Chapter 41

As they came out on stage, following their performance of the comedy Gobalgus' Folly, the members of Eramus' troupe were greeted with thunderous and enthusiastic applause. Bowing deeply, the actors allowed the well-deserved praise to wash over them, alongside the flowers and the coins which were thrown at their feet.
As expected, Risha, Merees and Leorin were in the audience and were among those who applauded the loudest.

"That was  awesome" Leorin exclaimed afterwards, his face sporting an excited grin.

They all decided to go and congratulate the troupe on a successful show. However, they found their path backstage blocked by a large, broad-shouldered gorilla wearing a livery.

"The Audience isn't allowed backstage" said the gorilla, holding out a hand the size of a manhole cover. "I have to ask you to turn back."

He uttered these words in a tone which made it clear that if those he addressed failed to comply, he would have to be physical.

"That's alright" Merees said, calmly meeting the gorilla's piercing stare and flashing her most winning smile. "We are friends of the actors."

"Is that so?" Replied the gorilla, crooking his left eyebrow. "Then I suppose you have some proof of your acquaintance?"

The Trio exchanged glances. Then, as one person, they shook their heads. A dismissive snort escaped the gorilla's nostrils.

"Just as I thought. Look, we have fans coming here claiming to be friends of the actors all the time and its my job to keep them away. Now, why don't you three take a hike? You'll find the exit over there" he finished, pointing at it with a thick index finger.

"I assure you, we really are friends of the actors" Merees insisted, she was still smiling, though her smile had become somewhat frayed around the edges. "If you would just go and get one of them, you would see that we are telling the truth."

The Gorilla crossed his arms, the corner of his upper lip curled up menacingly, revealing a long, yellow tooth.

"That's not going to happen. Now, I will count down to five and if you haven't left this building by the time I'm finished, I will lift you up by the scruff of my neck and throw you out. Normally, I wouldn't treat ladies in such a rough fashion, but frankly I don't see any ladies present."

If looks could kill then Merees would have been guilty of murder.

"Of all the rude, impudent louts" she hissed through clenched teeth. "I warn you, ape - you may be bigger than me, but in strength I'd say we're equally matched and if one of your sausage fingers so much as touches any of us, I promise upon my father's crown, that I will snap it like a dry twig."

She took a step forward. At that point, Merees bore a closer resemblance to her half-sister the Queen than she ever had. A lesser man, faced with the anger that seemed to envelope her like a cloak would have fearfully backed away.
Credit where credit is due: Though a few nervous beads of sweat had appeared on his brow, the gorilla was not cowed. Instead, he too, took a step forward, cracking his knuckles menacingly.
Risha had anxiously watched the scene with her brother and was just about to step between the two antagonists before anyone got hurt. Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind the gorilla:

"What's going on?"

All activity seized. Turning around, the gorilla found himself looking at none other than Sara. She had left the reception that was being held backstage for the actors to answer nature's call and was heading back when the sight of the gorilla evidently involved in a quarrel with someone had caught her attention.

"Its nothing, Miss" the gorilla said, his manner towards the porcupine-girl standing in bright contrast to the dismissive way in which he had addressed the trio. "Just a bunch of intrusive fans. I'll soon have them out of here, don't you worry."

"Well" Sara said, feeling generous. "If its autographs they want, I think I can be of help. Please, let me pass."

Reluctantly, the gorilla did as he was told. He would have preferred it if Sara had simply headed back to the reception and left him to deal with this problem. However, there was nothing he could do. After all, his employer had given him and the rest of the theater's staff, to obey any request or command from the visiting acting troupe as though they were his own.

As soon as the gorilla moved out of the way, Sara found herself face to face with none other than Leorin. For a moment, the cat and the porcupine stood there, unable to meet each other's gaze, their cheeks colored a light shade of red. Looking for support, Leorin turned to sister. Risha gave him a look that seemed to say: You can do this. I've got your back.
Feeling reassured, Leorin turned back to Sara, forcing himself to look at her directly.

"Hello" he said, after having cleared his throat.

"Hello" Sara replied, looking visibly revealed that Leorin had taken the lead.

"You look good" Leorin said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Sara was wearing the tutu covered in glitter that she had appeared in on stage.

"Thank you" she said, her blush becoming more pronounced. Leorin's heart skipped a beat.

At this point, the gorilla, having observed the dialogue that took place between the two children could not help but step in.

"Miss" he asked. "Do you know these people?"

"Of course" Sara replied. "They are friends of ours. That reminds me" she continued, clasping her paws together. "You must come and meet the others, I'm sure they'd be delighted to see you again so soon."

Her proposal was accepted gladly. As the trio followed Sara backstage, Merees turned back and saw the gorilla standing there, looking quite ill at ease. No doubt he feared that she would complain to his employer. Good, she thought, turning her nose up. Let him squirm. How dare he doubt the word of a Vinolian princess?

*****

Backstage, a spread of various delectable-looking fruits and cheeses had been laid out for the members of the troupe to enjoy. Each of them had also been handed a glass filled with a sparkling, almost transparent liquid. Everyone was in high spirits, thanks to the success of the performance and so they toasted both themselves and the theater and its director.
Eramus was soon engaged in a conversation with an aardvark sporting an embroidered purple vest and a monocle in his right eye. Upon seeing that Sara had returned, accompanied by the trio, a delighted smile appeared on his face and he waved for them to come over.

"How wonderful to see you again so soon, my friends" the old faun beamed at them. "Tell me, honestly, what did you think of the play?"

"It was very funny" Leorin piped up. "Right, guys?" He said, turning to Risha and Merees .
 Both of them nodded in assent.

"Yes" said Risha, "I can't remember the last time I laughed so much and, judging from the audience, I wasn't the only one."

"I am pleased that me and my comrades have brought so much joy to our friends" said Eramus, while twinning his beard. "Of course, any actor would have been inspired to deliver the performance of their lives when performing at a theater such as this one."

"The Maestro is too kind" said the aardvark with a pleased expression. "It is an honor for my theater to once again house a theater troupe as renowned as his."

"I take it then that you are the owner of this establishment?" Merees asked.

"Where are my manners?" Eramus said, shaking his head with a  comically self-reproaching look on his face. "Allow me to make the introductions: My friends, the gentleman you see before you is the Marquis Gianni, the backbone of this fine city's cultural life. Marquis, the two flowers of womanhood lighting up this room with their presence are Princess Merees and her friend Risha. The Fine lad our Sara has taken such a shine to, is Risha's brother Leorin. They all arrived on the same ship as us and were instrumental in helping us defeat the pirates I told you about before."

Upon hearing this, Marquis Gianni looked suitably impressed.

"Indeed" he said, almost dropping his monocle. "It is always a pleasure to meet other friends of Eramus, especially" he added, bowing deeply to the two women before him, "ones as lovely as you two."

"Aside from being a patron of the arts, Gianni is also a notorious ladies man" said Eramus. "Usually, he's quite successful." He turned to the Marquis. "However, I'm afraid that these two fishes won't bite."

"I understand" the Marquis answered, giving Merees and Risha a meaningful look. "In that case" he continued, "let me congratulate the two of you. I hope you realize that you are both very lucky."

Risha and Merees gazed  at each other, their fingers intertwined.

"We know" they replied in chorus.

With introductions out of the way, Marquis Ginnai called for a waiter to bring three glasses with the same liquid that the troupe had enjoyed.

"Don't worry" Eramus said to Risha, when Leorin was handed a glass. "Its quite safe for children to drink."

Risha raised her glass to her mouth and took a sip of the liquid. It tasted the way she had imagined it would: Fruity and refreshing. She could not help smacking her lips appreciatively.

"Help yourselves to the spread" the Marquis offered. "I do believe there are some left."

Since they hadn't eaten in a while, this generous offer was gladly accepted. While the trio was enjoying the delicacies, Marquis Gianni turned to Merees.

"I couldn't help but notice by your accent that you hail from Vinoli, Princess. I take it then that you are one of Sharan's children?"

Inside Merees felt a twinge of pain upon hearing her father's name. She could only nod, knowing that her sorrow was written on her face. Then, she felt Risha squeeze her hand and smiled.

Realizing that he had made his new acquaintance feel uncomfortable, the Marquis decided to switch topic.

"I am hosting a little party at my villa in two days" he said. "It would be my pleasure if you ladies and your brother, of course, would attend." He handed them each a small card with an address printed on it.

While this conversation took place, the two youngest people had gone off on their own. Now, the two of them were seated on a large trunk standing in a far corner of the room. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss from before.

"Do you want some?" Leorin asked, offering Sara a melon cube from his plate.

"Thank you, I'm good" the porcupine-girl replied. Leorin shrugged and popped the cube into his own mouth.

"I really enjoyed your performance" He said earnestly, after he had swallowed.

"Thank you, I'm glad you did."

"By the way, where is Isso? I didn't notice him when we came in."

Indeed, the ocelot was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, he quit" replied Sara, while kicking her feet.

"Really?" Leorin said, surprised at hearing this.

"Yes, he took his belongings and his share of our earnings and left. Rufus was not happy about that, because Isso was the creator of most of the special effects we use."

"Well, I'm glad that he quit" Leorin said, crossing his arms. "I didn't like him, he was a jerk."

Recalling the times that Isso had been genuinely kind to her, Sara felt the need to come to the ocelot's defense.

"You didn't really know him" she said, looking down at her shoes.

Leorin could not argue with that and so, he decided not to push the subject further. Besides, he did not want to get into an argument with Sara over someone he didn't like.
Shortly afterwards, Leorin's sister called out to him that it was time to leave.

"Wait a second!" He shouted. He then turned to Sara and returned the kiss she had given him. "See you" he said, as he jumped off the trunk and rushed to the exit.

*****

Two days later.

It was quite late when Marquis Gianni's party finally came to an end. There were only a few guests left and so, their hosts thanked them all most profusely for having attended. They in turn thanked him and with good reason, for they had enjoyed themselves immensely: The food and drink had been of the highest quality and once they had finished eating, the guests were treated to the sight of fireworks lighting up the lagoon, while the melodious tunes provided by a hired orchestra filled the air, inviting those who felt inclined to turn the Marquis' garden into a ballroom.

The Trio had been among the last guests to leave. At one point during the party, Leorin had disappeared and Risha and Merees had spent some time searching for him, calling his name. They had finally found him sleeping under a table, curled up in a ball. Risha had woken her brother up, but it soon became clear that he was too tired to make the walk back to the hotel, so Merees carried the small cat on her back.

"Do you want me take him?" Risha asked, as the two of them walked the streets of Tiraliros.

"No, its fine" Merees replied. "He hardly weighs anything. "By the way, I have to say I'm impressed: I didn't know you were such a good dancer."

"Well" Risha said, feeling very pleased. "I was top of my class in dancing at my boarding school."

"I believe it. Which school was it?"

"St. Alma's."

Merees nodded, as if she had expected that answer.

At this point, it may be wise to inform the reader about the workings of the Vinolain educational system. Basically, it works like this: Public school lasts from the age of seven to twelve and is paid for with taxes. Many upper-class families opt to not put their children in public school, choosing insted to hire private tutors.  Risha's and Leorin's parents had not done that, however. Although, Nasari had taught her children to read and write before their seventh birthday, she and Jeraddin had believed that it would be good for them to attend the village-school and make some friends.

After public school is over and done with, most Vinolian children enter into an apprenticeship, often under their parents, but sometimes under a relative or a friend of the family. Those children whose parents can afford it, however, are usually sent to one of the boarding schools found across the country. There, they continue their education until their turn eighteen.
Among these boarding schools, the most prestigious one for girls was St. Alma's.

"Did you enjoy going there?" Merees asked.

Risha shrugged.

"I guess."

The Truth is that Risha had never wanted to attend a traditional girl's school. Her dream had been to follow in her father's footsteps by attending the same officer's school that he had in his youth. Nasari wouldn't have any of it though and this led to some heated debates between mother and daughter.

"There are women in the army" Risha, age ten shouted, stamping her small foot angrily. "Not many, but there are! I don't want to go to some crummy girl's school, I'm going to become a general and protect our country, like dad!"

"Young Lady" Nasari replied, her voice sharp. "You are going to St. Alma's and that's final."

"No, I won't!" Risha shrieked. "I hate St. Alma's and I hate you..you bitch!"

And with those parting words, she rushed from the room which had served as the scene for this latest argument, but not before she had spitefully reached out and shattered  which stood on a pedestal.

Later, as Risha lay on her bed, staining her pillow with tears of self-pity, her father entered her room.

"Your mother is very upset" Jeraddin said. "You really hurt her feelings."

Risha lifted her head from the pillow, glaring at her father with red eyes.

"Good" she replied hotly before lying down again.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jeraddin sat  down on the bed.

"Risha, your mother loves you" he said, touching his daughter's back. "You know that, right?"

Once again, Risha lifted her head up.

"Then why won't she let me do this?" She sniffled, staring at her father with red-rimmed eyes. "It's because I'm a girl, isn't it?" She asked, bitterly.

Smiling, Jeraddin shook his head.

"No, sweetie, that's not it. I doubt that your mother would allow your brother to join my old school when he's of age.  Your mother just does not want either of her children to end up in a situation where they risk being killed, or would have to kill others. And to be honest, neither do I."

Risha had not considered this. It dawned on her that she had behaved unfairly towards her mother.  She began to feel ashamed and as usual when that happened, the inside of her ears became warm.

"How long am I grounded for this time?" She asked in a small voice.

"You aren't grounded" came Jeraddin's reply.

Risha stared at her father in surprise.

"You don't mean..." Her voice trailed off.

"Yes" Jeraddin said sternly. "Your mother and I talked it over and we decided that the time has come for you to receive your first spanking."

In Vinoli it was forbidden for parents and guardians to administer corporal punishment to any child below the age of ten. As such, the most common way to discipline unruly children was to confine them to their chambers for as long a time as their parent saw fit. As such, being spanked was not merely a punishment, but also served as a rite of passage; the first real step on the journey to adulthood. Some families even went so far as to throw special parties on this occasion; inviting friends and family. This was not a wide-spread practice however and both Nasari and Jeraddin found it to be in incredibly poor taste.

Upon entering the living room, Risha found her mother seated on the couch. Next to Nasari lied an instrument which the lynx-girl had never seen before, though one glance at it was enough for her to deduce its purpose. Said instrument was a small, wooden paddle with a bow tied around its handle. The Paddle had originally belonged to Nasari's mother, who had used it to discipline her daughter. When Nasari had been a mother for the first time, the new grand-mother had gifted her the paddle and had told her that it had been in their family since the time of her own grand-parent's time. Nasari had put the paddle away in a closet and there it had remained, until now.

"Well, Risha" Nasari said, looking at her eldest. "Do you have anything to say?"

Risha swallowed, her eyes traveled towards the paddle. In her mind she could already feel it dancing on her bottom.

"I apologize for my behavior earlier" she said, looking her mother in the eye. "I behaved unacceptably and I am sorry for it."


"You believe me, right mom?" Risha asked, her voice a nervous quiver. "That I am sorry?"

"Of course I believe you" Nasari replied. "However, that does not mean that you are off the hook. You understand that, don't you?"

Risha nodded.

"Good. Now, take off your belt and lie down here" Nasari said, patting her lap.

At the time Risha was dressed the same way as all Vinolian children are during the warmer months of the year; in a short-sleeved tunic that ended above the knees and was tied together with a belt. Having removed the belt, Risha lied down across her mother's lap. Once her daughter was in position, Nasari hiked up the now loose-hanging tunic and pulled down the panties underneath. Digging her tiny claws into one of the sofa cushions, Risha shut her eyes tightly and steeled herself, waiting for the punishment to begin.

She did not have to wait long; Nasari raised the paddle and brought it down with an audible smack on the left side of her daughter's butt, causing Risha to inhale sharply, tears running down her cheeks. Moments later, the right side got the same treatment.

The Punishment continued in this fashion for some time, with Nasari altering between striking one side of her target at the time, or hitting it square in the middle. With every kiss they received from the paddle, Risha's buttocks, which by now had assumed the color of a ripe tomato, would give a slight jiggle, followed by a gasp from its owner.

Finally, Nasari decided that Risha had been properly disciplined and put the paddle aside. She then helped Risha up to a sitting position on her knee.

"There, there, sweetie" Nasari cooed, stroking the fur on Risha's head, while the lynx-girl cried softly into her chest. "Its all over now and I must say I'm proud of you."

"You are?" Risha sniffled, looking up at her mother.

"I am" Nasari said, planting a tender kiss on her first-born's forehead. "You took your medicine without complaint, which is more than I can say for my first time."

"I did?" Despite the heat emanating from her throbbing tush, the lynx-girl could not help but feel her heart swell with pride upon hearing this. "Still" she added, "I am not in a hurry to go through this again."

"And I am not in a hurry to inflict a punishment like this on you again" Nasari replied. "However, the worst part is over with, for now. Now, I want you to lie down on your back again, your father should return any moment."

Risha lied down, wondering what would happen next. Just then, the door opened and Jeraddin entered the room, carrying a small jar. He was followed by Leorin, who eagerly ran up to the sofa.

"Risha, play with me!" Leorin demanded, shaking his sister's shoulder.

"Leorin, leave your sister alone" Nasari admonished her son. "She needs to rest."

His ears lying flat on his head, Leorin looked at his mother with disappointment in his eyes.

"I'll play with you later" Risha assured her brother. "Why don't you draw something in the meantime?"

"Good idea" Leorin said and went away to find pen and paper. Meanwhile, Jeraddin knelt down by the couch.

"How are you doing, sweetie?" He asked, gently stroking one of Risha's ear-tufts..

"To be honest, my butt feels as if you could fry an egg on it.

Jeraddin glanced at the referred part of his daughter's anatomy and nodded.

"Yes, I know that feeling" he said, smiling compassionately. "Don't worry though, I've got the remedy for that right here."

He showed Risha the jar he was holding and undid the lid and dipped his paw in it. He then held the jar out to Nasari, who did likewise.

"Its cold" Risha whined, squirming slightly as her parents began applying the healing ointment, working it into her red hot rear end.

****

The Next year, Risha begun her first semester at St. Alma's. To the lynx-girl's surprise she did not end up hating the place: She made a few friends, as well as a few rivals and she did well in most of her classes. During the holidays, when she returned home, she would regale her parents with some of her more memorable exploits.

This lasted until Risha reached puberty. As usual when that happens, strange and new feelings begin to take hold off a young persons mind. Boys, usually start to really notice girls for the first time and that's what Risha did too.

Once that happened, life at St.Alma's became an ordeal for the young lynx-girl. Suddenly, the simple act of showering together with her classmates, or sleeping in the same room as them became a trial that seemed insurmountable. She was afraid that anything would cause one of her classmates to realize what she was and the thought made a shiver run down her spine.

Now, the reader may wonder why Risha was so anxious about concealing her sexuality? After all, homosexuality had been legal in Vinoli since forever. To that, we must point out that just because something is legal or allowed does not mean that everyone accepts it.
 None of Risha's classmates were gay. At least not openly. Indeed, several of them had managed to acquire  boyfriends and their interests mostly revolved around boys. At St. Alma's the only person who was openly lesbian was one of the teachers, a badger. She was in a relationship with one of the custodians and although the students respected her authority in the classroom, behind her back they would gossip and make cruel jokes about her.

Thus, Risha's fear of being outed. She was not a teacher and therefore, there was no stopping her classmates from shunning her to her face. The Thought of that happening was more than she could bear. And so, she would join in her classmates' secret jeering of their teacher, though inwardly she admired the badger and cursed her own cowardice.

Even Jeraddin and Nasari were unaware of their daughter's orientation. Risha had heard about a young man who had come out to his parents and they, who had previously loved him, had disowned him and cast him out of their home. Visions of her mother in tears, wondering what they had done wrong and the father she idolized turning away from her in disgust, haunted Risha's dreams and made her sob uncontrollably, until one of her classmates threw a pillow at her and told her to be quiet.

It's been said that the coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave man only once. Eventually, Risha decided that she had had enough of hiding. Once she returned to St. Alma's she would step out of the closet and if her classmates ended up ostracizing her as a result? Well, this would be her last year at school. All she had to do was toughen it out and then St. Alma's would be a finished chapter in the novel of her life. Once that was done, she would tell her parents.

Of course, Risha could not know at the time that none of that would happen. She would never return to St. Alma's or have the chance to come out to her parents. Instead, the murder of a king would force her and her brother to flee their home, leaving their old lives behind forever.

*****

Having arrived at the hotel they were staying at and picking up their keys from the dingo who served as the night-porter, Risha and Merees first put Leorin to bed and then went to their own room, located next to his.

"I hope you aren't tired, yet" Merees said. "It would be a shame if you were."

"Me, tired?" Risha replied, raising an eyebrow. "Perish the thought!"

The Couple began to undress, scattering their clothes on the floor. Soon, they were both in their birthday suit, Merees standing behind Risha. The Lynx could feel the dragon's hot breath on the back of her neck.

As she began nibbling carefully on Risha's neck and shoulders, Merees' left hand started to knead one of her girlfriend's breasts like a piece of dough, while her right hand reached down between her legs.

Risha could feel her mind drifting away and all she could do was moan as her lover's touch sent ripples of pleasure throughout her being.

Then, abruptly, the currents stopped.

"D-don't" Risha said weakly, looking almost pleadingly at Merees.

The Princess said nothing, instead letting the tip of her long tongue sweep over Risha's lips. Then, she swept her partner off her feet and carried her, like a groom would carry his bride and laid her down on top of their bed, which was soon shaking with the force of their love. In the next room, another guest, knocked on the wall to make them quiet down, but neither Risha nor Merees noticed.

*****

Next morning, after they had washed, for this was a modern hotel with indoor plumbing, Risha and Merees went to wake up Leorin so that they could eat breakfast.

"Do you think he noticed any of the noise we made?" Risha asked, as she produced the key to Leorin's room.

Merees shook her head.

"I bet he slept like a log." She lowered her voice. "By the way, you could have warned me before putting your tongue there."

"I thought you liked it?" Risha whispered back. "I didn't exactly hear you protest."

"Sure, but a heads-up would have been nice."

Suddenly, Merees got an idea.

"Next time" She whispered, with an impish look on her face. "Why don't I sit on your face?"

 Picking up the key she had dropped, Risha unlocked the door and the two women entered.

"Up and at'em, little brother!" Risha called out. "Its beautiful day outside."

She walked up to the bed and let out a sharp, high scream.

"What is it?" Merees asked, rushing to her side.

Risha did not need to answer, the dragon could see what had provoked this reaction from her:

Leorin's bed was empty.

Comics That Should Be Translated: Dr. Merling

Previously in this irregular series of posts, I've focused on comics from the Southern part of Europe. This time, however, things will be a bit different. Today, we're going to move up north (though its still to the south from where I'm sitting) to Scandinavia or, more precisely, to Denmark, to talk about what I'm sure is the most obscure comic I've yet mentioned on this blog: Dr. Merling.
Dr. Merling is a Danish comic strip created by Knud V. Larsen which ran from 1970-1980 in Berlingske Tidene. At one point during its run, the comic's title was changed to Dr. Merlind for legal reasons (apparently, there was actually a family named Merling). For the purpose of this post though, I'm going to keep using its original title.

A bit of personal history, before we start (don't worry, this won't take long): My first encounter with Dr. Merling came thanks to my father's old childhood copies of Seriepressen; a Swedish comics anthology magazine which existed in the 1970's and featured quite a wide array of comics. In a poll which the magazine ran, Dr. Merling came out the winner. Quite impressive, considering that in the pages of Seriepressen one could also find such works as Herriman's Krazy Kat and Lee's & Romita Jr's Spider-Man. Clearly, the Swedish readers of the time had taken Larsen's opus to their hearts and, reading the comic several decades later, I could definitely understand why.

Sadly, Seriepressen only had the chance to publish the first two story-arcs of Dr. Merling before the magazine went under. Obviously, the comic continued for longer than that in its homeland, but unavailable to the Swedish reader, especially those of us who became acquainted with it several years after the fact.
Fortunately, works of quality have a tendency to resurface: In the 2010's the entire run of Dr. Merling was collected in three volumes by the Danish publisher Forlaens.

So, what is Dr. Merling all about? Well, in the 1870's, the family Merling; consisting of our main character Albert, the titular doctor, his wife Anita, their daughters Alice and Bettina travels the countryside of Transyldavia (no, that's not me screwing up the spelling, that's what its called in the comic. Actually, its called Transyldavien, I just translated it) with their magic show. Accompanying the family is also their assistant and coachman, Boris.
Between performances, the Merling Family find themselves involved in various adventures, often with some kind of supernatural tinge. Sometimes, there's a human hand behind the events that occur, but other times the supernatural turns out to be quite real.

In the first story-arc, titled Mesmer, Dr. Merling himself is almost a supporting character and, with the exception of Anita who has a cameo at the beginning of the arc, the rest of the core cast does not appear at all. Instead, the main focus is upon the arc's villain, Dr. Scyk; who with the help of his creation Mesmer, a reanimated corpse intends to wreak bloody vengeance upon the teachers at the universty in Uldz, who mocked his theories (classic mad scientist stuff in order words). The Faculty is eventually forced to beg Dr. Merling for help in dealing with Scyk and his creation, despite the fact that they had previously dismissed him as a charlatan.

The Stories told by Larsen vary in tone: Some of them are fun and lighthearted, while others, such as the one mentioned above, are considerably darker. However, Regardless of what kind of story Larsen tells, he never fails at making it entertaining. Of course, since the stories were originally published in a newspaper and intended to be read one strip at a time, it occasionally leads to some repetition when the characters have to summarize what has happened for the benefit of readers who come in late, but that's par of the course for serialized newspaper comics and one simply has to accept it.

Of course, a huge part of what makes this comic successful is its characters, particularly the main cast. I really like the dynamic between the Merlings; they ocasionally quarrel and tease each other, but nonetheless, have a genuine love for one another, which always shines through in their interactions.  Aside from his core cast, Larsen also presents the reader with several memorable side characters, ranging from likable kooks like the two rival alchemists Fixo & Faxo to pitiable villains like the albino Count Cherzek.

During its run, Dr. Merling was cancelled twice. The First time it happened was in 1975, but it was soon brought back after the readers protested. Next time was in 1980 and this time, no amount of backlash could prevent it. Larsen never managed to get his comic picked up by another newspaper and as such, the final story-arc of Dr. Merling ends on a cliffhanger which has never been resolved. Larsen himself passed away in 2002.

Regardless of this, Dr. Merling remains, as far as I'm concerned, one of the best comics to come out of Denmark. As well as one of the most underrated comics, period. It definitely deserves to be more well-known.

Gallery:

Chapter 40

Those who travel to Tiraliros by sea will know when they have reached its territory by a particular landmark: A turqouoise rock, sticking up out of the ocean depths. Its said that in the past, mermaids would come up to the surface and sit on this very rock, combing their hair and singing to the seagulls and the ships that passed by on the way to Tiraliros itself.

However, its been a long time since any mermaid last sung upon this rock. After a few bad experiences with land-dwellers, the Ocean King had forbidden his daughters from having anything to do with the surface any more and he and all his court had retreated into their underwater Kingdom, never to be seen again.
The Absence of mermaids did not make the sight of the rock any less exciting to the members of the Troupe as their ship passed it by and Tiraliros' skyline came into view.
Standing in the ship's bow, Risha and Leorin gazed at the city that they were about to enter:

Stretching out before their eyes were buildings, the tallest of which seemed to impale the highest clouds upon their spires and there, standing on its pedestal in the harbor, ready to welcome far-away travelers from any corner of the world, was the two-hundred meter tall statue, depicting those who had given the city its name: The Griffon twins, Tira and her brother Liros. Said statue also served as a lighthouse.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Merees said. She was standing next to Risha, one of her arms wrapped around the lynx's waist.

"I've seen paintings of it" Risha said, shaking her head in awe, "but its something else to see it with your own eyes."

The Ship had reached its destination one day later than originally planned. This late arrival owed its existence to the crew having to deal with the aftermath of the encounter with the pirates. Eramus, who had picked up some medical knowledge during his voyages had dressed the wounds of the wounded on both sides, assisted by Griselda. The Ship's deck had been scrubbed free from blood and finally, a funeral ceremony had been held for the fallen with the ship of the defeated pirates serving as their pyre.
Now, though, that was all over with; the members of the troupe had dried their tears and although the memory of those they had lost would linger in their hearts, it was time to move on and focus on the here and now.

"Look!" Leorin hollered excitedly, pointing at two long rowboats approaching the ship. "I wonder what they want with us?"

"They're custom officials" Rufus explained. "They've come to check if our papers are in order and that we don't try to bring anything illegal into Tiraliros."

The Officials in the first boat climbed aboard. They were all dressed in navy-blue uniforms and wore round caps on their heads. At their head was a stoat and a calico. The Stoat, who had a feather in his cap, demanded to see the appropriate papers, in an authoritarian tone.

Eramus handed the documents over and the stoat leafed through them carefully.

"Your papers are in order" he said, handing them back. "However, we must still check your hold."

"Be my guest. By the way, there's a hidden compartment down there. Rufus, will you be so kind as to show the officials where it is?"

"Of course" the fox said.

The Stoat turned to the calico.

"You go with him" he said. "Take someone with you."

Saluting, the calico turned to a heavyset bulldog standing behind her.

"You come with me" she said.

The Hatch was opened and the two officials followed Rufus down the stairs and into the hold. They had barely set foot in it, before the calico let out a surprised gasp.

"What is it?" The Stoat called out to his subordinate.

"Sir" the calico replied, turning her head in the direction of her boss. "There...there are people down here."

The Stoat whirled around, glaring at Eramus.

"What's the meaning of this?" He asked, as his fingers gripped the hilt of the saber hanging from his belt.

Eramus was not intimidated.

"We had an encounter with pirates" he explained, stroking his beard. "We defeated them and took the survivors captive, so as to bring them to justice."

The Stoat looked at the older man with something like newfound respect in his eyes. He turned to the calico:

"Bring those rascals up. I wish to take a good look at them."

The Order was carried out and soon the surviving pirates were all standing on deck, trying to shield their eyes from the sun. Among them was a gecko, a scrawny-looking fellow whose eyes darted nervously back and forth. He looked so pathetic that some of the more soft-hearted officials could not help but feel a twinge of pity for him. The Members of the troupe, remembering all too well that the gecko had wounded two of their own in battle, were not moved by such sentiments.

The Stoat circled the pirates, his hands behind his back.

"Ah, yes" he said, as he stopped and observed each one of them. "They do look like quite a nasty group of villains." He stopped in front of the jackal. "This one in particular; something about him gives me the chills."

"I protest at being treated this way" the jackal replied and both his words and the way he carried himself made him seem the very picture of offended dignity. "I am of noble blood and demand to be treated as befits my rank."

"Is that so?" The Stoat's smile could make magma feel cold. "You just look like another flea-bitten pirate to me."

The Jackal thrust his head forward like a snake, baring his fangs menacingly. Instinctively, the stoat took a step back, his fingers closing around the handle of his sword.

"Get them to the boats!" He commanded in a shrill voice, angry that he had let himself be intimidated by an unarmed man.

Eramus turned to the calico.

"You'll find the loot from the pirate ship in the hold as well" he told her. "I recognize the seals of a few of your city's more prominent merchant houses on some of the chests."

"We'll see that it gets returned to the rightful owners" she assured him.

As the pirates were lined up, the jackal turned his head slightly and spat. The Spittle landed close to Risha's foot. Shooting lightning from her eyes, the lynx-girl took a step forward, only to be stopped by Merees gently squeezing her shoulder.

"Forget about him" the dragon said. "You won't be seeing him again."

Risha watched as the jackal climbed into one of the rowboats.

"I hope you're right" she sighed, turning to Merees. "I really hope you are"

*****

As usual, Tiraliros' harbor was bustling with activity; ships from all over the world were unloading the cargo, which was then either stored in one of the many warehouses found in the harbor, or, as was the case with some of the troupe's props, loaded onto carts for transportation into the city itself.

"I suppose this is where we part ways, at least for now" Eramus said, as he shook hands with the trio.
"We're going to head to the theater that booked us and begin preparing for tonight's performance. Of course,  we would all be honored if you came to watch."

The Rest of the troupe all nodded in agreement and Risha, Merees and Leorin assured them that they would gladly do so, as soon as they had found a place to stay.

"I know just the establishment" said Eramus and gave them the name of a hotel. "The Owner is an old friend of mine" the faun continued. "Just mention my name and he'll give you his finest room."

They thanked him for the tip and proceeded to say goodbye to the rest of the troupe.
When they came to Sara, the porcupine shook paws with Risha and Merees, but when it was Leorin's turn, she did something different and unexpected:
Taking Leorin's paw in her own, the youngest member of the troupe instead pulled the small cat closer and gave him a kiss.

Having performed such an act of spontaneity and boldness,  its only natural that Sara was overcome by a case of severe shyness. She hid her face in her paws and proceeded to run off in the opposite direction.
 Leorin watched her, completely stunned. Mechanically, he raised his paw and touched the spot that had been touched by Sara's lips.

"Aww"

The Sound of his sister's voice brought Leorin back to his senses. It did not, however, do anything to alleviate the embarrassment he felt. Quite the opposite actually.

****

"So, when I was risking my life fighting pirates, you got yourself a girlfriend?"

Leorin face became even more like a tomato than it had been before.

"Its not like that" he protested, turning to Risha, his voice shrill. "She's not my girlfriend!"

The Siblings were standing outside one of Tiraliros' banks: A huge, imposing stone building whose entrance was guarded by a pair of sphinxes; their faces showing no trace of emotion, as their eyes scanned everyone approaching the bank.
Merees had gone inside in order to exchange her Vinolian coins for the local currency. She had asked Risha and Leorin if they wanted to come with her, but they had both declined: Leo because he did not want to stand in line in a dusty old bank for who knows how long and Risha because she saw an opportunity to tease her brother about what had occurred earlier.

"Very well" she said. "I believe you, she's not your girlfriend."

"That's what I've been saying" Leorin replied, crossing his arms over his chest and letting out an annoyed snort.

"You want her to be though" Risha said, the right corner of her mouth turning upwards in a mischievous grin.

The Cat's first instinct was to deny what his sister just said, but as he was about to do this, he realized that she had hit the bulls-eye.

"I mean, she is nice and...and cute" he began, fidgeting with his thumbs. "Its just.. we barely know each other."

Risha shrugged.

"So, get to know her. She obviously wants to get to know you."

Alas, Leorin's reply to this statement must remain a mystery. He was just about to say something, when the words that was about to form in his throat were turned into a surprised gasp and he immediately dashed off.
For a second, Risha only stood there, as if frozen by surprise. Then, she shook off her temporary paralysis and dashed after her brother, pushing her way through the crowd.
It didn't take long for her to caught up with him; he was standing in the road turning his head left to right rapidly.

Angrily, Risha marched up to Leorin and gave one of his ears a twist.

"Owowowow!" Leorin whined. "Sis, what are you doing?

The Lynx-girl did not answer. She was acutely aware that they were observed by a small group of onlookers, some of them looking quite amused by the situation and that only served to fuel her anger. Without a word, she grabbed Leorin by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back to the bank's doorstep.

"What was that for?" Leorin complained, wiping a single tear from the corner of his eye.

Risha stomped the ground in frustration.

"What do you mean by running off like that?!" She growled angrily. "Do you realize what could have happened? You could have been run over by a cart, or worse, someone could have kidnapped you!"

Leorin was just about to give what he imagined to be a clever reply, but when he looked up and saw the look of concern on his sister's face, he found himself unable to do so.

"I'm sorry, sis" he said abashed, ears flat against his head. "Its just that...I thought I saw someone I recognized in the crowd and...well, it was as if my body moved on its own."

Risha looked at her brother, her anger beginning to subside.

"Just promise you won't do anything like that again" she sighed.

"I promise."

"Besides, the person you saw was probably someone from the troupe. After all, who else do we know in Tiraliros?"

"No-one, you're probably right, sis. I must have been imagining things. After all, a city of this size must be home to hundreds of tigers, right?"

That last remark caused Risha's ears to perk up: Tigers? For a moment, the lynx-girl felt a shiver run down her spine.

Calm yourself, she thought, biting her lip. Like Leo just said, there must be hundreds of tigers living here. Still, what if he saw correctly? I should probably tell Mer about this.

"Hi love, did you miss me?"

The Sound of Merees' voice brought Risha back to reality.

"Of course, I counted the seconds you were gone."

"That's my girl. So, what do you two want to do now?"

Just then, as though he had been summoned by Merees' question, an armadillo walked by. On his stomach, he carried a large box with a lid and in one of his hands he held a bell which he rung, while calling out:

"Ice cream! Get your ice cream! Cold and fresh! Perfect for staving off the heat!"

Leorin gasped excitedly.

"Princess, I want ice cream" he said, while tugging on Merees' sleeve. "Please" he added, upon noticing the disapproving look Risha gave him.

If Merees had any issue with the way Leorin had initially phrased his request, she did not show it.

"Of course" she said, smiling at him. "Let's both have one, I suddenly have a craving for ice-cream as well."

"What about me?" Risha asked.

"Well" Merees said, assuming a contemplative pose. "I guess I can let you have a taste of mine."

"Really?" Risha's voice was lightly sprinkled with sarcasm. "You're too kind."

"I know" Merees replied.

She waved at the ice-cream vendor, who came over to them. He explained that he only had one taste available: Mango. Merees' paid for three cones and handed one to each of the siblings. The Three of them then took their ice cream and sat down on a bench, watching people go by.
As she sat there, enjoying her treat with her brother on her left side and her girlfriend on her right and the sun warming her fur, Risha felt perfectly content. At that moment, any thought of tigers, were gone from her mind.

The Beginning of the End

As you may or may not be aware the final season of the Horse Show begun airing a couple of weeks ago. Now, I'm way behind on it, but I have seen the season premiere; appropriately titled The Beginning of the End and so, I thought I'd write something about it.
This was an interesting premiere. While The Cutie Map remains my favorite MLP season premiere, this one was definitely enjoyable and it gives me hope that the show's last season will be a good one. It really deserves it.

Discord was in top-form these episodes, being far portrayed in them than he has been in quite a while. Because I do feel that Discord's character has gotten a bit stale in later seasons. With the exception of Discordant Harmony, most episodes featuring him have tended to follow the same formula: Discord throws a fit because he's not at the center of attention, learns not to be such a spoiled brat and apologizes (except that one time when Starlight apologized to him, for some reason). Lather, rinse repeat. My point is, it's gotten quite old and predictable and predictable is not a word that should be associated with the Lord of Chaos.

So, its with great pleasure that I can say that I loved Discord here. This is exactly the kind of reformed Discord I want to see, someone who is snarky and self-absorbed, but nonetheless has his heart in the right place and genuinely has his friends' best interest at heart. Bravo to the writers and, as usual, a bravo to Mr. DeLancie for a great performance.

That said, my favorite part of these episodes were definitely the scenes spent with the villains. I just love villain team-ups like this and I really do hope that we get to see more of Grogar's Guild of Calamitous Intent as the season unfolds and that this isn't kept on the back-burner until the series finale. Basically, I want there to be at least a scene every other episodes showing the bad guys just hanging out, plotting their evil schemes. Or, even an entire episode centered entirely around the villains, with the heroes only being mentioned or, at the most, having a cameo.

Finally, I loved Twilight's hair-flip when she deflected Sombra's magic. Great little moment that.

Tits & Dragons

Disclaimer: I'd like to apologize for the somewhat rambling nature of this post. I just really needed to vent and get this off my chest. Thank you for your understanding.

There is a show, dear reader. A very popular show that airs on an esteemed TV network. Since it premiered way back in 2011, this show has garnered multiple awards as well as popular and critical acclaim. Like The Simpsons, its not just a show, its veritable god-damn phenomenon. Being the astute person that you are, you have no doubt already guessed which show I'm referring to. That's right; I'm talking about Game of Thrones.

Dear reader, I have a confession to make: I do not like Game of Thrones, and since the show is ending soon (no, I have no interest in watching the final season, thank you very much) I decided to make a brief post as to why I don't like it.
Before that though, I'm going to give credit where credit is due and acknowledge the aspects of Game of Thrones that I actually do admire. For one thing, the soundtrack is very good, with the opening theme in particular being appropriately grandiose and, of course, the show's take on the Rains of Castamere deserves a mention as well. I still find myself humming both on occasion.

Second, this is a very well-cast show and the majority of the actors fit their roles like a hand in a glove, whether its seasoned veterans like Charles Dance or young talent like Jack Gleason. That's it for positive opinions regarding this show, as far as I'm concerned.

So, what's my problem with this show exactly? Why do I dislike it? Well, it mostly has to do with its relationship vis-a-vis the original A Song of Ice and Fire; a series of books which I happen to be quite fond of, at one point, it was actually my favorite book-series.  Now, before anyone start writing angry comments, accusing me of being a purist or something similar, I want to make one thing clear: I do not expect an adaptation to be one-hundred percent faithful to the source material, that would be ridiculous. I understand that what may work in a book may not necessarily work on-screen; scenes are going to be altered, characters  will get cut out. I get that, I'm not one of those fans who complained that Peter Jackson left out Tom Bombadill when he filmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Case in point, I Claudius excises the entire subplot concerning the life of Herod Agrippa, which took up a huge part of the second novel and that is one of my favorite TV-shows ever.

No, the problem with Game of Thrones is that the changes come off as completely arbitrary and without much thought put behind them. I can't think of a single change made to the story that was for the better and the further the show strayed from the novels, the worse it became with characters being turned into caricatures, nonsensical plot-developments and terrible dialogue, until eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore.

Game of Thrones is not the worst show that I've seen, far from it, but it is a strong candidate for being the most disappointing as well as my least favorite out of the HBO drama shows that I have seen. If you like it, that's fine. To be perfectly honest, part of me wish that I could like it, but there's too much dragging it down for me and very little about it that I find appealing. I'll stick to the books, thank you very much.
Oh, and in case you are wondering about the title: It comes from a quote by the great Ian McShane who in interview coinciding with his appearance on GoT referred to the show as "its only tits and dragons".

The Rose of Versailles: The Manga

The Late 1970s anime The Rose of Versailles  is one of my favorite animated shows of all time; I've watched it all the way through twice and will surely watch it again.

However, despite my deeply held affection for the show, I had yet to read the Ryoko Ikeda manga that it was based on. Of course I realize that this is a gross oversight on my part. After all, if you are a fan of an adaptation than sooner or later, you should ideally want to acquaint yourself with its source material (incidentally, that is why I can't understand those fans of Game of Thrones who refuse to read A Song of Ice and Fire, but I digress).

Now, since I can't read Japanese and the manga has yet to be officially translated into English, I thought at first that I would have to rely on fan-translations. Fortunately,  it turns out that there is in official release outside of Japan in a language I can read, courtesy of the French manga publisher Kana. I immediately ordered the first volume and having read it, can now share my thoughts on it with you.

The First volume from Kana is a massive tome, clocking in at over 900 pages. It begins with a look at the early life of a young Marie Antoinette, shortly before she is betrothed to the future Louis XVI and sent to France and it ends on a cliffhanger with Louis having received an anonymous letter saying that the Royal couple's younger son is the result of an affair between the Queen and the Swedish nobleman Hans Axel von Fersen.

Coming in to the manga via the anime, I mostly found myself on familiar ground while reading the source-material. The Volume covers several story-lines that were adapted for the anime, such as The Necklace Affair and The Black Knight Arc and they play out in pretty much the same way on page as they did on screen. The Characters, whether they are based on real-life figures or are purely fictional, such as Oscar and Andre are recognizable. Well, Oscar is perhaps a bit more prone to snark than her animated counterpart.

That said, there are ways in which the manga differs significantly from the anime. For one thing, the manga is a lot more comedic. Now, don't get me wrong, this is still first and foremost a dramatic work, with the focus being on the schemes of the nobility and the hardship of the people, as well as the Revolution which is lurking silently at the background. However, at times, Ikeda sometimes has her characters sport over-the-top cartoonish expressions as a reaction something that they've heard or read and these moments are clearly played for comedic effect. At first, I found this stylistic choice to be a bit distracting, since its absent from the anime, but eventually I got used to it. And to be fair, its not as if The Rose of Versailles is the first manga I've read that does this.

The Second difference lies with a certain character; namely, the Duke of Orleans. In the anime, this guy is basically the main villain for a good part of the story, always plotting to overthrow his cousin Louis and seize power. Here though, while definitely an antagonistic character, his role is dramatically reduced and he only appears in a minor supporting role.
So, which version of The Rose of Versailles do I like more? Well, I will admit that I have a bit of a preference for the anime, thanks in no small part to Osamu Dezaki's directing once he came on board. However, this does not in any way diminish the source material. I found this volume to be a thoroughly entertaining read and definitely deserves its status as one of the foremost shoujo manga. If look forward to reading the rest of it in due time and think that anyone with an interest in Japanese comics should check it out.

The Jerusalem Quartet

There are some authors who never achieve fame during their lifetime and unfortunately, remains largely obscure even after they have passed. And yet, proving that popularity does not necessary equal quality, these authors tend to be highly regarded; both by critics and those of us fortunate to be familiar with their works. One such author was the American Edward Whittemore.

By all accounts, Whittemore; who was born in 1933 and died in 1995, lived a rich and varied life, having, during his lifetime, occupied such varied positions as reporter, photocopy assistant, US marine officer and CIA agent. What he is most remembered for though (when he is remembered) is as a writer of novels.
Whittemore's bibliography consists of five novels. Out of these five, the first one: Quin's Shanghai Circus, is a stand-alone and the remaining four form a sequence called The Jerusalem Quartet (although a few of the characters in Shanghai Circus turn up in The Quartet as well). Its the latter which is the focus of this post.

In the first volume of The Quartet, titled Sinai Tapestry, Whittemore introduces the reader to a cast of memorable, larger-than-life characters:
Plantagenet Strongbow, the British explorer who becomes the secret owner of the entire Ottoman Empire during its twilight years. Joe O'Sullivan Beare, an Irish freedom-fighter who flees his country by disguising himself as a nun. Stern, son to Plantagenet Strongbow, who grows up with a dream of creating a country where the three religious groups of the Middle East: Moslems, Jews and Christians can live in harmony. Haj Harun, an old shop-keeper who claims to have defended the city of Jerusalem for more than 2000 years, always on the losing side. Because, as Harun himself puts it, when you are defending Jerusalem, you are always on the losing side.

These are not the only characters to populate the pages of this book, but they are the most important ones and so, I mention them here.

Although Sinai Tapestry is the most light-hearted and optimistic book in the series, its not without its dark moments. The Pivotal sequence of the novel is the Turkish army's massacre of Smyrna. An atrocious event which haunts the characters that get caught up in it for the remainder of their lives and which Whittemore describes in horrific detail.

Moving on to the next novel,  Jerusalem Poker. This volume, which may well be my personal favorite of The Jerusalem Quartet, revolves around a poker-game, with the entire Holy City at stake. The Main players in this high stakes game are Joe, Munk Szondi and Cairo Martyr, a character newly introduced in this volume. However, its not long until the game attracts the attention of certain sinister figures.

One notable aspect of the Jerusalem Quarter is that, as it draws closer to the present day (meaning the 1970's, in this case), the more fantastical elements become less and less prominent. This does not mean that the remaining books aren't up to the standards set by their predecessors, but they are different in tone, belonging more firmly in the realm of mystery and spy-fiction than the books before them. Volume no. 3, Nile Shadows takes place during World War 2 and opens with a hand-grenade being thrown into a bar and the investigation into the life of the only man killed in the explosion: Who wanted him dead and why?

Finally, we have Jericho Mosiac. With one single exception, this volume features none of the characters from the previous volume, choosing instead to introduce a completely new cast. At first, the reader may feel disappointed knowing that the characters they've come to know and care about during the course of this series are absent from its ultimate installment. However, the new characters soon prove themselves to be just as compelling as Joe, Harun and the others.
This final volume revolves around Halim, a Syrian businessman who returns to his homeland after having lived most of his life in Argentina. In Syria, Halim's likable personality soon earns him the friendships of several people in high circles. No-one suspects that this Syrian patriot is in fact, a deep-cover spy for the Mossad, operating under the code-name The Runner.

As a whole, The Jerusalem Quartet definitely ranks among my favorite works of literature and I recommend it strongly to everyone who is a fan of historical fiction, spy-fiction, magic realism or just great storytelling in general. Hopefully, this post has made at least some of you interested in checking it out, because it and Quin's Shanghai Circus, deserves to be more widely known.