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blakes7-d Digest Volume 99 : Issue 54
Today's Topics:
Re: [B7L] Blake
Re: [B7L] Re: My Dream
[B7L] The limericks go on...
Re: [B7L] The limericks go on...
Re: [B7L] Blake
Re [B7L] Limericks (Not)
RE: [B7L] Flat Robin continues...
[B7L] clones and Auron
Re: [B7L] Blake
Re: Re [B7L] Limericks (Not)
[B7L] Avon's background-- speculation
Re: [B7L] Blake
Re: [B7L] Blake
Re: [B7L] Blake
Re: [B7L] clones and Auron
Re: [B7L] hodge podge
Fwd: Re: [B7L] hodge podge - Avon's manners, so to speak
Re: [B7L] Refractions on the Net
Re: Fwd: Re: [B7L] hodge podge - Avon's manners, so to speak
RE: [B7L] Flat Robin continues...
[B7L] Flat Robin continues! by Arkaroo
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 08:27:49 +1100
From: Kathryn Andersen <kat@welkin.apana.org.au>
To: "Blake's 7 list" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake
Message-ID: <19990207082749.42714@welkin.apana.org.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
On Sat, Feb 06, 1999 at 06:12:54PM +0100, Murray Smith wrote:
> >motivating factor. As you said, the trial was very convincing. What is
> >very interesting is that I don't believe that this aspect of Blake has
> >been dealt with in fan fiction. I have read no stories that have Blake
> >being abused and/or attacked by people who believed that he did molest
> >those children. It would have been easy to use true stories of convicted
> >paedophiles and child abusers having serious problems with neighbours once
> >they are released from prison.
Well, I've read *one* story that dealt with this: "Fragments of
Yesterday" by Ana Dorfstad in the Enarrare' Blake's 7 Special (aka the
big black zine). Payter Fen meets Blake. Good story.
--
_--_|\ | Kathryn Andersen <kat@welkin.apana.org.au>
/ \ | http://home.connexus.net.au/~kat
\_.--.*/ | #include "standard/disclaimer.h"
v |
------------| Melbourne -> Victoria -> Australia -> Southern Hemisphere
Maranatha! | -> Earth -> Sol -> Milky Way Galaxy -> Universe
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 19:39:03 -0700
From: Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: My Dream
Message-ID: <36BCFCC7.60C5@jps.net>
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Penny Dreadful wrote:
>
>I also cut open Cally but I
> can't remember what I found.
>
Apparently, it was the 'flashy thingy' from Men In Black.
--Avona, smart-alec at large
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 20:09:00 -0700
From: Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] The limericks go on...
Message-ID: <36BD03CB.123A@jps.net>
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There once was an rebel named Avon,
Whose leather set women a-ravin'.
He coldly resists,
But they always persist
Sure that one day he is bound to cave in.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 20:29:20 -0700
From: Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] The limericks go on...
Message-ID: <36BD088F.5870@jps.net>
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The rebel leader known as Blake,
Ne'er faltered, whate'er the stake.
Yet he still turned and fled
When he found in his bed
A pilot and 'path on the make.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 03:41:41 -0000
From: "Neil Faulkner" <N.Faulkner@tesco.net>
To: "lysator" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake
Message-ID: <002b01be524f$d7a102a0$2b1cac3e@default>
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At last, a sensible subject...
Judith wrote:
>Throughout the entire first season, Blake makes no attempt to gain allies.
He
>would apear to have no political ambitions at all. The only exception is
>'Bounty' and he goes after Sarkoff specifically because he discovers that
>Sarkoff had been set up and the Federation planned to use him. Blake was
acting
>more to aid Lindor than in his own interests.
A couple of possible reasons:
(1) Entering into an alliance with a rebel group might have tied him to one
particular locale, thus preventing him from exploiting Liberator's mobility
(which was, after all, one of its greatest assets). I tend to see rebels as
being a largely parochial bunch, only concerned with the future of their own
homeworlds - "Freedom for _us_ and sod everyone else." Blake's agenda had a
wider perspective.
(2) Not all rebel factions would have necessarily seen eye to eye. By
refusing to ally himself with any particular faction, Blake could become a
'universal rebel', an acceptable figurehead for most (probably not all) the
disparate anti-Federation factions.
(3) Blakes strategy, first season, was hit-and-run. Presumably he thought
he could achieve more this way. Suppose the Federation's hold on the Outer
Worlds was relatively tenuous: a series of unpredictable hit-and-run strikes
would (a) make it harder for the Federation to track Blake down, and (b)
encourage dissent over a wide area, to the extent where the Federation might
not have the resources to quell rebellion everywhere at once. It would then
be forced to prioritise, allowing at least some worlds to break free. The
second season suggests that Blake considered this approach to have failed,
hence the search for Central Control. (The implication is that earlier he
either did not know of Central Control's existence - unlikely - or
considered it out of practical bounds, or perhaps he preferred to leave it
intact if at all possible. The last option would not only save many lives,
but would also preserve a viable infrastructure for a post-Federation
galactic community. Which further suggests that the last thing Blake wanted
was the galaxy descending into chaos, but found himself with no meaningful
alternative.)
Actually, he did conscript one ally in the first season: surely Avalon
counts (at least as much as Ro, cited by Judith).
>Usually I attribute it to bad script-writing, but today it struck me that
the
>original child-molesting charge against him could be a good enough reason
on its
>own. Blake must have known that many potential allies would be put off by
hte
>charge. No matter how much they might suspect that he had been framed, the
>trial was very convincing (especially if they broadcast the evidence given
by
>the children) and mud of that kind always sticks.
Alison Page, in Young Ladies' Home Companion (which you've all read because
you've all got a copy of Stadler Link, haven't you), suggests that the
charges didn't stick. As Avon says aboard the London: "Everyone knows that
was a put-up job. Otherwise you wouldn't have lasted five minutes in here,
let alone four months." A very shrewd observation, I think.
Neil
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 04:09:49 -0000
From: "Neil Faulkner" <N.Faulkner@tesco.net>
To: "lysator" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re [B7L] Limericks (Not)
Message-ID: <002c01be524f$d879af60$2b1cac3e@default>
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Well, I've had three tedious shifts to think of a decent limerick, and
failed miserably. So I offer this instead.
Should I become producer of Blakes 7, series five,
I've got a little list, I've got a little list,
Of things our heroes will not meet (at least those left alive),
They'd none of them be missed, they'd none of them be missed.
Such as presidents who skip through mud in flowing lacey gowns,
All planets full of buddleia, where cawing rooks abound.
The Federation cruiser that looks rather like a toy,
The futuristic costume fashioned out of corduroy,
And teleporting bracelets that can hop from wrist to wrist,
They'd none of them be missed, they'd none of them be missed.
Old lovers resurrected for a tragic interlude,
Then consigned to join the list - 'Dead as soon they've been kissed'.
And heavies with a fighting skill that's best described as crude
(They lean to take the fist, like they're rather Brahms and Liszt).
All characters whose names contain the letters Z or X,
The squeak of rubber running shoes on wooden spaceship decks,
The wounds that barely injure and show no intent to bleed,
The hairy savage primitives, all scripts by Mr Steed,
And aliens who speak English like an Oxford classicist,
They'd none of them be missed, they'd none - of them - be - missed.
Of course, you might care to add a few of your own. And then again, you
might see reason and decide not to.
Neil
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 09:51:37 +0100
From: Jacqueline Thijsen <jacqueline.thijsen@cmg.nl>
To: Blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: RE: [B7L] Flat Robin continues...
Message-ID: <39DCDDFD014ED21185C300104BB3F99F10FAFF@NL-ARN-MAIL01>
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It's not as good as Pterry could have made it, but then that's why I still
have a day job. I'm still having fun doing this, though. Thanks to Calle and
Avona for making me.
> Cally stretched out a hand in the silence. "Could one of you spare the
> time to act as a guide for us? We are strangers in your land. Of course,
> we would be willing to compensate you for your time."
>
The first troll scratched its head. "You pay us if we show you city?" It was
not used to such requests. Most people tried to get away from trolls, and
sometimes paid them to go away.
Avon looked at Cally. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cally just
shrugged. "We need someone to guide us. Do you have a better idea?"
"She's right" said Blake, cutting off the scathing reply Avon was about to
give. "We'll need someone to show us around if we're going to make good use
of the time we spend here." He looked at the troll. "What's your name?"
"Pebbles", said the troll, looking defensively at them. For some reason,
humans tended to snigger at his name. The three humans in front of him
looked at him and decided that if a seven feet tall being which appeared to
be made out of solid rock and looked like it could eat them for breakfast
went by the name of Pebbles, then that was a perfectly normal name. And an
excellent opportunity to practice that poker face.
Blake introduced his group to Pebbles, and they were on their way towards
the city. While they were walking, Pebbles told them a few things about the
city, like its name, a bit of its history and what kind of rock and stone
could be found in its various quarters. By the time they got to the city
gates all three of them knew far more about rocks and stone than they had
ever wanted to learn. But somehow none of them seemed inclined to suggest
that Pebbles change the subject. Although Avon had been making sure his gun
was loose enough in its holster quite a few times.
As they were nearing a town square, they heard voices behind them. "Gytha,
you really need to keep a better eye on that cat of yours." The voice had
only a tinge of exasperation in it, but Blake noticed that Pebbles suddenly
tensed up. "Oh, come now, Esme, Greebo is a perfectly nice little dear. I'm
sure he didn't mean to eat all of the ducks in that pond. But you know how
he gets when he's hungry." The second voice sounded decidedly cheerful, but
didn't do anything to reassure Pebbles. As a matter of fact, the big troll
suddenly mumbled something about there being a lot of work to be done in the
quarry and slunk away, which is no mean feat for a seven foot tall mound of
rock.
Blake turned around to get a good look at what had so frightened a troll.
What he saw was two elderly ladies with big pointed hats, one of them
dressed in black and the other one looking very grandmotherly despite the
hat. Behind the second lady strolled a cat with only one eye, which could
have made a tiger look like a cute little kitten. For a minute Blake
wondered if it was the cat that had frightened off Pebbles. Then the lady in
black looked at him. "Ah, there you are. Give us a hand with our luggage
here, there's a good boy." Blake started to laugh, then thought better of
it. "I'm not the one you hired to help you with your luggage", he said.
"Nonsense", said Granny Weatherwax, "now pick up that luggage and be quick
about it."
Blake looked at Avon and Cally, who were obviously enjoying the whole scene.
"We'll meet you at that square ahead of us when you're done" grinned Avon.
Cally threw in a grin of her own and walked off with Avon. Blake started to
call out after them, but needed all of his concentration to keep his balance
as Granny suddenly heaved a large wooden chest onto his back. He had to use
both hands to keep it from falling off, which would have done considerable
damage to his foot. "What's in this thing?" he asked, then shut up as Granny
hit him on the head. "That's not something a gentleman would ask about a
lady's luggage" she huffed and stalked off. Blake decided that now was
probably not a good time to point out that ladies generally didn't hit
people on the head, either. Instead he concentrated on staying upright under
that chest as he started walking after the two witches. Somehow he had the
feeling that doing otherwise could be very hazardous to his health.
Avon and Cally walked on to the square, still grinning. In an attempt at
seriousness, Cally had suggested that perhaps they should help Blake to get
out of his predicament. That attempt hadn't lasted very long, though, as she
agreed with Avon that their fearless leader was long overdue for a little
lesson in humility.
The square before them was rather busy and had inns all around it. Avon was
all for going inside one at once, but Cally wanted to look around the square
some more. "All right", said Avon, "do a little sociological survey out
here. I'll be testing the quality of the local beverages in there." And with
that he walked into the nearest inn.
Avon stood at the bar of a rather seedy looking inn with a mug of beer in
his hand and looked around him. He nudged the man standing closest to him
and asked "what's that monkey doing in here?" Suddenly the entire inn went
quiet as the librarian of the Unseen University swung over to Avon. The only
sound to be heard at that moment was "Oooook?"
Wonder if anyone can get Avon out of this one :-).
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 09:15:48 +0100 (BST)
From: Judith Proctor <Judith@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>
To: Lysator List <Blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] clones and Auron
Message-ID: <Marcel-1.46-0207081548-313Rr9i@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Clones occur in a couple of places in Blake's 7. Weapon (The Clonemasters and
the clones of Blake), Children of Auron (where we discover that Cally is a clone
and Servalan produces her own clones) and possibly Time Squad where we discover
the brood unit of the programmed guardians.
All these have the factor of accelerated growth to consider. The Clone masters
produced mature adult clones that plainly had intelligence and full use of
language (though it was implied that they weren't fully educated or trained at
birth). Auronar clones could be grown rapidly as srrvalan's clones reached a
recognisable fetal stage very quickly. The gene bank in Time Squard were said
to be able to produce fully grown individuals in hours.
How was this acceletated growth achieved?
What were its implications?
How do we think the Auronar grew up? Cally refers to her parents (Harvest of
Kairos) so we can assume that she probably did have a childhood, though probably
with foster parents. However, she might well have gone through an acclerated
growth stage. What factors: genetic, vultural, economic, etc. might have made
the Auronar decide to let their clones have a childhood?
Judith
--
http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7
Redemption 99 - The Blakes 7/Babylon 5 convention
26-28 February 1999, Ashford International Hotel, Kent
http://www.smof.com/redemption/
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 08:26:39 +0100 (BST)
From: Judith Proctor <Judith@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>
To: Lysator List <Blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake
Message-ID: <Marcel-1.46-0207072639-0b0Rr9i@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
On Sat 06 Feb, Julia Jones wrote:
> In message <l03110703b2e2287d8836@[134.226.96.44]>, Murray Smith
> <mjsmith@tcd.ie> writes
> >I have read no stories that have Blake
> >>being abused and/or attacked by people who believed that he did molest
> >>those children. It would have been easy to use true stories of convicted
> >>paedophiles and child abusers having serious problems with neighbours once
> >>they are released from prison.
>
> I can think of several, often involving the children themselves. For
> example, part of the Hellhound sequence deals with this. It's mentioned
> peripherally in a number of h/c and adult stories.
I can thik of several where he meets one or more of the children - that happens
enough to qualify as a frequent theme in fanfic. (And I include in that,
stories where he has to face the vengeful parent of one of the children)
However, I can think of only one where he meets adults who regard him with
suspicion and rapidly shuffle their children out of sight. ('Rosetta Stone') I
think that is more what Murray was getting at.
I've also yet to read a single story story set on the London where anyone gives
Blake the kind of treatment that child molesters frequently suffer in prison.
It's not totally surprising. I can't imagine that many people would want to
write about one of their favourite characters having to go through that kind of
treatment.
It could be argued that the prisoners didn't react in that way because of the
surpressents in the food, but I'm not totally convinced.
The really interesting question is how did Blake convince Jenna, Vila, Nova and
Gan that he was innocent? (I can imagine that Avon might possibly have aided the
escape anyway for purely pragmatic reasons).
Judith
--
http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7
Redemption 99 - The Blakes 7/Babylon 5 convention
26-28 February 1999, Ashford International Hotel, Kent
http://www.smof.com/redemption/
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 10:55:59 -0700
From: Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net>
To: lysator <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: Re [B7L] Limericks (Not)
Message-ID: <36BDD3AF.2619@jps.net>
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(ROFL!, well done Neil)
Avon> I am the captain of the Scorpio!
Crew> And a right mad captain, too!
Avon> I'm very, very bad and believe me I've had
Just as bad a crew.
Crew> He's very, very bad and yes, indeed he's had
Equally bad a crew
Avon> Though beginning as a nerd, my adventures (quite absurd!)
Have made me quite flamboyant.
I've lost too many friends for my soul to comprehend--
Too bad Cally wasn't clairevoyant.
Crew> She wasn't clairevoyant!
So shed your tears and watch them flow
For the stressed-out captain of the Scorpio!
So shed your tears and let them flow...
For everyone on Scorpio!
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 11:12:00 -0700
From: Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net>
To: lysator <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Avon's background-- speculation
Message-ID: <36BDD768.1090@jps.net>
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Has anyone ever worked with a story where Avon _was_ political himself
at one time? The Federation thought he was or they wouldn't have
assigned Bartolomew to 'run' him. Further, he must have been doing
something to attract their attention _before_ 'Bartolomw' was assigned,
since B. was Anna, and Avon's motive was supposedly to take her with him
into the realm of the 'too rich to touch'.
Why was he afraid of being 'touched' by the Federation? Obviously, he
was aware of its attitude toward people who upset the status quo in any
way, and believed that he might be seen as a threat.
Could it be his reluctance to follow Blake may have had its roots in
direct experience-- an interest in rebellion/ political dissent that had
previously been disappointed? It would be very interesting if Avon had
been attracted to Blake's original Freedom Party (was that the right
name?) until Blake publically recanted its efforts.
Obviously, Avon has always been the sort to try to keep the risks
minimal by hiding his sympathies, but isn't their a saying about a cynic
being an idealist with experience?
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 15:18:59 +0000
From: Julia Jones <julia.lysator@jajones.demon.co.uk>
To: Lysator List <Blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake
Message-ID: <Cs53TBAj7av2Ewby@jajones.demon.co.uk>
In message <Marcel-1.46-0207072639-0b0Rr9i@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>, Judith
Proctor <Judith@blakes-7.demon.co.uk> writes
>However, I can think of only one where he meets adults who regard him with
>suspicion and rapidly shuffle their children out of sight. ('Rosetta Stone') I
>think that is more what Murray was getting at.
I can recall reading several where Blake's reaction to adults behaving
this way is the excuse for a h/c scene. It is mentioned peripherally in
a number of stories, although the only one I can pin down in my memory
well enough to get the author and title is Bryn Lantry's _Mutiny_.
I don't think the possible public reaction to the paedophilia charges is
ignored in fanfic, but it seems to be a part of the general background
of stories rather than a main theme.
--
Julia Jones
"Don't philosophise with me, you electronic moron!"
The Turing test - as interpreted by Kerr Avon.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 06:48:21 +1100
From: "Afenech" <Fenech@onaustralia.com.au>
To: "Lysator List" <Blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake
Message-Id: <19380410933331@domain0.bigpond.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
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Hello everyone -smile-
Judith said:
> >However, I can think of only one where he meets adults who regard him
>>with suspicion and rapidly shuffle their children out of sight.
('Rosetta >>Stone') I think that is more what Murray was getting at.
upon which Julia commented:
> I don't think the possible public reaction to the paedophilia charges is
> ignored in fanfic, but it seems to be a part of the general background
> of stories rather than a main theme.
For a while I have been trying to write a look at the voyage of the
'London' from Avon's perspective and in the course of it I thought to have
one of the crew 'remind' Blake of the supposed reason he is being
transported. But that was all - I don't see anything in 'Spacefall' to
suggest that his fellow transportees thought badly of him - rather the
opposite -they are prepared to follow him without much argument it seems
which does suggest that they believed it was a 'frame'. I know they are
drugged and hardly capable of much thinking, but they do follow him. Would
they have if they believed him a child molester? Would he have still been
alive four months on if they had believed him guilty?
Maybe its rose-coloured glasses again, but I'd imagine (as several stories
I can remember do) that Blake would take up the issues of the rights of
the prisoners and earn their respect and belief in him that way. Besides
there is the factor of his 'presence' - or the charisma which was being
discussed in another thread. I know this isn't the general perception of
Blake but I tend to feel he radiates some sort of impression of at the
very least trustworthiness ( I would describe it rather more as goodness -
but that's just me -smile-) which might also influence to belief in his
innocence. I base the radiating on the way Cally trusts him, on Saurian
Major, after so brief an acquaintance, when she really is in no mood to be
so trusting.
Pat Fenech
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 15:46:53 EST
From: AChevron@aol.com
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake
Message-ID: <9506dbe9.36bdfbbd@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
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In a message dated 2/7/99 4:12:52 AM Eastern Standard Time,
Judith@blakes-7.demon.co.uk writes:
<< The really interesting question is how did Blake convince Jenna, Vila, Nova
and
Gan that he was innocent? (I can imagine that Avon might possibly have aided
the
escape anyway for purely pragmatic reasons). >>
It is interesting that the crew so readily falls under his sway. Jenna and
Vila I figure believe him because they've seen enough of the internal, darker
workings of the Federation's Justice system to believe it capable of anything.
Nova may be a political prisoner, and thus have a case of "hero worship" of
the kind that would not believe any charge short of actually seeing Blake rape
a child. Gan I can only assume trusts his instincts, and his instincts tell
him Blake is innocent.
As for Avon, I expect he would have assisted Blake even if Blake had been
guilty of the alleged crimes, if it offered a reasonable chance of escape. Of
course, Blake would not have had the support, or at least neutrality from the
rest of the prisoners, I imagine.
As for Blake suffering a child molester's fate in jail, I think the
supressants do account for much of it. The other aspect is that Blake very
rapidly attracted Gan and Jenna to him, and built up a cadre of support. By
the time the other prisoners interacted enough to form a group that could
attack him, Blake had adequate protection. A protection that extended to Avon,
apparantly, even if Avon did not acknowledge or request it.
Sorry for the 1/2 incoherent rambles. Computer problems have kept me off,
and I'm trying to catch up on mail, and do some much delayed research......
D. Rose
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 16:01:39 EST
From: AChevron@aol.com
To: Blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] clones and Auron
Message-ID: <9506dbee.36bdff33@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
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In a message dated 2/7/99 4:12:59 AM Eastern Standard Time,
Judith@blakes-7.demon.co.uk writes:
<< Clones occur in a couple of places in Blake's 7. Weapon (The Clonemasters
and
the clones of Blake), Children of Auron (where we discover that Cally is a
clone
and Servalan produces her own clones) and possibly Time Squad where we
discover
the brood unit of the programmed guardians. >>
This is a theme that interests me immensely. My own personal theory, for
which I'm still marshalling arguments and weighting counterarguements, is that
during one of the early outward expansions of Terrans, cloning technology is
developed to the level noted here. I suspect the CloneMasters were created as
a backlash to control the potentially dangerous technology, and thus the
Federation lost this knowledge, or at least had their access to it limitted by
the Clone Masters.
In most of the other situations we see clone technology, it could be
accounted for by colony worlds retaining the technology. Thus Auron, seemingly
one of the few successful break-away worlds, ends up as the only known culture
with viable cloning technology. Thus Servalan's interest in aquiring it for
her own use(and also may explain the "extinction" of the Clone Masters; with
the balance of power altered by the Andromedan war, Servalan may have seen fit
to exterminate them lest they interfere with her future plans).
It would seem the accelerated development is a nessacary part of the
process, for whatever reason. I rather shudder to think what this does
mentally and emotionally to the clones. An alleviating factor would be the
psionic enhancement, which could serve as a surrogate for the maternal
presence, so to speak.
Again, enough rambling for now. D. Rose
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 13:38:51 PST
From: "Joanne MacQueen" <j_macqueen@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] hodge podge
Message-ID: <19990207213852.1167.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
>>And do you still get away with it?
>I never did get away with it - which was why it was so nice to see
>someone who did :-)
>Julia Jones
But an adult, Julia, an adult. Weren't you irritated at all by someone
practically getting away with murder, who just happened to be a grownup?
(Well, <grin> less juvenile anyway!)
Regards
Joanne
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Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 14:43:33 PST
From: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Fwd: Re: [B7L] hodge podge - Avon's manners, so to speak
Message-ID: <19990207224337.3663.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
But an adult, Julia, an adult. Weren't you irritated at all by someone
practically getting away with murder, who just happened to be a grownup?
(Well, <grin> less juvenile anyway!)
Regards
Joanne
An interesting point...why *does* everyone let him get away with it?
Blake & Tarrant both have fairly short tempers, & Gan could flatten Avon
with one hand (I've been watching the scene in The Web in the teleport
where Avon simply, casually, almost unthinkingly shoves Gan out of the
way, as if Gan were a lump of wood.)
I can't help thinking that Blake at least must sometimes think back to
Vila's introduction 'when it comes to computers, he's number two in all
the Federated worlds' and wonder why he couldn't have had number three -
or seventeen - or ninety three for that matter...
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Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 15:27:18 PST
From: "Joanne MacQueen" <j_macqueen@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Refractions on the Net
Message-ID: <19990207232719.2216.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
>the Refractions page http://home.connexus.net.au/~kat/refract.htm
>has a new look and a new organisation.
Looks quite nice, Kathryn.
>But, most importantly of all, I have put Refractions #1 up on the net.
[snip] >(Hmmm, why should I feel defensive about something which is >a
*favour* to everybody? Probably because of the reaction I got last
>time.) So, folks, give me some positive feedback, huh?
Yeah, there is a problem with reading anything using Acrobat (but that
may be my inexperience with the format in question rather than a real
problem - the company wants us to check errors prior to printing using
.pdf files, and I still don't know what I was doing wrong the other
day). However, the way around it is to print it out, which I intend to
do to the rest of it when the toner cartridge is changed - can't have
faded patches, now, <grin> can we?
I've done the Jean Graham story already, but I suspect that I'm just a
sucker for a Jean Graham story (her web site is bookmarked on my
computer at work). But Judith's "Elegy For The Seven" is in front of me
now, and I rather like it, particularly the final stanza, which sums up
the series quite well (I'll take the liberty of quoting, and hope Judith
and Kathryn don't mind too much):
If you recall with strong affection
Those who lived and laughed and cried,
Do not call them good or evil,
Simply call them those who tried.
A E Houseman is not a poet I've worked my way around to reading yet, so
can I ask which poem (if it was only one) that inspired it, Judith?
I'd comment on Kathryn's poem "Migration", which is part of the same
file, but I have a problem there that no amount of printing will cure.
This problem will recur as I keep reading - I've not seen some of the
series that inspired some of the stories and poems! Never having seen an
entire episode of Highlander is going to make that crossover of yours a
bit difficult, Kathryn, but I hope that I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed
the Sapphire and Steel/B7 crossover in issue 2 (never having seen any of
that either <sigh>).
Regards
Joanne
(who is going to do the job properly this time, and print out both
Refractions #1 and #2 in their entirety, not just the B7 bits, as she
did originally with Refractions #2.)
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 17:01:22 -0700
From: Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: [B7L] hodge podge - Avon's manners, so to speak
Message-ID: <36BE2952.561D@jps.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Sally Manton wrote:
>
> But an adult, Julia, an adult. Weren't you irritated at all by someone
> practically getting away with murder, who just happened to be a grownup?
> (Well, <grin> less juvenile anyway!)
>
> An interesting point...why *does* everyone let him get away with it?
> Blake & Tarrant both have fairly short tempers, & Gan could flatten Avon
> with one hand (I've been watching the scene in The Web in the teleport
> where Avon simply, casually, almost unthinkingly shoves Gan out of the
> way, as if Gan were a lump of wood.)
Well, first off, I think Blake and Tarrant are aware that Avon will not
back down in response to threats, and actual violence would have to be
lethal in order to be safe for the perpetrator. Anyone want to cause
Avon pain and let him be able to do something about it afters?
So they are left with: kill him, ask him nicely to express his views
more politely, or put up with him. Why option number 2 was never tried,
I'm not quite sure. Maybe the right to free speech being held dear
amongst rebels? Or maybe they figured such a request would be met with
biting sarcasm? Actually, both Blake and Tarrant could make nasty
comments of their own at times, and I expect there was a sense that,
when people's lives are in jeopardy on a regular basis, they need to
vent steam.
Gan, I think, was used to bad manners from superior grades when they
were actually around, and didn't necessarily take offense because that's
just the way things usually were.
I find it interesting that you didn't include Vila or the women on your
list. Is that because you think fisticuffs is the appropriate way to
resolves issues of bad manners? After all, Blake, Tarrant, and Gan never
appeared to be hurt by Avon's comments, so why should they care? (I've
been in groups where insulting people was a sign of friendship) Vila, on
the other hand, could get his feelings hurt.
Did Avon ever show deliberate rudeness to the women (deliberate, as
opposed to simply shouting out orders during a battle)? I'm not thinking
of any immediate instances. Did they seem to care if he did?
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 17:03:47 PST
From: "Penny Dreadful" <pdreadful@hotmail.com>
To: Blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: RE: [B7L] Flat Robin continues...
Message-ID: <19990208010347.28713.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
>Wonder if anyone can get Avon out of this one :-).
The Great and Powerful Arkaroo, in His ongoing heroic effort to avoid
real work, is even as we speak hard at work on the next installment.
Sounds promising. "Hurry up and post it already!" I tells 'im...Stay
tuned!
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Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 18:12:35 PST
From: "Penny Dreadful" <pdreadful@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Cc: egomoo@geocities.com
Subject: [B7L] Flat Robin continues! by Arkaroo
Message-ID: <19990208021242.18275.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
Forwarded by the Great Green God Arkaroo, with Love to the Lysator List:
************
Meanwhile, back aboard the Liberator, trouble was brewing.
'For God's sakes, Zen,' shrieked Cally, reeling along the steadily
tilting deck, 'what's happening?'
'Short-range sensors indicate that the Sun has drifted too close to us
and has driven the mass detectors into a fugue. All propulsion units are
down; sensors are failing. We are falling towards that Disc,' said Zen.
Cally clawed her way along the wall towards the aft as various
electronics and soiled tabloids started to slide. 'Vila!'
Vila jerked back into full consciousness. 'What? Who? Where?' The morbid
figures that had been stationed near him were gone, but he was by no
means comforted by that fact.
***
Back on Discworld, incredibly unlikely coincidences were happening.
Once regarded as the preeminent astrologer in his field, Lord James
Radish-Culpepper III had suffered a string of ill-timed predictions
(such as having predicted that King Laurel the Fertile would remain
without heir, which came as quite a shock to the King's eighteen sons)
that guaranteed his ejection from the field. After many years of
tumbling down the social staircase he was reduced to the lowly position
of Professor, which resulted in his parents telling their close friends
and acquaintances that he had been killed while sodomizing a sheep
rather than admitting his actual fate.
As part of his new 'career' he was required to educate his students at
the Ankh-Morpork School of Astrology and Haruspexing in the delicate
skills of knowing which things in the sky were stars and which were
birds. Today, he was out in one of the few relatively dry areas of the
Ankh Morpork Bog, the Disc's most acidic and generally moist area, where
the School had set up a viewing platform amid the withered trees and
carnivorous plants. His two prize students (ie - those whose parents had
paid the largest sum to keep their children out of the house), Nigel
Fishmilker and Timmy Henderson, had accompanied him on the bumpy wagon
ride out to the platform.
'The stars, my boys, are like... cuttlefish,' said Lord Radish-Culpepper
thoughtfully. 'They both tend to... move around very slowly, and, um,
they both squirt ink when frightened. Or, rather, cuttlefish squirt ink,
and stars just tend to move around in regular motions through the skies.
Not like cuttlefish at all, really.'
'Wot about that star, Mister Radish? It's swooping about all over the
place,' asked Nigel, gesturing towards the Liberator with one filthy
finger.
'That? Why, that isn't a proper star at all! Fetch me my case,
Henderson,' cried Lord Radish-Culpepper, snapping his fingers
imperiously.
'Yessir.' Henderson returned up the hill after several minutes,
staggering under the weight of a brass-bound wooden chest. 'Here you go,
m'lord.'
'Thanks awfully,' said Lord Radish-Culpepper, unlocking the case. From
within its stygian depths he pulled out a long, oil-cloth satchel, and a
three-foot steel rod with a large round ball at one tip.
'Cor,' said Nigel, 'Wot is that fing?'
'That, my young, loutish friend, is my star-killer,' said Lord
Radish-Culpepper. 'Help me with this drawstring. Having fiddled with the
tightened knot keeping the oil-cloth bag closed with increasing signs of
rage. he proceeded to remove a monstrously large collapsible crossbow.
'Nigel,' he said, 'Hold onto this side. Henderson, the other. Now,
pull!' With much grunting and snapping of ill-used muscles, the two
assistants used their considerable lack of strength to awkwardly pull
down the ends of the deer-antler/whale intestine composite bow while
Lord Radish-Culpepper attached the bow-string.
'Now, this is what my grandfather did in his day, to stars that didn't
know their places. Okay, up 15 degrees... Over to the left 8 degrees...
No, your other left, you little burk! Right... now... Fire!' The
crossbow gave an enormous heave, digging itself, and Nigel, through the
wooden planks of the platform and deep into the soft peat. The steel rod
hurtled into the inky sky, disappearing almost instantly.
Culpepper-Radish grinned, and, raising his telescope to his eye, said,
'This ought to be a laugh.'
***
Far above, Cally sat atop the main mass sensor, carefully and
professionally smashing the carbon-fibre case with a claw-hammer. Small
green sparks flew from the cracking case, and shards of black material
flew everywhere. Then, with a little squeal, the red light which had
blinking on the wall changed reluctantly to green.
Cally whooped with delight. 'Vila, we've done it!' She rushed into the
control room and studied the console. 'All systems online. Functioning
restored,' intoned Zen. Cally rushed out to the Teleport room, leaving
the helm unmanned.
After a suitably ironic amount of time, Zen intoned once more.
'A small missile is headed toward us. Shields will be adequate to repel
it.' Satisified that all was well, Zen went back to making the lights
blink and emitting small noises.
With a small peep, Orac came on-line 'My reading of the situation is
somewhat different, you bumbling vacuum-tubed cretin. The missile will
collide with our aft propulsion units.'
'Really?' asked Zen, a small note of concern in its voice.
'Yes,' said Orac haughtily.
'Well. Bugger.' With a devastating bang, the Liberator listed starboard.
Ever so slowly, an increasing whine echoed through the hull as the ship
began its descent.
***
Radish giggled obscenely. 'There she goes, haha, serves you right,
Universe. Sod you! Sod you!' he bellowed, making rude gestures at the
suddenly flaring star above and dancing about on the platform. Nigel and
Henderson looked on in simpering dismay at the crazed sight before them.
***
Actually, with regards to the now rapidly moving spacecraft, it was for
the best that the crew had not completely translated the Liberator's
instruction manual. Below the fourteen heavily footnoted paragraphs
detailing the quarry-oriented teleportational features (and the three
detailing the heretofore unknown 'Destroy Star One In Two Easy Steps For
Beginners' feature) was the chapter dealing with the enivoronmental
systems. Of the features of this system (along with the Bidet options
and Toilet-Paper replicator)was that which controlled the intermitent
venting of waste.
It had originally been set to to jettison the liquid waste at high
velocity away from the ship, but, as the vents hadn't been cleaned in
several aeons, the blocks of frozen liquid waste had drifted into close,
weak orbits around the hull of the Liberator, eventually attaching
themselves to the hull. The end result being, over the last few years of
occupation by Blake and his crew, the Liberator had developed an
awe-inspiring glacier of urine, spoiled soma and computer oil on the
prow.
***
'Um, Professor Radish, ' said Nigel, reaching out towards the gibbering
figure. 'Isn't that star, um, falling? As in, fallng down?'
Henderson polished his glasses nervously. 'Erm, yes, he's right, sir.
I've just noticed something.'
'What is it, you buffoon?' shrieked Lord Radish-Culpepper, still leaping
up and down.
'Sir, according to my calculations, the ratio between the increasing
angular diameter and the resultant lack of change in visual parallax
indicates that this star is headed... very close to here. Possibly
actually most likely right here.' Henderson looked somewhat sheepish. 'I
think.'
Lord Radish-Culpepper looked disgusted. 'Bosh! You think the Universe
works like that? Why, that would require a coincidence so incredibly
unlikely that...' He looked up. 'Oh, Bugger.'
[I've got dibs on the next chapter!] (says Arkaroo)
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End of blakes7-d Digest V99 Issue #54
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