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blakes7-d Digest Volume 99 : Issue 152
Today's Topics:
[B7L] Man of Iron
[B7L] Drugs
Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (potential spoilers)
[B7L] The Keeper and Star One
Re: [B7L] History
[B7L] Re: Valuable Knowledge
Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (long)
Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (potential spoilers)
[B7L] Flat Robin 45
[B7L] History
Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (long)
[B7L] Response to Judith's Inquiry re Man Of Iron
Re: [B7L] History
[B7L] Re: Avon the Slave
Re: [B7L] Re: Avon the Slave
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 20:06:14 EDT
From: Mac4781@aol.com
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se, space-city@world.std.com
Subject: [B7L] Man of Iron
Message-ID: <a70deba5.245b9f76@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
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Diane Gies of Horizon provided the following information to clarify the
availability of Paul Darrow's "Man of Iron" script.
-----------------------------
Message from Horizon regarding availability of the 'Man of Iron' script.
Please note that some years ago Horizon was authorised by Paul Darrow -
the copyright holder - to reprint and sell copies of his unproduced B7
Season 4 script 'Man of Iron' as part of our fund-raising activities.
The price charged of £5 + p&p by Horizon includes £1 from the sale of
each copy being donated to the official club charity (currently the
Variety Club Sunshine Coach Appeal for sick and disadvantaged children.)
Horizon's newly updated website, at http://www.horizon.org.uk now has
an animated easy-to-use shopping basket ordering procedure and 'Man of
Iron' can be found in the merchandise section (sub heading Printed
Material'), or using the new Search facility. Horizon accepts sterling
and also US$ personal cheques.
Our US Agent, KnightWriter Press, does not currently have stocks of the
script, but if anyone in the US wishes to purchase copies via Linda,
rather than ordering from us direct in the UK, Horizon will make sure
she has stocks available very soon. You can contact Linda Knight at
lknight@nas.com or see her website at
http://www.nas.com/~lknight/index.html
HORIZON, the Blake's 7 Appreciation Society
---------------------------
Carol Mc
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 07:40:47 +1000
From: Kathryn Andersen <kat@welkin.apana.org.au>
To: "Blake's 7 list" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Drugs
Message-ID: <19990501074047.A1787@welkin.apana.org.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Neil made some good points, which I summarize:
- suppressant drugs increased docility, they didn't suppress the
intellect
- "resistors" as mentioned by the Kommissar in Horizon were probably
drug-resistors, not political resistors
Agreed, agreed.
However, let's get our teeth into this a bit further.
The point of the drugs is to prevent rebellious actions. Therefore
they're probably tranquilizer-like drugs, things that increase apathy,
and decrease initiative. We know that pylene 50 (which is *not* the
drugs which were used in The Way Back) is a tranqulizer which makes
people happy and suggestible. The "suppressants" mentioned in The Way
Back and other places probably didn't have the same effect, but you
can see from Pylene 50, the kind of effect that the Federation
desired.
However, there is still an argument for not *all* the population
having been drugged. If suppressants suppress initiative, then at the
minimum, high government officials (such as Servalan) would be exempt.
Project leaders too. Alphas in general (such as Blake's lawyers)
might have a *lower* dose of suppressants than Deltas, but you can
still be an engineer (like Blake) if all you do is happily follow
orders.
I don't think they would want to increase the suppressants too much
for too long a period, or you'd start getting industrial accidents
from people who were "drunk" on suppressants.
The military probably weren't drugged in the same way as the general
populace; they have their own means of enforcing discipline. The army
needs to be fit, not dosed up to its eyeballs. But that would be easy
to take care of - the military would have its own rations anyway.
Of course, the military rations could be dosed with other kinds of
drugs, like steroids, to increase the strength and aggressiveness of
the army. I don't see them particularly caring about a healthy
retirement for their soldiers. But this of course is pure
speculation, no evidence in series.
Kathryn Andersen
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Doesn't it bother you that you spend your life in a state of
drug-induced tranquility?"
-- Ravella, to Roj Blake (Blake's 7: The Way Back [A1])
--
_--_|\ | Kathryn Andersen <kat@welkin.apana.org.au>
/ \ | http://home.connexus.net.au/~kat
\_.--.*/ | #include "standard/disclaimer.h"
v |
------------| Melbourne -> Victoria -> Australia -> Southern Hemisphere
Maranatha! | -> Earth -> Sol -> Milky Way Galaxy -> Universe
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 00:03:05 +0100 (BST)
From: Judith Proctor <Judith@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>
To: Lysator List <Blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (potential spoilers)
Message-ID: <Marcel-1.46-0430230305-5a7Rr9i@blakes-7.demon.co.uk>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
On Fri 30 Apr, Neil Faulkner wrote of Albion:
> Given the extremely low temperatures at the poles, only the equator might
> have been remotely habitable, which might explain the low population (six
> million, not five).
AVON: Nothing very special. Temperate climate in the
equatorial zone, but both polar regions are
uninhabitable. Temperatures remaining close to
absolute zero.
Always irritates me. I can't concieve of any kind of planet that can be
temperate at the equator and close to absolute zero at the poles. A black mark
for Terry there. I think few writers really think about just how cold absolute
zero really is. I wonder if he was thinking of zero Farenheit. Probably not,
but it would be somewhat closer to the mark.
At absolure zero, you woudn't get snow falling because the atmosphere would not
exist, the gases would have settled out as solids long ago. The snow would fall
with the full gravitational acceleration and no air resistance - always assuming
that there would be suitable air currents to allow clouds to form in the first
place, which there wouldn't be. In fact, as far as I can figure, the whole
planet's atmosphere would have settled out at the poles long ago.
Actually, as we saw snow falling, it couldn't have been close to absolute zero,
so Avon's data was wrong. Thus, the planet could be fairly habitable over a
reasonable chunk of its surface. I guess Avon never studied climatology -
Finally! A gap in Avon's education.
> Just as you would probably laugh at the suggestion that our society is being
> drugged en masse. Yet some people would suggest that it is...
UNless you choose to watch programmes like Brian Walden. Anyone see his
programme on Machiavelli? He has the annoying habit of forcing you to think.
>
> Judith also said in a later post:
>
> +ADw-They couldn't drug the upper levels of society. They needed intelligent
> people
> to perform the jobs that were less repetative. That is presumably the
> people
> among whom Blake represented a danger. Where these people were concerned,
> the
> Federation had to try and pull the wool over their eyes as far as possible -
> thus the charge of child-molesting.+AD4-
>
> This reiterates a conviction, quite possibly erroneous, that suppressant
> drugs inhibited higher mental functions. As I've said before, this need not
> be the case. If the people we see on Earth in The Way Back are drugged, I
> would suggest that Tel Varon might be one of them. And why not Morag, the
> arbiter, Dr Havant, even Dev Tarrant?
Because the body language was totally different. The people we saw moving in
the corridors at the start behaved very differently from those in the Justice
department. Therefore I assume they were drugged and those in control were not.
Besides, Tel Varon started taking action against the system - therefore he
wasn't docile and presumably wasn't drugged.
>
> Leylan wanted the prisoners heavily suppressed in order to keep them docile.
> Not to make them stupid. I'm a little disturbed by this equation of
> docility with stupidity. It suggests that dissidence is perceived to be a
> primarily intellectual activity, which strikes me as bollocks. It's action
> that counts, and action is not renowned for being terribly intellectual.
> Anyone can think revolutionary thoughts but that in itself doesn't get any
> revolting done.
>
> I'll accept that a low level of suppressant might be widespread within the
> Federation, but I still maintain that the heavy suppression we saw in TWB
> was both local and temporary. The aim of suppressants, as I see it, was to
> curb dissident activity (not thought) and bring it down to manageable
> levels, not to do away with it altogether.
>
> (In TWB, Blake was asked to go without food and drink for 36 hours because
> the dosage level was untypically high. Were it not so, Ravella might not
> have made such a stipulation. Blake's negative reaction to going outside -
> 'a category 4 crime' - suggests only aversion to comitting an illegal
> action, not to conceiving of it. It's the difference between thinking about
> robbing a bank and walking into one with a sawn-off shotgun.)
I don't see 'stupidity' as a deliberate effect of the drug, more as a
side-effect. I see it as slowing thought, not as preventing it. It's simply
too much like hard work to work out anything complicated. That's why I think
they didn't drug the higher echelons because they wanted to avoid that side
effect. eg. Alcohol is a depressent. People take it to relax. It also has
other side effects which include loss of physical and mental co-ordination.
>
> I'm also reminded of the Kommissar's remarks about 'resistors' in Horizon -
> 'Only one person in ten thousand is a resister' or somesuch. I suspect some
> people at least made the mistake (if mistake it indeed is) that he was
> referring to those who resist Federation rule - more likely he meant those
> resistant to the suppressant drugs.
Although I've used drug resistance as an element in stories several times, I
think think that's what the Komissar meant. I think he liked to imply that
being a rebel was some kind of genetic defect. It allowed him belittle people
and their principles.
> Given the source of most of Blake's crew, it is not unreasonable that they
> were so resistant to some degree or another. Therefore Avon could conduct his
> bank fraud, and Vila go about his thieving activities, -despite- being subject
> to the suppressants, not through the various oft-touted but unlikely means of
> avoiding them. They would be the warfarin-eating rats in the sewers of
> Federation society.
I'd believe it of Vila more than Avon. (But then by my theory Avon didn't get
the drugs)
Judith
--
http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7
Fanzines for Blake's 7 and many other fandoms, B7 Filk songs, pictures, news,
Conventions past and present, Blake's 7 fan clubs, Gareth Thomas, etc.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 01:40:11 PDT
From: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] The Keeper and Star One
Message-ID: <19990501084015.28007.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed;
<When Avon starts shouting "Where are the others ?" in the Keeper, is any
one else reminded of Vila asking "Where's Tarrant?" in Blake? I must say
that it's the first time I really noticed that bit and it
quite shocked me. Avon forgetting to hide the fact he cares?>
I hadn’t noticed this (well, I *did* say it was my unfavourite. Faced with a
choice of The Keeper and the mumbledy-ith viewing of Redemption, Shadow or
Killer, I tend to the latter. Or all of them.) But I *like* it...
______________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 12:04:59 +0100
From: "Una McCormack" <una@q-research.connectfree.co.uk>
To: "Lysator List" <Blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] History
Message-ID: <009f01be93c2$7c9bdb00$0c01a8c0@hedge>
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Judith asked:
> What periods of history would the Federation teach their children? I
would say
> that the choice in many countries is determined by what image of the past
they
> wish to project and how they wish to mould beliefs.
A lot of this is unconsciously done. But I think that the Federation would
have a fair idea of how to use history as a propagandist tool. I think
people would be left with only a very vague impression of what went on
before the Federation came to prominence.
Operating as a historian in those circumstances would be very difficult, I
should imagine.
> For instance, we know that the Federation had banned religion, so it's a
fair
> bet that they would not teach anything about it at all, or else only
things that
> showed it in an unfavourable light such as the Crusades.
Or else teach it with a secular progressive twist: 'Look at the funny
superstitions people used to have! Look how much damage was done in the name
of these superstitions! See how much more enlightened we are!' This could
tie in with the colonial justifications that you also mention: 'See how the
missionaries destroyed these cultures and civilizations! Look how well we
treat the planets that we bring into the Federation! Aren't we so much
better than anyone who has gone before us!'
> They would doubtless teach their children about how the Federation rose
from the
> ashes of world war and was the salvation of humanity (in my own version of
B7
> history there is a major nuclear war).
Definitely.
> Maybe they'd touch on the Romans, a great empire that brought civilisation
to
> many parts of the world. We often project bits of the past that we like
to
> identify with or can use as justifications for how we are now.
The only proviso being that they wouldn't want to give a suggestion that
these empires/powers ever collapsed. Teaching about the Nazis might not be
such a good idea, for example. But you could do a nice twist on that
description of the British Empire: the Federation is an Empire on which
*suns* never set.
> The things that we don't learn about in history are often as illuminating
as
> those that we do. (I rememebr how horrified I was when as an adult I
learnt
> about the opium wars)
A lot of my friends reacted in exactly the same way when they saw 'Michael
Collins'. My father would have been very pleased.
Una
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 04:47:00 PDT
From: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Re: Valuable Knowledge
Message-ID: <19990501114704.56103.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed;
On Thu 29 Apr, mistral@ptinet.net wrote:
<There might not be many verifiable facts pre-Federation, given the
timeframe; but any facts Blake could get at, Avon could get at.>
Blake shows an interest in history, especially military and political
(possibly, as a history nut myself, one of the reasons I love him.) Avon
shows none whatsoever. Presumably it's just not something he's interested in
(I have a few other reasons for loving him <g>). I see both of them as
voracious in reading up on what does interest them (and Avon may have the
more brilliant mind, but Blake isn't that far behind, and has a wider range
of intellectual interests).
Mistral goes on:
<Hmmm...now that I think about it, Blake even knew about early American
history (Killer), which means there was probably a lot of historical
information available if you cared to look.>
And Judith replies:
<Though Blake got the name wrong with regard to the plague blankets story,
showing that data may not always have come down accurately (far more fun
than saying the script-writer goofed) <grin>>
Actually, seeing as we're dealing with history as taught/allowed to be read
by a totalitarian dictatorship, it's impressive that he gets *any*
historical reference right thoughout the series. I've read parts of Nazi
history texts. They *hurt*.
Mistral could be right - there would be historical information - but it
would be warped. I cannot see *for one minute* that this particular story
would get past the federation school censors. Though of no practical danger
in itself, it strikes me as *just* the sort the Federation would clamp down
on like a ton of herculaneum bricks (condemning heavy-handed authority and
violent methods of supressing populations - both highly approved goverment
procedures here). That he had the really sordid details right indicates he
must have read a few proscribed books on history at some stage, and had the
ability to sift and interpret what he read. (I can't see the suppression of
the churches being in the approved texts either.)
In another post, Judith asked:
<What periods of history would the Federation teach their children? I would
say that the choice in many countries is determined by what image of the
past they wish to project and how they wish to mould beliefs.>
Most of the periods with strong (absolutist or dictatorial) governments,
certainly. I think the 'official' view of the 20th century would be fairly
unrecognisable to any of us living in it. The American Civil War (a war to
destroy slavery - an official Federation policy), the English Civil War and
the French Revolution would probably be consigned to official oblivion. I
agree that the official version of church history would be extremely harsh
(concentrating on things like the witchhunts, the persecutions - though not
in a way that could be seen as sympathetic to inoclasts or dissenters, which
would make for an interesting juggling act <g>, the periods of Papal
corruption...)
History would almost certainly be both warped and simplified, with only one
'official' view of events allowed, and everything that didn't fit that
version buried or twisted into an acceptable shape. Like a Little Golden
Book of The Past, as soporific and bland (and carefully calculated to please
the powers-that-be and soothe the general unthinking population) as
possible. After all, didn't Joseph Goebbels say (and I don't remember the
exact words) that when lying to the masses, you never tried to persuade them
of something they didn't want to believe?
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 04:47:37 PDT
From: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (long)
Message-ID: <19990501114753.47634.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed;
Kathryn wrote:
<I am reminded of something that a wise man once said to me: "Ghandi's
method can only work against a morally upright enemy." *I* would not use
violence, but I think it is a bit extreme to declare that violence is
*never* justified.>
I don't think I *could* use violence, even in a case of such bloodstained
brutality as the Federation. I do not see that as a virtue on my part. If
there is no other way of combating real evil, then to sit on one's hands to
keep *them* clean is nothing to be proud of. And by my reading of the series
there is no other way. As I said before, many, many people - just as
innocent as any killed when Star One crashes - are dying anyway. Many many
more are condemned to virtual or actual enslavement.
The violence is there *already*. And if he doesn't do this, bloody as it may
be, *no one else can*. He knows this. And if no one does it - as he sees it,
and I agree with him - no one (except the oppressors) gets a choice at all.
The violence will continue. In fact, the only way to stop the violence *is*
to destroy the Federation. And that itself will take bloodshed, whatever way
the rebellion is fought. There is no way *out* of that conclusion that I can
see.
Give the man credit for having the courage to take the blood on his own
hands. He knows what he's doing. As I said before, Cally choked. Avon truly
doesn't care. Blake does care, but he'll do it because he sees no choice.
<If violence was never justified for the "good" guys, then I wouldn't be
typing English right now, on this List. I would be typing Japanese, and
Blake's 7 would have been made in German, and probably not made at all, and
Israel wouldn't exist. Reform is better than revolution, but sometimes
reform isn't possible.>
Absolutely.
<Choosing for others who can't choose. Or, in this specific Blake's 7
context, revolting on behalf of others you didn't ask. Yes, you
should...what on earth has the mandate of the people got to do with it?>
Especially the mandate of those who, like our good little German and Soviet
citizens of the 1930s, were quite comfortable living with the misery and
murders of others. I've no doubt that, in their shoes, I would have done the
same (and would in the B7 universe) but that still doesn't mean that they
should have a say in whether the system that supported them and crushed
those others should continue.
Basically, Blake has to make a choice, whether he chooses to risk killing
some of the oppressed (along with the oppressors - I don't think *their*
fate worried him overmuch) to let the others have some of the freedoms we
all take for granted, or leave them *all* alive and with no freedom at all.
Life, death or a living death.
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 05:01:23 PDT
From: "Sally Manton" <smanton@hotmail.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (potential spoilers)
Message-ID: <19990501120126.41315.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed;
Judith writes:
<I guess Avon never studied climatology - Finally! A gap in Avon's
education.>
Well, but Judith, there had to be *something* in the galaxy he didn't know.
Orac knew, of course, but with Orac to get the right answers you always have
to know the right damned questions..
<I'm also reminded of the Kommissar's remarks about 'resistors' in Horizon -
'Only one person in ten thousand is a resister' or somesuch.>
<Although I've used drug resistance as an element in stories several times,
I think think that's what the Komissar meant. I think he liked to imply
that being a rebel was some kind of genetic defect. It allowed him belittle
people and their principles.>
I see this too. Also he probably means *active* resistors. Someone in his
position (middle management-cum- colonial governer for a totalitarian
government, a looonng way from anywhere) would be inclined to call the
enforced submission of the population at large 'loyal support'.
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 06:05:55 -0600
From: Penny Dreadful <egomoo@mail.geocities.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Flat Robin 45
Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.19990501060555.00821e90@mail.geocities.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>"Well," said Servalan, smiling coolly. "Well." The only light there was
>shone up on her face and Jenna's, from the flickering oil-lamp set on the
>low table between them. "Well."
***
The two forms landed between Death and Vila in a thrashing heap of tacky
fabric. Vila immediately recognized his undernourished doppelganger, but it
took him a second look by the light of Death's pilot-light eyes to identify
the fellow in the negligee.
Rincewind looked positively relieved to be staring Death in the face. "I
got your funnel," he said. "And your...food. May I be excused now?"
Death took the funnel and tucked it under his robe. The greasy paper bag he
handed to Vila, who accepted it absently. TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH, the
seven-foot skeleton said.
"I've been busy," Travis said, letting go of Rincewind's scruff. Quick as a
cowardly cheetah the scrawny wizard scuttled out of *everyone's* arm's reach.
I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU, Death said.
"Of course not," said Travis conspiratorially. "I wasn't talking to you
either." He turned toward Vila. "Where's Blake?"
Vila had just tipped the wine bottle up to his mouth and discovered it
empty. And it had suddenly occurred to him he had had this very same
nightmare before. Right down to the fact that he was the only one in the
room who wasn't wearing a dress.
"Where's Blake?" Vila echoed in disbelief. "You've been swallowed by a
suitcase while assaulting a wizard, had words with the Grim Reaper -- *the*
Grim Reaper -- and that's *still* the only thing on your mind?"
Travis took a step toward Vila, who skittered away, drawing closer to Death
as he did so. "Why shouldn't it be?" Travis asked calmly. "You think that's
the oddest thing I've ever experienced?"
"Outside of the inside of your head," Vila said, "I'd have to hazard a yes."
"Moot point. Where's Blake?" Travis took another step toward him.
In an unprecedented display of courage born of the sure and certain
knowledge that this was a dream, Vila snatched Death's scythe and lunged at
Travis. "So you want the Word, eh? Well I've got your Word right here!" he
screamed, swinging the deadly blade awkwardly but with feeling. Death
deftly retrieved it just before it reached the apparently unperturbed
ex-Space Commander's head.
I'M AFRAID HE'S STILL GOT QUITE A WHILE TO GO, said the skeleton, waggling
a lifetimer in front of Vila's crazed, glazed eyes. *Travis, Space
Commander, Alpha-15105*, the label said, and the top half held a lot of
sand. A lot more than Vila's. A *lot*... "Shut up!" Vila snarled at his
unshakeably sober superego.
"I didn't say anything," Rincewind said, alarmed by the abrupt and utterly
unexpected change in his doppelganger's disposition. He hoped it wasn't
catching. "You can let me off anywhere, downtown's fine," he said to Death.
Vila snatched the lifetimer from Death's bony grip and shook it at Travis.
"You *bastard*," Vila shouted. What better opportunity for catharsis, after
all, than safe in the midst of a lucid dream? Travis remained unperturbed.
Vila flung the lifetimer at him, but Death caught it adroitly and tucked it
back safely out of sight. "You're going to outlive me!"
"Goody," said Travis flatly.
"I can see that the two of you have some personal scores to settle," said
Rincewind hopefully, standing as far away from the other three as he could
and still remain in the light, "private, I'm sure, so if you'll just drop
me off anywhere within crawling distance of the Mended Drum I'll be
eternally--"
"What right do *you* have to live longer than *me*?" Vila howled, grabbing
Travis by the frills and shaking him. "Life! Wine! Women! Song! What do you
know about any of that, Mister Where's Bloody Blake?"
"I know 'A Wizard's Staff Has A Knob On The End'," said Travis. "Where's
Blake?"
***
"So tell me, Avon, where did we leave the -- ahem -- Liberator?" Blake
asked guilelessly as Cally and Avon frogmarched him out of the tomb and
across the manicured cemetery. It was now full night, with only a sliver of
moon, and a low fog lay on the ground, but the innate spookiness of their
surroundings was completely undermined by the sounds of gaiety, and the
occasional empty formaldehyde bottle, which emerged from one of the larger
tombs.
"Why? What are you planning to do with it?" Avon snapped.
"Ah -- fight the good fight for anarchy and chaos, of course. Why do you ask?"
"You want to give it to Servalan."
"Of course not. Why would I want such a valuable commodity to fall into the
clutches of such a staunch defender of righteousness and order? So, where
*is* it, Avon?"
"You're not a Space Commander," said Cally patiently for the dozenth time
as they reached the graveyard's ornate gates, in which iron had been
painstakingly wrought into the forms of bats, lilies, and the words *Have A
Nyce Lyfe*.
Blake smiled beatifically. "Of course I'm not," he concurred. "I remember
now. I'm a terrorist. A predatory pedophilic mass-murdering *terrorist* now
*where's* the *Liberator* Avon?" He lifted his bracelet to his mouth.
"Teleport! Teleport!" Cally grabbed his arm. "No teleport!" she screamed.
"We are experiencing slight technical difficulties down here," Orac's voice
crackled through the bracelet, "which are not being helped in the
*slightest* by your constant interruptions. If *any* of you insists on
attempting to engage me in another one of these pointless communications
within the next ten minutes, I shall be forced to disable communications
until the problem is rectified."
Avon ground his teeth audibly.
"If you want a ship to come back to," Orac concluded portentiously.
"Well why didn't you say so?" said Avon, and snatched the bracelet off of
Blake's wrist.
"No need to do that," said Blake. "We're all a big happy bloodthirsty
renegade family, right?"
"You're not a Space Commander," Cally calmly repeated.
"Of c--" Avon turned and grabbed Blake by the collar of his filthy monk's
robe and shook him vigorously. "Say it! Say you're not a Space Commander."
"I'm not a Space Commander," said Blake, extricating his garment from
Avon's grip and proceeding down the darkened sidestreet.
Cally scrutinized the stalking rebel. "You're lying, aren't you?"
Blake smiled. "Yes. yes I am. And what a very criminal and terroristical
way that is for me to behave. So, where did you say the Liberator was?"
Avon clenched his teeth and twirled his cosh. "The straightforward
suggestion doesn't appear to be working, Cally. Any other ideas?"
"Just a minute, Avon," said Cally. She raised her bracelet to her mouth.
"We're approaching an intersection," she said. "Intermittent Boulevard and
Eelbush Avenue."
"Um -- turn left, I think," said Jenna's voice on the other end.
"Oof!" Blake pitched forward onto the cobblestones. Cally scowled at Avon
and snatched the cosh out of his hand. "You've *got* to stop doing that!"
she exclaimed.
"I didn't," Avon answered. "He must have tripped over this," he continued,
kicking at a large wooden trunk almost invisible in the mist and darkness.
"Oof," Blake reiterated. "Yes, yes," said Cally, stooping to help him to
his feet. "Hmm, what's this?" she asked, pulling a red item out from
beneath the corner of the trunk.
"Looks like one of those wizards' hats," said Avon. "When we get back to
the High Energy Magic Building--" Avon's hand moved instinctively to defend
his delicates at the memory of their close encounter with the tarriel,
"--with Jenna and Supreme Collateral Servalan, we can return it to them."
"No, I don't think it belongs to a wizard. Everything they touch gets this
odd residual glow, a sort of greenish-purple...they never seem to take off
their hats, so logically--" Avon snorted. "--*logically*, Avon, thank you
very much, their hats ought to glow very brightly. To those of us who can
see it. This hat doesn't glow at all."
"Maybe not," said Avon, turning the hat over in his hands, "but it *does*
have 'wizard' written on it -- look, right here, in sequins: doubleyew,
eye, zed...zed..." His eyes narrowed. Cally's widened.
Blake sat on the trunk, rubbing his temples and blinking. "Where am I?" he
murmured.
"Coming out of it, are we?" Avon asked, kneeling to examine the lock.
"Vila?" he inquired halfheartedly of his bracelet. "Where *has* he got to?"
"Maybe he's with the Liberator," said Blake hopefully. "We should go
check." Avon sighed and prodded him off the top of the trunk, and the three
of them marched on up Eelbush Avenue.
"Eelbush Avenue and Respectable Lane," said Cally presently. "Straight
ahead," her bracelet answered. They hurried on. The night was eerily
silent, save for a small sound not unlike that of hundreds of tiny feet
skittering past them somewhere in the gloom.
"Eelbush Avenue and Sleazy Street," said Cally. "Turn right," Jenna's voice
crackled excitedly. "I should be able to see you out the window any -- yes!
The doorway's just ahead -- we're on the third floor."
"Oof," said Blake, stumbling over the Luggage once again.
Avon held out his hand expectantly. After a moment's hesitation Cally
sighed and handed him back his cosh.
***
Vila opened up the oozing bag Rincewind had brought him and sniffed the
contents cautiously. He seemed satisfied. He ignored the benightied soul
who now stood staring daggers at him. Travis was hesitant to take any
action more aggressive than uttering threats so long as the skeleton with
the scythe remained visible. It seemed quite probable that he had at long
last moved completely out of radio range with reality, but he felt that if
he kept a cool head he might well loop back round. Long enough to get the
job done, at least.
WELL, TIME'S A-WASTING -- BEST GET BACK AND START FILLING THOSE
WINE-BOTTLES WITH SAND, said Death.
Abruptly the floor beneath them tipped upwards, assuming the kind of angle
one might expect from the back stairs of a cheap hotel. "For gods' sake,
let me off first, *please*!" Rincewind grabbed two handfuls of Death's robe
and stared pleadingly up into his blue sockets as the four of them slid
slowly down the apparently infinite incline. "You don't even have to slow
down. I know how to roll!"
MAY I REITERATE FOR THE NTH TIME THAT I AM NOT IN CONTROL OF THIS VEHICLE?
said Death, with infinite patience. WHEN I SAID 'TIME'S A-WASTING,' I WAS
DROPPING A SUBTLE HINT THAT *YOU* OUGHT TO START STEERING US IN THAT
DIRECTION.
The floor straightened again momentarily, then resumed its previous tilt.
Vila stuck his hand in the greasy brown paper bag he was clutching and dug
out the lukewarm deep-fried substance contained therein. "Cally never lets
us eat stuff like this back on the Liberator. Well I mean she doesn't *say*
anything but she makes this kind of face..." He lifted the greasy amorphous
mass toward his mouth with a smile while Travis glared and tried to keep
his feet.
"I'm not in control either," Rincewind wailed. The floor straightened.
Tilted. "Don't you suppose *all* of you'd have been ejected already if I
were? It's like something's neutralizing my terror-vibes as quick as I can
emit them." Straightened.
"Ugh!" exclaimed Vila, making a horrible face as he pulled the food out of
his mouth and examined it judiciously. "Why, this is nothing but a fried wig!"
THEY'RE VERY HIGH IN FIBRE, said Death, pointedly waggling the empty
Djinn-bottle. The floor remained horizontal.
"A little pepper never hurt," said Rincewind, tossing Vila the Ultimate
Weapon. Travis intercepted the projectile in midflight, and examined it
carefully. It looked reassuringly inorganic. Yet somehow
unmistakeably...alien. His eye lit up, and his thumb hovered, sorely
tempted, above the big red button on top of it, but he resisted the urge.
"If you're quite done," said Vila, snapping his fingers at Travis, "My
wig's getting cold here."
Travis smiled and gripped the grey cylinder tightly. "This isn't pepper,"
he said.
"Salt, then," Vila said, moving toward Travis. "I don't really need to
worry about my blood pressure in a dream, do I? Mind you, I don't think
I'll tell anyone I was dreaming about *you* wearing my mother's best
negligee and brandishing a suggestively-shaped saltshaker, or they might
get altogether the wrong--"
"This," Travis interrupted, "is the Ultimate Weapon."
Rincewind began to run.
"Yeah, yeah, that's what Cally always says, her and her lentils and
lemon-zest, but as I already said--" Vila reached out to try and snatch the
cylinder, but Travis held it up above his head.
Just then a horizontal crack of light appeared, and Rincewind hit the wall,
or rather the wall hit Rincewind. For it was now comically undeniable that
they were three full-grown men and the anthropomorphic personification of
an abstract concept (also full-grown) crammed into a large but nonetheless
finite trunk.
"Avon, you did it!" Jenna exclaimed.
Vila, leaping upward to grab the Ultimate Saltshaker, found himself thrown
completely clear of the container.
"Vila, you're drunk!" said Cally crossly as she caught him.
"Wizard with two zeds -- you left us in a difficult position," said Avon
menacingly, and advanced upon Rincewind with his cosh.
"Travis, You're back," said Servalan smugly. "Kill Jenna first -- my hands
are going numb from being held above my head so long."
"Blake!" shouted Travis, leaping to his feet and raising his gun-arm. Avon
absently coshed the ex-Space Commander without taking his eyes off
Rincewind, who was trying desperately to pull the lid of the Luggage shut
again.
THANK YOU FOR THE FUNNEL, said Death to Rincewind. IT'S A *LOVELY* SHADE OF
BLUE. Death climbed out of the Luggage and onto Binky. AND THANK *YOU*,
VILA, FOR...DRINKING YOURSELF INSENSIBLE AT MY EXPENSE. I'LL SEE YOU SOON.
Then horse and rider vanished.
"See you soon," Vila muttered. "There's gratitude." Cally shrugged. She had
seen Death as clearly as any Discworld wizard could. The others looked
puzzled, but only marginally more so than they had before. "Anyhow, glad to
see you're all right," said Vila to Blake. "Won't ask about the way you're
dressed, that's just something else I'll try not to remember when I wake up."
"Give me your gun," Blake whispered to Vila.
"What? All right -- I've got to go to the little spaceman's room anyhow."
Vila handed Blake his gun and walked out of Persnickety's hotel room.
"Supreme Commander," said Blake. "Have I got a deal for you."
***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 15:03:37 +0200
From: Angria@t-online.de (Tanja Kinkel)
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] History
Message-Id: <m10dZQf-0003ZZC@fwd05.btx.dtag.de>
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Una McCormack schrieb:
> The only proviso being that they wouldn't want to give a suggestion that
> these empires/powers ever collapsed. Teaching about the Nazis might not be
> such a good idea, for example. But you could do a nice twist on that
> description of the British Empire: the Federation is an Empire on which
> *suns* never set.
Errr... sorry to be pedantic, but as far as I know, that was the description of
the Holy Roman Empire under Charles V. Nothing to do with Britain. As far as the
problem of teaching about collapsing empires/powers goes, I imagine the official
Federation history could have either taken the Nazi approach: if the Empire is
to be considered a predecessor, it only collapsed because of evil, degenerate
traitors; if the Empire is to be considered the predecessor of an enemy, it
collapsed because of the struggle for liberty by the "good" races - that was the
take on the original Roman empire by the Nazis, for example - oh, and on the
British Empire as well. Which is why there was an endless flow of German movies
about Ohm Krueger, or Irish uprisings, during the war, and why Hitler was
delighted by such propaganda opportunities as the visit of the Indian politician
Bose. Using the same principle, the Federation should have no problem teaching
about the Nazis. Or they could have taken the Soviet approach: it collapsed
because it did not yet have the perfect social structure we're enjoying now, and
thus, by the laws of history, was predestined to destruction.
Tanja
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 10:40:23 +0100
From: Julia Jones <julia.lysator@jajones.demon.co.uk>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Curious things in Star One (long)
Message-ID: <JaFVeCAHwsK3Ew0e@jajones.demon.co.uk>
In message <19990430204532.A639@welkin.apana.org.au>, Kathryn Andersen
<kat@welkin.apana.org.au> writes
>Evil dictatorships are so obviously evil that there is a moral
>imperative to as least resist them, even if one doesn't have the
>resources to actually revolt.
I do actually agree with you, but the problem with that last statement
is "Obvious to whom?"
London is currently suffering the attention of a small group of fanatics
who believe that England should be for the English, no non-whites or
Jews, or judging by last night, gays. Apparently it's obvious to them
that a government that tolerates the existence of such people is evil.
This does relate back to B7, because it appears to me that many of the
people involved in the Federation heirarchy believe that the
Federation's methods are moral. Servalan, at least in series 1 and 2,
certainly gives the appearance of thinking that the Federation's system
of government follows the principle of the greatest good for the
greatest number.
--
Julia Jones
"Don't philosophise with me, you electronic moron!"
The Turing test - as interpreted by Kerr Avon.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 10:29:55 EDT
From: Bizarro7@aol.com
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Response to Judith's Inquiry re Man Of Iron
Message-ID: <94ecdbd7.245c69e3@aol.com>
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I've never mentioned any of this because there was no reason to raise the
issue in the years I've spent on this list. But since Judith asked publicly:
<< Leah, how would you feel if someone in the UK offered to xerox copies of
Bizzaro? Or what if they made copies of your cartoons without permission?
(I
know how strongly you feel on that issue)<<
I'd say Paul's up to his old bad habits again. That's Paul DARROW. He did
EXACTLY what you've just described to me, a few years back. He took Bizarro
cartoons that I had given him as a GIFT and xeroxed numerous copies of them
and made certain that he auctioned off copies of the XEROXES at B7 cons in
the UK, usually packaged up in 3's. The profit went into his own pocket,
despite claims that it was for 'charity' at the time. I know people who
organized B7 conventions at the time and it was Mr. Darrow's practice to have
a background agreement with the upper staff that the proceeds of these items
go directly to him. I only found out about this when Laura Virgil and Annita
Smith flew over for a UK B7 convention and witnessed this first hand. Since I
never gave Darrow permission to bootleg my copywrited artwork, I have few
twinges of guilt over returning the favor.
I've been selling copies of MAN OF IRON here in the states since Laurie Cohen
gave us a copy straight from Paul Darrow, over 10 years ago. Darrow is
notorious for selling and re-selling the 'exclusive' rights to things he
gives different fans in different countries. He sold Annie and I a sheet of
proof B7 publicity proofs for $1,200...and then re-sold a copy of the same
sheet at least two other times, once in Australia and once in the UK. I guess
he figures nobody ever compares notes.
>> Paul's script is surely his copyright and he gave *Horizon* permission to
publish it.<<
That's nice, but he'd already auctioned off copies of the script elsewhere
around the world, years earlier. A pity he never told Horizon.
I have the greatest respect for Horizon, despite their editorial choices
regarding me and my friends here in the US in the past. Suffice it to say
that when I get my proceeds back from Mr. Darrow regarding the unauthorized
reproduction and sale of my work for HIS profit (or anyone elses, charity
included), I will return the proceeds from the MAN OF IRON reproduction.
Is this a personal matter? You bet it is. And I've kept it this way. Please
do not perpetuate it on the list publicly beyond this point.
Leah
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 09:37:50 -0500
From: Lisa Williams <lcw@dallas.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] History
Message-Id: <4.1.19990501092640.00ab1100@mail.dallas.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Tanja Kinkel wrote:
>Errr... sorry to be pedantic, but as far as I know, that was the description
>of the Holy Roman Empire under Charles V. Nothing to do with Britain.
It was, in the early 19th century. It was later co-opted as a description
of the British empire under Victoria, and became something of a cliche in
that context.
No need to let a good slogan go to waste. Any empire with far-flung
possessions could use it, after all.
- Lisa
_____________________________________________________________
Lisa Williams: lcw@dallas.net or lwilliams@raytheon.com
Lisa's Video Frame Capture Library: http://lcw.simplenet.com/
From Eroica With Love: http://lcw.simplenet.com/Eroica/
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 10:58:58 -0400
From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Re: Avon the Slave
Message-ID: <199905011059_MC2-7426-5476@compuserve.com>
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Mistral wrote re Sarcophagus:
> He was counting on Cally being able to
>stop the alien; if he hadn't been *very*
>sure she could, he'd have bided his
>time and tried another approach.
It was very soon after Rumours of Death; if there was ever a time he was
prepared to have his bluff called, I think that was it. I also think that
it was the proof of Cally's loyalty and affection that helped to restore
his confidence in himself (which seemed low to me when his response to
Tarrant's goading was so subdued).
Harriet
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 08:15:01 -0700
From: mistral@ptinet.net
To: B7 List <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Avon the Slave
Message-ID: <372B1A74.D21AFDB0@ptinet.net>
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Harriet Monkhouse wrote:
> Mistral wrote re Sarcophagus:
> > He was counting on Cally being able to
> >stop the alien; if he hadn't been *very*
> >sure she could, he'd have bided his
> >time and tried another approach.
>
> It was very soon after Rumours of Death; if there was ever a time he was
> prepared to have his bluff called, I think that was it. I also think that
> it was the proof of Cally's loyalty and affection that helped to restore
> his confidence in himself (which seemed low to me when his response to
> Tarrant's goading was so subdued).
Oh, Harriet, wonderful point! Thank you for the insight.
Regards,
Mistral
--
"And for my next trick, I shall swallow my other foot."--Vila
--------------------------------
End of blakes7-d Digest V99 Issue #152
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