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Posted on October 10, 2013 July 26, 2016 by Eileen Young
Blog fiction: Falling Star
"Let me hold you, please."
"We can't. I'm promised to another."
"Just for tonight?"
She kissed him, fierce and sorrowful. "I love you. Now go."
As Rigel climbed out the window, a star fell in the distance, the first of a week-long meteor
shower.
Lyra leaned out after him. "Don't pine for me. It has to be this way. I am securing an alliance, and Arthur is not a bad man, so I will be doing my best to be happy."
Rigel paused on the trellis and met her eyes. The kitchen garden was a long way down. "Does that mean you won't miss me? That you won't long for me at all? That you'll forget?"
She closed her eyes briefly and swallowed. When she opened them again, her eyes glittered with unshed tears. "No."
Suddenly shame-faced in addition to despairing, Rigel looked away. "I hope he treats you as you deserve."
Lyra closed the windows reluctantly and watched the moon through the leaded glass. By the time the waning gibbous moon had set, she would be married. She set her forehead on the cool, indifferent glass and prayed for it to stand still.
The morning dawned brilliant gold, the smell of sweet dew and honeysuckle flowing down from the fields. Lyra's maid, Vega, brought her breakfast and news that Arthur looked spectacularly handsome. Lyra smiled at her, trying to infuse some enthusiasm in the expression. She was not, after all, being forced into this marriage, and Arthur was quite a catch, young and handsome and Lord of the Isles already.
But he wasn't Rigel. She hadn't grown up with him, or had her first kiss with him, or spent days with him shirking responsibility by riding off into the countryside. Arthur hadn't been with her on a summer's day when she flopped down in a field of wildflowers and looked at her companion and realized she was in love for the first time.
Vega set out Lyra's wedding clothes while she ate. The kirtle was red, the bliaut a bright blue with tyrian and gold embroidery at the neck and hem. She'd done most of the embroidery herself, and knew which threads had been stained by tears. This was not a day for tears, however. This was her wedding day. Today she would acquire a title not merely honorary, as well as a husband she'd try to craft a life with.
She squared soft shoulders and sought the joy she should rightly feel. She did not let herself pretend it was Rigel she was going to meet.
"My lady, if you're done, as soon as you've changed I can help lace you up"
Lyra made a face at her plate. Everything in her wedding costume was very tight. The end result, she had to admit, was aesthetically pleasing, but she was accustomed to loose tabards for everyday wear. "Yes, of course. Just give me a moment."
She swept behind the screen and slipped on her kirtle. "I'm ready, Vega."
Vega set to work lacing her up, a task which took some effort. Then they slipped on the bliaut, and laced it tight with the tyrian ribbons. It pleated fashionably across her stomach and arms. The belt that accompanied it was gold and amethyst and ruby, and framed her well.
Vega dressed her hair, catching it up in a net of gold with small diamonds that would sparkle all the brighter on black hair. Lyra would look well in her role as representative of the Alban throne.
Lyra drew on her own stockings, and then the garters to keep them in place. Then the extra garter, the one she'd throw as part of the wedding feast. It had the year and the coats of arms of both houses embroidered on it.
Applying kohl and rouge was the work of a moment, but she drew it out. Everything had to be perfect.
Eventually, there was nothing left to do. Lyra looked at herself in the glass and reminded herself that it was her wedding day and she would be happy.
Then it was down the stairs and through the halls to emerge in the courtyard on the far side from the steps to the Great Hall. The court and a variety of foreign nobles and every servant not busy preparing the feast crowded the courtyard, ready to bear witness. An aisle had been cleared, leading to where her father and Arthur waited on the steps, the witness from the Holy Roman Empire to the side.
Lyra folded her hands at her waist and tried not to look for Rigel. He'd be somewhere in the crowd, of course. He wouldn't be able to stay away. She proceeded up the aisle with her eyes on her future husband and her train fanning out behind her.
The stairs loomed far and endlessly farther until abruptly she was ascending the first step.
Her father boomed out, "We are here today to witness the marriage of His Majesty Arthur mac Mordha o Cuinn, Lord of the Isles, High King of Ireland, King of Mann, Earl of Orkney, and Lord of the Blood to Her Royal Highness Lyra verch Eadweard, Princess of Albion and Lady of the Blood. Can anyone name a reason in the law why these two should not be joined?"
The crowd was silent. Lyra half-wished Rigel would speak out, but even his impulsiveness was not enough to overcome the fact that there was no reason under law: not by consanguinity or affinity or prior promise. She and Rigel had sworn nothing to each other. As a scholar of the law, he had to know his bounds here.
Her wedding went uninterrupted.
Her father gestured to Arthur to proceed.
Arthur took her hand and smiled, a dimple creasing his cheek. "I, Arthur mac Mordha o Cuinn do take you, Lyra verch Eadweard, to be my wife in the eyes of God and the law, to have and to hold through storm and sun, and I pledge to honor and cherish you above all others from this day forward. By the Blood I do swear."
Her hand convulsed on his, and she looked at him in wonder. In swearing by the Blood, he was making vows truly and irrevocably binding, and thumbing his nose at Rome. They hadn't discussed this – though there'd been no time, really, with contract negotiations and other formalities preventing their spending any time together. Before the pause could lengthen beyond gravitas, she replied, clear and carrying, "I, Lyra verch Eadweard, take you, Arthur mac Mordha o Cuinn, to be my husband in the eyes of God and the law, to have and to hold through storm and sun, and I pledge to honor and cherish you above all others from this day forward. By the Blood I do swear."
If Rigel had any mercy in him, he would stay away from her now. It would break her heart, but that was better than breaking her vows.
Arthur produced a ring from his sleeve, heavy gold and diamond, and slid it on her finger. "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods and estates I thee endow. Let this be a symbol of our union for all to see."
The Roman priest waited a beat, then cleared his throat and declared stentoriously, "You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your union and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen."
Lyra and Arthur turned as one and raised their joined hands to the cheers of the crowd. And there was Rigel, right in the second row, blue eyes anguished.
The bottom dropped from her stomach. It was hard to keep a smile on her face, and harder still to tear her eyes from his. Arthur made it easier when he slid his hand against her cheek and turned her to face him. His eyes were green as new grass, and vivid with energy, and coming closer.
He kissed her, right there in public. He kissed her thoroughly, and she found herself enjoying it. When he drew his head back, her arms were around his neck, and she blushed.
"To the feast!" her father roared.
They swept inside at the head of the crowd, the new Lord and Lady of the Isles. Lyra would need to be formally coronated at the Hill of Tara once they'd returned to Ireland, and then they'd be able to retire to Dublin.
The Great Hall had been hung with fresh greenery and swags of festive cloth and scrubbed within an inch of its life for the day. The high table sat at the far end of the hall, in front of the fireplace which stood empty for the summer. It, too, had been decorated for her wedding day, and her chair had been moved. As Lady of the Isles, she now held the same rank as her own father. With the festivities, she and Arthur held pride of place, so she was to be seated at the center of the table, with Arthur to her right and her father to the left.
They sat, and the lower tables filled, and the first course was brought out, followed by a man with a lute. He played for the duration of the first course, and the second. Then there were jugglers. Then the third course, and a trio with pipes of different kinds. Then a troubadour, with songs to Lyra's beauty and Arthur's valor, threads of King Eadweard's greatness woven in to pay due deference to the man presumably paying him.
There was endless soft white bread and sweet red wine and the fruits of the hunt the day before, including the deer that Rigel had apparently brought down. Lyra didn't look for him when it was brought out. She looked at her husband, the man she'd made binding oaths to. She had sworn to honor and cherish him above all others, and to be forsworn was to die. The Blood recognized little nuance and no prevarication.
Arthur laced his fingers through hers and lifted the back of her hand to his mouth.
Dancers came in after the venison, flowers in their hair and on their persons. Each of them presented Lyra with a flower at some point during their performance. She laughed delightedly, and Arthur took them one by one and tucked them into her hair.
It should be a romantic gesture. This should be a happy day. But his eyes were too intelligent on hers, and the wrong color. He probably hadn't phrased his vows as he had just to annoy the Church. They might have to talk about this.
She drank from the nuptial cup. Enough wine would make the impending conversation and consummation less awkward and painful. When a servant stepped forward to refill it, Arthur leaned up to speak to her, and she filled it only a quarter of the way before watering it. When she caught his eye and quirked an eyebrow, he only smiled. She frowned at him in irritation, then smoothed her expression before looking out again at the lower tables.
The entertainment continued, interrupted by additional courses and the occasional speech – from her father, from the Roman emissary, from Arthur, from Philip, Duke of Aquitaine, there on behalf of his brother the King of France. Despite well-watered wine, Lyra's head grew heavy and began to spin. She would like nothing better than to escape somewhere cool and quiet where she could be alone to lick her wounds. If it weren't for the Habsburgs, this might have been a very different day.
Finally, finally, the sun began to set, the rays of light through the windows casting amber and long shadows. As the dishes of nuts were cleared away, Arthur took her hand. She swallowed hard. Soon there would be quiet, and no crowd, but she would not be alone.
They stood as one, and Lyra didn't have to feign the blush that rose in her cheeks. The Great Hall erupted in cheers and whoops as he swept her into an embrace. He whispered in her ear, "Which leg?"
"I – what?" Oh, the garter. "Left."
Arthur knelt swiftly, and Lyra steadied herself on one broad shoulder as she lifted her leg. He averted his eyes as he reached up her dress, and his fingers were the barest ghostly presence as they slid up her ankle and calf, and they raised gooseflesh on her skin. Lyra bit her lip.
He found the garter and tugged it gently down, and it slipped free, catching only momentarily on the arch of her foot before he eased it off. Somehow the whole thing was more sensual than it ought to have been, especially surrounded as they were. It was worse because he was barely touching her, and hadn't touched bare skin at all.
Rising to his feet, Arthur cast the garter to the crowd and then swept Lyra into his arms. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Careful."
"Of course, my lady." He whisked her from the Great Hall, away and up the corridor. At the stairs he paused to sweep up her train, and she reached for the wall reflexively to steady herself.
Arthur's arms tightened on her. "Don't worry, I have you." He carried her to his room and set her down. Turning, he bolted the door behind them. "We should talk."
"Yes. I was not expecting the vows to take the form they did."
He took off his crown and set it on the table, then set to unlacing his tunic. "I can't have you making a fool of me."
"I wouldn't – I've never -"
"It's not something I hold against you, or suspect you of doing deliberately – after all, you repeated the vows. But I know how you look at Rigel of Wembley, and I will not be a cuckold."
Rage rose in her, and she gripped the back of the chair until her knuckles were white. "I would not dishonor myself or my kingdom that way, my lord."
"There's no need for such formality. I didn't mean it as an accusation, can you see that? I don't care what you've done in the past, and I know it's not me that you love, but this alliance does nothing if it looks like you're pulling the wool over my eyes or an heir is born with only a half-measure of the Blood."
She wanted to kiss him; whether to make him stop talking or to reassure him, she wasn't sure. He was her husband, and they were alone now, so she could. Prising her hands free of the chair, she took a hesitant step toward him, then another. She raised a hand to his cheek and leaned up and pressed her lips to his. "Arthur, I mean to put all effort into making this not just a political marriage. And there's no chance – the heir -"
Lyra stopped talking, because she was stammering and blushing and neither was becoming.
They looked at each other, and the silence was overwhelming.
"Would you like me to call your maid to help you undress?" he asked, and his voice was a little rough.
"No. Could you please help me with my laces?" She raised her arms slightly to indicate the ties on her upper arms. Not just their inaccessibility but her own trembling made assistance attractive. Arthur called forth a heat in her that weakened her limbs, and she despised herself for it because it rivalled the effect Rigel's presence had on her, but on a purely physical level.
She half-feared she'd be unable to hold on to even the memory of her love. Arthur would be present, and he was magnetic, and he was her husband. Even if leaving her love for Rigel behind would spare her heartache, she wanted to be able to ache for him. She wanted to yearn. She wanted her feelings not to be meaningless, and it felt as if they would be if she fell in love too easily with Arthur.
Arthur kept his eyes on hers as he slowly unlaced the right side of her bliaut. "So you never -?"
Even in an agony of embarrassment, she couldn't pry her eyes from his. She reached desperately for dignity, but managed only a soft-voiced sort of shyness as she said, "I knew my duty, my lord."
He smiled wryly, and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I thought we were disposing of formality while we're alone."
At the touch of warm breath, a shiver ran down her spine.
"Do I make you nervous?"
"No," she breathed, and he drew back to look at her face. She knew her eyes were shining gold even as his were over-vivid emerald.
He touched his lips to hers, gentle and exploratory. Oh, if only she had fallen in love with him, this would be perfect.
Her laces were undone enough that her bliaut loosened seemingly all once, slipping from her shoulder and exposing the kirtle underneath. Lyra slid her hands into his hair and threw herself into the kiss. His lips, and the heat from them, were her lifeline against the paralyzing chill of nerves. She needed something to distract herself as he slowly undid the laces on the other side.
Arthur nipped her lower lip, and she trembled; once, all over, and quite hard.
Her bliaut loosened enough to slip free completely, and she lowered her arms to let the sleeves fall and to help it slither from her hips. She stepped back out of it, and then picked it up and draped it over the chair. She slipped out of her shoes as well, and stood barefoot on the stone floor.
He was looking at her hungrily. Lyra swallowed hard. This would be the time to put the effort in, to show that she could do this. She reached for the laces of her kirtle. Arthur reached for the laces of his tunic again.
They peeled themselves out of their clothes until they stood their in only their undergarments, Lyra feeling very exposed in a chemise that covered her from chest to ankle. Arthur drew her into his arms again, and all was thunder and lightning.
If he had not been Lord of the Isles, it would have been sensible to ride to Holyhead and cross from there to Dublin. It would have given Albion more of a chance to see them and celebrate the alliance and generally throw a party.
But it had been determined that a coronation would be more auspicious if it occurred during the meteor shower, which gave them only a week to get to Dublin and thence to Tara. So the practical result was that they progressed in state to the Thames, and their way was lined with people armed with flowers and well-wishes. A state wedding was next best thing to a holiday, and Lyra and Arthur scattered coins in return for the flowers.
King Eadweard followed behind them, and most of the court behind him – including, far back, as was appropriate due to his rank, Rigel. Rigel's eyes felt hot on the back of her head.
It made her feel dirty, though she hadn't at all last night despite everything that had passed, and she'd bathed only this morning. At the river, Arthur helped her on to the little boat that would convey them down to where his ship was anchored. It was decked in ribbons and garlands, to announce their presence to anyone who wanted to observe their progress from the shore. Numerous other small craft were tied beside theirs, to convey baggage and servants and accompanying dignitaries.
They cast off, and drifted out towards the middle. Then, without discernible change in anything but the vivacity of Arthur's eyes, they were clipping along at high speed towards the Channel. Lyra grinned as she gripped his arm. When she was coronated Lady of the Isles, they'd invest her with some of his powers. She'd hold sway over storm and sea as well as her own smaller purview over living things: the same purview that told her that the night before would bear fruit.
She'd have to consult with Arthur before exerting her sway, though: too many conflicting influences made systems wild. She'd learned that on the herb garden, thankfully, and not on anything more irreparable. Her mother, who'd taught her before she'd passed, would have had her hide if it had been the roses rather than the basil.
They would see how much influence she could wield when barricaded by water. As her father's heir and now Lady of the Isles, she'd be enriching the harvest on all of the islands in both kingdoms, and the prospect of constantly being on progress did not appeal. Lyra wondered how the Greek Lords and Ladies managed it, though they feuded and diluted their blood enough that they might just be one per island at this point.
Arthur asked, "Does the speed distress you?"
"No, it's exhilarating."
He laid his hand over hers on his arm, and squeezed. "I asked Rigel to join our train."
She stiffened, enraged. "Do you seek to punish me, my lord?"
Confusion flitted across his face, then hurt and disappointment and understanding all bundled into one. "No."
"If I fail to honor and cherish you above all others, my blood will boil in my veins, driving me mad before it kills me along with your heir. And yet you bring along temptation, in full knowledge that by his presence you make me a starving woman at a poisoned feast." She turned to smile and wave at the people gathered at the banks of the Thames who waved so enthusiastically at them. That duty discharged, she turned back and added a belated and withering, "My lord."
"That wasn't my intent."
"What was your intent, then?" she hissed.
They lurched forward suddenly, a sign of uncontrolled emotion on Arthur's part. "I didn't want you to feel alone. You're only bringing one personal maid, and you'll be expected to collect ladies-in-waiting from my court and you won't know anyone. And, aside from everything else, he cares about you and will try to see that you're happy."
Even in the face of his awkwardness and apparent care for her well-being, her voice dripped ice and ichor. "Is that not what my husband is for, my lord?"
He stared at her in frustration. "I'll be busy."
She tightened her lips and looked back at the banks.
He took his hand from atop hers to wave at the observers on his bank.
They had passed Dartford and were well on their way to Gravesend by the time he spoke again. "How sure are you, about the heir?"
"My Blooded talents lie in living things, my lord. That doesn't just mean crops and trees and flowers." He should have known this.
Suddenly he dropped her hand where it rested on his sleeve and slipped his arm around her waist, instead, drawing her flush against his side.
Lyra looked at him, too surprised to elbow him as he deserved for grabbing her so suddenly. He looked gleefully satisfied, as if all his wishes were coming true. Which she guessed they might be – he had a wife who broadened his base of power, he was now heir to Albion, and he would have an heir nine months after his wedding night. An heir with a healthy measure of the Blood, and more than Arthur would expect. Powers of life were often forgotten, because as long as the Lords and Ladies didn't do something dramatic, the crops would flourish and come in, only slightly more generously than an un-aided good season. Some didn't push things to that extent, though, or didn't have the power to. Lyra had been able to assure that Albion didn't starve since she was twelve years old, and they'd only grown more fruitful since.
Until she was invested with a measure of his purview by dint of the ceremony at Tara, Lyra would not have easy access to anything dramatic, but drama was the only thing her power lacked.
She settled her arm across her stomach, content that the thing inside her, barely a whisper more than potential, would eventually be a Lord or Lady of frightening reach and breadth.
Standing and waving had become boring but not unduly tiresome by the time they arrived at Southend-On-Sea; the benefit of being wed to the Lord of the Isles. Another water Lord might have been able to perform the feat of bearing them this quickly, but it would be illegal to do so. Her cousin Philip, Albion's own water Lord, had been notified well in advance, and had made sure nothing he was doing would interfere with her and Arthur's passage.
The estuary opened up, and the water was less smooth than the Thames proper had been. Lyra was glad for Arthur's arm still wrapped around her, as it would be tremendously undignified to stumble.
Arthur's ship rose in the harbour, a trireme with his pennant flying high. A ladder dangled from the side.
Lyra paled and asked, "Will we need to climb?"
"No. There's a platform they can lower. You don't like heights?"
"I am not overfond of them, no, my lord."
"Fascinating," he said. "It will be an interesting experience, getting to know the woman behind the frosty formality and snarling." He was smiling as he said it.
"I don't snarl, my lord," she protested without force. She could get used to this sort of banter. It was almost comfortable.
The boat came to rest on the port side of the trireme, and a platform, sure enough, was lowered. The platform was wide enough to stand on with Arthur, with excess enough that their boatman could have come with them if it would not have been excessively familiar.
The platform rose surprisingly smoothly, and Lyra looked up and saw pulleys easing the way. It was still a relief to set foot on the comparatively much steadier deck of the ship. Arthur introduced her to the captain of the ship, and escorted her to the stateroom that would be their home for the night.
She heard the rising noise of others coming aboard – amongst them undoubtedly Rigel. She wondered what premise Arthur had used to invite him. A study of Irish law? Or had he been more straightforward, and invited him to be his wife's lover. She wished she knew what he was thinking. No matter what his plot, he kept her occupied as they cast off, showing her the small shelf of books and the collection of charts and where her clothes would be stored when the servants eventually caught up with the baggage.
"What would you like for dinner tonight?"
"Salmon," she replied instantly, with Rigel's favourite dish.
He kissed the side of her head. "I will see to it before I send us off."
He closed her in the state room, and she wasn't sure if he'd meant her to stay. She took one of the books from the shelf and admired the marginalia as she thought. He kept touching her. It was his right, of course. He was her husband. But she was already working on providing the heir, and she was unsure whether marital duties included letting him take her hand and touch her hair and all the little things he'd been doing. They were possessive and almost affectionate and they unsettled her deeply.
It's what she would expect from Rigel, almost. Or maybe expect in a few months, when they'd been married longer and she'd had time to foster an affection for him. It wouldn't be hard – he was clever and seemed to want to make her happy, even if he was going about it in strange ways.
She concluded there was nothing she could do about it, and it would be better to take her mind from it. Arthur would not be available for a detailed conversation until after they'd made landfall in Dublin, and that would be the morrow. It was nigh-miraculous, the speeds they could make with him aboard. Without him, it would be weeks by sea.
The marginalia on this page were really quite strange: a river inhabited by weird creatures meandered down the page. She turned her attention to the content itself.
She closed the book very slowly, and put it back. It was possible he thought she could not read, but it was still strange to keep a book of dark pattern-magic in his chambers.
She drew out another book, a history of Roman highways.
It was a much more soothing read.
Eventually, she was called to dinner, asked very politely by the ship steward to dine with her husband and the captain in the greatroom.
When she joined them, Rigel was there at the far end. She tried very hard not to catch his eye.
When the meal was over, she retired with Arthur. He wooed her again, and drew her to him, even though it was not necessary.
She did not sleep easily.
He rose before she did, and they once again picked up speed. It was only mid-morning when they passed Land's End, and Lyra gazed at the rocky desolation she had thought truly the end of the world when she'd been young.
Ireland began looming at noon, and they had docked by early afternoon. When someone had sighted their ship, runners had been sent, so there were carriages waiting to meet them when they alit.
When they had travelled from the din and dirt of the dock, Dublin proved a fair city, with cobble streets and white buildings. It put her in mind of Oxford, though the streets were not as narrow.
They did not go straight to the palace, but directly on to Tara, on roads rougher than those found in Albion.
The hill itself was greenest emerald, and ringed in celebrants and holy men. The rites there were strange and old, and their secrecy weighed heavy as a shroud.
At the height of them, Lyra stared at Arthur in wonder, because she could feel everything. The earth in its soft verdancy was a constant, but joined now by an awareness of the rivers and fish and lakes and ocean. She swayed on the spot, but Arthur's hand on her arm kept her upright. He touched her, he was always touching her, and she found herself drowningly not minding.
She leaned on him as the coronation ended.
The journey back to Dublin was slower, more processional, partly to allow for the guards who trickled in to accompany them. Because she was Lady of the Isles, now, she was privy to Arthur's meetings with them, which weren't about security at all but about reporting everything they'd learned on a reconnaissance mission to the Holy Roman Empire.
One night a man with a German accent was brought in, and he was filthy and Lyra hated the way he smelled.
"He has been – uncooperative," one of the guards said. "But he was a servant at Habsburg castle. I thought Your Majesty might like to – talk to him." The guard shot Lyra guarded looks all the while, and she was utterly unimpressed.
She set aside her embroidery and stood and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "If you need him tortured quietly, husband, I can suck the life from him."
Arthur squeezed her hand, pleased and reassuring as the guards and the prisoner all showed fear. It's good, she thought, because she would not be undervalued in this new life. "It's not necessary, my Queen. I think our guest will volunteer any information in his possession in hopes that we grant him amnesty."
Lyra took up her embroidery again, and listened to the interrogation. The servant answered everything he was asked, even giving up those names he'd heard as Habsburg sympathizers in the Irish court. There weren't many, but Lyra gathered from the hard glint in Arthur's eyes that at least some of them were well-placed.
It was late by the time they let him go, and Lyra was tired – too tired to be shocked when Arthur drew her to him for sleep, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair.
She's unsettled in the morning, and hadn't much slept. They were to be one more full day on the road and then the next morning to Dublin, but she wished forlornly for four walls and a real bed. The meteor shower was over, so there was no lure to the outdoors after dark.
Rigel rode up next to her, stopping a distance away that wasn't quite improper but wasn't ideal, either. "You look unwell," he said, his voice pitched low and concerned.
She shook her head slightly. "Arthur was interrogating a Habsburg servant. It took some time." She looked at him and ached. "I'm fine. You should go."
He fell back, but she could feel his eyes on her.
One of the benefits of taking this journey more processionally was the fact that they stopped for lunch, that servants had set up a picnic on a hill, with linens that only faintly bore the creases of storage. Arthur helped her down from her horse, and said quietly, "I saw you speaking to Rigel."
She looked at his face, held impassive but for slightly overbright eyes, and raised her chin. "Yes," she said, matching his tone, and did not elaborate.
Arthur dropped his gaze first, and looked at where he still held her hand. He led her to the table, and she let him. She carefully moderated her breathing as she sat, because she didn't want to give away any emotion.
The attempt was apparently unsuccessful, as he squeezed her hand reassuringly as soon as he was seated across from her. When she looked at him, he smiled a little ruefully, and she smiled back, just a bit, just as a conciliatory gesture.
Lunch was almost pleasant, and not just for being a change from road fare, with apples and well-watered spiced wine.
When they got back on their horses, Lyra was almost pleased with the world.
That ceased abruptly when the first arrow flew, striking the ground in front of Arthur. Arthur's horse shied and reared, which was the only thing that saved Arthur from the second volley. Guards were already springing into action, driving their horses towards the woods from whence the arrows came.
The third volley, though, was swift, and accurate. Arthur fell, an arrow through his throat.
Lyra was dismounted and running before she quite knew what she was doing, racing for her husband. Guards stopped her, shielding her with their bodies.
"Move!" she screamed, all dignity forgotten. If she could lay hands on him, if she could just touch him, she could fix it. She could save him, if she caught him before he bled out.
The guards, confused, move sluggishly, and she shoved them out of the way. More arrows flew, and she couldn't do anything, because they were neither alive nor of the water, and one struck her in the shoulder.
Everything went grey and hot and cold, and Lyra couldn't tell which way was up.
She woke hours later, in the tent she'd shared with Arthur, and sat up. Her maid and a guard are the only ones in the tent. "Arthur?"
The guard looked down, and away, and silence fell in the tent.
Her throat closed. She lay back down. "We'll move out tomorrow, when I will be recovered from the attack. Send runners to Dublin with the announcement, and to Albion." She took a deep breath, because she had hoped to keep word quiet until she was closer to showing. "Send word also that I know by my Blooded gifts that Arthur's line continues."
The guard made a soft noise. She didn't look at him. Eventually, he left.
That night, Rigel slipped into her tent, and was clutching her hand ardently before Lyra was even properly awake. "You're a free woman, now," he said earnestly, his fingers laced tight with hers.
Understanding dawned violently. "Tell me you didn't."
"You've fulfilled your promises, and now I have an established channel for negotiations, if you want more guarantees of your security." His eyes went soft and liquid, the way she remembered liking them best. "And it means, if you wish . . ."
Her throat worked a moment soundlessly before she could shout, "Guards!"
Two burst into the tent, obviously alert at their posts.
Lyra kept her eyes on Rigel and voice steady. "Rigel has just confessed to conspiring with Habsburg agents in the assassination of Arthur. Take him away, extract the names of his co-conspirators, and execute him by beheading."
The guards hesitated, perhaps taking in their intimate positioning.
"Do it," Lyra said.
They dragged Rigel out, and he didn't even protest, just stared at her.
She stared at the ceiling and waited for tears to come. They didn't, though, and eventually she rolled out of bed. Arthur's book of pattern magic needed to be discarded completely, rather than secreted in the chest where she'd spotted it the night before. Very carefully, she peeled up one of the rugs that formed the floor of the tent, and asked the grass to move out of the way.
It did, and she moved the dirt with her bare hands and buried the book, then asked the grass to grow again, and to send its roots deep enough to start eating at the book. She put the rug back and washed her hands and turned her attention inwards, checking that healing the wound to her shoulder hadn't harmed the hint of possibility that she would have to rely on now for political capital. Her shoulder was mostly fine, her belly in perfect health, and she sighed in relief.
If only she'd been able to reach Arthur sooner – no, that was an unproductive line of thought. She had a war to plan, and a long dark night to make it through alone.
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It's Christmas time again! Thanks be to God for keeping me and my family alive and well, but even more for taking care of us in sometimes quite astonishing ways. As usual, I wish all of you Merry Christmas. Let these days be devoted less to your everyday activities and more to the awe at the greatness of God who gives meaning to them. I hope that even if you are far away geographically, we will meet someday in the Father's house.
As the tradition goes, I will offer a decade of Rosary for all of you!


text:
Home Auto News Bajaj Auto reports 44% rise in sales in July at over 3.6 lakh units
Bajaj Auto reports 44% rise in sales in July at over 3.6 lakh units
Bajaj Auto's total motorcycle sales stood at 3,30,569 units as compared to 2,38,556 units sold in July last year.The company's exports more than doubled in July to 201,843 units as against 96,856 units sold in the year-ago period.
Bajaj Pulsar 125 Split Seat
Bajaj Auto on Monday reported that it has registered 44 per cent rise in its overall total sales in July at 3,69,116 units as compared to 2,55,832 units sold in the same month last year. The two-wheeler major's domestic sales last month stood at 1,67,273 units as against 1,58,976 units in the year-ago period, witnessing a rise of 5 per cent.
The company's total motorcycle sales stood at 3,30,569 units as compared to 2,38,556 units sold in July last year, seeing a rise of 39 per cent. Its total commercial vehicle sales more than doubled to 38,547 units as compared to 17,276 units in the same month last year.
Bajaj Auto's exports more than doubled in July to 201,843 units as against 96,856 units sold in the year-ago period.
(Also read - Royal Enfield sales | Hero MotoCorp sales)
The company also increased the prices of most of its two-wheelers in last month including Pulsar 125, Pulsar 180 Dagger Edge edition, Avenger 220 Cruise and 160 Street motorcycles. After the price hike, the Pulsar 125 now starts at ₹77,491 while the Pulsar 180 Dagger Edge edition now costs ₹1,13,363 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Avenger 220 Cruise now costs ₹1,31,046 while the Avenger 160 now costs ₹1,07,309 (both, ex-showroom, Hyderabad).
On the other hand, the company has also been readying its Pulsar 250F for launch. The motorcycle has been spotted on a number of occasions in the recent past hinting that the Pune-based automaker may now announce the pricing of the bike anytime soon. As per the recent set of spy images, the upcoming Pulsar 250F will feature a semi-faired design, building on the iconic 220F's body structure.
It will also be equipped with LED lighting all across to give it a touch of modernity while also sporting a single LED projector at the front headlamp. Other highlights on the bike will include a bigger windscreen for better wind protection at highway speeds and completely new rearview mirrors.
TAGS: Bajaj Auto Bajaj Pulsar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
by Velociryx
Candle'Bre, Tapestry, Volume I: Collected Threads
October 13, 2012 in Books, Completed
I promised myself that I'd take a much needed break after the more than six years it took to write the three Candle'Bre volumes that made up the main story, but there was more yet to say.
In the intervening years, as we'd begun releasing early game builds, I'd often amuse the team by writing shorter pieces that illuminated odd bits of Candle'Bre's history during the two centuries leading up to the time that the game (and the trilogy proper) is set in, and over that span of years, I came to have quite a number of them.
Many, I'd written myself, but some…some had been written by team members and fans of the game.
Fan fiction.
We actually had fan fiction.
How cool was that?
So I gathered them all up, and set about editing them and tying the various threads together to make a fourth volume for our world.
In under a year, it was done.
Sadly, it is at this point that (if you're reading these chronologically) our narrative begins to take a darker tone, and "Collected Threads" would be the last work of fiction created purely for the joy of creating, for quite some time.
We did not know it at the time, but the Great Recession was about to hit, and when it did, it would bring with it all sorts of other calamities. Health issues, heart attacks, and, depending on your point of view, it probably also planted the seeds for the eventual dissolution of my marriage.
Anyway, "Collected Threads" is to the Candle'Bre trilogy what "The Hobbit" is to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Although it came last, its actually a prequel to the story proper, and I just love it.
Some great stories in that collection, and just as important, some stories that shed yet more light on some of the seldom trod corridors of Candle'Bre's history.
Get your copy today by clicking the button just below:
Get your digital copy right here, for just $1.95!
If you're interested in the Candle'Bre storyline, don't buy them separately…get them in bulk here and save money! You get all four books (fully illustrated PDF's), and the 6-Song Soundtrack from the game. All your Candle'Goodness in one place!
Get the Full Set!
Project completed, July 2007
-=Vel=-
Tags: Books No Comments »
Everyone on the project knew the basic lore and framework of the Candle'Bre universe long before the books were completed, but also, there was an air of excitement with each new chapter's completion.
I had never before experienced writing as anything but a solitary occupation, but this was something wholly different. This too, was collaborative. If I turned in a chapter that left key questions unanswered, or did not give full treatment to essential plot points, I got taken to task for it, and was sent back to the drawing board to try again. These guys were tough, and I loved it!
I loved it because they loved it. Their criticisms weren't made out of a sense of malice, but rather, out of a deep love and respect for the universe we were building one rock, one tree, and one painful chapter at a time, and it made the story better than it otherwise would have been.
Originally, I had planned to end the book with a cliffhanger…the main villain presents himself, gives our heroes an awful choice, then departs, giving them an hour to think it over, vowing to return and either accept their unconditional surrender or rip them to shreds.
The thinking here was that the books would end, and the computer game would pick up from that point.
The players would create their own ending.
But my readers howled at this, and insisted that it was a cheat.
After living and bleeding with our heroes over the course of three books, they (the characters), and the series itself, deserved a proper ending, and so…I was sent back to the drawing board to create one.
It nearly doubled the length of the third book, but they got their promised ending, and I have to admit…they were right.
It took the series to the next level, making it fantastic, instead of just decent.
I can't thank them enough!
To get your copy today, just click the button below!
Project completed, January 2007
VN:R_U [1.9.22_1171]
By the time I started writing the second volume of the series, I was pretty sure it'd be a trilogy (I was actually off by one…there wound up being four volumes in the set!). It felt like a big story, and I knew I had a monster on the line…I just had no idea it'd take me the better part of seven years to complete the tale!
Nonetheless, by this point, the whole book writing process was beginning to be well trod, familiar ground. I knew how to do it, and big story or no, I knew I could get it across the finish line.
So…that's how the next span of months, bleeding into years, went. Working with a big group of talented, creative people on four continents on the game, and writing in the times in-between.
Grab your copy today by clicking the button below:
Project completed, October 2005
The Reckoning, Book I: Darkness Falls
October 13, 2012 in Books, Completed, Freebie
Given that I'd taken the lead on a computer game project and had a) no coding skills, b) no artistic skills, and c) no musical skills, I decided pretty quickly to focus on the stuff I could do. Namely, telling good stories, organizing, and designing, so…that became my role.
Over the course of the first weeks and months, I tried to get my feet wet in all the major areas of the project. Learned to become a crude-but-effective graphic artist, learned enough about the whole coding thing to hold down my end of a conversation with the folks who had probably forgotten more about their craft than I knew, to that point, and learned the basics of musical composition.
Still, my heart was with the stories, and that's what I focused on.
Pretty early on, I saw two things as being important. One…I wanted the story framework to matter and be an integral part of the game, and two, I wanted it to be woven into the fabric of the game itself, and not, like so many games I've played, feel "bolted on" at the last minute so it could be shipped out the door.
To accomplish those goals, we needed a "bible." A completely fleshed out document that described and defined the game world, and that's how the first Candle'Bre stories were born.
From there, the writing project sorta took on a life of its own, and became something of a project-within-a-project.
I also decided pretty early on that the first book in the series (and even then, I knew it'd be a series of books, and not just a single volume) should be free, in order to get people interested in the story.
This one's free for the taking. Get your copy:
Get the Full Set and don't miss a thing!
Project Completed, February, 2004
The Courts of Candle'Bre
October 13, 2012 in Freebie, Games, Ongoing
I have to admit that after the success with "Five Days," I felt pretty invincible.
I was active in the gaming community, and a conversation came up about who would be the "dream team" in terms of creating Civ 4.
To my surprise, my name came up on that list, and I was honored by it.
That got me thinking…hey, I'd written a few books to this point, and while hard, if I could do that, I could do a game, right?
So I jumped in with both feet and…
Up to this point, the books were the hardest thing I'd ever attempted.
The computer game was harder.
Waaay harder.
Probably harder than all of them combined, and then a bit extra for good measure.
Jesus Christ…I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I intuited it fairly quickly though, and also learned that I had exactly NONE of the skills I'd need to make the project succeed.
That's when I started casting about for help, and that's when the Workshop became populated by more folks than just me.
I have learned so much thanks to this project (and am learning still…every single day I discover something new, either about the game, the process, or myself) that it boggles the mind.
One of the most important lessons learned though, is how much more enjoyable creating is, when you do it collaboratively.
Writing books is all well and good, but the real magic comes when you get a group of people in a room (virtual or otherwise) and start up a creative jam session.
From the first such "jam session," I was hooked, and I haven't looked back since.
Candle'Bre as a game will never be "done," and I don't care. There will always be something new to add, and I'll enjoy every second of it.
Clicking on the website image on this post will take you to the site, if you're curious to see what we ultimately created. It's a turn based strategy game, set in a 100% original fantasy world, and beyond that, I will say no more, leaving it for you to explore.
Pssst! And guess what? The game's free too!
** Solver and I talked about it, and we've learned so much from our first attempt, but we also feel that the game would be better served by starting on Candle'Bre 2.0. To that end, we're calling this project done, so we can start with the re-imagined game, taking into account all that we've learned, keeping what works, and ditching what doesn't.
Stay tuned for details!
Project begun 2002, formally ended October, 2012
Tags: Games No Comments »
Five Days in May
There's a game I like to play when I'm driving, especially when I'm driving alone.
I call it "the map game," specifically because no maps are involved.
Basically, what you do is, drive till you don't know where you are.
Use a coin toss to determine whether you go left or right when you come to an intersection.
Spend one day getting completely lost, then spend the rest of the weekend trying to find your way home and exploring the place you find yourself in.
Fun game, and it led me to the little town of Saluda, North Carolina.
From there, a bit of driving took me up past Hendersonville, and into the environs where "Five Days" is set.
I've actually been to Pond Mountain and spent a considerable amount of time in that haunting place.
The story was an outgrowth of my happenstance discovery of the place, and the strange feeling that it left me with.
When I came home, I started writing.
Twenty-two days later, the story was done.
One draft, very minor editing.
It was as though someone (or some thing) had planted the seed in my brain and insisted that it be born.
Unsettling, but it still stands as among my favorites.
This was the first time I attempted to mess with art programs…the cover's mine, and though I've had offers from real artists to do it justice, my friends have convinced me to leave it as it. I think I'm satisfied with that.
It's a ghost story, set in the mountains of North Carolina and has an authentic feel to it, because of the time I spent in the region. I also researched Cherokee language and lore before jumping in.
It may not be completely accurate, but I think the time I spent learning about the subject also made the story better.
At any rate, clicking on the button below will get you a copy if you're itching to dive in!
Project completed, June 2003
The SMAX guide was a labor of love, and such fun to put together that it seemed a novel was the next natural step in the progression of things. I'd gone from writing little snippets of poetry and gathering them into something coherent, to writing a pretty fabulous game guide, so…why not? Surely a novel couldn't be that hard, could it?
Famous last words, of course. "Guardians," turned out to be a nightmare of a project that took me eighteen agonizing months to complete. When it was finally done, I was so drained by the experience that I vowed never to try anything like that again!
This work is a thriller. A classic "chase novel" where the good guys spend most of their time running for their lives before ultimately getting backed into a corner for the inevitable showdown. I intentionally wrote the ending to be open ended to allow for a sequel if the mood struck. So far it has not, but I do have some ideas for where to take the characters next. In any case, I think it's a good read. Yes, you can definitely tell it's my first try, but that's true of most authors.
For me as an artist, the main things this work accomplished was that it allowed me to prove to my satisfaction that I could "do" this stuff, it gave me the opportunity to experiment, and it did both of those things in a framework that was both interesting and entertaining.
** Author's note: I've been asked repeatedly if there's a sequel planned for this book. The answer is, yes…eventually. I've got the seed of the story in my mind and have had it there for some three years now. It'll eventually get written, but for now, it is percolating.
Clicking the button below will get you a copy right now…Enjoy!
Project completed August, 2002
Vel's SMAX Guide
My first actual book was a strategy guide for a computer game. Specifically, for Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. Over the four editions of the work, it received high praise from the gaming community, being heralded as the definitive guide to the game, actually being recommended over the "official" guide on more than one occasion.
Once the game fell off the RADAR, I released the text into the public domain, so this too, is freely available.
You can access it by clicking
Project completed mid 2001
-=Vel=-...
CandleLight & ShadowMagic / Gypsy Rain
This was my first organized project. I used to write a fair bit of poetry, and although much of it was destroyed by vengeful women and time in general, some portion survives. The stuff that did, became these two collections.
I've been told it's fairly good, but to be honest, I've not written anything poetic in decades, and am not really in a position to judge either way.
In any case, years ago, I made the decision to gather them up and release them into the wild, so they're freely available to anyone who's interested.
I hope you enjoy. Get your copy, free,
Project Completed Circa 1998


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text:
/* app/index.js */
/**
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'use strict';

import React from 'react';
import ReactDom from 'react-dom';
import { Provider } from 'react-redux';

import App from './containers/App';
import configureStore from './configureStore';
import ReactDevTools from './utils/ReactDevTools';

const store = configureStore();

ReactDom.render(
	<Provider store={store}>
		<div>
			<App/>
			<ReactDevTools />
		</div>
	</Provider>
	,
	document.getElementById('app'));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Details Revealed About New Documentary – Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: While the movie world eagerly awaits the discharge of Andrew Dominik's Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde, scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, we will reveal particulars concerning the newest collaboration between the filmmaker and musicians: documentary This Much I Know To Be True.
Oz filmmaker Dominik beforehand teamed up with Cave and Ellis to gorgeous impact on the attractive western The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. They adopted that up with 2016 music documentary One More Time With Feeling, which premiered on the Venice Film Festival.
This Much I Know To Be True is a companion piece to the latter movie, exploring the inventive relationship and songs from Cave and Ellis's final two studio albums, Ghosteen (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) and Carnage (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis). Above is a primary look picture from the movie.
Shot on location in London & Brighton final 12 months, the film will doc the duo's first performances of the albums and can characteristic a particular look by shut pal and long-term collaborator, Marianne Faithfull. Cinematography comes from Oscar-nominated DoP Robbie Ryan (The Favourite).
Interstitial items between the songs will "illuminate the cosmology and themes of the music". Viewers will hear concerning the means of Cave writing The Red Hand Files—the letters he chooses to reply and the replies themselves — and his methodology. The movie can even go to the workshop the place Cave is making a sequence of sculptures depicting the lifetime of the Devil. The sequence is described as "a portrait of the lives of all of us as we move from innocence to experience, attune to the world and its attendant loss, and eventually confront our own mortality".
The launch is being lined up for later in 2022, when Cave and Ellis can even tour the U.S. for the primary time.
The film is a Bad Seed Ltd Film produced by Uncommon Creative Studios. Producers are Amy James and Isaac Hoff. Executive producers are Charlie Gatsky Sinckair, Brian Message and Beth Clayton. Editor is Matthew C. Hart and lighting design comes from Chris Scott.
The relationship between long-time collaborators Cave and Ellis was additionally captured in 2014 doc 20,000 Days On Earth.
Acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter Cave is well-known for his baritone voice and for fronting rock band Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, of which violinist and multi-instrumentalist Ellis was a key member. Cave can also be recognized for scripting motion pictures together with The Proposition and Lawless, and for collaborating with Ellis on the rating for motion pictures together with Oscar-nominated Hell Or High Water, and the aforementioned Lawless.
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Cedar Fair is renovating two of their water parks at Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm this year in addition to new attractions at Canada's Wonderland and Michigan Adventure.
Michigan Adventure (Muskegon, MI) is renovating Half Pint Paradise, their kid's area at Wildwater Adventure. Featuring a new selection of seven new slides along with a new Splash Pad, this is one of the first major hybrid installations from Vortex Structures International, a manufacturer from Pointe-Claire, QC. Vortex acquired in November 2015 Aquablue, a water slide designer and manufacturer based in Cornelius, NC. They have been working on integrating those new products into their existing award winning line-up of Splash Pad and water play solutions.
So for Half Pint Paradise, a large new Splash Pad was designed to fit the new slides; the whole area integrated with the existing Beach Party water fortress attraction to provide a great experience for families in one area.
Michigan's Adventure provided us with this great concept art of the new area.
Over at Canada's Wonderland (Vaughan, ON), ever since the removal of the Wipeout body slides in 2004, the park had been missing an extreme experience at Splash Works. This will finally change this year with the addition of Muskoka Plunge, a new 4 slide DrenalineDrop installation from Splashtacular. This ride system features capsules where guests enter one of the 4 slides. Then, the operator has the choice of randomly releasing a pod at a time or dropping all 4 at once.
Muskoka Plunge is the first ever installation of the DrenalineDrop ride in Canada. Thank you to Canada's Wonderland for providing us with this great concept art.
An interesting coincidence is the fact Muskoka Plunge was installed in the same area as the previous FreeFall slides that made their home at Splash Works.
Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH is transforming Soak City, their popular waterpark, into Cedar Point Shores. Among new things, Crystal Rock Café will be introduced along with two bars. An interesting touch is the fact the park asked a local micro-brewery, The Brew Kettle, to create a new signature beer for the park. Named Shandy Shores, blood orange and mangos combine for the perfect summer beverage.
In addition to the new food & beverage, most of the existing attractions were repainted and renamed. Examples are the popular Mat Racer slide Dragster H2O renamed Riptide Raceway and the Zoom Flume Family Raft Slide now called the Storm Surge.
Three new attractions are planned: two kids area similar in concept to Half Pint Paradise and a 6 slide custom tower from WhiteWater West Industries LTD. Lakeside Landing is a new 12 slide area for kids and nearby will be Lemmy's Lagoon, a Splashground with many features and ways to get wet.
The Slide Tower is home to two styles of attractions. From the highest point six stories in the air, guests will board one of the four AquaLaunch capsule for Point Plummet. They will then drop into an intense freefall and experience the WhiteWater signature AquaDrop experience. On the same structure, off to the side at the five story level, guests will use tubes to experience Portside Plunge. Those two inner-tube slides provide a family friendly alternative to the intense thrills of Point Plummet.
Knott's Soak City is located in Buena Park, CA and across the street from Knott's Berry Farm. The facility opened in 1999 and always had to deal with a landlocked location. This has always made new additions a challenge, but the park always has found ways around that. For example, in 2005, they added a new Proslide Tornado called Pacific Spin on part of the parking near the main entrance.
This year, the park decided to go in a new direction by retiring Pacific Spin and adding two new attractions on the land it previously occupied along with more of the parking lot.
WhiteWater was again called in to supply the new attractions. On the left, you have The Wedge, a new Family Raft Slide where capacity is the name of the game. It will use large round 6 passenger rafts and provide a great new experience for families.
On the right, a similar tower to the one opening at Cedar Point this year was installed and named Shore Break. In addition to those two attractions, the whole park was renovated and repainted, breathing new life into the water park.
A look inside Soak City where you can see the nice new colors. This photo appears courtesy of California Coaster Kings.
The four AquaLaunch capsules peeking between the trees. A look inside Soak City where you can see the nice new colors. This photo appears courtesy of California Coaster Kings.
The two dueling tube slides are the ones in white and blue. A look inside Soak City where you can see the nice new colors. This photo appears courtesy of California Coaster Kings.
Close-up view of Shore Break. Notice that the orange tube is translucent and at the time this photo was shot, testing was underway. A look inside Soak City where you can see the nice new colors. This photo appears courtesy of California Coaster Kings.
This entry was posted in Industry Profile, Water Ride and tagged Canada's wonderland, Cedar Fair, Cedar Point, Cedar Point Shores, Half Pint Paradise, Knotts Berry Farm, Michigan's Adventure, Shore Break, Soak City, Splashtacular, The Wedge, Vortex, WhiteWater, WhiteWater West Industries LTD. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
8th international literature festival: LitFest kicks off this month
The 8th edition of the annual international literature festival will be held from the 24th to the 27th of November, 2021.For the second year running, the festival will be held mostly virtually. Speeches, discussions and workshops will be virtual, while live events will include a poetry slam, theatre performances and a music concert to be held on the closing day at Theatre in the Park in Harare.
By earGROUND Network
This year's theme is 'Healing' and will showcase literature, art, discussions and performances that highlight and celebrate the power of words in healing ourselves, bridging communities and building peace. LitFest Harare 2021 will host participants from all over the world including Zimbabwe, Germany, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia, Cameroon, Ghana and Scotland.
LitFest Harare (International Literature Festival) is an annual international literature festival. Run by a Trust, the festival is a celebration and a carnival of literature.
The festival's main aim is to allow writers to present their work and to allow academics, critics, other writers and the broad reading public to hear and discuss it. The presentations are made by means of readings, recitations, screenings, discussions, interviews, debates and community outreach.
The 2021 festival programme includes a keynote address by Professor Robert Muponde from Wits University in South Africa on the opening night, a plethora of panel discussions, book reviews and performances, a poetry slam for young poets as well as a closing day concert headlined by mbira queen, Tendai Mavengeni (Zimbabwe) and poet/artist, Jessie James La Fleur (Belgium/Germany). The closing concert will be run in partnership with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.
There will also be a series of workshops for artists and arts and culture practitioners on the Twitter Spaces platform throughout the festival.
Festival Director, Chirikure Chirikure, spoke on why healing was chosen as the central focus of LitFest Harare 2021;
"The world is trying to heal. More conversations on dealing with the painful past have been opening up. Some want restitution for colonial plunder and injustice. The wrongs of historic economic and physical genocides that inflicted personal and communal wounds are being called into the light. The global pandemic we are still currently grappling with has also brought into sharp focus the need for stronger institutions and common platforms for collaboration on building peace and stability in our world. LitFest Harare 2021 seeks to contribute to this pivotal discourse by putting healing, peace building and conflict transformation at the centre of this year's edition."
Chirikure Chirikure
Chirikure also added, "We are grateful to our long standing local and international partners whose support enabled us to put the festival together, besides the challenges the world is going through. In particular, we appreciate the support from the UNESCO Desk of the University of Glasgow, the University of Glasgow, and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany."
For more information, contact Elizabeth Muchemwa on +263713517280, Kudzanai Thondhlana on +263787232831 or email litfestharare@gmail.com
Tags: Chirikure Chirikure, Festival, literature, Litfest
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Beatrice Sithole says:
16 Nov 2021 at 6:54 am
Well done Director Chirikure Chirikure and your team, you are doing a great job and I do much like your theme this year. Healing is needed world over now more than before. Keep up the good work 👏 🙌 👍
Sithembile Siqhoza says:
16 Nov 2021 at 12:13 pm


The proliferation of content and an ever-growing number of digital touchpoints surrounding consumers required Avon to look beyond its visual identity to build consistency and boost branding across their communications platforms. Therefore, a sonic branding was commissioned to help all communications work consistently for the brand. Inspired by the brand's heritage, a modular audio logo and an audio identity system were created to fit equally well into TV commercials, social media posts and branded events. The typical sound of a door bell is integrated, as the products are traditionally distributed at the door and by female sales consultants.


Understanding What is a Email Looking at.
Email examining can be a practice that is performed by expert clairvoyant viewers. The audience give you the chance associated with foretelling the long run. These people will be able to notify regarding beyond occasions. A number of the psychics have the ability to examine other's minds.
You need to be familiar with the future, anyone just need to check out a specialist clairvoyant.
Once you enter into a new psychic space, the particular clairvoyant readers will welcome anyone as well as add himself. He'll then calmly recite some sort of prayer in addition to silent the mind so as to concentrate on your objective. The actual viewer will attempt and discover what you need. Now and again, he may consult an individual what you would like En Iyi Medyum.
If you need to know about somebody, you'll be able to mention your identify of the individual you would like to be aware of. As the name is plenty with the target audience, it seems sensible that you contain a photo on the man or women you wish to be familiar with.
To find out if you can , concerning a conference or particular person, it is recommended you have many issues in order to inquire this readers. With regard to reference point, it really is excellent that you've got a taking system.
As soon as selecting a new audience you need to understand which diverse readers have got different parts of field of expertise. By way of example, some audience will be able to say to in regards to the upcoming, while others can easily say to in regards to the previous. For being within the risk-free part it is best to shop around and recognize the right individual for you.
It is best to realize that not any clairvoyant target audience has got the power of choosing lottery for you. In the event that psychics had the capacity to do therefore they shall be the one people successful the many lotteries on the planet. They will may also be the only versions receiving mount races, casino video games, and sporting events.
In the event you come across a new reader letting you know that she is able to allowing you to win lotteries, you need to operate.
Though email readers direct you towards figuring out several reasons for having anyone or maybe somebody else, you must recall there is no readers who's 100% exact; for that reason, it's not necassary to fault your viewer in the event that items never turn out the precise means your target audience acquired instructed people.
This is what you ought to be aware of clairvoyant looking at. Pertaining to suitable final results, you need to ensure that you get the companies of a good reader. An excellent target audience will be person who will direct you instead of immediate a person. A great readers will also allow you to 'see the particular high, a rather than leave people in the bushes.
Psychic reading through is vital inside helping you to be familiar with factors that might be confusing people; even so, you should use a reputable email reader.
This can be a ability associated with figuring out past events although you may cant be found at this time there. One example is, you could discover how ones fantastic grandmother's funeral service seemed to be nevertheless you had been not given birth to at that time.
This can be the ability connected with experiencing potential situations ahead of they will happen. By way of example, you would possibly know that the telephone could band along with that will telephone. You could also are aware that someone is going to be in issues. You'll be able to learn about the near future often by way of eyesight or just which has a experiencing.
If you have that ability you possibly can be familiar with somebody by just holding the individuals owed as well as artifact. For instance, you can be capable to explain to of a woman simply by coming in contact with her purse.
These include some of the indications that demonstrate that you may be considered a email. For those who have these types of signs, you must talk with a professional email viewer and also he/she will certainly make suggestions about how to handle it future.
This can be a circumstances where you possibly can deliver views as a result of your mind and for that reason others will be able to diagnose your announcements. Via this silent way of communication you'll be able to mail inner thoughts in addition to data for you to others with no possibly staying present. For anyone who is telepathic, it is possible to study other's heads.


text:
Q: Are there any good reasons NOT to use jQuery instead of plain old JavaScript? I recently discovered jQuery, and I can immediately see how useful and elegant it is.
I'm curious, though - are there any reasons NOT to use it (and just use plain old JavaScript instead)? If there aren't any reasons, should it not be integrated fully into the JavaScript language?

A: I love JQuery too - so don't get me wrong... but as Devil's Advocate:

*

*Not everyone on your team knows JQuery, thus they'd be in a pickle if they inherited your work

*Not everybody feels that JQuery is the best JavaScript library (more of an argument against making JQuery synonymous with JavaScript)

That said, I personally feel that you should use a JavaScript library (presumably JQuery) rather than recreating equivalent behavior with JavaScript.  It's the most popular library and it might be more readable/maintainable than hand-rolled JavaScript.

A: Lots of bad reasons. Two good ones:

*

*You don't need it. There are plenty of things you might want to do with JavaScript that don't require or particularly benefit from jQuery.

*You don't want it. Personally, I think jQuery is fantastic. Sets, function chaining, concise syntax... it all makes me happy. But, some folks have different tastes.

A: jQuery is built on javascript and encapsulates a particular style of programming and a set of supported features.  Not everyone wants to use this style of programming or prefers the set of features in jQuery over those in other frameworks.  jQuery is certainly an improvement over coding the same features yourself in plain javascript, but not necessarily a substitute for all javascript as the feature set is finite.  You'll still need to write some plain javascript when using jQuery (or any other framework).

A: I can say it in one word: overhead. It adds another 19K to your page.
Don't get me wrong, this is a sick library - I use it all the time.

A: If you don't actually use any of the features of jQuery, there's no reason to introduce the page weight to your site. If you do use any of the features, there's probably not a good reason to roll your own version except for learning purposes.

A:
are there any reasons NOT to use it

*

*There are better libraries.

*It adds page weight (and for small projects that weight is often more costly then the benefits)

should it not be integrated fully into the Javascript language?

Most of what jQuery does is related more to DOM than JavaScript.

A: One reason - to actually learn javascript.
It is a truly beautiful language that is often overlooked, because when people say "I know javascript", what they actually mean is "I know how to copy&paste $('#content').hide(200) to make my app look cool".
This is a bit sad.
That being said (no pun intended), I use jquery all the time for mundane tasks like xhr, DOM manipulation and such. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no reason to reinvent the wheel (more than one time, anyway), especially taking into consideration the fact, that, at times, you have to invent a separate wheel for every major browser.

A: I think choosing a JS & DOM & AJAX library you like is important, and it will almost always be appropriate to use said library, but don't let that stop you for learning important JavaScript features, idioms & techniques, as well as some browser and DOM API.
Being afraid to leave your library's boundaries is very limiting.

A: I've used Jquery a few times, and it's just so damn easy compared to using dom. It also seems like it has more accessability than old fashioned DOM.
In the words of Martha Stewart, "It's a good thing."

A: Javascript is a great beginner's language if you want to progress to .net languages or java. It's less complicated than other programming languages, but it still has those basic, invaluable principles. jquery takes that similarity away. Javascript doesn't neccesarily need to be used for web design, for example, unity 3d, a game engine, uses Unityscript, which is almost identical to javascript. I learnt to use it by creating websites that use javascript.
I know it's not much, but I think a good reason to go the javascript route is to learnt how to program. It's not necessary to know javascript in order to build a site, but it's nice to know   the code that goes into it on a basic level.

A: jQuery is developed and is still being developed for the very entry level developer. Actually it is almost built for non-developers so it makes some things very easy BUT with a performance trade.
It does many things right and it does many things wrong for various reasons like:

*

*The above mentioned "stupid-proof" structure

*Taste of jQuery team

*Extensive(but a bit overkill) cross-browser capabilities

So I personally prefer some other library written for JS Ninjas for better performance. I actually went as far as creating my own library but that's another issue.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Mark your Calender's so you don't miss out.
Hey Kids — Check it Out!!
God is our King, Refuge, High Tower & Shield.
and discover that we can run to God in our joys and fears.
VBS Opening Ceremonies at 6 PM.
Register early if you can! You don't want to miss the fun.
Classes for preschool age 3 thru Adults.
Crafts Games and Lots of Fun!
For more information call 540-937-5446 or keep checking back on our website.
Please Pre-Register if you can using the form below so we will have supplies for all on the first night.


text:
Pozemní hokej na LOH 1960 v Římě zahrnoval pouze turnaj mužů. Všechny zápasy tohoto turnaje se odehrály ve dnech 26. srpna až 11. září 1960 na následujících třech stadionech: Stadio del Marmi (Mramorový stadion), Veledrom a Campo Tre Fontane.

Program turnaje
Turnaje se zúčastnilo 16 mužstev, která byla rozdělena do 4 čtyřčlenných skupin, ve kterých se hrálo způsobem jeden zápas každý s každým a poté nejlepší 2 týmy z každé skupiny postoupily do čtvrtfinále. Týmy na 3. místech ve skupinách hrály o 9. až 12. místo a týmy na 4. místech ve skupinách hrály o 13. až 16. místo.

Turnaj mužů

Skupina A
 27. srpna
 Indie – Dánsko 10:0
 Nový Zéland – Nizozemsko 1:1
 30. srpna
 Indie – Nizozemsko 4:1
 31. srpna
 Nový Zéland – Dánsko 4:1
 2. září
 Indie – Nový Zéland 3:0
 3. září
 Dánsko – Nizozemsko 2:4
 4. září
 Dodatečný zápas o postup do čtvrtfinále z důvodu rovnosti počtu bodů
 Nový Zéland – Nizozemsko 2:1

Skupina B
 26. srpna
 Pákistán – Austrálie 3:0
 Polsko – Japonsko 2:1
 29. srpna
 Pákistán – Polsko 8:0
 30. srpna
 Austrálie – Japonsko 8:1
 1. září
 Pákistán – Japonsko 10:0
 Austrálie – Polsko 1:1
 3. září
 Dodatečný zápas o postup do čtvrtfinále z důvodu rovnosti počtu bodů
 Austrálie – Polsko 2:0

Skupina C
 29. srpna
 Keňa – Německo 1:0
 Francie – Itálie 2:0
 31. srpna
 Německo – Francie 5:0
 1. září
 Keňa – Itálie 7:0
 3. září
 Německo – Itálie 5:0
 Keňa – Francie 0:0

Skupina D
 26. srpna
 Španělsko – Velká Británie 0:0
 27. srpna
 Belgie – Švýcarsko 4:2
 30. srpna
 Belgie – Velká Británie 1:1
 31. srpna
 Španělsko – Švýcarsko 5:1
 2. září
 Velká Británie – Švýcarsko 3:0
 Španělsko – Belgie 3:1

Zápasy o umístění

Skupina o 13. až 16. místo
 6. září
 Itálie – Švýcarsko 1:1
 Japonsko – Dánsko 5:0 kontumačně
 8. září
 Japonsko – Švýcarsko 5:1
 Itálie – Dánsko 5:0 kontumačně
 10. září
 Itálie – Japonsko 2:1
 Švýcarsko – Dánsko 5:0 kontumačně

Dánská výprava se rozhodla nezúčastnit se bojů o 13. až 16. místo a odcestovala z dějiště LOH.

Skupina o 9. až 12. místo
 6. září
 Francie – Belgie 1:0
 Nizozemsko – Polsko 5:0 kontumačně
 8. září
 Nizozemsko – Francie 2:0
 Belgie – Polsko 5:0 kontumačně
 10. září
 Nizozemsko – Belgie 2:1
 Francie – Polsko 5:0 kontumačně

Polská výprava se rozhodla nezúčastnit se bojů o 9. až 12. místo a odcestovala z dějiště LOH.

Čtvrtfinále
 5. září
 Indie – Austrálie 1:0
 Velká Británie – Keňa 2:1
 Pákistán – Německo 2:1
 Španělsko – Nový Zéland 1:0

Zápasy o 5. až 8. místo
 8. září
 Nový Zéland – Německo 1:0
 Austrálie – Keňa 1:1 nedohráno pro tmu
Zápas mezi Austrálií a Keňou skončil nerozhodně i po prodloužení a poté bylo utkání ukončeno pro tmu a jury se rozhodla vítěze utkání určit losem, který vyhrála Austrálie, ale keňská výprava podala protest a jury se rozhodla utkání nechat opakovat.
 10. září
 Austrálie – Keňa 2:1

Zápas o 7. místo
 Vzhledem k nepředvídatelným okolnostem se tento zápas neuskutečnil a jury oběma týmům přidělila dělené 7. místo.

Zápas o 5. místo
 9. září – neplatný zápas
 Nový Zéland – Austrálie 1:2
Tento zápas se odehrál ještě před rozhodnutím jury nechat opakovat zápas o 5. až 8. místo mezi Austrálií a Keňou a tak jeho výsledek nebyl uznán za platný.
 11. září – oficiální zápas
 Nový Zéland – Austrálie 1:0

Semifinále
 7. září
 Pákistán – Španělsko 1:0
 Indie – Velká Británie 1:0

Zápas o 3. místo
 Španělsko – Velká Británie 2:1

Finále
 Pákistán – Indie 1:0

Medailisté

Externí odkazy

1960
Sporty na Letních olympijských hrách 1960
Pozemní hokej v Itálii
Pozemní hokej v roce 1960

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Grainger Market in Newcastle is a North East institution. It opened in 1835 after an opening ceremony attended by over 2,000 people. The market boasted 243 shops including numerous butchers and vegetable stalls, and 14 entrances.
The Grainger Market is one of the only remaining the 19th century covered markets still trading as a market. Today it employs 800 people and boasts 200,000 shoppers every week. The Grainger Market was built by Richard Grainger and architect John Dobson in 1835. It revolutionised shopping in its day. When it opened it was the largest indoor market in the world.
The market was laid out in a grid-iron pattern with 156 butchers shops and an arcade selling fruit and vegetables. Even today the Grainger Market has managed to keep some of its original features. There has been a weigh house since the market was built to weigh hunks of meat. Today it's the shoppers who queue up to be weighed. The "Marks and Spencer Original Penny Bazaar" in The Grainger market is reputedly the smallest M&S outlet in the World.
The market also still has an air raid shelter underneath the length of the arcade.
The Grainger Market has survived fires, two world wars and threatened demolition, and is about to undergo another transformation with improvements to bring it into the 21st century.
Description harvested from The BBC.
Landscape photo looking down an alley of the Grainger Market, note the clerestory window.
Image from 1 January 1970 - 31 December 1971.
Landscape photo looking at stalls within the Grainger Market, note the clerestory window.
Landscape photo of the interior of the Grainger Market, note the clerestory windows.
I love the Grainger Market, I go tere early to avoid the crowds. In fact was there a few days ago, took a photo and done a post on my blog.


text:
All of the designs shown in this publication as well as the images themselves are legally protected. Vitra and the Vitra Design Museum have been authorised by the authors or their legal successors to exclusively manufacture, develop and distribute the products corresponding to these designs worldwide.
Charles & Ray Eames
Organic Chair, La Chaise, Eames Elephant, Plywood Mobile, Classic Trays, Paper Napkins, Eames Quotes Posters, Eames Wool Blankets und Miniatures Collection: Vitra holds the worldwide rights.
All other products: Vitra holds the rights in Europe and the Middle East.
The rights in the rest of the world are held by MillerKnoll.
Environmental Wall Hangings and Flower Table: Vitra holds the rights in Europe and the Middle East.
Clocks and Miniatures Collection: Vitra holds the worldwide rights.
Akari Light Sculptures: Vitra holds the distribution rights in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
The rights in North America are held by the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum and the rights in Japan are held by Ozeki & Co.
Coffee Table and Dining Table: Vitra holds the worldwide rights with the exception of North America.
The rights in North America are held by MillerKnoll.
Butterfly Stool: Vitra holds the rights in Europe, Africa and North and South America.
The rights in the rest of the world are held by Tendo Mokko.
The design of the Eames Aluminium Chair is a registered trademark.
The design of the Eames Lounge Chair is a registered trademark.
The design of the Panton Chair is a registered trademark.
ALEXANDER GIRARD, EAMES, NELSON, GEORGE NELSON, NOGUCHI, ISAMU NOGUCHI, PANTON, VERNER PANTON, PROUVE and JEAN PROUVE are registered trademarks.
Various product names enjoy trademark protection.


text:
Q: Euler's Totient Function in JavaScript I am trying to implement Euler's Totient Function (phi) in Javascript. So far this is what I have:
function phi(n) {
  var result = n;
  for (let i=2; i*i<=n; i++) {
    if (n % i === 0) {
      while (n % i === 0) {
        n /= i;
        result -= result / i;
      }
    }
  }
  if (n > 1) {
    result -= result / n;
  }
  return result;
}

Unfortunately it all goes wrong when it comes up to multiples of 4. How do I improve this?

A: Inspired by https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/eulers-totient-function/
function phi(n) {
  // return Greater Common Denominator of two given numbers
  function gcd(a, b) {
    if (a === 0) {
      return b;
    }

    return gcd(b % a, a);
  }

  // init
  var result = 1;

  // walk through all integers up to n
  for (let i = 2; i < n; i++) {
    if (gcd(i, n) === 1) {
      result++;
    }
  }

  return result;
}

A: You should implement result = 1, then result ++ whenever you encounter a number coprime to the number you input. For that, you have to find the gcd function and that can be done with various methods, such as ArrayLists (like in Java) or with recursive functions.

A: Not the most eficient way, but rather straightforward:
function phi(n) {
let divArr = []; // this is an array for the common divisors of our n
let primeCount = 0; // this is a counter of divisors

for (let i = 0; i <= n - 1; i++) {
    if (n % i === 0) {
        divArr.push(i);
    }
}

for (let j = n - 1; j > 0; j--) { //j is all potential coprimes
    for (let k = divArr.length - 1; k >= 0; k--) { //we get the indeces of the divArr and thus we can loop through all the potentail divisors

        //here we check if our potential coprimes are comprimes or not
        //run possible coprimes through the list of divisors
        if (j % divArr[k] === 0 && divArr[k] !== 1) { //if a potential coprime can be divided by any element of the array of n's divisors we break the arra's loop i. e. k and go the j++
            break

        } else if (j % divArr[k] !== 0) { //if a potential coprime j cannot be divided by any element of divArray then it's ok and we simply stick to the next k and waiting for 2 possible cases: either it will reach 1 and we primeCount++ or eventually be divided and then we break the loop
            continue

        } else if (divArr[k] === 1) { //if can be divided without a remainder, greatest common divisor is not zero so we should break the loop
            primeCount++;
        }

    }
}
console.log(divArr, primeCount)

}


Life After Joint Replacement - Wisconsin Bone & Joint, S. C.
Most people experience reduction in joint pain and improvement in their quality of life after joint replacement surgery. While joint replacement surgery may allow you to resume many daily activities, don't push your implant to do more than you could before your problem developed.
Give yourself at least six weeks following surgery to heal and recover from muscle stiffness, swelling and other discomfort. Some people continue to experience discomfort for 6-12 weeks following their joint replacement.
During visits to the physical therapist's office, your therapist may use heat, ice or electrical stimulation to reduce any remaining swelling or pain. You should continue to use your walker or crutches as instructed.
Your physical therapist may use hands-on stretches for improving range of motion. Strength exercises address key muscle groups, including the buttock, hip, thigh and calf muscles. You can work on endurance through stationary biking, lap swimming and using an upper body ergometer (upper cycle).
Physical therapists sometimes treat their patients in a pool. Exercising in a swimming pool puts less stress on your joints and the buoyancy lets you move and exercise easier.
When you are safe putting full weight through the leg, several types of balance exercises can help you further stabilize and control the hip or knee.
Finally, you will work with a group of exercises to simulate day-to-day activities, such as going up and down steps, squatting, rising up on your toes, bending down and walking on uneven terrain. You may be given specific exercises to simulate your particular work or hobby demands.
By six weeks, you may be able to return to many normal activities such as driving, bicycling and golf. When you see your surgeon for follow-up two to six weeks after surgery, he or she can advise you on both short and long-term goals.
Ask for help – while your goal is to eventually do things for yourself, don't take unnecessary risks by trying to do too much too soon.
Recuperation takes approximately 6-12 weeks – you may feel weak during this time. Use ice for swelling and discomfort. Ice your knee for 15-20 minutes after each exercise period to reduce pain.
Keep your appointments with your doctor – it's important to monitor healing and function on a regular basis. You may need to check in with your doctor two to three times during the first two years, and at intervals of two to three years thereafter. During those visits, your surgeon will take X-rays and monitor wear.
Under optimal conditions, your artificial joint may last for many active years. You should always consult your orthopaedic surgeon if you begin to have pain in your artificial joint or if you suspect something is not working correctly.
Watch for infection – your new joint is a foreign substance to your body. Germs from other infections can move to your new joint and cause infection. Call your family doctor immediately if you have any signs of infection, e.g., skin infection, urinary tract infection, abscessed teeth, etc. Early treatment is crucial.
Alert your dentist or family physician – tell them about your joint replacement before any dental work or procedure, such as a cardiac catheter, bladder exam, or surgery. You may always need to take antibiotics first to prevent infection.
Your new joint may set off metal detectors in airports and other secured buildings. Your doctor can give you an identification card to carry in your wallet.
Most patients have less pain and better mobility after joint replacement surgery. Your physical therapist will work with you to help keep your new joint healthy for as long as possible. This may mean adjusting your activity choices to avoid putting too much strain on your joint.
You may need to consider alternate work activities to avoid the heavy demands of lifting, crawling and climbing.
More extreme sports that require running, jumping, quick stopping or starting and cutting are discouraged. More low impact exercises such as cycling, swimming, golfing, bowling and level walking are ideal.