traditions called the Midrash; how they are governed by an advisory council of elders; how they pass on their culture to younglings in yeshiva-like instruction using a combination of lecture and the Socratic method of dialectic dialogue; how they use runts like Cuideog as messengers, heralds, and bards; and how they have brithem, judges who are experts in the Torah, Talmud, and Midrash, and who go around settling disputes, witnessing contracts, and generally advising on legal matters. She also explained about their two major problems, living space and food, which were the underlying causes of the quarter-century migrations and which threatened the stability of their society. The girls then related how they met Cuideog when they helped protect a brithem sent to negotiate with the Council of Sorcerers in Lelag-Leng.

She tells Cuideog about her mission, which requires her to explain about her Waking World life. What she wants to know is whether the spider council would consider a temporary alliance with Kuranes to help deal with the threat. If they did, no doubt Kuranes would be willing to reward them, even help them with their own problems. Cuideog has no authority to make such an alliance, and he doubts the council would go for it. However, he is willing to present her idea to his patron so the council can deliberate it. He warns her, though, that it can take a long time for the council to decide a matter, even simple ones. She then asks him, out of pure curiosity, why he is friends with Medb and the girls. He explains that with Medb it is based on mutual respect and her power; he would find it very difficult to ever catch her off guard, and more difficult still to subdue her. With Differel, it is mutual need, but he would not pass up any advantage that would allow him to claim her as prey. With the girls, however, he doesn't know. They are not strong enough to prevent him from subduing them, he has no current need for them, and they are careless, leaving themselves vulnerable to him. But he has passed up numerous opportunities to kill and eat them. Differel speculates that it is because he has developed feelings for them, to which he replies by asking her not to insult him. He then goes off to sleep alone.

58 days left

Shuggob leads the party deep into the Peaks to a vale some five hours from his dwelling. Morgiana and Victor reconnoiter, and find an overhang from which the party can look down into the camp. They see the captive Ghouls laboring to gather the fungus, which seems to grow all over that particular vale. They bring it to a long table, where it is cut up into small chunks, then dumped into large glass retorts filled with water. These are heated and allowed to boil. At some point, a retort is removed from heat and allowed the cool, and the liquid, now viscous like an oil, is poured off. The chunks are removed and pressed to squeeze out whatever oil remains, which is then added to that decanted earlier. This collected oil is filtered through some wool-like substance, added to another retort, and boiled again to reduce the stock further. It is finally poured off into glass jugs, that are stoppered, sealed with wax, and set aside with a growing collection. These retorts are washed out and reused, and the washate is added to the first retorts used to boil the fungus. The waste, pressed fungus is mixed with charcoal and burned. Thok spiders mill about, keeping an eye on the activity, while a number of humans whip the Ghouls to urge them to work harder and faster. In the midst of it all stands Bres, directing the activity; with him is a female version of the golden man seen on the moon, only she is dressed in armor. One Ghoul collapses; it is picked up and dumped into a pit covered with an iron grate. Another Ghoul is released from a set of stocks and pushed towards the spiders. They subdue it with their pedipalps, lash its feet together with webbing, and drag it off out of the vale as it screams and scrabbles at the rocky ground with its hands, trying to find something to cling to.

Leaving Ssas'sashu'ra to keep watch, the rest of the party retires to plan their attack. The spiders will be the biggest problem. Shuggob has given them enough solvent to kill all they see, but there may be more lurking in the surrounding hills. Also, they cannot be sure how many men there are, or whether the golden woman has troops of her own. And the Ghoul slaves may be too weak to aid in the attack. Any way they look at it, it is a gamble, but they decide on a three prong attack. Sunny, Tokoyo, and Victor will shoot missiles from the overhang. Uilmheidhrea, Ssas'sashu'ra, and Morgiana will attack the spiders with the solvent. Eile, Differel, Saighlíne, and Cuideog will create a diversionary attack with Medb while Ceara, guarded by Kami and Karella, destroys the morbidun, press, and retorts. The Ghouls will be responsible for freeing their people and getting them away, though they can take down whatever targets of opportunity present themselves.

The attack goes as planned; the only hitch is that the Ghouls led by Capt. Ney are more eager to attack than rescue their brethren, but a sharp command from Differel is all that is needed to reel them in. When Medb and her group attack, the spiders move to intercept them; that's when Morgiana and the other two pop up and start throwing solvent. The gel is contained in fragile glass vessels that break on impact. Those spiders not immediately incapacitated are blasted by Medb. Moments later, the Ghouls descend from all around. They converge on the press, work table, and pits, and free their brethren, most of whom are too weak or sick to make it on their own. Those who were gathering the fungus turn on the humans, then make a run for it. A few are killed, but the archers pin down the humans and allow the rest to get away. Even as Bres tries to regroup his minions, Ceara appears and firebombs the jugs; the flammable oil ignites and begins a raging fire. Eile gets close enough to the retorts boiling the fungus to realize they are being boiled in alcohol, not water. She knocks them over and the coal fires catch the alcohol on fire, adding to the blaze. Ceara, Kami, Karella, Morgiana, Uilmheidhrea, and Ssas'sashu'ra help get the remaining Ghouls out as Medb and her group hold off the remaining forces. Differel takes a shot at the golden woman, but the bullet ricochets off her armor. She attacks Differel and they engage in a savage sword fight until Victor manages to fire a bolt that penetrates a joint in her hip. She falls back into an alcohol fire, which cuts her off from Differel. She then retreats with the others.

The party heads back for Shoggub's dwelling, but are cut off half-way when Bres reappears and surrounds them with men and spiders. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Medb challenges Bres to single combat, and goads him into accepting. First they hurl javelins, which they avoid. Then they fight with spears followed by swords. While powerful and skilled, it quickly becomes apparent that Bres is no match for Medb, yet Medb is not trying to kill him, which hampers her. Whenever she disarms him and he takes up a new weapon, she discards her current weapon and adopts the same one as he, to maintain parity. Finally they are reduced to knives. They box and wrestle as each seeks an opening, but eventually Medb grapples Bres and presses her knife to his throat; he surrenders. She instructs him to order the spiders to disperse, but they ignore him and move in to attack. Cuideog emits a shrill whistle that almost deafens everyone present, but the Thok spiders become agitated and flee. The men try to attack, but are either cut down or forced to escape. Medb asks Cuideog what he did and he refuses to say, stating that it is a secret no spider would reveal to potential prey. However, it will not work for long; the Thok spiders will recover, regroup, and come after them. They must get away as soon as possible.

They continue on to Shuggob's dwelling, but after a short distance they find the way blocked by webbing. As they try to cut through, spiders attack, but not so many they cannot be handled. However, it is clear that they must find another way. The only other known way out of the Underworld is the staircase under Sarkomand, but that would be suicidal. Then Bres reveals that a new exit was opened under Hazuth-Kleg, two days away. As Medb's slave until he is ransomed, he agrees to guide them, since he doubts the spiders will spare him if they catch them all. When objections are raised about that choice, Medb assures them she can deal with the Fomorians. However, there can be no rest; they must march nonstop or risk being cut off. And anyone too hurt to continue will have to be left behind. They set off, with Bres in the lead and Medb taking up the rear. Not long after, they pass through a vale that is chocked in webbing, but not impassable. There are no spiders, but what was left of Bres's men have been cocooned. A few still seem to be alive, but before they can be released, spiders appear. Tokoyo kills them and Ceara immolates the vale.

57 days left

Throughout the march, they are beset by small groups of spiders, but they manage to defeat each encounter. However, fatigue makes them slow and careless, and injuries are starting to mount, especially among the Ghouls. The water is running low, and without food, rest, or a chance for treatment, a number of the Ghouls have become weaker. Cuideog consents to carry the weakest, but he cannot bear many, and the lagging Ghouls are slowing them down. Morale drops and the party takes on the appearance of a zombie horde, stumbling aimlessly about. Sunny tries to keep everyone's spirits up, but she is becoming despondent, and even Medb seems to be losing hope.

Sometime before midnight, they reach a crevasse splitting diagonally across the mountain range. It appears to run from the slope of Mt. Flaunth on their left off into the far distance on their right. Lava from the volcano flows through it. It is as wide as football field, but there is a bridge spanning it. It appears to be a wooden suspension bridge, but the wood is unlike anything any of them have ever seen. Unfortunately, it offers no barrier to the pursuing Thok spiders. Though narrow, they could still cross it one at a time, though it would slow them down. Medb asks Bres if there are any other ways across. He assures her there are none, and to go around either end would take days, possibly weeks, whereas the entrance into Hazuth-Kleg is only a half-day from here. He asserts they have no choice but to cross, but that is not Medb's concern. She examines the bridge carefully, then comes to a decision: they will destroy the bridge. The wood may be indestructible without high explosives, but the fittings and lashings are not. And in their current condition - desiccated - they are vulnerable to flame. The problem will be timing. Destroy the bridge too soon, and some of them may be trapped on this side; too late, and the Thok spiders could get across. Nonetheless, it's their only real chance.

They begin by moving the Ghouls across just in case, along with Marrowsucker and his remaining force, Cuideog, and Uilmheidhrea, Ssas'sashu'ra, and Bres, who is guarded by Victor and Morgiana. Ceara begins working on the lashings, watched over by Kami. The rest stay on the near-side in case the spiders arrive before they are ready. The lashings are covered in pitch to protect them from the elements, but while it offers some protection from Ceara's flame magic at first, once it softens it begins to burn and helps catch the lacings. Unfortunately, they are tightly woven, which also retards the flame. The upshot is it may be awhile before enough of the bridge is weakened. While this offers a chance to eat and rest, they are all too keyed up to take full advantage of it.

56 days left

After a couple of hours, one of Ney's Ghouls, who had been keeping watch further down the pass, comes running back, saying the Thok spiders have arrived. They take up position at the narrow head. Sunny, Tokoyo, Karella, and Differel take the front row for a clear field of fire; Eile, Medb, and Saighlíne take the back row, ready to engage when the spiders reach them. Ney's Ghouls form a third row, to guard the bridge. Ceara is almost finished, but she needs about another quarter hour to be sure. There are dozens of spiders, possibly even hundreds, streaming up the pass, coming at a fast pace, but as the pass narrows the spiders are bunched together, forcing them to come three or four at a time. Sunny, Tokoyo, Karella, and Differel shoot away, with Medb reloading for Differel and occasionally blasting a spider that gets too close, but without Ceara and her fireballs, they are somewhat handicapped. The dead and incapacitated spiders do present something of a barrier, slowing the others down as they crawl over, but it isn't very effective. Eventually, the spiders get too close for effective missile fire. Sunny falls back behind the swordswomen and runs for the bridge to alert Ceara. The women form a line across the pass mouth and hack at the spiders. Despite having no armor, no spider can get close enough to Differel to bite because of Caliburn's reach. Several spiders jump over them, but the Ghouls, with Sunny providing supporting fire, take care of those, though with casualties.

However, the sheer number of arachnids forces the defenders back, and when the pass opens up, allowing spiders to get around and behind them, they break off and make for the bridge. Medb, Saighlíne, and Differel hold the bridgehead as the others get across. Ceara shouts she is finished, and follows after them. Ney at first refuses to take his force across, saying they will hold until the rest get away, but Differel orders him to withdraw, for the sake of his people, and he complies. Differel follows them, as Saighlíne and Medb back away. The bridge begins to come apart under the strain; Saighlíne withdraws, leaving Medb. She retreats to half way, then turns and confronts the first of the spiders to begin to cross. Declaring they will not pass, she blasts it, then blasts the bridge. At first, nothing seems to happen, and another spider starts over the structure. Then it fails and begins to collapse. The spider is dropped into the lave below. Medb turns and bolts as the bridge comes apart beneath her feet. A spider jumps and lands behind her, destroying a large chunk of bridge. As it drops, Medb throws herself forward and catches a hold of the intact section, hanging by her hands. Differel has Cuideog play out a line of silk, which she ties around herself, and she sprints out to Medb. Two more Thok spiders jump for the bridge; one falls short, the other lands in front of Medb. Differel kills it, then grabs Medb just as more of the bridge falls apart. The two of them drop, but the silk line catches them and breaks their fall. Cuideog pulls them up to what's left of the bridge, and they make it to the other side. More Thok spiders try to jump, but the remaining section is now too far away, and the bridge continues to crumble. Medb thanks Differel for the rescue, but when she asks why she took the risk, Differel flashes her an imitation of her trademark enigmatic smile and says, "I saw the Fellowship of the Ring." That reference means nothing to Medb, but the girls, Victor, and Uilmheidhrea laugh.

They continue on, stopping to rest and catch some sleep about mid-morning. While doing so, a large group of Ghouls led by Stéise appears, to take charge of the Ghouls who had been slaves. She also wants to take Bres, but Medb refuses to hand him over, saying he is hers by right of conquest, and in any event, as her son she cannot abandon him to his deserved fate. Stéise declines to press the issue, but warns Bres that if the Ghouls ever catch him in the Underworld, they will kill him. Despite his arrogant and insolent reply, Eile is certain he's afraid nonetheless. To Differel, Stéise states that in gratitude for her help in freeing her people, she may call upon the Ghouls once to aid her in whatever endeavor she might undertake, even war. She also releases Ney and his force to her service for the duration of her stay in the Dreamlands. A number of Ghouls ask to join his force, to which Differel assents. Stéise then leaves with her group and the weakened Ghouls as the party moves on.

About mid-afternoon, they come upon what looks like a rather crude ziggurat with steep sides, that stretches up into the "sky" to disappear into the gloom. Steps have been built into its face, and at the base of the stairs are two guards. As the party approaches, one of the guards turns and heads up the stairs, but when several members of the party take aim to stop him, Medb tells them to stand down. She and Bres then approach the remaining guard alone. After a brief conversation, that guard also starts to climb, and Medb and Bres return. Medb explains that she has sent for Elatha, to negotiate safe passage in exchange for Bres. She instructs them to make camp and set out pickets, since it will probably be awhile before Elatha comes. For the first time since they entered the Underworld some seven days ago, they are able to build a fire, using the charcoal, wood, and oil the guards used for themselves. When questions are raised about this, Medb assures them that the Fomorians would have made sure this area was secure before they built the stairway. Later, the girls and Differel ask her what she has in mind. She explains that at the very least, they will need to get out of Hazuth-Kleg with whole skins, and rendezvous with Kuranes in Ulthar. However, this may be their one chance to find out what's going on. When Differel questions whether this Elatha can be trusted, Medb states that while he is a mortal enemy, he has never lied to her, and he is honorable: once he gives his word, he never breaks it, and unlike other Fomorians he adheres to the spirit of any agreement as well as its word. Provided he cares for their son, he should be willing to negotiate.

Towards what would have been dusk, Elatha descends the stairs. He is alone, except for the two guards, who retake their positions at the base of the ziggurat. He is unarmed, and he walks into the camp with no hesitation. As the others watch, Medb offers to release Bres in exchange for ransom, then demands three things: that Elatha allow a messenger to go to Ulthar; that he provide hospitality to them all until Kuranes can send transport for them; and that he explain what they are up to. Elatha agrees, with the attitude that he had expected it, and he offers to escort them all up to the city above. They decide to leave in the morning, after the party has gotten some well deserved rest.

Synopsis: Bojangles (a Team Girl Alternative Reality story)

Eile is a down on her luck drifter, arrested for vagrancy, trespassing, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. She's put into a cell with a drunk sleeping it off. The drunk is a buxom graying blonde wearing a ragged shirt, baggy pants, and worn-out shoes. To Eile she looks older than she is. It turns out she isn't asleep, and sits up when she realizes she has company. She introduces herself as Sonne Hiver; she laughs and clicks her heels as she says it. She looks disappointed when Eile says she's never heard of her, but she brightens as she explains she is a tap dancer. When Eile expresses skepticism, she stands, swaying a bit, but then dances a lick of soft-shoe across the cell. She grabs her pants then jumps so high, clicks her heels, and lightly touches down. She gives out a boisterous laugh that shakes her clothes.

Impressed, Eile asks what she's doing in jail. She gets a sad look and explains how, when she was younger, she toured the south, dancing at minstrel shows and county fairs, often just for room and board and bus fair to the next location. During that time her only companion was a stray cat she named Kitty. For fifteen years they traveled about sharing everything: food, bed, triumph and tragedy, until one day Kitty up and died. That was twenty years ago, and she still grieves.

She started drinking after that and went down from there. Now she dances every chance she has, mostly in honky tonks for drinks and tips, but she admits that she spends most of her time behind county bars like these, because — and she smiles — she drinks a bit. Then she shakes her head and through tears says that she's glad Kitty isn't around to see her like this.

Eile tells Sonne her life isn't as bad as hers. At least she had a talent; she was able to make people happy with her dancing. Her life is a total wreck. She's failed at everything she's tried. She even failed at suicide. Now she just drifts, working as she needs to eat and have a place to sleep. Sonne asks what she's waiting for, and Eile says she's waiting to die. Sonne tells her that's no way to live. Eile asks her what she's knows about it, being a drunk, unable to face the death of a cat. Sonne admits that she's a drunk, that she's running away from a bitter, hard life, that she too is waiting to die, but at least she's living; however mean and futile her life has become, she still fights back and finds some happiness, some worth, no matter how transient. Yes her life has become a living hell, but when she dances, for those brief minutes, she feels transported to heaven on the wings of angels. She wouldn't trade that for a comfortable but empty life in a million years.

Sonne then asks Eile what is the one thing she's always wanted to be. Eile tells her an artist. She explains that she started out as one, but that was her first failure. She tried to have some of her work exhibited, but all the gallery owners said her work was terrible. Finally she couldn't stand it and destroyed her work, believing they were right. That's when everything went wrong. Sonne tells her that she tried to audition at music halls and theatres but was always turned away because soft shoe was out of style. So she took her routine directly to the people and danced for them. In the end, that's what makes her happy. She asks Eile if doing art made her happy, and Eile says yes.

Sonne gets some chalk from the sheriff's deputies and asks Eile to draw something. At first reluctant, Eile draws a portrait of Sonne. She states it's the best work of art she's ever seen and asks Eile to draw more. Eile asks her to dance and she draws her as she dances. Sonne dances faster and harder as Eile draws at a furious space, but for the first time in years she's truly happy, and from the look on her face she can see that Sonne is enjoying it too.

Suddenly Sonne stops. She stands as if paralyzed for a few moments, placing a hand over her heart, then she clutches at her shirt, grimaces, and cries out, collapsing to the floor. Eile calls out for the deputies as Sonne struggles against her heart attack. Even as they open the cell to administer aid, Sonne grabs Eile by the arm.

"Live!" she gasps, and dies.

The deputies take Sonne's body away and Eile sees that all her drawings are smudged, except for the first, the portrait. Eile breaks down and cries for the first time in years.

The next morning Eile goes before the judge and she is sentenced to 30 days community service. They start her off painting park benches. When a deputy brings her lunch, she's also given a box of children's colored chalk. The deputy saw her drawings and wants her to make more. As she eats, she draws Sonne dancing on the sidewalk; passersby remark on how wonderful it looks. As she is about to return to work, a stray cat comes up to her. She pauses to pet it and it purrs. It follows her back to the park, and she decides to call it Kitty.

The Assassination of William McKinley

The assassination of William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, proved to be a watershed event in the Real World, as the nation transitioned from the old style of quiet, dignified, understated leadership to the new style of aggressive, boisterous, and energetic leadership exemplified by Theodore Roosevelt and the younger, more ambitious bureaucrats ushered in by his administration.

It also serves as the pivotal event in the background of my Dieselpunk Alternative Reality story, in that McKinley didn't understand and felt frightened by Dr. Mabuse's innovations. Had he lived he would have denied the military permission to put her ideas into operation. Instead, he died and Roosevelt succeeded him, and he welcomed her ideas as the means to insure American dominance and prestige in the new century.

For me, the assassination represents the folly of the conservative distrust of innovation. McKinley's doctors had been unable to find the bullet that penetrated his abdomen, which lead to his internal wounds becoming infected with gangrene, which ultimately killed him. And yet twice they refused to allow the new X-ray machine to be used on him to locate the bullet, both out of a lack of confidence in its success and fear of its safety.

Whether it could have saved him is one of the great "What If's" of history, but it was never given a chance to try, and a President died as a result of hidebound orthodox shortsighted stubbornness.

For more information see this article.