The Last Wish

 2023 is almost over and, so, I've decided to wrap up this year of blogging by sharing my opinions on a movie I saw fairly recently. 

Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish, is an animated feature from DreamWorks that came out last year. While I'm not a huge fan of DreamWorks (though they have made some movies that I do like), the positive buzz surrounding this move, piqued my interest. Having seen it, I was not disappointed.

I should point out that I have not seen the original Puss in Boots movie, that came out way back in 2011. Prior to The Last Wish, I only knew DreamWorks' (and Antonio Banderas') take on the character from his debut appearance in Shrek 2. That said, as a sequel, Puss in Boots 2 stands perfectly well on its own, so watching its predecessor is not really necessary.

Visually, the movie definitely owes a debt to 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. However, while I enjoyed Spider-Verse, between it and The Last Wish, I consider the latter to be the better film. A major reason for this being that I found Puss' existential crisis, his struggle with coming to terms with his mortality, to be more interesting than Miles' rather standard superhero origin story. Other reasons include a more engaging cast of characters and the fact that adventure stories of this type simply appeal to me more than superhero shenanigans. 

Speaking of the characters, I liked our trio of protagonists, including Perrito (there's something you don't see every day; a comic-relief character who is actually funny. Imagine that). Character-wise, the best thing about this movie though, are its villains. 

Yes, I said villains, as in plural. Unlike most animated films, Puss in Boots 2 feature not just one main villain and a group of henchmen, but a minor gallery of rogues. There are three different villain factions in this movie, each one representing a different type of antagonist for Puss & Co to contend with in their quest for the wishing star.

First up is are Goldilocks and the three bears, here portrayed as a family of cockney-accented criminals. Goldie and the bears are the movie's sympathetic villains. Actually, an argument could be made that they aren't villains, so much as antagonistic anti-heroes. Aside from stuffing an old lady in a piano and kidnapping a dog (the aforementioned Perrito), they don't do anything outright bad. Sure, they are criminals, but so are Puss and Kitty. In fact, the movie could (and in some ways it is),  just as well have been about these guys, as it is about Team Friendship.

Next, we have 'Big' Jack Horner, who is the complete opposite. A villain of the old school, Jack is fully aware that he's an irredeemable monster and revels in it, even mocking the one character who tried to reach out to and find any semblance of goodness in this pie-making crime lord. What Jack lacks in nuance, he more than makes up for in sheer entertainment value.

But the greatest threat that Puss has to face is neither of these two, but Death itself, in the shape of a wolf. Relentlessly stalking our feline protagonist, his appearances heralded by a sinister whistling tune, Death is easily the most menacing villain I've seen in an animated film since Rango's Rattlesnake Jake and rounds out the movie's rogues-gallery, perfectly.

Entertaining and genuinely poignant, Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish definitely ranks among the best DreamWorks films that I've seen and comes highly recommended.

That's it for me. Have a Happy New Year, Dear Reader and I'll see you in 2024. 

Back to Prydain

 When I was a boy, one of my favorite authors was the American Lloyd Alexander (1924-2007). I read all the books by him that I could find at the local library, including, naturally, what must be his most famous work: The Chronicles of Prydain.

For those not in the know, The Chronicles of Prydain are a series of five YA (I'm not sure the term existed back then, but that's what they are) fantasy books inspired by Welsh mythology. They chronicle the various adventures of Taran, assistant pig-keeper of Caer Dallben and his companions in the land of Prydain.

Seeing as how it had been almost twenty-five years since I last read these books, I figured that it was high time that I revisited them, this time in their original language (last time, I read them in Swedish). 

I finished the first two books in the series (The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron) recently and was gratified to find that they've held up really well. No, they are not masterpieces of the fantasy genre, but, I wasn't really expecting them to be. They are, however, enjoyable reads, with engaging and likable (except when they aren't meant to be) characters. My only real complaint is that some of the running gags, such as the strings on Fflewddur's harp snapping whenever he tells a lie, or exaggerates his accomplishments gets old fairly quickly. 

I suppose I should write something about the Disney film. Frankly, the movie is no substitute for the books, being one of Disney's weaker efforts. I know that the movie has its fans (is there any movie that doesn't have at least one person who genuine loves it?) and that's fine, but I'm not really one of them (though I will admit that its version of the Horned King is a memorable - if not top-tier- Disney villain).

The Books are a different matter though. I'm glad that I returned to Prydain and will continue journeying with Taran, Eilonwy and the other denizens of this country for a while longer. From what I remember, the last two books: Taran Wanderer and The High King, were the best ones, so I'm looking forward to revisiting them in particular.

In a Fix, In a Bind, Call on Us Anytime

 Every once in a while, I like to go back and revisit media that I have not watched/read since childhood, in order to see if they hold up. Most recently, I did this with two of Disney's animated features: The Rescuers (1977) and its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under (1990).

Now, as a young'un, I watched these movies in the reverse order from when they were originally released (as a matter of fact, The Rescuers Down Under is one of the earliest films I can recall watching) and so, for years, my opinion was that the sequel was the better movie. As an adult, this is no longer the case.

Credit where credit is due, there are certain aspects in which Down Under outdoes its predecessor: For one, It's undeniably a much better-looking film,(though the art-style of the original The Rescuers is not without its charm), with some truly impressive flying-scenes  and as far as child-characters go, Down Under's Cody is more palatable than The Rescuer's Penny. I also kind of liked Jake, the kangaroo rat and appreciated that the writers didn't go the obvious route of making him into a complete douchebag. 

As for each film's respective main villain; Madame Medusa and Percival C. MacLeach? I'd say they're about equal in my eyes. Neither is among my favorite villains (or even favorite Disney-villains), but they both play their roles well and are entertainingly loathsome (though MacLeach has the better animal sidekick; Joanna the Goanna is easily the best character introduced in the sequel and completely steals the film).

So, why do I prefer The Rescuers to its sequel? Well, one major reason why is that, although both movies are the same length,  the original makes much better use of its runtime, with every scene advancing the plot in some way. Meanwhile, Down Under gives way too much attention to the antics of bumbling comic relief characters, who either should have had their screen-time reduced (Wilbur), or be cut from the movie altogether (Frank). 

Another reason is that, despite the movie being called The Rescuers Down Under, there isn't really that much of the two titular characters in it. Bernard and Bianca does not appear until almost half an hour into the movie (and keep in mind that we're talking about a film that runs to a grand total of 77 minutes) and throughout the film, they feel oddly inconsequential. Though at least, Bernard actually gets to do things, unlike his colleague/love-interest. Poor Bianca is just completely wasted in the sequel. It's a shame, because she was a great character in the first movie, easily the most charismatic and engaging female lead to come out of Disney up until that point and would remain so, until the Renaissance Era.

Despite what I wrote above, I must make it clear that I don't think The Rescuers Down Under is a bad movie. Certainly, I've seen far worse animated films, including worse from Disney (if you put a gun to my head and forced me to chose between watching The Rescuers Down Under or Home on the Range, I'd pick the former without any hesitation). I simply do not agree with those who think that its an underrated classic, or superior to its predecessor.

And that includes my younger self. 

Chapter 82

 In her study, Argath was busy putting her seal on a stack of death sentences, when there was a knock on the door.

"It's Lorenzo, Boss."

"Come in."

"Sorry to bother you, Boss" the fox said, as he entered the room. "A package came for you. Naturally, I had someone open it outside. Just in case. "

"Good. What was in the package?"

"This" Lorenzo replied and handed over the contents of the package to Argath. The Queen studied it with mild interest.

"Seems to be a journal of some kind. Who sent it?"

Lorenzo shrugged.

"No idea, there was no return address."

"Thank you, Lorenzo, that will be all."

Once she was alone, Argath went back to her work. However, every once in a while, she found herself glancing at the journal, which laid on her desk. It was as if it was calling out to her: Open me, it seemed to whisper and learn my secrets. 

What the Hell, I deserve a break, Argath thought.

Her curiosity having thus won out, she reached for the journal and opened it. As she did, a piece of paper fell out and landed in her lap. Intrigued, the Queen picked it up and read the following:

Some time ago, I found this journal written by one of my ancestors and am now thinking of publishing it. Before making it available to the public, I send it to you, Your  Majesty. I hope it will divert you as much as it did me and would be greatly honored if Your Majesty would grace my humble home with her presence, so that we may discuss its contents further.

Your subject, Cornelius.

PS: I believe that Your Majesty will find what's written on pages 45-47 of particular interest.

Argath repeated the name of the sender thoughtfully to herself. The Last time she had seen the former Councillor was when she had banished him from court. Naturally, she had ordered Lorenzo to discreetly keep him under surveillance, suspecting that he might have connection to the underground Sharanist movement. However, nothing had turned up. It seemed that, too all appearances, Cornelius was content in living out the rest of his days in quiet obscurity.

Until now that is. Very well, let's see if what his ancestor wrote should be shared with my subjects.

Making herself comfortable, Argath flipped to the pages indicated in the letter and began to read.

A moment later, she put the journal down and summoned a servant.

"Tell Our litter-carriers to make themselves ready", she ordered. "We are going out."

*****

Aemon was working in the garden, when he heard someone knock on the front door. At first, Aemon waited for the maid to get it, only to recall that it was her afternoon off and that she was out.

Reluctantly, the cat put down the pruning shears and went to answer. Hopefully, this would not be another door-to-door salesman.

Upon opening the door, Aemon realized that he would have preferred the peddler.

"We have come to visit Cornelius" Argath said, with ice in her voice. "We trust that he's available?"

"He's in the drawing room" Aemon began, somewhat shaken by the Queen's sudden appearance. "But, Your Majesty, he..."

He stopped mid-sentence, as Argath swept past him, leaving Aemon to feel like a skiff that had just been cut off by a battleship.

Upon entering the drawing room, Argath found Cornelius reclining on a sofa, a blanket covering his legs. Next to him stood a table, with a stack of books and a few bottles of medicine on it.

"Your Majesty must forgive me for not standing up" Cornelius said in a calm, but hoarse voice, his face showing no surprise at this sudden and unannounced Royal visit. "As you can see, I am gravely ill."

One glance at Cornelius was enough for Argath to see that he was telling the truth. The Canine seemed to have aged one, maybe even two decades, since they had last met:  His fur was dull and lifeless and the gown he wore hung loosely on his limbs. 

"Your Majesty, on the other hand, looks like the very picture of health" Cornelius continued. "Then again, what else is there to expect of a mother-to-be? When is the heir to the throne due? A dragon's gestation period is two years, is it not?"

"Enough! You know very well the purpose of Our visit and it was not to discuss child-birth, or your health."

"Indeed. But, a woman in your condition should not be left standing. Why don't Your Majesty have a seat and then we shall talk of serious matters."

He gestured to a large armchair, which Argath squeezed herself into.

"So, what did Your Majesty think of the gift I sent?"

Before Argath could answer, Aemon joined them. Cornelius' partner did not know what the Queen was doing here (though he did suspect that it had something to do with the package he had seen the maid carry under her arm when she left the house), nor did he relish having her under his roof. Still, she was a guest and the cat took his duties as a host seriously. 

"Can we offer Your Majesty anything?" He asked, with great courtesy. "A bite to eat, perhaps? Or something to drink?"

"Thank you, no" Argath replied, her voice not thawing. "We won't stay long."

Since the Queen declined the offer, Cornelius did the same and with that, Aemon excused himself and went back out to the garden. 

"So this is how you repay Our kindness?" Argath sighed,  her voice like razor-blades coated in honey. "With blackmail. We are disappointed in you, Cornelius. We never thought you'd be capable of such...ingratitude."

"Your Majesty's definition of kindness differs from that of mine. I would hardly call having a person banished from court merely for speaking his mind a kindness."

"We do, We could have had you treated much harsher. It was only your age and the many years of service to Our Kingdom that stayed Our hand that day."

"I suppose I should be grateful. Though I can not help but think of the many who have criticized the government and was not granted the same mercy."

"Mercy? Argath snarled. "For traitors? Don't make Us laugh. Speaking of traitors, blackmailing your Sovereign is surely an act of high treason, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed. However, I'd say that conspiracy to assassinate your Sovereign is even worse. Not to mention, going through with it."

Argath leaned forward and glared venomously at Cornelius. Oh, how she would have liked to wrap her fingers around his throat and squeeze until the head popped off. Alas, she knew that doing so, while momentarily satisfying, would lead to her own undoing. And so, she sank back into her chair, silently cursing Cornelius and his ancestor.

*****

The Next day, a proclamation was issued throughout all the land and this is what it said:

To All Our Subjects.

By Royal Command, We hereby declare the following:

The Censorship Bureau is hereby closed. Employees will be provided with new positions elsewhere.

Furthermore, the death penalty is hereby abolished throughout Our realm and, as a gesture of good will, We hereby grant amnesty to all those currently interned for having spoken out against the Government in the past.

Signed: Argath I, Ruler of Vinoli and its vassal-states Frigonia and Guanaca.

As expected, the announcement caused quite a stir. 

"This is great!"  One group of the population cheered. "It'll be just like when the old King was alive."

"The Queen must have lost her senses" grumbled another. "What good will this do?"

"This is a trick of some kind" muttered a third. "Better keep your heads down, or lose them later."

And what of the Queen herself? To answer that question, we must return to the previous day. 

Argath returned to the palace with a face like a storm-cloud. Having taken out her anger on the nearest handmaiden available, she summoned Lorenzo for a private conference in her quarters.

"So, as you can see, we are in quite a bothersome situation" she said, once she had finished explaining things to the fox.

"No kidding" Lorenzo said, letting out an impressed whistle. "Still, who would have thought that this ancestor of Cornelius' suspected you of plotting against Sharan? Not that he had any proof, of course."

"No. Did you know that my fa...the old King actually received an anonymous letter, warning him that a member of his own family wished him harm? I always wondered who sent that letter and today, I finally got the answer."

"I take it that the letter in question did not mention you directly, or we wouldn't have this conversation."

"Indeed, it was a vaguely worded, no doubt the ancestor wanted to cover his back, in case his suspicions turned out to be unfounded. "You know, Sharan actually thought that the letter was about Kheros and asked me to keep an eye on him."

"The Ancestor were much more open about his suspicions towards you in his journal though" Lorenzo reminded his mistress.

"True, damn his eyes."

"I suppose that this is not the only copy?" He asked, putting one paw on the journal.

Argath confirmed the fox's supposition with a movement of her head.

"Cornelius told me that he had multiple copies made and left in the care of people he trusted. Lorenzo, I need not tell you what the consequences would be if the contents of that journal were revealed to the public."

No, you do not, Lorenzo thought. 

Years after his death, the late King Sharan was still fondly remembered by the Vinolian people and why not? He had ruled them for several centuries, after all. And if there should surface a rumor that said that his own daughter had had a hand in his murder? Well, the fox and the dragon both knew that it may well light the spark of rebellion, turning even those among Argath's subjects that were now loyal against her. Especially, if said rumor came from the ancestor of a respectable person such as old Cornelius. 

Reflexively, Lorenzo brought his fingers up to his neck and down again.

"What do you intend to do?" He asked.

"What can I do? I have decided to acquiesce to Cornelius' demands. For now."

And what those demands were, you already know, dear reader.

"For now?"

"Cornelius is ill" Argath explained, "Gravely. Find out which doctor he consults and see if you can learn from them how long he has left."

"Once the old dog's dead and buried things will go back to the way they should be, eh, Boss?" Lorenzo sniggered. Then, he thought of something. "But, what if one or more of the people who have the copies decide to release them after Cornelius' death?"

"That is why you must also track down those copies while Cornelius is still alive. Use any means at your disposal, but do it discreetly."

"You can count on me.I shall begin my investigations immediately."

With those words, Lorenzo rose from the chair he had occupied and, with a bow to Argath, left.

The Queen stood up as well. She picked up the journal and tossed it into the fireplace. She then bent down over it and exhaled. 

As she watched her flames devour the hated object, the Queen's mood began to improve. She decided to send word to the kitchen to have some food brought up. 

Just then, she felt the baby kick her. She put one hand on her stomach.

"Just wait, my child" she cooed softly. "Mommy is not going to let that mean old mutt, or anyone else get in her way.  She'll destroy them all. Yes, she will."

Chapter 81

 As she and the others ran through the jungle, a thought entered Risha's brain, like an unwelcome guest:

What if something had happened to the boats? What if the island has destroyed them, or swallowed them up? 

If so, they would all be up the creek without a paddle, for there was no way they would be able to swim all the way back to the ship. 

Please, Risha prayed fervently in her head. If any of you Gods are watching this, do not abandon us in this place.

At last, they arrived at the beach, where the boats lay in the sand, just as when they had left them. Risha could almost jump with joy, but she feared that if she did, her legs would give out under her. 

She was not the only one. Many of the others were exhausted from their long run. However, they barely had time to catch their breath, before the first-mate began to bark orders:

"No time to rest yet, men! Get these boats in the water, now!"

"Wait!" Risha called out. "What about Kyros?"

The First-Mate shook his head.

"Look at the sky, we still have an hour, maybe two 'til sunrise and who knows what might happen in the meantime? Our enemies might decide to stop squabbling among themselves and come after us."

"So, you're just going to abandon him ? After he made sure that we could get away?"

"That was his choice. I have to think of the safety of everyone here."

"It's mostly your own safety that you think of" the lynx said, with scorn in her voice. "Back in the jungle, you seemed all too relieved when the leader of those savages told us that they would let us go in exchange for Merees."

"How dare you?" The First-mate growled. "Your attitude is starting to try my patience, lynx."

"Your cowardice is beginning to try mine" Risha growled in retort.

The Two of them each took a step forward and for a moment, it looked as if they were about to come to blows, when Merees stepped between them.

"Both of you, stop it."

The Dragon-Princess did not even raise her voice. Yet, such was the authority found within it, that the two antagonists immediately obeyed .

"For shame, you two." Merees scolded them,as they looked at their feet like a pair of abashed children. "This is no time to bicker amongst ourselves. Now, if Kyros waited to leave the clearing until after the last of us were already gone, then he must not be that far behind. Surely, we can wait at least another ten minutes?" She asked, turning to the first-mate.

"I suppose" the first-mate grumbled. "However, if there's any sound coming from over there (he pointed at the jungle) that signals the approach of those damn bats, we leave. At once."

"Agreed. Risha?"

Despite her current feelings of animosity towards the first-mate, Risha had to admit that what he said was not without reason.

"Fine" she sighed.

"Great" Merees said, satisfied. "Incidentally, does anyone carry a timepiece?"

A member of Kyros' group had one and so, they all settled down to wait for the mountain-lion to arrive. 

By now, the island had settled down, most certainly recuperating from the wounds that Risha and Kyros had inflicted upon it. If they hadn't already been told, none of those present at the beach could have guessed that they were standing (or sitting) on a living entity. 

But they did know and that knowledge did nothing to alleviate the unease they all felt.

Every once in a while, they looked back at the jungle. From deep within it, they could hear voices; the bats, still caught up in their own dispute. 

Suddenly, a new noise appeared on stage, one that silenced all the others. It was a high-pitched shriek and when those on the beach heard it, their blood run cold. 

In its wake came another sound,  even more disturbing than its predecessor.

That of wings, coming closer.

This time, there was no arguing, knowing the danger that was approaching, everyone scrambled to their feet and with a collective effort, got the boats in the water. Moments later, the splashing of oars in water could be heard.

In the second boat, Merees tried her best to comfort Risha.

"We had no other choice" she said, touching the lynx's shoulder. "You mustn't blame yourself."

"Who should I blame then? The First-mate? Or you?"

A sting had snuck into Risha's voice as she asked that last question, but Merees took no notice of it. Or at least, she pretended not to.

"Would it make you feel better?" She asked gently.

Risha was just about to reply that no, it wouldn't, when someone let out a cry:

"Look!"

Everyone looked in the direction the person who had yelled was pointing. Though the distance between the boats and the island had grown with each stroke, they could make out a figure on it, currently under attack by a quartet of island-dwellers.

"It's Kyros" one of the crew announced, quite unnecessarily. "Poor sod, he's done for."

"No, he's not" Merees said. "Stop the boat" she commanded.

The Rowboat came to a halt. So did its twin, which was a bit further ahead, but whose passengers were equally curious as to what the Princess was intending to do. 

Merees stood up, just as the boat was rocked by a wave, causing her to lose balance. Risha reacted promptly, wrapping her arms around Merees' waist.

Lynx and dragon smiled at each other.

"Thanks, hon" Merees said.

"No problem. I figured that you weren't planning on taking a bath. Your magic's back I take it?"

"Yes. I know a spell which should allow us to save our friend. It requires focus on my part though,  so...."

"Say no more, we'll keep our traps shut. Right, guys?"

Everyone agreed and silence settled over the rowboat. Turning her attention back to the island, Merees took a deep breath. She had not told Risha and the others that the last time she had just been a child when she had last attempted to cast this spell and said attempt had not been crowned with success.

This time, things will be different.

Sending a silent thought to her long-deceased tutor in the magic arts to watch over her, Merees took a deep breath and began...

*****

On the beach, Kyros continued his fight against the bats. A fight which, although he did not like to admit it, was not going well for him. The Mountain-lion was an experienced warrior, but his opponents both outnumbered him and had the advantage of flight.

Shutting his ears to the bats' taunting, Kyros concentrated on blocking their attacks, as best as he was able. In the corner of his eyes he could see the boats,  way out there. He might be able to swim out to them and if not? Well, drowning would most certainly be a quicker and less painful death than whatever his foes had in store for him.

Not that the bats were going to let Kyros choose. They kept circling around him, cutting off his escape route.

Did Kyros blame the others for not having waited? No, if anything, he blamed himself. Leaving the leader of the bats alive had been a mistake. Still, the leader had been unconscious at the time and Kyros could not bring himself to slay a defenseless enemy. He had done that, many years ago and had vowed to never repeat the experience. 

Of course, he might have been able to reach the beach in time, if not for the briar patch which he had fallen into. 

Bah, no point in ruminating on what could have been. Face it all, old boy, it looks like this is your final stand.

That's when Kyros' feet left the ground and, to the astonishment of his foes, he began to drift out over the ocean, like some sort of feline cloud. 

While at first, Kyros was just as taken aback by this new development as the bats, it didn't take long for him to figure out what was going on. Obviously, magic was involved and Kyros could think of only one member of the expedition who would be able to perform a feat such as this. 

Under any other circumstances, the mountain lion would likely have profited from the experience. How often was it that one of the wingless races got the chance to soar through the skies? At the moment, however, he was too exhausted to enjoy himself. All he could do was trust that Risha's lady-friend knew what she was doing.

*****

"Almost...there" Merees grunted through clenched teeth.

As Merees worked her magic, Risha gazed up on her in quiet admiration. Admiration which was only increased by the fact that her beloved was obviously struggling, her forehead shiny with perspiration and her breath coming in short bursts.

Despite this, Merees persisted, moving her arms as though she was pulling on an invisible line. 

Risha hugged Merees tighter, both to communicate her support, but also in the hope that somehow, some of her strength would be added to that of the Princess' own. 

That's when the 'line' snapped. There was a splash and Merees staggered backwards and collapsed on top of Risha. 

The Lynx extracted herself from underneath Merees. The Others were leaning over the side of the boat, looking in the direction where Kyros had fallen.

"He hasn't come up yet" one of them said.

"He wasn't that high up in the air. Surely, he could not have drowned."

Risha only listened with half an ear to the conversation around her. She was focused on trying to comfort Merees, who was lying on her back, breathing heavily.

"Failed again" the daughter of King Sharan mumbled weakly. 

"You did your best, babe" she said, patting the dragon's hand.

"Maybe, but my best wasn't good enough and this time, it may have cost a good cat his life."

"No-one is going to blame you" Risha tried to reassure her. And if they do, they'll have to deal with me, she thought.

They were all about to give up hope, when suddenly, Kyros' head broke the surface. A cry of cheer shook the boat and the next moment, the mountain-lion was helped into the boat, tired, wet, full of scratches, but alive.

"What was that you said about your best not being good enough?" Risha asked, nudging Merees with her elbow and smiling cheekily.

"Just don't ask me to do it again" Merees said, with a smile of her own.

****

In his quarters, the Captain had just finished listening to his first-mate's recounting of the events that had taken place on the island. Risha and Merees were also present, but not Kyros, who was being patched up by the Ship's medic.

"That's quite a story" he said, sucking thoughtfully on his unlit pipe. "I'm glad you got out of that place in one piece."

"Sir, shouldn't we make a report of this island in the next harbor? The First-mate asked. "So that other sailors might know to avoid it?"

"We will, but I fear that not many would believe us. No, other people will set foot on that island and some of them will not be as fortunate as you were."

Later, as they laid in bed together, Risha turned to Merees:

"Mer, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What is it?"

"If Kyros and I had not wounded the island, would you have accepted the bat-leader's offer?  To become the next sacrifice in exchange for our lives?"

"I would have" Merees said, after a moment's pause. She stared up at the ceiling. "My father once told me that the needs of many outweighs the needs of the few, or the one. I would laid down my life to say you all, but mostly to save you."

"But you wouldn't have saved me" Risha protested. "Because I would have stayed with you."

Comics That Should Be Translated: Silence

Originally published in 1980, Silence is a graphic novel by the Belgian artist Didier Comés (1942-2013).Set in Beausonge, a fictional village located in the Ardennes, some decades after the second World War, it tells the story of its titular character, a young man who has been mute since birth.

Possessing considerable physical strength, Silence is nonetheless mocked and exploited by the rest of the village, particularly his 'master', Abel Mauvy, the richest and most powerful man in Beausonge. 

Not that Silence realizes any of this, pure of heart (or simple-minded, whichever you prefer), he knows nothing of hatred or the evil that dwells within the human soul.

However, an encounter with the blind woman who lives in the outskirts of Beausonge will change all that. It is this woman, known only as 'the sorceress' who will reveal to Silence the truth behind his origins and spur him to assist her in her revenge against the village who has made them both suffer. 

Silence made a great impression on me when I first encountered it in its Swedish translation many years ago and I'm happy to say that time has not diminished its potency. The Drama that unfolds is dark and utterly absorbing, blending the everyday with the fantastic and exploring several themes (good and evil, love and  hate, resistance against tyranny superstition, the treatment of 'the other' in society and so on). Comés' black and white artwork perfectly matches the writing, being very expressive and atmospheric.

As for the characters, Silence's innocence, his connection with nature and his empathy with all that lives makes him a moving and sympathetic protagonist, while  his antithesis, Abel Mauvy is one of the most striking portrayals of human evil I've come across in comics. 

As a rule, the characterization is superb, with each character from the blind sorceress, to her rival, the villagers and others all being memorable in their rival.

In conclusion, Silence is without a doubt a masterpiece. However, now that I think about it, its a bit strange that this is the only comic by Comès I've read, despite being aware of his other works for years. 

I think its about time that I did something about that.

Conquests of the Longbow

 Compared to that of their biggest competitor, LucasFilm/LucasArts, Sierra Entertainment's output of graphic adventure games during the 80's and 90's has always struck me as being all over the map in terms of quality. Now, I'm not saying that every LucasArts game is superior to every game made by Sierra. I would definitely take a Gabriel Knight or  Quest for Glory over say, Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (coincidentally the one game from LucasArts that most closely resembles a Sierra title) any day of the week. However, I do maintain that the weaker titles from LucasArts are still on par with an average game from Sierra.

Which brings us to the subject of this review. A game which is not (and I must emphasize) one of Sierra's average games:  1991's Conquests of the Longbow.

This was the second Sierra game that had Christy Marx, remembered mostly today as the creator of Jem and the Holograms, as the lead designer and writer. The First being Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail, released only the year before. 

Both games has the player take on the role of a famous character from English legend. In Conquests of the Camelot it was King Arthur and since Conquests of the Longbow's secondary title is The Legend of Robin Hood, no points for guessing who you're supposed to be in this game. 

I played Conquests of Camelot for the first time fairly recently. I enjoyed it, but if I have to pick which Conquests game I consider to be the superior, I'd pick Longbow in a heartbeat. It improves on its predecessor in pretty much every way. 

To give you an example; my least favorite parts of Camelot were the occasional arcade-sequences, such as when you had to joust against the Black Knight. Conquests of the Longbow does not disperse with these moments, but it does allow the player to bypass them. This does come at the expense of your overall final score (since you won't receive the points you would have gotten if you had conquered these obstacles), but it's nonetheless a welcome feature. 

Another huge point in Conquests of the Longbow's favor is that it plays fair. Sure, I died a few times, but the deaths always felt (for lack of a better term) reasonable. Which is more than I can say for any King's Quest game I've played.

Story-wise, the plot of Conquests of the Longbow should be familiar to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the Robin Hood myth and includes everything one would expect from a story about the Prince of Thieves and his merry men. In case you're wondering; Yes, there is an archery contest and yes, you have to disguise yourself in order to participate in it.

The Player's main objective is to raise part of an outrageous ransom needed to free King Richard, who is being held hostage by Leopold of Austria (the rest of the money is provided by Queen Eleanor, Richard's mother). Of course, Prince John, who rules in Richard's place, would rather that his brother not return at all, while the money is used instead to enrich himself and his lackeys. 

The Game's characterization is overall solid (with the villains being the weakest link). Robin and his merry men are all well-portrayed with distinct personalities and the game does a good job making the bond between them feel genuine. 

Perhaps the most interesting character in the game though, is Marian. Depicted here not only as Robin's noblewoman love-interest, but as an agent of Eleanor's (acting as a go-between between the unseen Queen and the outlaws of Sherwood Forest) as well as a Druidic priestess and while you do end up having to rescue her from the Sheriff at the end, for the most part, this Marian comes across as strong-willed and accomplished. Exactly the kind of woman you'd believe Robin Hood would fall in love with.

Conquests of the Longbow also contains multiple endings. At the end of the game, you're put on trial and depending on your actions, you might find yourself either handsomely rewarded, or swinging from a rope. 

So far, I've been singing this game's praises, was there any part of it I didn't like? Actually, yes. At one point in the game, you have to capture a pixie by throwing a net in front of him, something that quickly became an exercise in frustration. Earlier in the game, you are required to play Nine Men's Morris (an actual medieval board game) against an old soldier, so that you can win a magical jewel from him and while not as annoying as the pixie-catching, the time I spent on it, made me breathe a sign of relief when I finally beat my opponent and could progress with the actual game.

Oh, and if you've played this game and were able to memorize the Druidic sign-language without consulting the manual, than my hat's off to you.

These are minor complaints though. As a whole, Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood, is a terrific adventure game, one of the best to come out of Sierra's stable. Highly recommended.

The Venture Bros. Movie

 Recently, The Venture Bros. movie, bearing the fittingly pulp-y title Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart was released digitally and having, seen the film, I thought I'd offer my take on it.

First of all, let me make one thing clear: If you haven't seen The Venture Bros, then this movie is not a good introduction to the series. Unlike other movies spawned off of TV-Shows that I can mention (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, the 2017 My Little Pony movie, among others), Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart makes no attempt at being accessible to newcomers, picking up from where the show left off when it was cancelled back in 2018 and being completely steeped in lore. Anyone who comes into this movie without pre-existing knowledge of these characters and their relationships are likely to be left scratching their heads in confusion.

As someone who has seen every episode of The Venture Bros (some emultiple times), did I enjoy the film? Well, before I answer that question, I'm going to address my one major criticism of it.

Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart clocks in at 84 minutes and it packs quite a lot of plot into that relatively brief runtime. To the point, where, at times, the movie feels cramped. Apparently, this was originally going to be the eight season of the show proper, before it was made into a movie and there are times when hat shows. In particular, the antagonist would have benefited if they and their organisation had been built up over multiple episodes rather than making their first appearance in this film.

That aside, I did enjoy the film. My favorite characters (Rusty, the Monarch and Dr. Mrs. Monarch) all got plenty of focus (I could have used more of the Alchemist though and was surprised at how little Brock had to do). Red Death, of course, stole every scene he was in. I really liked how Hank's and Dean's story-line was resolved, showing that these two are probably more emotionally mature than most of the adults they know. Visually, the movie looks good and the voice-actors perform their roles well (as I expected).

Lastly, the movie provides answers to questions that fans of the show have been asking for years. Such as; the identity of Hank's and Dean's mother and whether or not Rusty and the Monarch are related? 

Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart may not join the ranks of my favorite animated features, but it is an entertaining film and, if it is indeed the last Venture Bros. related thing we get (I hope not), a worthy conclusion to a saga that has been going on for nearly two decades.

Go Team Venture!

Oh, and in case you were wondering: Yes, there is a reason for the movie's title.

Chapter 80

 Risha and Merees did not waste any time. As soon as they were alone, they began to make their way back to the clearing as quickly as their feet could carry them. 

Despite their great haste, they found themselves slowed down, as they tripped on roots, or got entangled into vines that had not been there before. Almost as if the island itself was trying to stall their progress. 

When the lynx and the dragon finally arrived at the clearing, they found the others  lying lifeless on the ground, with the remains of half-eaten fruit being strewn all around them.

"Are they dead?" Merees whispered.

Risha shook her head.

"No, I can hear them breathing, but faintly. Let's wake them up."

She went over to Kyros and tried to wake him up by shaking him gently by the shoulder, but to no effect. The Mountain-lion did not stir.

Realizing that she had to resort to more extreme measures, Risha grabbed hold of Kyros'  shirt and slapped him hard across the face. After three slaps, his eyes opened.

"What's the matter?" He asked, drowsily. "Why are you hitting me?"

"I'm sorry" Risha apologized, "but I had no other choice."

Meanwhile, Merees had managed to rouse the first-mate, using a similar method. With the two men awake, the women explained what had happened: That the island was inhabited and that those who lived here were not exactly hospitable.

Kyros agreed that the best course of action they could take would be to wake their comrades and leave the island. However, the first-mate was of a different opinion: 

"You claim that the two bats you met were hostile..." He began.

Risha was about to ask him what the hell he meant by that, when a sound could be heard. It was the sound of many wings, drawing closer and closer. Both Risha and Kyros reached for their blades, but the first-mate ordered the swords to be kept in their scabbards.  

The Two felines obeyed, though Risha did so with ill grace, muttering under her breath. The Next moment, the denizens of the island appeared and the lynx's eyes widened at the sight: 

She was not sure how many bats there were. She counted at least seventy of them, but she could tell even by a quick glance, that she, Merees and the other members of the expedition were vastly outnumbered. 

Some of the bats wore loincloth, while others displayed everything. Many of them had adorned themselves with bracelets or necklaces. Risha noticed that these were made of teeth and bones. She felt a shiver run down her spine.

"You got any fire left in you?" She whispered to Merees.

"I'm afraid not" the Princess whispered back. 

"What about your magic?"

Merees shook her head.

At this point, the first-mate stepped forward, his right paw raised.

"Greetings, island-dwellers" he said. "We come in peace."

At the head of the swarm was a bat larger than any of the others. His fur was the color of snow,  his headdress was a skull and his breastplate fashioned from a rib-cage. Embedded in his own skull, his eyes shone like rubies. 

"Greetings land-walkers" he said, in a hoarse voice (both Risha and Merees noticed that, unlike the brother and sister, he spoke the common tongue perfectly). "You have set foot on our island and have partaken of its bounty. Normally, your lives would therefor be forfeit.."

"What do you mean 'normally'?" The First-mate interrupted, guardedly.

In response, the leader of the bats pointed at Merees:

"The Dragon" he said. "Give her to us and the rest of you shall be allowed to leave here unharmed."

"What?!" Risha stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Listen, you creep! Take your offer and shove it, we are not interested!"

The Bat looked at Risha as if he had just now noticed her.

"Are you in charge?" He asked, smirking.

"She's not" replied the first-mate. "I am." 

"And yet you let one of your underlings talk over you." The Bat shook his head in mock amazement.

"I am not his underling" Risha growled.

"Nor am I" said Merees, "and if the reason you want me is because I killed one of yours, you should know that he and his sister attacked us."

"Lies!" Shrieked the sister in question.

She was about to address her leader in their own language, telling him not to believe these filthy land-walkers, but one look from him told her that he had best keep her tongue still.

"I apologize for the behavior of of these young ones" ,he said. "It was their first scouting mission and apparently they decided to act on their own. They were under no orders to attack you. At least, not at the moment. No, we want you for an entirely different reason:

You see, this island that you are currently standing on is actually a living being. A being on an endless journey through the oceans of this world."

"That explains why this island could not be found on the Captain's maps" Kyros said, while stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Exactly. My people have lived on this island for ages, ever since we were driven away from our homeland. It shelters us and keeps us fed. In exchange for its hospitality, we provide it with sustenance."

"By killing anyone who sets foot on your island." The Words had not been intended as a question and Kyros' voice had grown dark as he uttered them.

"Yes, once we sacrifice our...visitors, their life-essence are absorbed by the island and becomes a part of it. Forever."

Risha let what the leader of the bats had said sink in. She glanced first at Merees, then at the first-mate and saw her own horror and disbelief reflected in their faces. 

"Its been years since anyone last set foot on the island", the bat continued, taking no heed of the effect his words had had on his audience. "And our guardian is slowly growing weaker. So, when I learned of your arrival, I was relieved. When I found out that one of you No!was a dragon, I was ecstatic."

"I think I understand" Merees said. "Because we dragons are among the World's most long-lived races, you assume that my life-energy is greater than that of my companions." 

The Dragoness' voice was steady as she spoke, though her hands, trembled slightly.

"Precisely. So, what are your answer? Will you sacrifice one to save the many? Or will all of you perish here?"

While this conversation had been going on, Risha's mind had been working at full speed. There had to be a way out of this situation, a way for her to save them all. Well, mostly Merees and to a slightly lesser extent Kyros, with the others as a bonus. Then, it struck her: 

If this island was alive, then it could be hurt. 

It was worth a try. What did they have to lose?

With one rapid movement, she drew her short-sword and, with a roar, drove it into the soft ground. Beside her, Kyros, having caught on to Risha's intentions, did the same.

As the Lynx and the mountain-lion pulled out their blades, the island began to shake violently. The Leader of the bats let out a wail and, fell limp to the ground.

Immediately, Kyros pounced on the fallen bat, aiming the tip of his sword at the leader's heart.

"Listen!" He called out. "Stay where you are, or your chief's essence will be the next to feed your precious island!"

Now it was the bats' turn to be frightened, not all of them understood the mountain-lions' words, but they did not need to. The Situation was clear to anyone with eyes in their heads.

"Don't listen to him!" Shrieked the female-bat, who was seeing her chance to get revenge slip away. "The Land-walkers have dared to harm the island! Kill them!"

"No!" One of her fellow bats protested. "The Chosen's life is too precious, we have to do what they say."

While Kyros kept the bats at bay and they, in turn argued among themselves, the two women and the first-mate quickly went about the job of waking the rest of the expedition.

"Is everyone up?" Kyros asked, not taking his eyes off the squabbling chiropterans.

"They are" Risha responded, as she helped one crew-member on his feet.

"Good. Then, leave this cursed place."

"What about you?" Merees asked.

"I'll be right behind you."

Kyros waited until the last member of the expedition had left the clearing, then he lifted up the still unconscious leader, and started to walk backwards out of the clearing, using the white bat as a shield. The Mountain-lion waited until he was a safe enough distant from the clearing, then  he put down his burden and ran towards the beach.

Two By Weyman

 Fame, as I trust we all know, is a fickle lover. Take for example Stanley J. Weyman (pronounced Wyman). A British author, who lived from 1855-1928. While largely forgotten today, during his life-time, Weyman was a best-selling author, whose work was admired by such names as Robert Louis Stevenson and Oscar Wilde and although I've only read two of Weyman's books, so far, they were enough to convince me that his present-day obscurity is undeserved.

Out of the two books I've read: The Man in Black and Count Hannibal respectively, it is the latter which best seem to represent the type of story that made Weyman's name famous in his day. An historical adventure set during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre and featuring a complex, morally ambiguous lead character, Count Hannibal is a thrilling read, one that comes highly recommended to anyone who is a fan of the works of Rafael Sabatini and Alexander Dumas. 

The Man in Black is different. While, it too, takes place in France, this time during the reign of Louis XIII (with Richelieu making the obligatory appearance), it is not an adventure-story, though it certainly does not lack in suspense.

This time, the  story follows a young boy (age 12), who suffers mistreatment at the hands of adults, including the titular villain. Though I don't think I spoil anything if I say that things turn out well for him in the end.

With its child protagonist and relatively short length, its fair to say that The Man in Black was intended for younger audiences. However, like all worthwhile children's stories, it can easily be enjoyed by adults. This adult found it highly engaging. 

Chapter 79

 The Merchant-Ship was on the third month of its voyage, when the lookout cried out that land had been spotted. 

Upon hearing this, the Captain, who had been busy going over the maps, promptly left his cabin. On deck, several of the passengers and some of his crew had gathered by the railings. The Captain made his way over to them.

"Incredible" he muttered, shaking his head, as he stared at what was within rowing distance from his ship.

"I'm sorry, Captain" said Risha, who was standing next to him. "But I don't see what's so incredible about that. It looks like a pretty ordinary island to me. Even has a forest growing on it and everything."

"That's just it, young lady" the Captain replied. "There aren't supposed to be any islands that size in these waters."

Feeling the need for a smoke, the Captain sent one of the crew back to the cabin, to fetch his pipe. Once the precious object had been delivered, the Captain lit the pipe and puffed at it.

"I've made my decision" he announced, after a moment's contemplation. He turned to the black-furred canine who served as first-mate. "Jansen, take a group of men and investigate that island."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

"Captain" said Risha, "I should like to come along on this expedition."

"As do I"said Merees. "It will be nice to be on dry land. If only for a little while."

"I'm sorry" the Captain said, "but I must ask you to stay. Who knows what dangers await on that island? I can't let my passengers take any risks, especially...."

"...Especially when they're two defenseless young women" Risha interrupted. "Is that what you were going to say, Captain? Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves."

"I have fought beside Risha and I can confirm that she tells the truth, Captain" said Kyros.

Realizing that there was no point in arguing, the Captain gave in and somewhat later, two rowboats left the ship. Risha and Merees traveled in the second, as did Kyros and three more members of the mountain-lion's group. 

Once ashore, the expedition set forth into the lush jungle which seemed to cover most of this mysterious island. Jansen the first-mate took the lead, using his cutlass to clear away some vines, and the others followed. 

They had all been prepared for a harrowing march through wild, uncharted territory. However, this jungle turned out to be more accommodating than most of its kind: The Ground, bar the occasional root, was smooth and easy to walk on and the air was filled with the pleasant fragrance from a variety of colorful flowers.

Eventually, they came to a clearing. There, the first-mate gave the order to make halt. A decision that was met with universal approval, for they had walked for many hours and were in need of rest and nourishment. 

The Latter had priority and soon, the salted fish brought from the ship roasted over a campfire made out of dragon's flame. Everyone ate with good appetite, with several members of the expedition picking the succulent fruits dangling from the trees and adding them to their diet. 

After he had finished his own meal, Jansen wiped his muzzle with the back of his paw and looked around. He immediately noticed that there were two less people in the clearing than when they had entered it. 

"Anyone know where the two skirts went off to?" He asked.

No-one had and the first-mate turned to two of the crew.

"Go find them" he ordered. "They can't be too far from here."

The Sailors were about to leave, when a voice stopped them. It was Kyros, who was sunning himself on a nearby rock.

"They probably went away to have some privacy" said the mountain-lion. "Let them be. Besides, what could happen to them on this island?"

****

Kyros' assumption turned out to be correct. Some distance from the clearing, Risha and Merees had shed their clothing and were now making love. The Lynx was on top, stimulating Merees' sex with her fingers, while her hips moved in response to the sensation of the dragon's long tongue against her own.

Afterwards, the two lay on the ground, recovering from their powerful climaxes. 

"It's getting dark" Merees observed. "Should we head back to the others?"

"We could" said Risha, who was resting her head on Merees'  shoulder. "Or we could sleep here. After a few more rounds, of course. What do you sa.." 

Risha sat up abruptly, her tufted ears twitching.

"Do you hear that?" She asked.

Merees was about to ask what 'that' was, when she heard something herself. At first, she couldn't place the sound, but then she realized that it was the soft beating of wings. Wings that were getting closer and closer.

They both looked up at the same time. In the sky above, two bat-winged silhouettes could be seen. 

Suddenly, the two bats came gliding down, stopping when they were slightly above ground. Scrambling to their feet, Risha and Merees looked at the duo: A male and a female, siblings judging from how similar they looked.  Neither wore any clothes.

"This is surprise" Merees began. "We thought this island was uninhabited, but I guess you were only sleeping. Oh, permit me to present ourselves: I am Merees, Princess of Vinoli and this is Risha, my..."

"Mer, hon" Risha interrupted, "I don't think this is the local welcoming committee."

Merees had to admit that what Risha said made sense. She did not like the way the bats stared at her with their amber-colored eyes, nor did she like the long claws that both had at the end of each of their thumbs. They looked sharp.

"Listen" she said, "we did not mean to trespass on your land. If you wish us to leave, then we shall."

"You no go" the female bat objected in a mangled version of the common tongue. "Right, brother?"

"Yes, sister" the male's voice was only slightly deeper than that of his sibling. "You stay, you all stay. Forever!"

While Merees were talking, Risha had swiftly reached down and picked up her short-sword. Now, with one move she swung it at the male bat. All it cut though, was empty air. Sudden as Risha's attack had been, he had managed to dodge it. 

Then, the male struck Risha's sword-arm with his wing. The Sudden blow caused her to lose her grip on her weapon and before she had had time to retrieve it, the female bat had snatched it. 

Howling with laughter, the bat-siblings circled above the heads of Risha and Merees, who tried their best to keep up with their movements. 

"Stupid land-walkers!" The Female bat jeered. "You no catch us! You too slow!"

She tossed the short-sword to her brother, who caught it mid-air and began playing with it; twirling it around and stabbing the air. 

Risha watched him with one eye. With the other, she scoured the ground for any reasonably-sized stone, one that would do some damage. Alas, none that fit the description could be found in the vicinity. 

Up in the sky, the siblings were chatting away in their own language.

"What are you going to do with that?" The Sister asked, pointing at the sword. "Are you going to give it to the Chief? I bet he'd reward you if do."

"Not a bad idea", her brother agreed. "But before I do that, I'm  going to try it out."

With his face split by a cruel smile, the male-bat sped downward like an arrow. He held the short-sword out in front of him, its point aimed directly at its owner's heart. 

Before he could pierce that vital organ and impale Risha on her own weapon, however, the male-bat was struck by a jet of fire. The Next moment, his head and wings were engulfed in flames and he crashed screaming into the ground.

The Stench of flesh and fur burning filled the air. Risha fought down an urge to vomit. Her short-sword was lying nearby. She picked it up and went over to the bat, who was writhing around, trying to douse the flames. 

No sense in prolonging the bastard's suffering, Risha thought. 

She raised her blade into the air and brought it down. The Writhing stopped. 

And now, to more important matters.

Risha turned to Merees, who was staring pale-faced at the remains of her work. 

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Merees nodded slowly. She was about to say something, when a wail could be heard from above. For a moment, the female bat glared at her brother's killers with hatred in her tear-filled eyes. Then, she turned around and flew away. 

Just wait, brother. You may have been the first to die this night, but you won't be the last.

Favorite Books

An ever-growing, ever-changing list of my favorite books (novels, short-story collections, plays, etc) excluding graphic novels and non-fictional books (even though there are plenty of both that I think are great).

An asterisk means that I've read the book in its original language.

 Addams, Richard: Watership Down*

Aeschylus: The Oresteia, Prometheus Bound

Alighieri, Dante: The Divine Comedy

Allende, Isabel: The House of the Spirits, Daughter of Fortune

Almqvist, Carl Jonas Love: The Queen's Tiara*

Andric, Ivo: The Bridge on the Drina

Ariosto, Ludovico: Orlando Furioso

Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice*, Emma*

Balzac, Honoré de: Pére Goriot* , The Wild Ass' Skin*, Cousin Bette* , Lost Illusions*

Banffy, Miklós: They Were Counted, They Were Found Wanted, They Were Divided

Beagle, Peter S.: The Last Unicorn*

Bély, Andrei: Petersburg

Bernanos, Georges: Diary of a Country Priest*,  Under the Sun of Satan*

Bolt, Robert: A Man For All Seasons*

Borges, Jorge Luis: Fictions, The Aleph

Brisville, Jean-Claude: Le Souper*

Broch, Hermann: The Sleepwalkers

Brontë, Charlotte: Villette

Bulgakov, Michail: The Master & Margarita

Buzzati, Dino: The Tartar Steppe, The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily

Calvino, Italo: If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, The Baron in the Trees, Invisible Cities

Carroll, Lewis (Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge): Alice's Adventure in Wonderland*, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There*

Carter, Angela: Wise Children*

Cervantes, Miguel de: Don Quixote

Chekhov, Anton: Uncle Vanya, The Four Sisters, The Seagull, The Cherry Orchard

Chesteton, Gilbert Keith: The Man Who Was Thursday*, The Napoleon of Notting Hill*

Clarke, Susannah: Piranesi*

Claudel, Paul: The Satin Slipper*

Collins, Wilkie: No Name*, The Woman in White*

Conrad, Joseph: Nostromo, Lord Jim*

Davies, Robertson: Fifth Business, The Manticore, World of Wonders

Dick, Philip K.: A Scanner Darkly, Ubik* , The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch*

Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations*, A Tale of Two Cities*

Dinesen Isak (Blixen, Karin: Seven Gothic Tales, The Ways of Vengeance

Dostoyvesky, Fyodor: The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment, Demons, The Idiot, The Humiliated and the Insulted 

 Döblin, Alfred: Berlin Alexanderplatz

Eco, Umberto: Baudolino , The Name of the Rose , The Prague Cemetery 

Eliot, T.S.: The Wasteland* , Murder in the Cathedral*

Eliot, George (Evans, Mary Ann): Middlemarch* , Daniel Deronda*

Euripides: Medea, The Trojan Women, Bacchae, Iphgenia at Aulis

Endo, Shunsaku: The Samurai, Silence

Faulkner, William: Absalon! Absalon!

Gardner, John: Grendel*

Gazdanov, Gaito: The Spectre of Alexander Wolf

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von: Faust

Goncharov, Ivan: Oblomov

Greene, Graham: The Power and the Glory* , The Quiet American*, The Comedians*, The Ministry of Fear*

Gorodischer, Angelica: Trafalgar

Graves,Robert: I, Claudius*

Grossman, Vassily: Life and Fate, Everything Flows

Gustafsson, Lars: Death of a Beekeeper*, Dr. Weiss Sista Uppdrag*

Hesse, Hermann: Narciss and Goldmund

Hoban, Russell: Riddley Walker*

Homer: The Illiad, The Odyssey

Hrabal, Boumil: I Served the King of England

Hugo, Victor: Ninety-Three* , The Man Who Laughs*, The Hunchback of Notre Dame*, La Fin de Satan*, Les Miserables

Ibsen, Henrik:Peer Gynt, Ghosts, The Master Builder, Hedda Gabler, The Wild Duck, The Lady From the Sea

Ishiguro, Kazuo: The Remains of the Day*

Jerome K. Jerome: Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)*

Kafka, Franz: The Castle

Kay, Guy Gavriel: Tigana*

Kipling, Rudyard: Kim*

Koestler, Arthur: Darkness at Noon

Krasznahorkai, Laszló: The Melancholy of Resistance, Satantango

Kristof, Agota: The Notebook

Lagerkvist, Pär: The Dwarf*, Barabbas*

Lagerlöf, Selma:The Saga of Gösta Berling*, The Emperor of Portugal*. Sir Arne's Treasure*

Lampedusa, Giuseppe di: The Leopard

Laxness, Halldor: Iceland's Bell, Independent People

Le Carré, John (Cornwell, David): The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Lee, Harper: To Kill a Mockingbird*

Lefanu, Joseph Sheridan: Carmilla*

LeGuin, Ursula: A Wizard of Earthsea*, The Tombs of Atuan*, The Farthest Shore

Lorca, Federico Garcia: The House of Bernarda Alba, Blood Wedding

Lönnrot, Elias: The Kalevala

MacDonald, Ross: The Galton Case*

Mann, Thomas:Buddenbrooks

Mantel, Hilary: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies*, The Mirror and the Light*, A Place of Greater Safety

Manzoni, Alessandro: The Betrothed

Martinsson, Harry: Aniara*

McCarthy, Cormac: Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West*

Meyrink, Gustav: The Golem

Milton, John: Paradise Lost

Molière (Poquelin, Jean-Baptiste): The Misanthrope*,Tartuffe*, L'Avare* , Don Juan*

Moers, Walter: Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures

O'Brien, Flann: The Third Policeman

Ovid: Metamorphoses

Palliser, Charles: The Quincunx* 

Pamhuk, Oran: My Name is Red

Peake, Mervyn: Titus Groan*, Gormenghast*

Perutz, Leo:The Swedish Cavalier, By Night Under the Stonebridge

Pessoa, Fernando: The Book of Disquiet

Potocki, Jan: The Manuscript Found in Saragossa

Portis, Charles: True Grit*

Pushkin, Alexander: Boris Godunov, The Captain's Daughter, Eugene Onegin

Racine, Jean: Andromaque*, Berenice*, Phedre

Renault, Mary: The King Must Die*

Rulfo, Juan: Pedro Paramo

Rostand Edmond: Cyrano de Bergerac*

Sabatini, Rafael: Scaramouche*

Saint-Exupéry, Antoine: Night Flight*

Saramago, José: Baltasar & Blimunda, The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis

Schwob, Marcel: The King With the Golden Mask*, Imaginary Lives*

Scott, Paul: The Jewel in the Crown*. The Day of the Scorpion*, The Towers of Silence*, The Division of the Spoils*

Sebald, W.G: Austerlitz

Serge, Victor: The Case of Comrade Tulayev

Shakespeare, William: Hamlet*, King Lear*, Macbeth*, Othello*, Henry IV, Part I*

Sienkiewicz, Henryk: Quo Vadis

Simmons, Dan: Hyperion*, The Fall of Hyperion*

Sophocles: Oedipus Rex, Antigone, Oedipus at Colonus

Soyinka, Wole: Death and the King's Horseman*

Stendhal (Beyle, Henri): The Charterhouse of Parma*, Lucien Leuwen

Sterne, Laurence: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman*

Steinbeck, John: East of Eden*

Stevenson, Robert Louis: Treasure Island

Szerb, Antal: Voyage by Moonlight

Tabucchi, Antonio: Pereira Maintains

Tanizaki, Junichiro: The Makioka Sisters

Taylor, Kathrine Kressmann: Address Unknown*

Toer, Pramoedya Ananta: This Earth of Mankind, A Child of All Nations

Tolstoy, Leo: War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Resurrection

Tournier, Michel: The Erl-King*, The Three Wise Men

Tremain, Rose: Music and Silence*, Restoration*

Trollope, Anthony: The Way We Live Now*

Tunström, Göran: The Christmas Oratorio*

Turgenev, Ivan: Fathers and Sons

Undset, Sigrid: Kristin Lavransdatter, Gunnar's Daughter*

Unknown: The Epic of Gilgamesh

Vandermeer, Jeff: City of Saints and Madmen*, Shriek: An Afterword*, Finch*

Llosa, Mario Vargas: Conversation in the Cathedral,  The Feast of the Goat

Virgil: The Aenid

Waugh, Evelyn: Brideshead Revisited*

White, Patrick: Voss*, A Fringe of Leaves*

Whittemore, Edward: Sinai Tapestry*, Jerusalem Poker*, Nile Shadows*, Jericho Mosaic*

Wodehouse, P.G.: , Uncle Fred in the Springtime*, Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit

Wolfe, Gene: Peace*, The Book of the New Sun*, Lithany of the Long Sun*, Soldier of the Mists*

Woolf, Virginia: Mrs. Dalloway*, Orlando*, The Waves*

Yourcenar, Marguerite: Hadrian's Memories, The Abyss*

Zweig, Stefan:Beware of Pity

Chapter 78

 From the Desk of the Editor:

A daring rescue operation was performed yesterday, as a squad of our capital's finest, under the command of Corporal Dorn (38), liberated General Jeraddin (47), from the cellar in which he was held prisoner. 

Most of the credit for this rescue must go  to a certain Salsky (29), a former soldier, recently returned from Guanaca. According to Salsky, he was in the vicinity when he noticed two men wearing the uniform of our city-watch step out from a carriage. He noticed immediately that the two were carrying a third person between them. A person which the sharp-eyed water-rat immediately recognized as none other than Jeraddin himself.

"I was suspicious, of course" Salsky told the Vinolian Gazette, "so I rushed to get help and, well, the rest you know."

When asked whether or not he expects a reward, the  young Frigonian merely replied that he had only done his duty as a citizen.

Such modesty does a body credit and we have no doubt that General Jeraddin will want to personally thank his rescuer, when the opportunity presents itself.

We must report, however, that the General sustained some injuries at the hands of his abductors and is currently recuperating at home, under the care of his housemaid.

Regarding the culprits, they have been taken into custody and have been identified as the Captain and crew of the ship the Maelstrom, which was damaged in a fire recently. Is there connection between this event and their abduction of one of our nation's most prominent citizens? Hopefully, all will be revealed during the upcoming trial...

In his cell, Cerewan stopped reading the paper one of the guards had slipped under his door. He was not too concerned by the trial. After all, he was not the only one who had profited from his business-venture. Soon, he would be summoned to the interrogation room and when that happened, he would talk. Oh, yes, he'd give them every name of his associates and silent partners, in exchange for as lenient a sentence as possible. 

In a way, I suppose I am fortunate that the other ledger was destroyed in the fire. If not, I wouldn't have anything to bargain with.

With this thought, the tiger stretched himself out on his bunk and drifted off to sleep, unconcerned about the fate of his crew and untroubled by any pangs of conscience. 

He woke somewhat later, by the sound of a key turning into the lock. With a yawn, Cerewan sat up, just as the cell-door swung open and his jailer appeared in the doorway. To Cerewan's surprise, however, the rhino did not motion for him to get up, but instead stepped into the cell and shut the door behind him. 

Growing suspicious, Cerewan unsheathed his claws...

*****

The Trial took place the next day and in light of the evidence provided, it was concluded with haste. Each sailor who had served on the Maelstrom were sentenced to fifteen years at the galleys, plus five years imprisonment, should they live long enough. 

Among the accused, there was one who was absent from the trial: On the same morning, Captain Cerewan had been found dead in his cell. The Prison's doctor was quickly summoned and, having examined the body, ruled that the deceased had died of an apoplexy. 

A week later, Argath's ship sailed into the harbor. That evening, a banquet was held at the palace, to celebrate the Queen's return and to welcome the new Royal Consort.  Jeraddin, was there: He could not exactly refuse to be present, considering his position and besides, it would give him a chance to see his wife again. As soon as court-etiquette permitted, the lynx went off in search for her.

He found her in the palace-garden, sitting on a bench and staring up at the moon. Stealthily he crept up behind her and whispered "Guess who?" Softly in her ear.

She turned around, his name passing over her lips and the two of them embraced.  

"So, how was the journey home" Jeraddin asked, sitting down next to Nasari.

"Terrible" the black cat sighed. "I'm glad to be back home. What about you? Has anything happened while I've been away?"

"You can say that again", her husband replied. "Let's see, where I should begin?"

And so, Jeraddin told Nasari about everything that had transpired during her absence. Starting with Albert's death, the news of which made Nasari wet her husband's shoulder with her tears. 

"How awful" Nasari gasped, once she head learned of Jeraddin's treatment at the hands of Cerewan. "Are you sure you are fine?" She asked, concernedly.

"Don't worry" Jeraddin smiled, "I am fully recovered."

"And the Captain's death? Do you really think it was a natural one, as they claim?"

Jeraddin shook his head.

"No, Cerewan had become a liability to too many people. No doubt one of them decided to get rid off him."

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad he's dead. Good riddance!"

"I agree, although I would have preferred it if he had been punished by the law, rather than by one of his peers."

"I don't care, let the villains of this world devour each other."

"Speaking of which, you should have seen the Queen during the banquet."

"Well, she is eating for two now. Or three."

"To be honest, I can't picture her as a mother."

"Me neither." Nasari paused and when she spoke again, there was bitterness in her voice. "I hope she dies in childbirth. I hope that kid kills her."

"What if she has a miscarriage?" 

The Word had come out of Jeraddin's mouth, aided by too much wine. He immediately regretted its utterance.

Nasari gave him a look.

"I hope not. Its a terrible thing, to loose a child" she said. "I wouldn't wish it on any woman, not even Argath."

"You're right. I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

Nasari's nodding was meant to convey both her agreement with what Jeraddin had just said and to show that she accepted his apology.

"Let us talk about something else" she said. "Now that Albert's gone, who's looking after your home? Or do you do it yourself?"

"No, I have a housekeeper. Her name is Flora."

"Is she a diligent worker?"

"She's yet to give me cause to complain."

"And is she fair to look at?"

"I suppose. Yes, yes she is. Though not as much as you."

Nasari gave Jeraddin a playful nudge.

"Flatterer. Tell me, if its not too discrete a question, have you...?"

"I have not shared my bed with her, if that's what you ask."

"Why not? If you're worried about how I would react, than don't be. I don't mind and even if I did, it would be awfully hypocritical of me to begrudge you a lover."

"It's not that, I'm her employer and I wouldn't want to take advantage of my position."

"Somehow, I doubt that most people would let that stop them, were they in your position."

Before he could answer, Jeraddin's mouth opened wide in a deep yawn.

"Feeling tired?" Nasari asked.

"Actually, yes. Too much food and drink, I suppose. Or maybe age is gradually starting to take out its toll."

"Why not lie down for a spell?"

Jeraddin thought that this sounded like a good idea. He laid himself down on the bench, resting his head in his wife's lap, where he fell asleep to the touch of Nasari caressing the fur on his head and the sound of her voice, singing softly.

A very brief rant concerning anthro characters in fiction

 Lately,I've been watching YouTuber Totally Not Mark's videos on Hunter x Hunter, one of my favorite manga/anime in the battle-shounen genre. So far, I've been enjoying the videos and have found myself in agreement with TNM about a lot of things and I will definitely continue watching them. However, as I watched his second video on the Greed Island arc, something happened that made me pause the video and type out this brief post.

In that video TNM brings up the 2016 animated movie Sing and cites one of the reason for it being a bad film is due to the fact that there's no reason for its anthropomorphic characters not to simply be humans. I've seen this criticism leveled against the movie before (by I Hate Everything) and I've always disagreed with it. Now, this is not me defending Sing. I have not seen Sing, nor have I any desire to do so, I just don't think that this is a valid criticism of any movie, or any work of fiction that features an anthropomorphic cast. Never once in his Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge comics does Carl Barks justify that his characters are talking waterfowl (or pigs or dog-people) and yet, these are some of the greatest American comics ever made.  Is it neat when a piece of media takes into consideration what a world populated exclusively by anthros would look like, á la Disney's Zootopia? Sure. Is it a necessity or requirement? Absolutely not.

Oh, and by the way? The Fact that I myself have a story in which none of the cast is human without really 'justifying' it has nothing to do with me writing this. 

Well, OK, maybe a little...

Chapter 77

 Slowly, Jeraddin came to. 

Raising his head, the lynx took in his surroundings. He was tied to a chair in a room, whose only other piece of furniture was a table on which a series of implements of sinister purpose had been neatly arranged. Jeraddin also noticed that his clothes were lying in a pile on the stone-floor. 

Well, he thought. That explains the draft I felt.

He struggled with his bonds for a bit. To no avail. Whoever had tied these knots knew what they were doing. 

Someone was coming! Jeraddin decided to pretend that he was still unconscious. 

A door opened and closed, two voices hovered above Jeraddin's head.

"What do you mean it's not here?" Demanded the first voice.

"I searched his clothes, Cap'n" said the other voice and this one, Jeraddin recognized. "Went through is coat and everything, he doesn't have it on him."

He thought back to this morning when the two watchmen had showed up on his doorsteps. Both of them had looked like authentic members of the city-watch and so, he had excused himself and had headed for his chamber. As he did, one of the guards had called out after him:

"General, don't forget to bring whatever evidence you have with you"

Jeraddin had intended to do just that. He had finished getting dressed and had just been about to pick up the black ledger and stuff it in his coat, when the words of the watchmen had made him stop.

Instead of taking it with him, he had stashed the ledger in his nightstand. On top of it, he had left a note, hastily jotted down, for Flora to find, when she would enter the room to clean it.

Jeraddin's suspicions were stirring in their sleep and they had been wide awake when the lynx had realized that the extremely official-looking black carriage he and his escort were travelling in, were not heading in the direction of the court-house at all.

Jeraddin had reached for the handle to the carriage-door. Before he had been able to pull it down and throw himself out of the carriage, cold-steel had touched his throat. It had been followed by a cloth, drenched in some kind of chemical, being pressed against his nose and mouth and, after a moment's hopeless struggle, everything had turned dark...

"Pity" the first voice growled. "Wake him up."

The Other voice grabbed hold of Jeraddin's head-fur, tilted his head back and tapped him on the cheeks. Jeraddin opened his eyes. Standing before him was Cerewan and the blue cat, his head covered in a bandage.

"Greetings, General" said Cerewan, wearing a smile of  hollow joviality. "I am Captain Cerewan and..."

"I know who you are, Captain" Jeraddin said, cutting the tiger off. "And frankly, I don't care for this sort of treatment."

"Is that so? Well, General, I do not care for having my crew assaulted and my ship set ablaze.

Fortunately, we were able to put out the fire. However, it's going to take months of repairs to make the Maelstrom sea-worthy again. Repairs that you are going to pay for,  General."

"Is that all? Very well, untie me and let's all go to the bank."

Cerewan shook his head and emitted a low chuckle.

"Not so fast, General. Before we do that, there is another matter that needs to be settled."

"Oh? What is that?"

The Smile did not vanish from Cerewan's face, but it did shrink considerably. Next to it, the tiger's scar reddened.

"Don't be coy with me, General, there were two ledgers in my cabin. Where are they now?"

"Oh, you mean those ledgers? They were destroyed in the fire."

"He's lyin' Cap'n" said the blue cat. "I saw him leavin' the ship with one of 'em when I was treadin' water."

"You hear that, General? Now, I'll ask nicely one more time: Where's the remaining ledger?"

"I've stuffed it where the sun don't shine" Jeraddin growled. "Why don't you come get it, you sweet-water pirate?"

With a sigh, Cerewan gave the lynx a look similar to that a parent might give an obstinate child and went over to the table. He stood there for a moment, contemplating which tool to pick. When he turned around, there was a rope in his paws. A rope which had a heavy knot in one end.

"I could tell you that this will hurt me more than you, General" Cerewan said, "but we both know that's a lie."

He began to swing the rope, faster and faster. Jeraddin watched as the knot became a blur and steeled himself for the inevitable.

*****

Jeraddin was fairly certain his shoulders, both of them, were dislocated. If not? Well, They hurt like hell at any rate. As did his chest for that matter. 

He glared at his captors: Cerewan had lowered the rope and was wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"I guess old age is catching up with me", the tiger shook his head in mock disbelief. "Let's take a quick break, shall we? In the meantime, General, there's something else I'd like to ask you..."

The Captain of the Maelstrom went up to Jeraddin and put a paw on his left shoulder. The Lynx groaned.

"How did you find out about me?" As he posed the question, Cerewan dug his claws in deeper.

"Arghh! A slave I met in Guanaca, one of your former 'customers'. She was the one who told me."

"Oh? What was her name?"

"Sorry, can't remember."

"And yet her words were enough for you to try to bring me to justice? A stranger? Unless..." Cerewan paused and looked closely at Jeraddin's face.

"Ah, yes" he chuckled. "I can see it now, the resemblance."

Cerewan released his grip and stepped back.

"Here" he said, handing the rope to the cat. "You take over, my arm's still tired."

"Right, Cap'n."

"Now then, General, I'm going to ask you again and if you refuse to answer, you shall be struck again. This time, however, the knot will strike in a more...sensitive spot. If you get my drift."

"I understand." Jeraddin sighed resignedly. "I'll talk, but before I do, would you answer one of my questions, Captain?"

"Very well, General, ask your question."

"What time is it?"

Cerewan's surprise only lasted for a moment. Then, he took out a pocket-watch and consulted it.

"About half past noon" he replied, slamming the lid to the watch shut and putting it back in his pocket. "Now then, if you'd be so kind as to tell us where the ledger is?"

"By now, I suspect its in the paws of the authorities" Jeraddin replied calmly.

Cerewan could feel the color drain from his face. 

"You...you're bluffing" he muttered, but one look at the smug smile on his captive's face told him that this was merely wishful thinking on his part.

"By now every member of the city-watch must be out looking for you, Cerewan" Jeraddin said. "Why they could be here at any moment."

"Perhaps we should leave, Cap'n?" The Cat suggested, his voice trembling slightly.

"Calm yourself, sailor!" Cerewan snapped. "No-one knows where we are. By the time the watch finds this place, we'll be long gone." He turned back to Jeraddin. "You thought you were clever, didn't you, General? Alas, all you've done now is sign your own death-warrant."

With those words, he drew a saber from his belt and made some cutting motions with it in the air. Jeraddin watched him, without flinching.

Is this how my life ends? He wondered. I had a feeling that I wouldn't die in my bed, but I must admit that this is not the way I pictured it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the unpleasant sensation of Cerewan's breath hitting him in the face.

"When next I meet Risha" the tiger whispered in the lynx's ear, "I'll tell her that her father died, screaming."

He stepped back and raised the saber over his head. 

There was a knock on the door. Cerewan dropped his weapon, the blue cat almost jumped out of his skin. Both of them, as well as Jeraddin, stared at the door.

"Well, Captain?" Jeraddin asked. "Aren't you going to answer?"

It was then that a voice could be heard on the other side and Jeraddin's heart sank again, for he recognized it.

"Captain, it's us! Open up!"

The Blue cat was closest to the door. He looked at Cerewan who gave him a nod. The Door opened and the false watchmen appeared on the doorstep. However, before they could enter, they were pushed aside; by a group of real watchmen who swarmed into the room.

A Whisper In My Ear. A Voice So Strong and Clear...

I don't think its a stretch to claim that, out of all the comics that takes place in medieval times and/or deals with the Arthurian legends, Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, is the most well-known. Though it was never a staple of my childhood, in the same way as Tintin by Hergé, or the various Disney comics, by creators such as Carl Barks and Don Rosa, I remember enjoying the volumes of Prince Valiant I read translated into Swedish, when I was a boy. 

Unlike the source material, The Legend of Prince Valiant was not a part of my childhood. I don't think it ever aired on Swedish television. If it did, it was not on any of the channels that were available to me, at the time. 

As such, I remained completely ignorant of this show's existence, until fairly recently, when a review written by one of my mutuals on SensCritique, awoke my interest in it. Having watched the show in its entirety, I've decided to share my thoughts on it. Here goes:

The Legend of Prince Valiant begins similarly to the comic (as far as I can remember), with the Kingdom of Thule being conquered by an evil warlord and the King, the Queen and their son, Valiant being forced to flee and seek refuge in a marsh. 

One evening, the young Valiant has a dream in which a voice speaks to him, summoning him to a place called Camelot. Valiant has never heard of such a place before, but he's convinced that it exists and so, against his father's wishes, he sets out on a journey to find Camelot. He is joined by Arn, a young peasant and Rowan, the daughter of a blacksmith. Both of whom have had the same dream. After many adventures, the trio arrives at Camelot and the court of King Arthur, where they begin their long road towards knighthood and for Valiant to reclaim his father's kingdom.

Visually, The Legend of Prince Valiant looks fine.Sometimes, the characters go off-model, but the backgrounds are lush and detailed and the show features some fairly impressive battle-scenes. The Soundtrack is superb (with the show's opening theme; Where the Truth Lies deserving special mention, being suitably grandiose) as is the voice-acting. Valiant himself is voiced by Robby Benson, known as the voice of Prince Alexander from King's Quest VI to fans of graphic adventure games and as Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast to everyone else who's heard of him. Fittingly enough, when Aleta, the woman who becomes Valiant's love-interest makes her appearance in the show, she's voiced by Paige O'Hara aka. Belle from the above mentioned movie.

Writing is likewise of high quality: Characters are by and large, well-rounded and interesting. My favorite character (if I had to choose) would probably be Duncan. He starts out as a minor recurring villain and ends up having arguably the best character arc in the entire series. 

During its two seasons, The Legend of Prince Valiant tackles some heavy topics, such as; alcoholism, child-abuse, racism and even gun...sorry, crossbow-safety. It does this without coming across as preachy or condescending. 

Though it seems to have fallen into obscurity, The Legend of Prince Valiant is one of the best western cartoons of the 90's. Easily comparable to the likes of Batman: TAS and Gargoyles. Highly recommended.

No Likable Characters

 Picture this, dear Reader: You are on a review-site (Goodreads, IMDB. Whatever, it doesn't matter) and while you are there, you decide to check out the reviews of something you watched/read/played recently and, in some of the less enthusiastic reviews, you find the above statement or a variation thereof. 

This statement has always bothered me, because I seldom feel that its valid as criticism. Note that I said seldom, not never, there are definitely times when the creator(s) of a work intended a character to be liked by the audience and failed at making them so.That said, if a character isn't likable, nine times out of ten, its because they were not meant to be. 

And yet, a lot of people seem to treat is as such, considering likability to be tantamount when talking about characters in a work of fiction.

Why is that? Personally, I think its because people tend to equate 'likable' with 'interesting'. Now, to be fair, the two tend to go hand in hand, even for me. I know that, if I find a character to be likable, its a fair assumption  that I find them interesting as well. 

However, just because two things are connected does not mean they are synonymous. And so, I shall explain (or at least attempt) how the two of them differ, in my opinion. 

Basically, to me, a character being likable means that I like that character, as a person. They have my sympathy and I would not mind socializing with them in real-life.

None of the above need apply to a character that I simply find engaging in the role given to them by the narrative. Some of my favorite characters in fiction are horrible people, even outright monsters. However, they are compelling monsters and ultimately, that's what counts: The Worst crime a fictional character can be guilty of is not mass-murder, enslavement or any other real-life atrocity. No, its to be boring.

Chapter 76

 On the ship carrying Risha and Merees, the Captain had just finished showing the two women and Kyros the route of the ship's voyage.

"And there you have it" he said. "Barring any incidents and if the Gods smile on us, we should reach our destination in four months."

Merees leaned forward, taking a closer look at the map spread out over the table the four of them had gathered around.

Not that I would presume to tell you how to do your job, Captain" she began."However, I can't help but notice that this is a huge detour. Surely, you would save time if you were to anchor here and then have a caravan take your cargo the rest of the way?"

"Aye" the Captain replied, with a touch of bitterness in his voice. "That's how we used to do it. Unfortunately, that option is no longer available to us."

"Why is that?"

"That is Guancan territory and recently, Guanaca came under Vinolian control. Unfortunately, the country whose flag this ship sails under and Vinoli are not on good terms."

Seeing expression of shock and bafflement that his words had caused to appear on Merees' face, the Captain hastened to explain the circumstances around her homeland's take-over of Guanaca, as far as he knew it.

Merees listened to the Captain, her brow furrowed with vexation. 

"How did the Vinolian army managed to take Guanaca?" She asked, once he had finished filling her in. "I thought that the desert-kingdom was supposed to be impenetrable?" The Answer to her question came to her almost as soon as she had asked it. "Of course! They must have inside-help."

The Captain nodded.

"Rumor has it that it was someone close to the late King Bashar, who betrayed the city to the Vinolians."

"Is that so? Well, whoever that person was I'm sure they had their reasons."

"Aye, everyone does. Though whatever reasons they might have had does not alter the fact that our journey will be longer and certainly more arduous than it has ever been."

"True, not to mention its because of that person that Guanaca is now in the hands of A..."

Merees did not finish her sentence. Risha, who had not said anything their meeting suddenly got up and, still not saying a word, left the state-room, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, well" the Captain said, scratching his head. "What got into her all of a sudden?"

"A bout of sea-sickness, perhaps" Merees said. "I had better see to her. Excuse me, gentlemen."

*****

Risha was standing by the ship's railing, staring out at the horizon, when Merees joined her.

"Something the matter, hon?" The Dragon asked.

"It was me", the lynx replied, her voice hoarse. "I'm the person who allowed the Vinolian army to enter Guanaca."

I knew it, Merees thought to herself. She placed a sympathetic hand on her lover's trembling shoulder.

"I knew perfectly well that by doing so, I had essentially handed Guanaca over to Argath, but at the time, I did not care: All I could think of was that this was my chance to regain my freedom and have Bashar at my mercy, to finally make him pay for all the indignities he had made me suffer."

"I'm not judging you, Risha" Merees said. "Nor should anyone else. Everyone would have made the same choice in your situation and if not? Well,  in that case, they might as well remain slaves."

"Freedom is not a gift, it is the right of every  Vinolian citizen..." Risha said, speaking in a small voice but loud enough for Merees to hear.

"...Should anyone infringe on that right, do not ask for its return, but reclaim it", Merees finished. "My father always said that was the most important part of the Vinolian constitution."

"Something tells me that the constitution has been greatly rewritten in the past five years" Risha sighed.

"Doesn't matter. Once Argath has been overthrown, we can restore it to how it used to be."

If we win, Risha was about to say, but kept those words to herself. No point in getting bogged down by negativity, after all. No, better to assume the best while preparing for the worst.

She moved closer to Merees and the two of them stood there, close together, feeling the sea-breeze and listening to the sound of the waves splashing against a hull. 

"Do you think the Captain figured out why I left so abruptly?" Risha asked, after a few minutes silence.

"Don't worry, I made up an excuse for you.Say, something wet just hit my head."

"Me too."

Lynx and dragon both looked up and saw that sky, which had previously been blue, had suddenly turned grey. The Captain came out on deck, followed by Kyros.

"Storm's coming!" He bellowed. "All passengers, get off the deck! Now!!"

Later, Risha and Merees huddled together, while the rain-drops spattered against their cabin's porthole and the ever-higher waves played catch with their ship.

"Mer?" Risha moaned.

"Yes, hon."

"What excuse did you give to the Captain?"

"I told him you were sea-sick."

"I see. Can you pass me the chamber-pot under the bed?"

"Why? Don't tell me..."

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

*****

In his chamber, Jeraddin was woken by the sun shining through the blinds and striking him in the face. With a yawn, the male lynx sat up and let out a grunt of pain. He ached all over and for a moment, Jeraddin wondered if he had slept in an uncomfortable position. Then, he saw the ledger lying on the bed beside him and the memories of last night came flooding back.

Getting out of bed, Jeraddin proceeded to his private bathroom (his house was one of those in the Vinolian capital that were equipped with indoor plumbing). Upon entering, he noticed his reflection, covered in scratches from last night's brawl, in the doors of the medicine cabinet and winced.

I can't let Flora see me like this, he thought, and opened the cabinet to see if it contained anything that could be of help. Rummaging around its contents, the General soon found a bottle with the following label:

Healing Salve

-For minor wounds and aches. Apply to the afflicted area and wait ten minutes.

Jeraddin uncorked the bottle and began to follow the instructions...

Somewhat later, Jeraddin, now dressed in a bathrobe, the scratches on his face fully faded, was having breakfast in the kitchen.

"Tough night, Sir?" Flora asked, as she poured more coffee into Jeraddin's cup.

Jeraddin swallowed his porridge and nodded.

"Indeed, but well worth it. You can take my word for that."

"May I ask if you will come in late this evening as well?"

Jeraddin thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"No, today unless something comes up, I shall stay home. Maybe catch up on my reading."

In that moment, the sound of someone knocking on the front door could be heard. Flora went out to answer and returned with two members of the city-watch. Jeraddin greeted them and asked how he might be of service?

The Two watchmen exchanged awkward looks.

"It's like this, General...." One of them began. "We need you to come with us."

"Someone's pressed charges against you" added his colleague.

"What?" Flora took a step forward, brandishing the ladle she had used to stir the porridge, menacingly. "Who dares?"

"Peace, Flora" Jeraddin said, holding up a paw. The Housekeeper lowered her arm and stepped back.

"I am at your disposal" he told the guards. "Before we go though, permit me to go upstairs and change into more suitable attire. Don't worry, I will not give you the slip."