Author and Character Chatting

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 15611

"I....would have a word with you," Roland says in a tone that was a command, not a request.

The discussion centered around Flagg and the Dark Tower. Oddly enough, the information that King is able to provide proves to be no more than what Roland had already learned from past experience and from Queen Astra's group.

Frankly, King, the authors, and the Nantucketers learn more from Roland and his friends about his world and their adventures. Cofflin, the Chief Executive of the government, puts his notes in order and nods, now sorting how he'll present this information to the rest of the island at tonight's Meet. Frankly, Cofflin wasn't sure how he'd be able to present the news that there was now actual MAGIC in this world (brought about by that Chaos energy?).....but the Chief Executive felt that since the town wasn't running around in riots after all they'd seen and heard (having been surprising accepting of seeing nonhumans.....which was much less shocking than other recent events).....well, the outlook looked good that they'd be able to assimilate it. The fact that the demifox and kitsunes would be around to give some lessons in countering magical threats should do wonders in calming fears.....

Some may find this calm acceptance odd, but Nantucket is like that....

All done and said, Roland finally breaks by looking down at his growling stomach.

"I cry your pardon, but frankly I and the others did come here to break bread," the Gunslinger says, looking a bit embarrassed after yet another loud gurgle.

"Hope you like whale meat," the waitress says as she hand the odd group, "It's either that or fish, mostly."

Nantucket, in the past (or future.....because of the Event) had been a major whaling center before that industry collapsed. What with needs brought about by being cut off with modern supply lines and such because of the Event, they'd returned to old traditions.

"It's a travesty and a crime," a green eyed woman says from the side.

"Lisketer," Frank Marn mutters under his breath, a trace of anger in his voice.

Roland notes this, and sees that for some reason Marn just doesn't like this woman.

"Oh, but no less than human beings eating any other animal," the Doctor chimed in, seeing where this could go as he remembered the briefing Marn gave about the powers that be in Nantucket, "We did, after all, check that little thing."

Point in fact, it had been a major concern to the Star Fleeters, what with them remembering the trouble their Earth got into with that Space Probe over those extinct whales (watch Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home for full details), intelligent beings hunted out of existence. Only by Kirk going back in time to retrieve a set of whales saved their Earth from freezing over. But test results for intelligence turn up negative, oddly enough. One less problem for the Voyager to face. One less stumbling block to an agreement between Nantucket (who needed the whales as food) and Voyager (who also needed food or face starvation).....

That done (with a look of something like....betrayal from Lisketer at the Doctor's words, Lisketer storms out, and the others sigh and then get in their orders.

Solomon the demifox mage apprentice pauses in his eating to ask King a few last questions that is bothering him.

"Why....did you write what you did in The Stand?" he asks, at a loss for phrasing it better.

"I love to burn things up," King says. "It's the werewolf in me, I guess.... The Stand was particularly fulfilling, because there I got a chance to scrub the whole human race, and man, it was fun! ... Much of the compulsive, driven feeling I had while I worked on The Stand came from the vicarious thrill of imagining an entire entrenched social order destroyed in one stroke."

Edward Solomon's fox ears rise up through his reddish mop of hair in surprise at that....nods (concluding that indeed this fellow is a rather odd bird indeed, as he suspected).

"Excuse me," Jake says, moving further away from King, not wanting to be near him any longer. Frankly, the kid found that answer.....not to his liking.

King blinks at that one (and the rather chill attitude he gets from some).

"Uh....that's what I wrote," he says softly, "Not like I want it to actually happen."

Roland and the others look at each other, and then shrug, believing him. The situation thawed at that.

"One last thing," Solomon says, "Much less.....er....volatile I hope, this time. In what I know of the accident that nearly killed you, that van.....well......I thought it happened back in 1998.....not earlier as you said."

"That was in the other 'then'," Anthony points out, "This is in this 'now'."

"Er....right," Freddy Vulpine says, trying to sort all of this out.

The meal ends well enough, and Roland pays the check (in gold...causing a bit of a stir at that), and the Gunslinger and the others head for a place to retire for the night when a....disturbance interrupts them. Something being broadcasted over Marn's combadge.....

  1. Something that was happening back at the Voyager!

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4/11/2001 6:00:08 AM

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