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What a Flicker BringsNov. 26th, 2010 01:42 amzodiacal_light
Some of the text, especially in the first scene between Roger and Alanna, is lifted directly from Lioness Rampant.
--Alanna to King Roald, Alanna: The First Adventure
He was down with a nagging fever when he saw a flicker in his mug. Blinking, Thom of Trebond pulled it away from his mouth, and squinted.
That was how Duke Baird found him, twenty minutes later, motionless with a cold cup of medicinal tea held almost to his nose, eyes wide and glassy. Mages, Baird thought, conveniently ignoring that he himself was one.
A hand on Thom's shoulder and a brief shake brought the young lord back to alertness, but one look at the set of Thom's face and Baird knew there was no shot of him resting now.
He sighed, and stood back as Thom strode out of the sickroom. Sometimes you just couldn't stop some people.
He wondered what Thom had seen in the mug.
What Thom had seen was a maddening reflection of his own face, transformed by still greater illness into a waxen caricature and edged in a horrible blood-red. And when his eyes had crossed, the image had doubled, and one became toned orange, and the other an intimately familiar purple.
And that was all it took.
Thom was many things, but stupid was not one of them. There was only one explanation for what he'd seen, and he was kicking himself for not noticing sooner.
Of course Roger's Gift would have come back from the Sleep. Roger would never have put himself into the Sorcerer's Sleep otherwise…
Thom stopped dead in the palace hallway, causing a page to swerve abruptly around him. No. No, no no.
If he was right, if he was right, then…
But… There was that image.
And it made sense. Horrible, horrible sense.
Because the Sorcerer's Sleep only worked if there was someone left alive to raise you. And Roger was nothing if not meticulous.
Roger's hand traced lightly along the back of Thom's neck. "You must be proud of your sister," he said. "I hear she is in Berat now?"
Thom rolled over. "Do you have to bring her up while we're in bed?" he snapped.
Roger grinned, blue eyes dark with lust and darker things, and reached for Thom.
Thom wondered, idly, if Roger had noticed any difference yet.
"I just got word from Coram," Thom heard as he took a shortcut through the warren of offices smack in the center of the palace complex. Roger had taken to dogging the younger mage's steps, and Thom was intent on avoiding him as much as he could.
Word of Coram meant word of his sister, and that was enough to halt his rapid progress back to his rooms. Thom didn't have to strain to hear as the Prince continued, "Raoul found them in Udayapur. They entered Marenite waters last night; they'll arrive in Port Caynn soon." The other person in the office - Sir Gareth, Thom thought - murmured something in turn and moved towards the door.
Thom bit the inside of his cheek as he strode away. It had been months since he'd last had word of Alanna.
He'd've thought someone would have at least told him the news directly.
The doors at the top of the stairs swung open, and Thom ducked out from where he'd been hiding behind some random noble just as the herald finished his announcement. Alanna stood at the top, the beautiful Saren princess on her arm and a fiercely proud K'miri warrior following just behind. Thom gave a cheeky little wave, drawing his sister's eye, and grinned as she went beet red. He thought he heard the Prince chuckle slightly.
He barely paid attention to Princess Thayet's introduction, clapping distractedly along with the others. Alanna stood strong there beside the royals, proud and noble and so very different from the nervy new knight who'd left Corus two years before. This was his sister, as he knew her, and he watched as she knelt to the Prince and swore her oath of fealty, and presented him a prize straight out of legend.
He couldn't have been prouder. When he knelt, he knelt for her.
Alanna accosted him before he could slip away. "I didn't know you would be here," she said, going red again.
Thom grinned. "And miss my sister's big moment? You must be joking."
Her eyes tracked back to George again, doing a bad job of faking Bazhir stoicism. Even from this distance, she could tell he was still silently laughing at her.
She'd get him good, later. After all, she knew where he slept.
"So, how are you?" Alanna asked, turning back to Thom. From the glint of amusement in his eyes, he knew who she'd been looking at.
"I'm well," he said. Thom paused, and something twisted in his face before he smoothed out his expression. "I am, in fact, still well."
By the light of a false dawn, Thom of Trebond sat, grimly determined, in front of a guttering blood-flamed candle, and resumed the painstaking task of unweaving his magic.
Duke Roger did not look at all well, Alanna thought as she walked up with some Bazhir behind her. In fact, if she had to, she'd say the normally unflappable duke was … frazzled.
"So, you survived," he said, barely glancing at her. "What a pity."
Alanna's nerves hummed; she grinned recklessly. "Hello, Roger. You look pale. Not enough time in the sun?"
"You're cocky, aren't you? Killed anyone recently?"
"No," Alanna retorted. "It's so depressing to come back and find one's work reversed."
Roger finally grinned, a cruel twist of lips. "You know who to thank for that."
Yes. Thom, who Alanna was going to give a stern talking to, as soon as she was done here. "I know," she said casually. "Tell me something, will you? You meant to kill her - the Queen? And the king, and Jon?"
Roger tugged his beard, distracted. "If you ask about the days before you killed me," he said slowly, "yes, I did. You doubted it? Or did you persuade yourself a court trial would have absolved you from complicity in my death?" He leered at her as she flinched. "You aren't absolved. If not for you, I would have been king. Those were my plans. Now, of course, it's different. I had nothing to do with their deaths. I have promised," he fair spat the word, "to behave. Not that I can misbehave, since my Gift stayed behind when I came back to the living." Another savage grin. "It keeps my tomb warm for me, against my return."
Roger paused, looking keenly at Alanna. He pointed to her throat. "Don't you want to assure yourself my fangs are drawn? Use your keepsake; I know all about it from Thom."
…There was now another thing on her list of things to yell at Thom for. Still, she touched the ember and saw only him, not even a tinge of orange fire. Disquieted, she released the ember. "You're still a dangerous man, Roger. Your Gift just made it easier for you."
Roger grabbed her wrist, peering intently into her eyes. "You've changed, Squire Alan. You're very much the experienced knight, aren't you? And you don't fear me anymore - not as you did once."
She tugged her wrist out of his grip. "You know something? There are sandstorms that strip man and horse and bury them - I've seen them. I saw bones piled higher than my head for the folly of a bad king and those who wanted his throne. I lived through a blizzard that froze every other living creature solid. Against those things, you're only a man. I can deal with you."
Roger cackled with delight. "I'm sure you can, my dear. But I won't give you the chance - not a second time." He turned and walked away.
Disturbed, Alanna fingered her ember again. She squinted against the bright morning sun; for just a moment, she thought she'd seen a flash of orange, limned with purple, but it was gone.
Raoul was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs, clad in the blue and silver of the Own. Alanna grinned at him.
"I know you told me you were commanding the Own, but hearing it and seeing it are two different things."
Raoul rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, then dropped his smile. He nodded at the stairs. "I saw who you were talking to, up there," he said. "What do you make of him?"
"He's crazy," Alanna stated flatly. "I don't know if it's because he's alive when he should be dead, or if the spell that resurrected him damaged his mind, but it doesn't matter. He's crazy, and he's dangerous."
Raoul nodded. "I agree, Gary agrees - Mithros, even Jon agrees. But after King Roald pardoned him, what could we do?"
Alanna gave a half-shrug, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Is anyone keeping an eye on him?"
"Absolutely. He's watched everywhere he goes, and limited in that, too. You didn't see him at the ball last night, did you?"
"No," Alanna agreed. "He wasn't allowed to go?"
"He's pretty much restricted to his rooms," Raoul said, matching her pace as they walked through the palace. "Can we please talk about something else? This is depressing."
"One more question first," Alanna said, unconsciously fingering her ember. "Are you sure Roger's Gift is gone?"
"That's what Thom said," Gary responded, poking his head out from a passageway as they passed.
Alanna scowled. "Didn't we break you of your habit of eavesdropping?"
Raoul laughed; Gary grinned. "No," Gary said, waving them out into the practice court. "How else would I know anything?"
Raoul swatted him. "Anyway, back to your question," he said. "Roger claims it, and Thom and every other mage Jon's asked confirm it. Why?"
Alanna swallowed, throat inexplicably dry. "This," she said, tugging at her ember, "shows me people's Gifts, when I touch it."
Raoul and Gary stopped, and exchanged glances. "You saw something?" Raoul asked, at the same time as Gary said, "Where'd you get it? I've never heard of something like that," he finished at Alanna's look.
"I got it from the hand of the Goddess herself, back when I was a squire," Alanna said tartly, "and don't you go spreading that around. And yes, I saw something when I spoke to Roger just now. Or I think I did," she added, frowning.
"What do you mean?" Gary prompted as the silence stretched.
Alanna's response was uncharacteristically hesitant. "He had no Gift when I first touched it," she said. "But I thought I saw a flicker just before I left - a very faint one," she added as they frowned. "I may be imagining it."
Raoul and Gary exchanged another glance. "Either way, Jon ought to know," Raoul said.
"Agreed," said Gary, grabbing Alanna by the arm and dragging her back up the hallway. She sighed, but bit back her protest, and let them march her to Jon's study.
"Are you sure?"
"No, Jon, I'm not," Alanna snapped. "I told you, it was just a flicker. It might've been a trick of the light."
She, Raoul, and Gary had burst into the room while Jon was in the middle of a meeting with Myles, Duke Gareth, Duke Baird, and the Lord Provost. Now Myles spoke up, asking, "What color was it?"
Everyone turned to look at him. "His Gift was orange, wasn't it?" asked the Provost. "Wouldn't it still be?"
But Myles was watching Alanna's face. "Yes," she said slowly. "It should be orange." She raised troubled eyes to her foster father's. "But I saw purple, too."
Sudden pounding on his door jerked Thom from his trance. "Who's there?" he snapped, cupping the candle flame with one hand.
"Your sister," Alanna snarled. "Unlock the damn door."
…Alanna. Damn. Absently, Thom licked his fingers and pinched out the flame, staring in vexation at the door.
Alanna started hammering on the door again. "Goddess vex you, Thom! Open the damn door!"
She wasn't going to go away anytime soon. Sighing, he stood and flipped the latch.
It wasn't just Alanna. The Prince, Sirs Myles, Raoul, and Gareth, Duke Gareth, Duke Baird, and even the Lord Provost stood behind her.
Thom scowled.
"Oh, for Goddess' sake," muttered Alanna, shouldering past him. Thom sighed and stood back, bowing the others into his study.
"How may I be of service this fine evening?" he asked, barely trying to keep his annoyance in check.
Duke Baird brought a hand to Thom's forehead before Thom even had a chance to react. Green fire shimmered briefly, then vanished. The duke stepped back, dark eyes grave.
"Well?" Duke Gareth asked quietly, sharp eyes watching Thom.
"You were right," Baird said, nodding at Myles. "Lord Thom's gift is corrupted."
Alanna's mouth jerked. She opened it, preparing to yell, but the Prince's quiet voice cut through the room.
"You've been working magic," he said, not quite accusingly. He was standing with his back to the group, intently scrutinizing the still-smoldering candle.
"I am a mage," Thom snapped, his temper getting the better of him.
"What were you doing?" Prince Jonathan asked, finally turning to look at him with bright, angry eyes, and even Thom knew he couldn't wiggle out of answering.
But that didn't mean he had to play nice. "I was detangling my Gift," Thom bit out. "What did you think I was doing?"
Alanna's face darkened. "Given the utter stupidity of last fall? I think we have a right to be worried!" About what you're up to, hung unsaid.
Thom growled, and spun away, but Alanna was having none of that. She took two quick steps toward him, grabbed his arm, and yanked him around to face her.
Thom jerked his arm out of her grip so fast she almost fell, his eyes blazing with something more than anger. Unconsciously, Alanna stepped back, one hand rising to touch her ember.
"What do you see?" Jon asked her quietly.
Thom was surrounded by a thin shell of orange, that cracked and broke into red-fissured fragments as she watched. Beneath it, she could see the occasional glimpse of Trebond purple, held tightly steady against the red tendrils.
"Goddess, Thom," Alanna breathed, her heart hammering in her throat. Myles rested a hand lightly on her shoulder. "It's not possible for someone to carry more than their own Gift. What did you do?"
"Nothing," he snarled. "I'm trying to fix a mistake."
"Well, it's not working," she snapped, temper flaring again.
"I should be dying!" Thom shouted. There was a horrific cracking sound, and Jon turned in time to see a long crack snake across the stone wall; one shutter dangled loose in the wind. Unnerved, the Provost traced the Sign on his chest. Raoul watched from the doorway, dark eyes intent on Thom's face.
Thom didn't even notice. "I should be dying," he said again, moving forward to glare down into his sister's face. Myles' hand tightened on her shoulder. "The only reason I'm not is that what I'm doing is actually working."
"Your fever," Baird said. Both Gareths looked at him. "That explains why I couldn't heal it."
Thom stared down at his sister until she looked away, lips twisting; he then turned to the healer and bowed slightly. "Yes," he said simply.
Silence held for a moment, then a strong hand landed on Thom's shoulder. He stiffened, but the grip only tightened.
"I think," said the Prince, "you need to start from the beginning."
"Have you ever heard," Thom said once they'd all trudged back to the Prince's council chamber, "of the Sorcerer's Sleep?"
Myles stiffened; Duke Baird dropped his head into his hands. Across the table from Thom, Jonathan's eyes abruptly narrowed. "Yes," he said, all King-to-be, blue eyes boring into Thom's violet.
Thom looked abruptly away. "There you have it, then," he said. "That was Roger's plan."
Gary glanced around the room, relieved to see he was not the only one confused. Raoul was scowling at Thom with such a dark look that Gary knew he, too, hadn't been satisfied with the non-answer Thom had given them.
"Stop ducking the question, Thom," Alanna snapped from her seat next to Jon. "What is this Sorcerer's Sleep, and what does any of this have to do with your Gift?"
It was Duke Baird who answered. "The Sorcerer's Sleep is a very old, very dangerous working that essentially mimics death. It is triggered when the mage who has fully finished it is in an otherwise fatal situation, and makes him seem entirely dead while still permitting the possibility of resurrection." He rubbed his face, then looked up. "You're saying this is what Roger did?"
Thom nodded.
"That shouldn't have affected your Gift, though," Baird said, frowning.
Thom's mouth jerked. "Roger … planted a trap into the spell. When I resurrected him, it attached his Gift to mine, so that he could, in theory, have access to both, without the problems of bearing two Gifts at once. That's what probably happened, anyway."
Several people started talking at once, but Duke Gareth made a cutting motion with his hand, and they all fell silent. "There is one thing I do not understand," the Duke said, eyes hard on Thom's face. "You knew Roger was not truly dead?" And you resurrected him anyway? hung unspoken on the air.
Thom closed his eyes. "Yes."
Jon stood abruptly, his chair clattering to the floor. He leaned forward over the table, fists pressed to the wood, blue eyes blazing with more anger than Alanna had ever seen. Unconsciously, she shifted away.
"What were you thinking?" Jon snarled.
Thom was shaking. Alanna didn't blame him. "I -" He closed his eyes again, one hand rising to press against his mouth.
"Answer the question."
Thom's knuckles were white where they pressed against his lips. "I was compelled to," he whispered. The room was silent enough for everyone to hear him clearly.
"…What?" This time, there was more shock than rage in Jon's voice. Alanna gripped Lightning's hilt, eyes intent on her brother. Myles' hand was once more resting on her shoulder, solid and reassuring.
"It's the only possible explanation," Thom said, voice thin and tight. "I've been thinking it over the past few weeks. I don't actually remember why I decided to release Roger from the Sleep. I knew what he was." He nodded at his sister. "Alanna can tell you. We exchanged many letters about him."
Jon looked at Alanna; she nodded, face tight. "Go on," he said.
Thom exhaled, short and sharp. "That's about it. Lady Delia took me aside one day, and said that she wondered if I would, in theory, be able to raise the dead." He slumped back. "To the best of my recollection, she never even mentioned Roger's name specifically, but the idea of resurrecting him took hold and wouldn't let go."
Thom looked around the circle, eyes dark. "I could have fought the compulsion, if I'd recognized what it was at the time, but…"
"Maybe," Duke Gareth murmured. "Roger was always powerful at such things." Myles nodded.
The Provost tapped his chin, then slowly leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him. "If I may?" he looked at Jon, who nodded. "There is one thing, then, that I do not understand. How would Duke Roger have been able to plant the compulsion in you?"
Thom flinched. "I ran into him the day before Alanna's Ordeal," he said, voice unsteady. "He must have planted it then. We talked for a long time," he added, then buried his face in his hands.
"Mithros, I am so stupid," he muttered to himself.
Myles' hand tightened sharply on Alanna's shoulder, hard enough to hurt. She looked back at him, concerned, to find her foster father watching Thom with sad realization dawning in his eyes.
Myles saw her look, and shook his head lightly, smiling softly. "Never mind," he said, withdrawing his hand. "Never mind."
Roger was waiting in Thom's study when he got back, a glass of red wine in his hand and a familiar smile on his face.
Thom scrubbed a hand over his face. The Prince's parting words rang in his head: Most importantly, Roger must suspect nothing.
He didn't know what he was asking, Thom reflected bitterly, forcing a tired smile onto his face.
"Where were you?" Roger asked softly, eyes intent on Thom's face, bright and Conté blue.
"Where do you think?" Thom snapped, the stress of the day finally getting to him. "With your paranoid cousin, assuring him once again that you're Giftless and behaving yourself."
"Hmm," Roger said, setting down his glass and rising. In three quick strides, he'd crossed the room, backing the younger mage into the wall. Roger's eyes followed the new crack in the old, dark stone for a moment, bright and amused, before turning once more to Thom's face.
Thom forced himself not to flinch as Roger's hand brushed his cheek, as those blue, blue eyes bored into Thom's own. "Did you, now," Roger breathed, so close his lips brushed across Thom's as he spoke.
Thom barely had time to register alarm before Roger's lips were on his, before Roger's body was holding him immobile to the wall, before Roger's hands were feeling for the fastenings of his robe.
He tasted red, blood or wine or both, and felt the fragile shell protecting his Gift crumble away, and knew that if Alanna were to see him with her ember, his Gift would be red too.
The candle was missing.
There had been half a stick left yesterday, when he'd been unceremoniously dragged into that humiliating meeting with the Prince's council. But the candle in the holder now was a completely new one, trimmed to the same height, but without the eldritch aura the old one had gained over long nights spent detangling his Gift.
…Which, Thom realized, he'd have to do all over again. Months of painstaking work, kept to morning twilight and under Roger's guard, out the window. Snatching the candle out of the holder, he spun and strode from his rooms, and was halfway down the hallway before he realized he had no one to go to.
Gary was almost back to the blessed peace of his office when the absolute last person he wanted to deal with right now stepped out from an alcove, brandishing half a candle.
"I need to talk to you," Thom said, eyes blazing. "Now."
Gary sighed. "Come in, then," he said, waving the other man into his office.
Gary had just shut the door when Thom said, "Roger knows," and dropped the candle on the desk.
"Are you sure I have to do this?" Thom asked, sounding like nothing more than a petulant child.
Gary snorted, holding the reins of a placid mare. "Would you prefer to walk all the way to Myles' house?" he asked acidly.
"Yes," Thom said flatly, eyeing the mare as if she were about to bite him.
"Too bad," Gary said coolly, shoving the reins into Thom's reluctant hands. "You need to get there fast, and now. It's a long walk into Corus."
"Don't fret so," Duke Gareth said, smothering a smile. "Myles is expecting you, and the ride isn't that long."
Grumbling, Thom clambered awkwardly into the saddle, and rode off towards the gate with all the grace of a sack of grain.
Father and son exchanged glances, chuckling.
Overhead, Stefan shook his head. That poor girl, putting up with such indignity. He vowed to give her the best apples when she got back.
Thom arrived in the courtyard of House Olau in an ungainly clatter of hooves. The horse stopped, relieved, and Thom eyed the ground suspiciously before trying to dismount.
He promptly fell off.
Strong arms caught him and briskly set him upright. "You're clumsier than your sister," said the Shang Dragon, smoothing out his mustache. "Not much of a rider, are you?"
Thom scowled.
Liam laughed. "The scowl's the same, though."
"Come inside," Myles said from where he stood just outside the door, eyes crinkled in amusement. Thom shouldered his bag and followed as Myles led him upstairs to a guest room.
"Please, make yourself at home," Myles said, watching Thom tentatively set his bag down.
Thom turned to face him, and surprised both older men by bowing. "Thank you."
"Your sister was out," Liam said, "when Duke Gareth's message came. She's not back yet."
The three men turned. Alanna stood in an open doorway a few rooms down.
"Alanna," Myles said. "You just got back?"
"Yes," she said, tossing her head impatiently. "Why is Thom here?"
Myles turned to Thom, who was looking at the floor as if the boards would tell him the secret to putting off his sister. Liam smoothed a hand over his mustache again.
"Thom?" George Cooper had come up behind Alanna, placing both hands on her shoulders. At something in Thom's face, Alanna frowned, and took hold of her ember.
"What do you see?" Myles asked softly.
Alanna's face darkened. "I thought you'd separated his Gift from yours!"
"That's why he's here," Myles said at last, when it was evident Thom wasn't going to answer.
"Roger found out," Thom said, voice cracking. "Excuse me, but do you have a candle?"
"Has he come down to eat yet?" Eleni asked.
George shook his head, eyeing the ceiling. "He's still workin' that magic."
"Still?" Thayet asked, from over in the sitting room. Buri snorted, then stood and strode off.
Moments later, the sound of rapid knocking filtered downstairs, followed by a sharp exchange of words, then a thump and some shuffling. George exchanged glances with his mother, then turned to watch as a vexed Buri dragged an irate Thom down the stairs. She dropped him unceremoniously into a seat.
"Eat," she snarled, going back to Thayet, who delicately smothered a giggle.
Eleni dropped a plate in front of Thom before he could make his escape. "You look awful," she said.
"The fever's part of it. It's getting better," Thom said absently, before registering the food. "Thank you," he said, picking at his plate.
"Eat," Eleni said sternly, "or I'll drug your tea. You really should be sleeping more."
Thom looked faintly alarmed. "I don't have the time." But he scooped up some greens anyway.
"Answer me honestly, Thom of Trebond," George said, letting himself into Thom's room and settling himself on the edge of the bed. "Are you goin' to be able to finish this before Jon's coronation?"
"If you people stop interrupting me, yes," Thom said waspishly. He paused, then looked sharply at George. "Why the coronation?"
The thief smiled thinly. "We both know that's when the Duke's most likely to try somethin'. We understand theatrics, you and I."
His warm hazel eyes met Thom's icy purple, and Thom blushed.
Myles let Jon into the house, gesturing towards the sitting room. "After you."
"Where's Thom?" Jon asked. George sat in a chair by the fire; Myles dropped into the seat next to him.
"Alanna went to fetch him," Buri said from where she stood behind Thayet, at the same time as Alanna said, "Right here."
Jon bit his lip to stop a laugh. She had her twin by his ear. Alanna dropped Thom onto the nearest seat, then positioned herself behind him, menacing despite the lovely lilac dress she wore.
"I have work to do," Thom complained, rubbing at his ear.
Alanna snorted. "You've finished the separation," she said tartly.
"It takes daily maintenance, sister dear," Thom replied in kind.
"Enough," Jon said, amused. "Thom, I thought you were purging your Gift of Roger's entirely."
Thom shook his head. "If I do, it goes right back to Roger. It's only a week until your coronation; after that, letting him have his Gift back does less harm." He and George exchanged glances; Thom looked away.
"About the coronation," Myles said. "Are you going?"
Jon said, "No."
Alanna looked at her brother; he was staring off into the middle distance. "Why not?"
"Do you really want him near Roger again?"
George spoke up at last. "I think he ought to go." He was watching Thom again, hazel eyes dark.
"Why?" Alanna snapped.
"Whose side are you on?" Thom asked, shooting a glance at her over his shoulder. Alanna swatted him.
"Because if we're right, and Roger's plannin' somethin', it's some major magic, sure as the Crooked God cheats," George asked, ignoring their antics. "The only person here who can hold a candle to Duke Roger, magically speakin', is sittin' right there." He nodded at Thom.
Thayet nodded thoughtfully; Buri's face was impassive. Jon looked at Myles, who was watching Thom.
"But I agree that I shouldn't be at the coronation itself," Thom said, finally looking at Jon. "If Roger did transfer his Gift to me deliberately, I don't want to bet on it only being to tap mine in return."
The front door opened; Myles stood to gesture Liam and Coram into the room. "We were just trying to decide what to do with Thom."
Coram grimaced; so did Thom. Liam looked thoughtful. "What have you decided?"
"He'll be in the palace," Jon said, "but not in the Hall itself."
Liam nodded, glancing at Thom, his eyes a pale, pale green.
"What did you see during your ride?"
"Not much," Liam said, turning away.
After several stressful weeks, the coronation was finally underway. Alanna smothered a yawn, earning a wink from Gary and a snort from Raoul. They stood against the wall near where Jon knelt, ready to receive the crown of Tortall.
Alanna knew it was ridiculous, but she held her breath anyway as the priest and priestess jointly lowered the crown onto Jon's head. The moment it came to rest, it - and Jon - flared white -
- And the whole room lurched, the air shrieking as immensity forced its way through.
Raoul had lurched forward when the ground jerked, scrambling towards Jonathan. Gary spun away, unsheathing his sword as men-at-arms in Tirragen and Eldorne colors made their presence known. Alanna ran for the door at a nod from Jon.
She needed to find Thom.
Coram caught up with her as she turned the corner. "Where are ye goin', lass?" he asked.
Alanna swung to face him, then paled as a lump in her pocket pressed into her leg. Hurriedly, she fished out the Dominion Jewel and pressed it into Coram's hands. "Take this to Jon," she ordered. "He needs it, now. I have to go help Thom."
Coram nodded, clasped her wrist briefly, then ran back the way he'd come.
Alanna hurried down the hallway.
The surge of magic knocked Thom off his feet; the sudden pressure in his head as Roger's Gift twisted against his made rising a struggle. He fought his way to his feet anyway, clinging to a crumbling section of wall for support. It took all his concentration to keep Roger from ripping his Gift right out of him.
He needed to stop this.
And Thom, with the quickness of a lit match to oil, was angry.
He staggered out of the room.
Faithful's yowl was the only warning Alanna had. Instinctively, she ducked, and the axe missed her head by inches, striking sparks on the wall. Alanna spun, unsheathing Lightning.
Princess Josiane stood behind her, a great double-headed axe in her hands and a truly maniacal grin on her face. Alanna had no time to wonder how the willowy princess was able to swing the axe; Josiane was giving no quarter.
Alanna parried once, then twice, wondering how long she could keep this up. Lightning wasn't meant for parrying such heavy blades.
Josiane flew sideways, hitting the wall with a sickening crack. She didn't rise.
Alanna whirled; Thom crouched in the intersection, angrier than she had ever seen him, the air around him still faintly purple. She moved towards him.
Thom waved her off impatiently, dragging himself upright. His eyes were glassy and distant, looking at something only he could see. "You need to get to Roger," he said, voice low and breathless. "He's in the catacombs, by the old kings." He pushed himself off the wall.
"Where are you going?" Alanna shouted.
"To help the king," her twin rasped. "Hurry, before it fully opens."
Faithful yowled again - Come on! - and Alanna turned and ran. She would find out what Thom meant soon enough.
Things were getting a little desperate, Eleni thought, grimly tying down group after group of enemy men-at-arms with her thread magic. She had no idea where her son was. Rispah was heading off Delia of Eldorne; Princess Thayet and Buri had gone for weapons and joined the fray. The king still knelt on the dais; Coram had run in shortly after Liam had run out and shoved the Dominion Jewel into his hands. The Own surrounded the king, but they were hard pressed; the imperious Duchess of Naxen was forcefully calming the panicked crowd.
Something had to break soon.
A noblewoman next to Eleni gasped, and pointed; something was half crawling, half dripping down from the ceiling, looking like nothing more than a mass of half-melted ice.
Ice with eyes, Eleni realized, shock stilling her fingers. Myles grabbed her arm, pulling her back to reality with a snap. "Elemental," he muttered. "There are some others near the door. Can your thread trick work on them?"
"I don't know," she replied, fingers already busy on a new knot. "I can try."
Thom staggered upright yet again, pressing his head against the cool stone. He had no time for this. He had to get to the king. But Roger's Gift was fighting him for everything he had, and he had nothing left. He laughed, breathlessly, giddily reminded of the odd game of tug with his sister.
…Wait. Thom yanked back on Roger's Gift with all his might, then, using the favorite trick of obnoxious brothers everywhere, let go just as Roger tugged back.
Roger's Gift went screaming out of Thom, sending him to his knees. But he had no time for this. He could feel the elementals surging up around him from Roger's Gate, turning stone and air and water into treacherous monstrosities.
Thom pushed himself to his hands and knees, scrambling for the Hall entrance as some stone-wights ripped out the floor behind him.
Alanna heard a scream as she approached the old entrance to the catacombs. She frowned; she thought she'd heard the faintest clank of mail from just within the stairwell.
She couldn't take the chance. She sent a flare of her Gift through ahead of her, burning the people lying in ambush and rushing down the crumbling stairs as fast as she safely could.
She didn't notice the smoldering remains of tunics in Tirragen colors behind her.
Thom staggered straight into Duke Gareth, nearly getting beheaded in the process. The Duke frowned at him.
"I need to get to the king," Thom gasped.
The Duke was still staring at him, eyes dark with suspicion. Thom held up his hands, letting a pure purple glow fill them. "He's no hold over me anymore," Thom said. "Please."
Duke Gareth spun, neatly skewering an opportunistic man-at-arms, and nodded, wrapping one arm under Thom's and practically throwing him at Raoul. Raoul dragged him over to the king, who was kneeling, distracted, in the center of a ring of the Own.
Thom fell to his knees next to him as Raoul spun back to cleave an approaching elemental in two. Jonathan, veiled in pure white and Conté blue, was clutching the Dominion Jewel, forcing the palace and the land beneath it together even as he struggled to contain the elementals.
"Your Majesty," Thom said. No response.
Biting his lip, Thom reached deep into his magic. I have no time for this. He reached deep, and tore open the barrier between his Gift and the rest of himself, letting it pool into his hands.
"Any time now," Raoul said through gritted teeth, battering another elemental away.
Thom, no longer quite himself, grabbed Jonathan's wrists.
His Gift went streaming out of him, straight into Jonathan and down into the Jewel and back again until he couldn't tell where he ended and Jon began.
The world stopped as he fought himself over what to do, as he told himself to let the palace crumble - It's only a building, you idiot, most of the people are here - and the earth crack - An earthquake or two is manageable - and reached deep into the Jewel, the Jewel that Alanna had - not - brought him, and turned it towards the swarming elementals instead.
And they were swarming, too many, far too many, converging on the Hall and the dais within it from every point, even the impossible ones -
- Jon flared whiter than before, blue-white like the hottest of stars, the Jewel lost inside his bright corona. Thom didn't so much as blink, barely breathing, hands locked tight around Jon's wrists, wondering with his last conscious thought how much he had left to give.
With a roar, the northern half of the palace collapsed.
Alanna found Roger by a wide-open Gate of Idramm; a quick glance at the swirling sigils confirmed what she already knew - he had used the variant for summoning elementals. He stood just next to the rip that hung in the air itself, watching with the air of a gleeful child as thing after slug-like thing streamed out, this one fire, that one water, then metal, then ice, burrowing into the walls and floor.
"Hello, Roger," she said, Lightning steady in her hand.
Roger spun, a gleeful grin turning his handsome face vicious. "Hello, Lioness," he chirped. "Enjoying the fun?"
"Fun?" Alanna snorted. "Hardly." She picked her way towards him, mindful of the sigils.
Roger grinned and gestured; Lightning, humming, jumped and strained towards him, fighting her grip. "You just had to corrupt my handiwork, didn't you?"
"Handiwork?" she said, gritting her teeth and pulling back with all her might.
"The sword you fused your Lightning with. I was an amateur jeweler in my youth, you know." He gestured again, orange light glinting along his fingers. Her feet slipped forwards a few inches; she dug in her heels.
Alanna suddenly, insanely, thought of the inane picture she must make. It's almost like one of those stupid games of tug I played with Thom, she thought. And Thom had always let go just when she was getting into it…
So she'd steal a page from his book. As Roger gestured again, Alanna let go.
Lightning screamed as it flew, and Roger, frantically, threw up a brilliant orange shield -
- Only to scream in utter fury as the shield flickered and died, and the scream was her brother's name.
It was the last word Roger ever said. Lightning impaled him, slowed but not slowed enough by his shield, and Roger died for the final time.
He died laughing.
The Gate dissipated into nothingness. The shriek of the larvae caught within it echoed across the palace grounds; at the sound, Alanna felt her skin break out in gooseflesh.
Alanna had to clamber over what seemed like tons of debris to make it back to Jonathan. A veil of pure white light shivered down the stones, sucking the elementals down into the ruins and holding them there.
She looked down only once, at the eldritch creatures clawing at the inner surface of the stones and tiles, now gone glassy and strangely silken. Shuddering, Alanna looked away, and scrambled on toward the Hall.
Please let it still be there. Goddess, please.
It was. The whole southeastern section, including the Hall of Crowns, was still mostly intact, glowing a clean, pure white that left blue spots on her vision.
She entered the Hall, Lightning in her hand. A dust-covered Gary met her.
"It's safe," he said, and she nodded, sheathing her sword.
"The elementals?"
"Jon and Thom got rid of them."
Alanna moved around Gary, but he gripped her arm and pulled her back. "Wait."
"Gary, let go!"
"Alanna." It was Jon's voice, raspy and barely audible.
Gary let her go.
The first thing she saw was Duke Baird, crouched down next to a tall figure. It took her a moment to recognize Duke Gareth; she gasped.
"A heart attack," the Duchess said, coming up behind Alanna. "Hmpf. I warned him," she said, moving off to kneel gracefully beside her husband.
Turning, she saw Jon, still on the dais, still surrounded by Raoul and his men, still clutching the Jewel. His wrists were burned, she realized, badly burned in the perfect imprint of -
- Thom was lying sprawled before Jon, and Alanna could not tell if he was breathing.
She wasn't breathing, and she didn't until she dropped to her knees next to her twin and felt the faint rise and fall of his chest, the faint thread of his pulse. Thom was alive. Barely, but alive.
She rested both palms on his chest and looked up at Jon. "What happened?"
Jon looked weary beyond measure; there were strands of white threading through his jet-black hair. "We were running out of power," Jon said simply. "He poured all his Gift into me," and here he gestured wryly at his wrists, "and when we still needed more, he reopened the latent connection Roger had left in him, from all the compulsions, and tapped out Roger's Gift." Jon paused. "And then his own life."
Eleni, limping on a wrenched ankle, let Myles lower her down next to Thom. "He's alive," she pronounced after a moment's exam, "but he's in a deep coma. I'm sorry, Alanna."
"We'll move him to Legann. We're moving the court there," Jon added at Alanna's look. He moved, finally, to rest one hand on Thom's head.
Alanna looked at her brother's still face, then back at Jonathan, and nodded.
"Welcome back to the land of the living," was the first thing Thom heard when he woke. He slitted open his eyes and turned, feeling oddly weak, to see Duke Baird sitting in a chair by his bed. "Do you remember what happened?" the healer asked.
Swarms of elementals, the palace disintegrating around him, the king's wrists in his hands and the smell of burning flesh, his Gift and more pouring out of him…. Thom nodded.
"Good," the Duke said, standing. Green fire played over Thom; finally, Baird stepped back, and sat down again, pulling the chair closer.
"You are in the summer palace at Port Legann. The old palace is uninhabitable and still infested by elementals; we may never be able to rebuild it." Thom nodded to show he was listening. The Duke paused, looking Thom over. "It is currently October ninth."
…October? "What?" Thom croaked.
Baird regarded him gravely. "You powered King Jonathan with your own life force; it left you in a coma. I must say, I am surprised you woke so soon."
The door to what Thom now recognized as a private sickroom opened; the king stood in the doorway. "May I come in?"
Baird met Jonathan's eyes for a long moment; finally, he nodded and rose, bowing to the king before leaving them alone.
Jonathan moved to stand behind the vacated chair; he surveyed Thom with dark blue eyes, hands pressing into the chair back. Thom stared back, too tired to do more, noting idly the shiny burn scars wrapping the king's wrists.
"There's something you need to know," Jonathan said finally, and Thom realized that the king had not quite met his eyes. Jonathan opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, then closed it and smiled grimly, raising one hand.
Dark indigo fire bloomed around the king's fingers.
"No," Thom breathed, but it was protest, not denial. He had known. He had known the moment he'd woken, feeling so hollow and light and tired, all at once. He looked at the indigo fire twining around Jonathan's fingers for a long time.
"You don't have a fever," Thom said at last, dully, as the implications set in.
"No," Jonathan agreed, reaching out to brush his thumbs under Thom's eyes as he wept.
Alanna rode into Legann three days later, sun-tanned and weatherbeaten; George, now of Pirate's Swoop, rode with her.
She hugged Thom until he thought he'd pass out again, then socked him in the arm and proceeded to yell at him for a solid half an hour. George stood discreetly behind her the whole time, alternating between grinning like a fool at everyone in the room, and smirking at Thom.
Finally, when Alanna had exhausted her worry and relief, and slumped back against George, Thom managed to get a word in.
"I'm glad you picked the thief," he said, lips curving at the look Alanna was giving him. "You'd've made a godawful queen."
She turned beet red and punched him again - fairly gently, for her - as George roared in laughter.
"And you're sure none of the elementals escaped the palace grounds?" Thom asked, pressing his hands flat on Sir Gareth's desk. He frowned; they were still trembling, and he'd been up for two weeks.
Oh, well. At least he could walk now, mostly. Thank Mithros for Duke Baird.
"We're positive," Jonathan said. "I saw it at the time, and I've been checking regularly since."
"The problem," Duke Gareth said from where he sat being hovered over by his son, "is that we can't get rid of them. Whatever you and Jonathan did at the coronation seems to have been a one-time event."
"It was," Thom and Jonathan said at once. They looked at each other; Thom looked away.
"Anyway," said Jonathan, "that's where things stand."
Thom paused, weighing his words. "I seem to remember mentions of something… I would have to go to the City of the Gods to check," he said, looking at the king.
Jonathan seemed to read something in his eyes; slowly, he nodded. "We'll arrange the details later."
"And that's that," Jonathan said, scattering sand on the signatures to dry them. "I'll file this tomorrow, after you're gone, but as of now, Trebond passes on absolute primogeniture."
Thom nodded, settling back, both hands folded over the top of his walking stick.
"Are you sure you want to do this? You've been awake not even a month."
"I'm sure," Thom said. "Your Majesty, we need those answers. And the only mentions of elementals in the City were all in northern texts."
Jonathan sighed, then smiled. "My friends call me Jon."
Thom looked up, startled, into his eyes, and smiled.


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Bucknell University equivalency guide
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Get info about Bucknell University equivalency guide, and registering for elective lectures and seminars. Which college degrees give you the best chances of entering a successful career path after graduation? Concentrating on Bucknell University equivalency guide, for example, may give you additional focus in the admissions selection process. Check with the admissions office for assistance with prerequisites, course registration deadlines, and college degree program requirements. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Bucknell University.
Research demonstrates that college freshman taking a full courseload go on to complete their degrees at a much higher rate than those students who study part-time. When choosing a major, plan ahead and be sure that you are picking courses that will meet transfer requirements of other colleges and universities later on. Further, by choosing your major early, you may be able to take some required core classes in a community college, saving both time and tuition fees.
Look at all the schools in your state first, as in-state tuition may be lower for state residents. The course catalog will outline which classes are required for a particular major, and what minimum GPA you'll need to maintain your class standing. Please contact the academic advising staff at the school you are interested in applying to about their specific guidelines. Beyond major requirements within the admissions department, you may consider Cleveland Community College GED testing for complementary electives to your primary course of study.
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College of Healthcare Professions
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Iowa Western Community College
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Education Corporation of America
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Sally Bookman Team has been selling homes in Seacliff since 1974. When you choose to work with the Sally Bookman Team you are choosing to hire a team of very experienced and knowledgeable agents that will get your home sold for the most amount of money, in the least amount of time with the least amount of hassle.
The map below shows homes sold in Seacliff, Aptos by the Sally Bookman Team.
[mashup width="100%" height="500″ show="query" show_query="posts_per_page=-1&post_type=solds&communities=seacliff"]
Recently Listed in Seacliff, Aptos, CA
Below are homes for sale listed on the market within the last 14 days.
Click here to see all currently available homes for sale in Seacliff.


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|Friends in Austin
|Family at cousin's wedding in California
|David and his parents
|Volcano in Guatemala
Between Guatemala to Colombia I had a layover in Costa Rica, where I got to explore and process things with Jesus. I stopped at this church in Alajuela, outside of San Jose and just sat and listened to my creator.
I heard a song (at the end of this post) and realized that it was my life. I have meticulously set up stones to lead to the desires of my heart. I have treated my author as if he needed my help directing my life to the ending. I've created idols of the good desires God has given me. I'm always either reminiscing about memories in the past or dreaming about desires to come. I've built up my life preparing for a future I'm waiting to start. Because of this, I can't truly enjoy this season. I'm not content. I don't see God for the powerful director he is and therefore I expect very little of him. I sold my previous life and left Texas, learned Spanish (mostly), and am now so focused on finding the solution to my brokenness - fulfilled desires of serving and loving street kids, and finding the perfect man to complement me in that ministry. Because of plan, I find myself lost and confused when the stones don't add up. I don't see his "no" as protection. I see them as failed attempts.
|Besties in Austin
So here's to the end! The end of worshipping my plans and asking God to "bless" them. The end of holding on to hopes for too long, expecting God to do things He's never promised me. I trust you, Abba, that your ways are best and I'm tired of getting in the way with my own stones. I'm letting go to receive all that you HAVE promised: LOVE that is whole, PEACE I can't understand, JOY in all moments, and POWER that fulfills your promises.
I'm ready to be present in this season and think about what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise. Please pray with me that I can learn, what Paul calls, the SECRET of being content in all circumstances. (Philippians 4)


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We're sorry, this listing is off the market. Try these listings instead:
Birmingham Area Dry Cleaner in a Prime Location #473526 posted Aug 9, 2017
- Birmingham, Alabama, United States
- $145,000
Location, location, location is the prime statement for this dry cleaners. Very convenient and on a very busy byway. The owner is partly absentee so a new owner could eliminate an employee if worked everyday. There are several ways to grow sells in this area. One would be setting up routes. The plant...
Birmingham Dry Cleaners Plant w/Multiple Locations #476515 posted Sep 28, 2017
- Birmingham, Alabama, United States
- $495,000
This is a great opportunity to buy an established laundry with plant and satellite locations. Owner is planning to relocate to another state. The locations enjoy great traffic. Staff is fully trained, handling 178,433 transactions in 2016.
Two Dry Cleaners in Very Busy Intersections #468131 posted May 10, 2017
- Cobb County, Georgia, United States
- $100,000
Opportunity to acquire two dry cleaner plants in very busy intersections. One cleaner is being used as a pick up station, and the other is being used as a plant. Equipment is in great condition. This is ready for a new buyer who wants to grow a business with a head start.
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Elia Arce (Costa Rica)
Elia Arce is an internationally known artist and cultural activist working in a wide variety of media including performance, experimental theater, film/video, writing, spoken word and installation. She is the … Continue reading
March 1, 2014
Photos by Alex Barber 2014
Click the thumbnails to View the Slideshows of Houston Photographer, Alex Barber. 2014 Artists: Abel Azcona (Spain), Aisen Caro Chacin (Venezuala), Autumn Hays (Chicago), Autumn Knight (Houston), Carlos Martiel (Cuba), Daniel Adame (Houston), Daniel Bertalot (Houston), David Graeve … Continue reading
March 2, 2013


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As a recent graduate of Lehigh University, Kelly McCoy sees herself as an ambassador who strives to uphold the Bethlehem school's guiding principles, which include celebrating diversity and rejecting discrimination in all its forms.
In McCoy's opinion, President Donald Trump, who received an honorary degree from Lehigh University in 1988, does not uphold Lehigh's ideals through comments he has made about immigrants and his America First policy.
That's why after Trump's response to Saturday's deadly protest in Charlottesville, Va., McCoy started an online petition asking Lehigh to strip the president of his degree.
"Whatever I say is associated with my identity as a...


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Getting a Mortgage
1. Organize Your Documents
In order to obtain a mortgage, your lender will require certain documentation from you to make sure that you will have the ability to repay the loan you take out. Such documentation includes proof of employment, credit history, tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, divorce and child support statements if applicable, and any other information that the lending company feels might be necessary.
2. Qualification
Before you apply for a loan, getting qualified will help you establish how much you can borrow. When purchasing a home, there are two options one may choose from to qualify for a loan. The first option, pre-qualification, is a quick process that usually happens in a matter of minutes. While pre-qualification is helpful, your other option – pre-approval – is more beneficial and gives you better leverage when negotiating with the seller. Getting pre-approved also lets you focus on homes within your price range instead of wasting time looking at homes that you won't be able to afford. Finally, when it comes time to close, the process will go rather quickly since your loan has already been approved.
3. Find the Right Loan Program
While searching for the right loan program, there are many things to take into consideration. For example, you might want to think about how long you plan on keeping the loan. The length of your residence will determine the type of loan you want to get (i.e. adjustable or fixed). To figure out which loan program is the best, one will need to compare different programs and everything that each one involves such as rates, fees and points. The whole process can be tedious and difficult at times, which is why a qualified loan officer can help you make the right decision.
4. Obtain Loan Approval
The process of obtaining loan approval involves the following steps:
- Review of loan application (Be sure to fill it out completely).
- Verification of credit history, employment history, assets such as bank accounts and mutual funds, property value and any additional information that the lender might require.
There are also a few things that you can do to improve your chances of getting the loan approved.
- For any requests of additional documents and information, respond promptly.
- Do not make any major purchases such as a car or new furniture until the loan is closed. Increasing your debt can have the opposite affect on your application.
- Make sure you will be in town for the closing date. If you cannot be there for the closing of the loan, you can carry out a power of attorney to authorize someone to sign on your behalf.
5. Close the Loan
Once the loan is approved, your next step will be to sign the final loan documents, which usually takes place in the presence of a notary public. Be sure to verify the information within the document, especially the interest rate and loan terms. Also check to see if your name and address are correct. Finally, don't forget to bring a cashier's check for your down payment and closing costs.
Let us help you find your next home. We are experienced in assisting buyers through the mortgage process and can help advise you too. Fill out the form below to get started.


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Click enter to go to the search tool
COLOR: Blue grey
Funnel collar dress falling just above the knee with long sleeves and bows on the cuffs. Features button-up fastening in the back, elastic and gathered top and interior lining. Made of a printed fabric.HEIGHT OF MODEL 177 cm. / 5′ 9″


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Internet Marketing Tips For All Types Of Businesses
With all the competition for your business, it is sometimes hard to know where to start with Internet marketing. The secret to Internet marketing simply put is to implement many tactics and do it well. This article will help you get started!
Run tests and analytics on your emails to see which ones perform best with your customers. One way to do this is with split testing, also called bucket testing or A/B testing. After you have created your email campaign, change a single part of the email. Change up your subjects, your introductions, or your wrap-ups to see what kind of language best encourages action. Try sending each version to equal number of random customers and see which has the best success. If one variation outperforms the other, then you know which one to use going forward.
Try to give a reward to those that come to your site frequently. It is helpful in customer retention, and the appearance of generosity is positive for your company. Doing things like this will help get the word of mouth working to your benefit.
Customers love games and prizes, and it can pay to use them on your site. For example, you can try disguising certain words into your articles and asking your customers to locate them. If they win your challenge, give them something of value. Customers will feel closer to you this way, thus, increasing the chances of them buying your product.
Hard work beats luck any day of the week. Working hard creates its own luck, and it is common to all successful internet marketing ventures. Large, successful businesses have become profitable this way, not through luck. Was it just a coincidence that Coca Cola found success? They did not. Marketing had a huge hand in their success.
Use high resolution images to showcase your products on your website. The ability to see products in detail is a feature that customers will appreciate, because it helps to assure them they are getting what they want. Considering including a section that allows customers to upload their own photos of your product. Utilizing "before and after" images can be a very effective marketing strategy.
The internet has made doing business an anonymous affair. This is especially important for small business owners who need to use relationship building and personal selling to retain customers.
Interviews from people high up in your industry can hold a lot of value. To avoid legal issues down the road, ensure you get the proper rights before publishing anything. Following this, have the interviews transcribed to become articles, which you can submit to online article directories. This process can generate increased sales, traffic, and heightened credibility.
Don't let the small setbacks stop you from pursuing internet marketing. When you feel discouraged, remind yourself that success may be just around the corner. When you are planning a product or service launch, you must make sure you have done all your research. Sometimes this takes intensive work. Though hard work requires dedication, it will pay off in the end in the form of success.


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If your looking at this you probably already know the rarity of this model. This is the two EL-84 15 watt model. All original inside. Original Mullard EL-84's & 12AX7 included. This amp is in the process of being completely serviced and recapped by one of the best techs in the business. Non original footswitch included.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex, checks, money orders and direct bank transfers. Please email or call for details.
We ship most domestic items by FedEx Ground fully insured. Most smaller international items ship by US Postal Service Priority Mail International. Lager heavier international items ship by air freight. Please mail us at email@example.com for a shipping quote.
We have a 4% restocking fee on returns.


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Far North iwi reaches settlement milestone
Far North iwi reaches settlement milestone
Ngäti Kahu, one of the five iwi in the Far North, today signed Terms of Negotiation with the Crown, Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson said.
"The Terms of Negotiation set out the ground rules for negotiations and signal the beginning of the formal talks that will lead to the settlement of Ngäti Kahu's historical Treaty of Waitangi claims."
Margaret Wilson extended her congratulations to the mandated body of Te Rünanga-ä-Iwi o Ngäti Kahu and its negotiators on achieving the important milestone saying it further demonstrated their hard work and determination for progressing Ngäti Kahu claims toward settlement.
Ngäti Kahu is located around Kaitaia, Taipa and Mangonui, and has 7,000 members.
"The next step in the negotiations process will be the signing of an Agreement in Principle. Work has already started on this, and involves both parties focusing on the fine detail of the Ngäti Kahu claims in order to reach an agreement on the components of a settlement package," Margaret Wilson said.
Ngäti Kahu was represented at today's signing by Rünanga Chairperson Professor Margaret Mutu, and fellow negotiators Reverend Lloyd Popata, Tipene Herewini and Te Kani Williams. The Crown was represented by Margaret Wilson and Parliamentary Treaty Negotiations Under-Secretary Mita Ririnui. Margaret Wilson said today's signing is a further illustration of the momentum being achieved in negotiating Treaty settlements.
progress has included the signing of the first comprehensive
settlement in the Bay of Plenty with Ngäti Awa, terms of
negotiation signed with Whanganui River claimants and with
Ngati Whatua o Orakei, and the passage of the first Taranaki
settlement (the Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill) into
law earlier this month.


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The fast track court appointed for the 16th Dec 2012 Delhi gang-rape case declared 'Nirbhaya' the victim was tortured till the very end and the incident fell into the 'rarest of rare category'.Four men have been given the death sentence for the fatal gang-rape of a young medical student on a moving Delhi bus which brought the nation on streets.Previously,one of the six culprits was declared a juvenile during the day of crime and hence was sentenced 3 years in reform home while the bus driver , Ram Singh, was found hanging under mysterious situation in his cell.
Category: Social Messages
Thoughts and Cartoons with a Social Message
Inspiring Job?
We have been reading about the bad conditions of Govt run schools from Mid-Day Meal Mess to collapsing school buildings. Many of them do not have roofs.Many schools are in such bad condition that classes are held outside. Many schools do not even have students yet there are 10s of teachers appointed who are happily drawing their salaries for doing nothing. How smart !!!
But not all Govt school teachers are the same . NDTV's website, on Teacher's Day, showcased an article about a teacher,Mr Abdul Mallik, of a Kerela govt school who swims through a river everyday to do his job. It was overwhelming to learn that he is an inspiration for many of his students.With people like Abdul Mallik India has all the hope alive. A true teacher .. A true hero!
For the govt school teachers who believe in 'Chalta hai' attitude and do nothing to justify their salaries and pensions,do not worry,even you are inspiring a few…
Reform Home for Rape and Murder?
16th December 2012 , as named by the media 'Nirbhaya' a 23 year old student got raped and brutally murdered in a moving bus and she and her male friend were thrown out of the bus to die. The girl could not be saved. An incident which brought nation on roads. Culprits caught included 5 men between whom one was a juvenile. One of them committed suicide in the jail , three await verdict while the juvenile found guilty of rape and murder has been sentenced 3 years in Reform Home minus the eight months which he has already spent in the reform home during the trial.
A juvenile ? He who can rape and murder brutally , can he be actually even termed a juvenile and treated as one ? Was justice delivered ? 🙁
Its High Time !
Bihar Mid-Day Meal Tragedy
23 children, between the ages of 5 and 12, were poisoned to death by the free lunch served at their school in the village of Masrakh in Bihar. Post-Mortem reports indicate insecticides in food consumed by the kids while the State Govt smells some conspiracy. Meanwhile,The Ministry of HRD declared that they had warned the Bihar govt in April over problems faced by the mid day meal scheme in the state. India's midday meal scheme is one of the world's biggest school nutrition programs, providing food as an incentive for poor parents to send their children to school and this is not for the first time the quality of Mid-Day Meal has created problems.
Mahabodhi Temple Blasts
The ancient,1500 year old temple of the Buddhists at Gaya was shaken with several blasts in and around the premises injuring two monks of foreign origin. Security agencies suspect that Indian Mujahideen may be behind Sunday's multiple blasts and a man who is considered to have links with Indian Mujahideen has been detained from Kolkata.
The Securities suspect this is an avenging response from IM in retaliation to the attacks on Muslims in Myanmar.Even LeT had warned Buddhists of attacks in retaliation to the attack on Myanmar Muslims.
How long will Humanity by crucified by Religion ?
Uttarakhand Tragedy Breaking News No More?
Delhi 5 year old Raped
A five year old is brutally raped in the national capital by two men .Even evil must have felt ashamed at this heinous act of two human beings of the country.Just a few months back India was mourning the death of young girl who was gang raped in the national capital. A country known for spiritualism is turning into a burial ground of humanity. 🙁
Court frames charges against Irom Sharmila in 'Fast-Unto-Death' case
Better known as the Iron Lady of Manipur,Irom Sharmila, who has been on 'fast-unto-death' stir since last 12 years, against the controversial AFSPA(Armed Forces Special Power Act) which is imposed on the state of Manipur , has refused to plead guilty on charges framed by New Delhi court ! Sharmila claimed she was not committing suicide and rather protesting non-violently which is a valid political protest !
Sharmila launched her fast unto death in 2000 after 10 civilians were killed by Assam Rifles personnel near Imphal airport. At present, she is lodged in a jail and is being fed through her nose at a hospital in Imphal. She was charged under Section 309 when she brought her fast and protest against the AFSPA to Delhi six years ago and since then has been under police custody.
Without getting into the debate of whether disturbed states should continue to be administered by the Armed Forces, there are questions. Isn't a fast,a peaceful and non-violent medium of protest in a democracy ? Why a fast-unto-death be compared to crime of attempting suicide under Section 309 of Indian Penal Code? Does this not show the repeated incompetency of the state and central governments who have failed to bring normalcy in disturbed states of India since several decades now ? How long will it take for the disturbed states to get out of the tangles of 'Military Raj' ?


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Blackjack or "21" is the most popular game in casinos. It's the one game most people know how to play, and for this reason most casino parties have more blackjack tables than any other kind of table. The idea is easy: "get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over." But beating the house takes skill, knowledge, and a little bit of luck. Casino Royale dealers are experts and can teach you how to play "by the book" so that you have the best odds of walking away a winner.
Blackjack Tables are rented for 3 hours per night. Tables are 5' by 3' half moon shaped and seats 6 comfortably. Includes 6 deck dealing shoes, playing cards, discard holders, Blackjack rules and 500 white, red and green chips.
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IBM Watson -- How to replicate Watson hardware and systems design for your own use in your basement
TonyPearson Tags: challenge hadoop linux deepqa energy+star ibm watson kvm power7 eric+brown uima ubuntu jeopardy epa sles mapreduce rhel 12 Comments 258,345 Views
For the longest time, people thought that humans could not run a mile in less than four minutes. Then, in 1954, [ Sir Roger Bannister ] beat that perception, and shortly thereafter, once he showed it was possible, many other runners were able to achieve this...
from Blog: Inside System Storage -- by Tony PearsonModified on by TonyPearson
RHEL 7.2 zKVM install instructions Community Blog
Disclaimer: RHEL on zKVM is not officially supported at the time of writing, however you can install and use it. How to install RHEL 7.2 on zKvm Steps Configure KVM host to serve installation ISO contents via HTTP. Copy the installation...
Three Things to Do on the IBM Cloud
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Are you tired of hearing about Cloud Computing without having any hands-on experience? Here's your chance. IBM has recently launched its IBM Development and Test Cloud beta. This gives you a "sandbox" to play in. Here's a few steps to get...
from Blog: Inside System Storage -- by Tony Pearson
Fix now available for RHEL 6.3 CPU utilization Community Blog
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By: Jenifer Hopper. Fixing CPU utilization metrics on RHEL 6.3 As reported earlier in a blog post , the standard RHEL 6.3 kernel has issues with correctly calculating CPU utilization values . (For more insights into the fix...
from Blog: News around the Linux on Power CommunityModified on by Bill_Buros
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Sophia Ambrose presents WPA configuration on a Linux based system. This video will give you a step-by-step guide on how to configure the Warehouse Proxy agent on Linux based systems. Please feel free to leave comments below. ...Modified on by SophiaAmbrose
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By: Bill Buros. If you've updated to the most recent RHEL 6.3, you might be seeing issues with CPU utilization being reported to the end users. # uname -r 2.6.32-279.el6.ppc64 With the kernel here, if you run "top" on an idle system, it may...
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Announcing availability of IBM Performance Management 8.1.2 vNext beta program Community Blog
Today, we are delighted to announce the next beta program for the on premises offerings of the IBM Application Performance Management portfolio. The portfolio is comprised of IBM Monitoring (application-aware infrastructure monitoring),...
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IBM BigFix Patch for Red Hat Enterprise Linux is pleased to announce support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 System Z. Users can now deploy RHEL 6 Fixlets in the System Z architecture and avail of features that include the download plug-in and the YUM History...Modified on by KarenKue
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IBM Rational Functional Tester (RFT) is an automated functional testing and regression testing tool. This software provides automated testing capabilities for functional, regression, GUI, and data-driven testing. RFT is supported on Windows and Linux platforms...
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[BigFix Patch] REMINDER: RHEL 5 will reach its end of life on March 31, 2017 Community Blog
Have you updated to later versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux? Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 is reaching its end of life on March 31, 2017. For more information, see https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata . In line with this, BigFix Patch...Modified on by KarenKue
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As part of the site maintenance exercise to help optimize external Fixlet sites, IBM BigFix Patch will be removing RHEL content that were superseded on or before March 31, 2016 from the current external Fixlet sites on May 3, 2017 . These superseded...
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Helping you to help yourself......... ITM Agents supported platforms Community Blog
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The Various Benefits Of Employing A Cast Iron Dutch Oven When Cooking
For more than 10 years, people all over the world have been making use of cast iron Dutch oven when cooking their meals. Given that thick material was employed in crafting this type of cooking pot, it has produced the stability and long-lasting features. Aside from that, using a cast iron Dutch oven is known to be extremely convenient and also, because of its exceptional heat retention, you will be able to cook your food effortlessly.
These days, there are two kinds of Dutch oven you can acquire in the market since you have the option of choosing the outdoor cookware which has three legs otherwise known as the chuck wagon or the cowboy Dutch oven. So, if you love spending time outdoors, then, this cast iron cookware is going to be very useful to you. It is not just easy to use but also, it is so easy to clean. And for the reason that it is also handy, there is no need for you to worry yourself about how will you squeeze it on your backpack.
Therefore, if you like camping as well as hiking and you intend to enjoy these outdoor activities more, then, you have to bring your cast iron cookware with you. Even supposing that you are not in your home kitchen, you can still easily cook. When it comes to cast iron cooking, you can make sure that you will not be limited as you have the opportunity of cooking a full course meal, appetizers to soups, and all that as this cookware can let you cook almost anything that you want.
One more type of cast iron Dutch oven is without the legs that you can employ inside your home kitchen. Even if the appearance is different, the identical cast iron Dutch oven cooking can be given and can be ensured to you.
There is a need for you to make certain that the right kind of cast iron Dutch oven is chosen when you are shopping for one. In order for you to choose the right cast iron Dutch oven, you have to consider where will you employ it. If you are going to use this cookware outdoors for instance when you are camping or hiking, then, the cookware you need to have includes legs. Then again, you will need the cookware with no legs if you are going to make use of it inside your home kitchen. You also need to make sure that the lid perfectly fits.
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You heard it here first: web serials are the new hotness.
Charles Dickens wrote most of his novels as serials. This means he published them in monthly or weekly installments and people read them as they were published. It was only afterward that the installments were collected and bound into books. Serialized fiction has always been a thing, but for the last century or so it's been more economically favorable for content distributors to publish books rather than serials. Now, with the Internet and all its incipient economic ramifications, serial fiction has become a big deal again.
It is difficult to talk about Worm without talking about the fact that it is a web serial – a story published online in installments twice a week for about a year and a half. At 1,680,000 words, Worm is very long. This writing pace and consistent quality accomplished by its creator, J.C. McCrae (pseudonymously "Wildbow"), is astounding. By comparison, the entire Song of Ice and Fire series (known as the Game of Thrones series to philistines) is 1,770,000 words and has so far taken twelve thousand years to be written.
An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, Taylor goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local 'cape' scene's politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons.
Worm is a treat, for many reasons. If you're interested in finding out more, read on.
A Vacation
Worm is extremely long. This is a good thing if you want something that you can become absorbed in for a good length of time. A world and a story that immerses you for days or weeks. Sometimes you want a book that you can read in two days. There are lots of those. There aren't many works that are both extremely long and worth reading. Worm is like a nice, long vacation. When you're on this vacation, you're not thinking about anything else, and when it's over, you're refreshed and happy you did it.
Making your way through Worm feels more like binge-watching a great TV show than reading a really long book. This is partly due to the way the story is structured – the story's arcs are like seasons, narrative chunks with their own internal beginning, middle and end, yet each arc smoothly leads to the next. The TV-like tone is also partly due to the abundance of chapters ending in cliffhangers and the overall intense pace. My only lament concerning this story is that I only discovered it after it had been completed. I imagine it would have been even more fun if I were reading along as it was being written.
If You Like Superheros … Or If You Don't
It is a story about superheroes. And I'm afraid that after reading that sentence, you've already made up your mind regarding the story's value. If you don't care for the superhero genre, I would encourage you to suspend judgement and perhaps read the first few chapters. I'm not going to say that the superpowers don't play a major role in the story. Au contraire. But I'm definitely going to say that it's not just a story about superheroes.
All that said, if you do like superhero stories, then you will very probably like Worm.
Worm contains an excellent explanation for the origin of the superpowers in the story. The explanation is great on two levels. One, it's awesome, and very original, as a science fiction concept all by itself. Two, it's inextricably bound up in the themes of and conclusion of the story, which makes its ultimate revelation utterly satisfying.
Basically, it's the opposite of how Lost handled its mythology.
Because this is a spoiler-free review, I'm hesitant to explain any more about Worm's superpowers. Instead, I'm going to contrast it with a bad example of a superpower origin story: that of the X-Men universe. According to the scriptures, the mutants in X-Men were created by genetic seeding of the human race with the Mutant Gene thousands of years ago by aliens. In my opinion this is a lazy and boring explanation in the Science Fiction sense because, well, it's not original or creative, and also it doesn't actually explain anything. It just moves the mystery to a different box.
Okay, the Mutant Gene – how does that work, then? Why would it lead to the stable yet varied mutations that it does? Marvel doesn't care. "Mutant Gene" is code for "magic plot thing." Marvel isn't doing Science Fiction, they're doing Superhero Fantasy. Worm on the other hand is doing Science Fiction. In the end, that may be why it appeals to me so much.
Worm takes is premises seriously and draws out the plot- and character-ramifications of those premises. If thousands of individuals around the world – many of them criminals – suddenly gained superpowers, what would happen to the world's institutions? To society? If you like comic books or comic book-movies, you may think you've seen this territory explored before, but in fact you haven't. The standard Marvel/DC treatment is totally uninterested in a really thoughtful analysis of questions like these – they just want to show people punching each other. In a sense, Worm is in the same subgenre as Watchmen.
The End
Worm has a good, satisfying ending. Christ, I don't remember the last new book or movie that had a good ending. The art of it seems to be lost. (Scott has reminded me that Breaking Bad also had a perfect ending, as well as a perfect every-other-aspect. But the list of modern properties with decent endings is a short one.) Worm's conclusion wraps up every thread and brings emotional closure to all the characters' struggles. And it's intense. The whole story is a master class in ratcheting up tension and intensity higher than you believe possible, and then ratcheting it up again.
A good, solid ending carries a lot of weight with me. If you tell me that a story is about a robot clown from the future who has to steal alien eggs from Fort Knox to stop Ron Paul from marrying the wrong woman in the past, but it has a really good ending, I'll read it.
Concluding Thoughts
My brother recommended Worm to me over a year before I got around to reading it. This is partly because he warned me about its length, and I felt apprehensive about getting into something so huge. In a sense, I was right to be apprehensive, because the pacing and serial structure of the story make it very difficult to stop reading once you've started. This story consumes you until you're done. If you're a reader, then you understand that this fact makes Worm a rare jewel indeed.
And if the idea of keeping up with a web serial in progress sounds appealing to you, Wildbow is currently writing another one: Twig.


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All 10 movie Reviews
Sonic Hates Tails!!
Rated 4 / 5 stars
I have to say, for sprite animation, this is some of the best I've seen. Definitely still captures the Dashie-ness when it comes to expression.
Tails Yells at Sonic MMD ORIGINAL ANIMATION
Rated 2 / 5 stars
Your animation looks a bit stiff. Like the other guy said, I would just suggest putting more time into your animation. Also, this didn't really make a whole lot of sense. I'm sure your making some Sonic oriented joke here, but we need more of a setup because people that aren't hardcore Sonic fans might not know what you're referring to here.
All-in-all, this really needs some improvement, but it's a nice start.
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
I fucking love this! Your animation is smooth, your colors are appealing to look out at, and your art style is unique and refreshing. Not only that, but it's also pretty damn funny too. A great way to attribute to Pico Day.
Awesome work, keep it up
An Alien Affair
Rated 4 / 5 stars
Wow, WHAT A TWIST.
Nice job.
Return To Skyrim
Rated 5 / 5 stars
The animation is smooth, and the song is catchy as a mother fucker! Love it!
Doctors Visit
Rated 3 / 5 stars
Professor Mouse
Rated 4 / 5 stars
I love this shit, when will there be more??
Tankmen Infinity
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
Still hilarious even to this day. Love it. Hope to see more tankmen sometime in the near future.
The People's Mario
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
I love how you took on this unique art style. It definitely works in your favor makes this movie a hell of a lot more entertaining. cheers
Rated 4 / 5 stars
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Tony Bustamante
Meet the owner of the Velosmith Bicycle Studio, Chicago local Tony Bustamante.
Tony's Ride
"I call this the 'Prairie-Roubaix'. It has cobbles, gravel, dirt, headwinds, crosswinds, and a velodrome. What more could you ask for? We ride this in the spring, naturally, and it serves as a 'neutral ride' that brings together friends who usually ride for a number of different clubs, teams, and shops."
Distance: 53.4 miles
Elevation: 659 feet
Download the gpx route
Tony Bustamante's parents owned a stationery store in Argentina, neighboring a small bike shop owned by an Italian track racer named Bruno Loatti. Loatti was the epitome of Italian cycling style – the sort of rider who finishes a sprint with his hair more coiffed than when he began. "The bike shop was always more interesting to my dad than his stationery store, so he started working for Bruno." Loatti had a world championship silver medal to his name, so he had plenty to teach Bustamante Sr.
Today, Tony's shop bears the telltale markings of its owner's schooling in European cycling heritage. A quick walk around the shop floor reveals signage from the roadside of the world's greatest races, oddities picked up from two lifetimes in the cycling world, and even a rare copy of Philippe Brunel's Le Tour de France Intime.
Around the same time that Tony's dad started his cycling apprenticeship, Chicago was in the middle of an extended cycling renaissance. The city was the workshop of American cycling, producing an uncountable number of frames from its numerous factories, and plenty of talented riders to use them. The city boasted nine velodromes over the decades, from a concrete track in Humboldt Park to a well-appointed wooden track in Chicago Stadium. "The history of cycling in Chicago is something that you can't avoid. It starts with Major Taylor and continues right up to now."
As the mass production of frames gradually left the city, and fans' attentions turned to other sports, Chicago was left with a hardy subculture of cycling. "I remember a time when you could go out for a long ride and maybe pass one cyclist – and you'd certainly know who they were. Now you can go out on a weekend ride and see groups riding in every direction. The sport is taking off."
All this in a city where the wintertime commuters have to wrap up in ski gear, and modify thermal winter boots to accept cleats. "Riding in winter here doesn't feel like riding. It feels like a test of your will. But seeing all your friends at the start of a ride on the first warm weekend of the spring is like going to a reunion." The winter doesn't turn out pelotons of hardened, disagreeable rides – "it's something that I lose sight of, until I meet someone who has just moved to the city and notes how warm and welcoming the cycling community is here.


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As writers, we often joke about how much we enjoy "torturing" our characters. Of course, this doesn't just mean literal, physical torture, but any of the numerous ways we make our poor characters suffer, whether they be physical, emotional, or psychological. This can include the loss of loved ones, actual injuries, or extreme levels of anxiety or angst.
In short, writers are the masters of imagined suffering.
But, there is a right and a wrong way to torture characters. And I'm not exactly speaking ethics. Character suffering can add to, or take away from, the effectiveness of your story.
Today, I'm going to lay out the differences.
The wrong way
First, let's talk about the wrong way to torture your characters. Imagine with me that you're reading a really good book, and you're considerably attached to the main character. We're going to call this character Matt.
Matt is a sweet, lovable guy who lives with his hound named Tessie. He's a bit lonely, and has had a slew of failed relationships due to his terrible social skills and chronic inability to relate to people. But he loves that dog. He loves that dog as if she were the love of his life.
One day, Tessie dies.
She gets hit by a car. Matt accidentally lets go of the leash as she dashes out into the street, chasing a squirrel… and he notices the car too late.
Matt is devastated.
But… Tessie's death contributes nothing to the story or plot. And in the midst of Matt's terrible grief, he slips on the ice in front of his house and cuts open his chin on a rock. He ends up needing seven stitches.
This injury is about as random and pointless as the death of his dog.
Now, if you were reading this book, I think you'd be screaming one word: "WHY?" Why do these terrible things have to happen to poor Matt? What's the point?
The problem here is that there is no point. That's just it. Suffering that seems to have no purpose will accomplish nothing except frustrate the reader.
The right way
You can torture your characters as much as you like, but it's important that you do it intentionally. Your readers will eventually feel numb and disconnected if characters suffer just to suffer. Their pain has to mean something. It has to have a purpose.
"But, how do I add purpose to my sadistic torment?" you ask, setting aside your scalpels and hot irons.
I'm glad you asked. Here are six possible purposes for character suffering:
1. To increase feelings of danger.
If your character is running from a monster and trips and scrapes his knee, or if she's fighting in battle and gets stabbed in the shoulder, it reminds readers that your characters are not invincible. It makes the danger feel more real, and readers will be more at the edge of their seats, hoping the characters get out of their situations alive.
2. To create empathy.
When we read about characters who experience loss or pain – especially if that pain is familiar to us – our hearts naturally go out to them. We feel sorry for hurting characters, and we become more attached to them. As a result, we become more engaged in the story.
3. To add realism.
Returning to the example of the character in battle: Imagine if she fought throughout the entire battle… and never received one injury. Not even a nick or scratch. Well, we would find that hard to believe. The battle itself would feel less real. A little bit of character pain can ground readers in the scene, making it more believable, and making it feel like they're there.
4. To add to the plot.
Sometimes your character needs a nudge – or a violent shove – to get them to move, to change their minds, to motivate them to pursue a goal. A common way to accomplish this is through the death of a loved one. Be careful with this technique, though, because it's easy for it to become cliché if handled too casually. It helps if the readers also care about the character who dies. Additionally, this character should have more purpose in the story than simply becoming a martyr to the protagonist's cause.
5. To frustrate the character's goals.
The essence of plot is this: A character pursues a goal, but obstacles stand in his way. These obstacles are the various challenges and setbacks that make a story interesting. Sometimes these obstacles are incredibly painful for your protagonist. This is probably the most forgivable cause of character suffering, because readers will basically expect it.
6. To cause character growth.
We all grow from pain, and characters are no different. A character who doesn't grow at all during the course of a story is a boring character to read about. Like heated metal in a forge, your character becomes pliable during torment, ripe for reshaping and improvement. Allow her pain to make her stronger… or maybe, if the book is a tragedy or if she's an antihero, that pain can make her more bitter, angry, and cruel. Either way, suffering brings ample opportunity for change.
For discussion…
What are some purposes you use when torturing your characters? Can you think of any more? Or, here's a fun question: What's the worst thing you've done to any of your characters? *winking evil grin*