MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2501 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: Modern Companions & Stuff... by "Layla Voll" 2) Dirk and Kris by "Abigail Laughlin" 3) Re: Modern Companions & Stuff... by "The Bennetts" 4) Re: Killer Companions by Sara Peek 5) Dirk by Ilaria1431-+AT+-aol.com 6) phrases by "Howell, Tommy" 7) Re: phrases by "Ashes Dust" 8) Re: Dirk and Kris by "Layla Voll" 9) Re: Killer Companions and Phrases by Kenneth Allen Hyde ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 21:30:38 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Modern Companions & Stuff... Message-ID: >Brooke Alexander wrote: > > > > > > You know, I never really thought of it like that, but you're so > >right!! Like if those two were assassins(for example), Kris would > be the >obvious one and Dirk wouldn't. Hmm, makes me want to read > > the books again!! and GryphRaptor writes: >hmmm...prehaps they did work in that function from >time to time? (and prehaps Dirk still does so, though >i doubt it) ... On the other hand, when Kerowyn first sees Dirk (when he and Talia are begging for help at the Rethwellan court), she describes him as a man who "looked like a farmboy and moved like an assassin." Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 21:42:37 -0000 From: "Abigail Laughlin" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Dirk and Kris Message-ID: < > Like if those two were assassins(for example), Kris would be the obvious one and Dirk wouldn't. > > hmmm...prehaps they did work in that function from time to time? (and prehaps Dirk still does so, though i doubt it) i seem to remember at least one reference towards this fact, though i can't think of which book i read it in...>> I don't recall any direct references to either Kris or Dirk acting as assassins, but in By The Sword Kerowyn makes a few interesting observations; I think it was Dirk that she noticed 'looked like a farmboy and moved like an assassin,' and she noted when Talia and Dirk first appeared in Rethwellan that Dirk stood a little behind Talia, not just because she outranked him (though of course she did) but also because he was guarding her back (and she didn't think anyone else noticed that). There are definitely a couple of oblique and not-so-oblique references to missions Kris and Dirk went on together as well... makes you kind of wonder what all those two got up to, doesn't it? :) Zha'hai'allav'a, Raven Darkblade and Mor the raven, Holy Hand of the Goddess of Elves, Member of the Mistic Circle, Webmaster of the Circle of Stone, Knight and Founding Member of the Order of Unsung Heroes; http://www.angelfire.com/ky/Ashke/ - The Labyrinth _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 13:47:19 -0800 From: "The Bennetts" To: Subject: Re: Modern Companions & Stuff... Message-ID: <002001c08198$3c583640$7af80b3f-+AT+-ELNjbennett4> ----- Original Message ----- > hmmm...prehaps they did work in that function from > time to time? (and prehaps Dirk still does so, though > i doubt it) i seem to remember at least one reference > towards this fact, though i can't think of which book > i read it in... That was in By the Sword. When Talia and Dirk come to Rethwellyn to "ask" the king for help against Anthar and Kerowyn oh so helpfully informs them of the debt to Valdemar. She thinks to herself that Dirk has the look of the professional assasin. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 16:07:30 -0800 (PST) From: Sara Peek To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Killer Companions Message-ID: <20010119000730.3233.qmail-+AT+-web4604.mail.yahoo.com> > Yes, but I repeat-I don't think this was intended as > their primary function! > Just to look for killing skills is to miss an entire > range of attributes that > are equally important! Yeah, the Companionship :) and emotional support and stuff does go right along with the combat, since it's all about working together. > What phrases have people picked up from science > fiction or fantasy books? I have a really stupid inside joke with my friend from the Star Wars movie. Remember when Darth Vader says "Luke, I am your father."? That creepy voice? We started trying to imitate that, once, and it sounded really bad. Now if we so much as mention the phrase, we crack up. I don't know if that qualifies. Prob'ly not. Oh, well. Wind to thy wings, Sara, Crazy Freshman You have not even to risk the adventure alone, For the heroes of all time have gone before you. ~Joseph Campbell __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 21:04:40 EST From: Ilaria1431-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Dirk Message-ID: --part1_b4.101da663.2798fab8_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On the subject of Dirk, doesn't Kris, in talking to Talia in the Forest, tell her that he has seen Dirk kill people in cold blood without giving them the slightest warning? Sorry for the one-liner....(at least it was on-topic, right?) Herald Jacquelle "Why is that when you talk to God, you're praying, but when God talks to you, you're nuts?" Monica, Touched by an Angel --part1_b4.101da663.2798fab8_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On the subject of Dirk, doesn't Kris, in talking to Talia in the Forest, tell
her that he has seen Dirk kill people in cold blood without giving them the
slightest warning?

Sorry for the one-liner....(at least it was on-topic, right?)

Herald Jacquelle

"Why is that when you talk to God, you're praying, but when God talks to you,
you're nuts?"  Monica, Touched by an Angel --part1_b4.101da663.2798fab8_boundary-- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 08:20:08 -0600 From: "Howell, Tommy" To: "'mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk'" Subject: phrases Message-ID: <5BA8DB8D54C4D3119956009027DE50C60EA03B-+AT+-tdmnmail.tdmn.belo.com> Heyla, > What phrases have people picked up from science > fiction or fantasy books? What about swearing by fictional dieties from SF/F? "Lord and Lady" Or MZB fans: Avarra/Evanda/Aldones/Zandru Everquest fans: Karana/Tunare/Innorruuk/Bertoxxulous Tommy Winter Bear ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 12:34:19 -0600 From: "Ashes Dust" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: phrases Message-ID: *delurking, hoping not to be entered into Flaming Ashes!* Um, well, I've taken up Heyla, Zhai'helleva, Sketi, Ja'lendra (misspelled?) and a few others. I almost started taking up Lord and Lady, but decided that I was confusing too many people already. Those are the main ones from M.L., and I don't read very much of anyone else. *relurking* >From: "Howell, Tommy" >Reply-To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk >To: banshee_ashes-+AT+-hotmail.com >Subject: phrases >Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 15:09:15 GMT > >Heyla, > > > What phrases have people picked up from science > > fiction or fantasy books? > >What about swearing by fictional dieties from SF/F? >"Lord and Lady" >Or MZB fans: Avarra/Evanda/Aldones/Zandru >Everquest fans: Karana/Tunare/Innorruuk/Bertoxxulous > >Tommy >Winter Bear _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 18:51:41 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Dirk and Kris Message-ID: Abigail Laughlin writes: >I don't recall any direct references to either Kris or Dirk acting as >assassins, but in By The Sword Kerowyn makes a few interesting >observations; I think it was Dirk that she noticed "looked like a farmboy >and moved like an assassin," Interesting that that particular quote seems to stick in a lot of people's memories. It stood out for me because it was actually *not* how I had seen Dirk, so it was fascinating to see him through Kerowyn's eyes. (Unlike the way she saw Talia, which pretty much matched the image I already had.) In "Arrows," I think, we essentially see Dirk through Talia's eyes, so I had the impression of a very kind, generous, and at times emotionally fragile person; in "Arrows" ML also emphasizes his homeliess and his rumpledness, and only incidentally his grace and coordination. Kerowyn, on the other hand, sees him as a potentially very dangerous man. (She also calls him "pleasantly ugly", and is particularly amused by the contrast between tiny Talia and "her man-mountain.") >and she noted when Talia and Dirk first appeared in Rethwellan >that Dirk stood a little behind Talia, not just because she outranked him >(though of course she did) but also because he was guarding her back (and >she didn't think anyone else noticed that). I totally hadn't connected that: she was also observing that Talia had been recently badly traumatized (another thing she wasn't sure if the court noticed), and I'd assumed that Dirk was watching her back more because he was still feeling protective of her. It hadn't occurred to me that he had been a bodyguard before, and he was doing precisely what he would have done normally. (In fact, being a bit slow on the uptake, I only just realized that I'd even seen him acting as bodyguard before, with Kris, when Elspeth makes her first court appearance as Heir: I'd thought of the escorts as a ceremonial kind of thing.) and Herald Jacquelle writes: >On the subject of Dirk, doesn't Kris, in talking to Talia in the Forest, >tell her that he has seen Dirk kill people in cold blood without giving >them the slightest warning? Yes, although it was something along the lines of killing people in cold blood without warning if he felt they were a threat to innocent people. That is, he didn't have a hangup about fighting the "honorable" way if it meant giving some assassin or murderer an advantage. It definitely sounded as if Kris had a specific incident in mind (or incidents) and I'd be very curious to know more. Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 13:55:14 -0500 (EST) From: Kenneth Allen Hyde To: Misty Lackey List Subject: Re: Killer Companions and Phrases Message-ID: On Fri, 19 Jan 2001, Sara Peek wrote: > Yeah, the Companionship :) and emotional support and > stuff does go right along with the combat, since it's > all about working together. And cats would be so wonderful for that. I at least find them much more companionable (if not so slavishly enthusiastic) than dogs. Although, I suppose that a dog's body with a human-style mind/personality could hardly be considered a "dog" any more. > > What phrases have people picked up from science > > fiction or fantasy books? Oh, the usual famous ones from Tolkien: "Every wizard should have a hobbit in his care to teach him the meaning of the word." "Meddle not in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." Some less famous sayings that I like are from Steven Brust: "No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style." "Then again, Milord, perhaps I start with different axioms." "The Horse! I think it is an hour that I have asked for nothing else!" And a few from Heinlien: "Logic is an organized way of going wrong with confidence." "Little girls [I usually say 'kids'], like butterflies and kittens, need no excuse." "To enjoy life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks!" "Nobody likes a martyr. It's no wonder they killed them." And finally, one of my favorite lines is actually from the Upanishads (iirc) and occurs in a loose translation in "Lord of Light" by Roger Zelazny: "Guard us from the wolf, and from the she-wolf, and guard us from the thief, O Night, and so be good for us to pass." [Some explanation here. I have a theory that all prayers, of whatever religion, boil down to the same thing: the cry for help and protection from an imperfect world. The above prayer is one of the clearest expressions of this cry, as is the prayer "De Profundis" in the Catholic Liturgy. Although I am not, myself, religious in any way, I do treasure such expressions as a unifying desire that is born of the human condition.] Cennydd Councilor of Mist Kenneth Allen Hyde | No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife Univ. of Delaware | between the shoulder blades will seriously Dept. of Linguistics | cramp his style -- Old Jhereg proverb kenny-+AT+-Udel.Edu | A mind is a terrible toy to waste! -- Me //www.ling.udel.edu/hyde/prof/ ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2501 **********************************