All Not an update, I am afraid. The fact is my brain is trying to catch up to my writing, and I want to mull on a couple of options for what happens next. However, time for feedback.
J. Passepartout Actually probably a bit of both. Old Charles fought for Charles I after all, who was a crypto-Catholic, and religion was a major feature of that conflict. However, it is also very politic to be seen to be Catholic in Spain of this world since, as I recall, I was fully narrow-minded for pretty much the entire game, and only grudgingly tolerant towards Protestants. I chose St Thomas a Becket as St Thomas was himself a 'native' of England, while George is a foreigner, so to speak.
coz1 I rather liked that line myself, I must say.
coz1 said:
It occurs to me that Jean is learning a great deal more of this group after this circumstance than he had before. I almost get the feeling that you as author are beginning to care for them more at the same time as he. It's a pleasure, to be sure.
Not precisely care, rather I know have a clearer picture of them in my mind. In short, they have made the transition from objects to characters. Of course, for Red Charles this has been true for some time, but now I am beginning to really sink my teeth into the opportunity that is the Red Lion. Essentially, I am finding out more about them as I go, and so to therefore are you, my readers. I'm sure if someone looks hard enough they will find a couple of (I think minor) inconsistencies now, a symptom of the 'on-the-wing' style, but I am not worrying at all about them.
Draco Rexus I'm glad you like the idea. Old Charles is nothing if not canny.
Nil-The-Frogg There is a scene in Babylon 5 where one character settles a feud by arranging the death of his enemy, and as this is going on the screen keeps cutting back to a church service where there is boisterous singing of a hymn with the line "And the rock called out, no hiding place". Another example I can think of is that scene in
The Untouchables where Sean Connery's character is being shot and the camera keeps flicking to Al Capone enjoying his opera. Both were very much in my mind when I set up this situation, though this will not be actually possible for me to achieve writing 1st-person narrative.
In a different situation, of course, a juxtaposition of Present, Past, or Memory would do the same thing.
Rensslaer Personally I find humour to be at its most powerful when it is being used in some of the least humurous settings, and there was a little bit of that in this scene, true. But it was mostly unintentional. The family stuff that is going on now though, as I say in the reply to coz1 above, is the result of much more planning. Glad to know that it does not come across as being forced.
