Preludes

Ironically enough, they'd been talking about analogs and dopplegangers on there way to their entrance into this new world.

"So you're telling me that the case with Joan is a bit different that the other cases of Fred analogs turning into females?" Eddie asks, perplexed, "How so, exactly, for God's sake?"

Some of the others of Rolands group wanted to know as well.

"It centers around the factors that went into the speed at which the mental adjustments happened," Dragon Synizn explains, warming to the subject and wanting to give a magical lesson of sorts, "In Joan's case Flagg knew very well that making the transformation permanent for her would well nigh mean a loss of sanity, eventually. Afraid to say that without the timely intervention by Urnath (re: 9566), Joan would have rapidly gone psychotic....even though it was a relatively minor adjustment, human to human, in comparison to some adjustments we've seen and heard of. See, given enough time Joan could have adjusted well enough, fine. However....the spell that had kept her as a stone statue had kept her frozen and unaware of anything for months as far as my brother could tell from leftover traces of it. Basically, the changes were left to 'simmer' as it were, to a point where her body's Matrix's demands on brought things to a head. A quick adjustment was needed, and Joan alone couldn't have adjusted attitudes and behavior fast enough.....so Urnath saw and.....well......"

"Magically did it for her," Eddie said flatly, "Another aspect of healing arts of unicorns, I see?"

"Basically," the dragon mage says simply.

"Oh voy," Eddie muttered softly. He'd pretty much accepted certain parts about this stuff, but that one aspect he'd wanted clarified....just for a better understanding of the world he and the others soon would be facing as all this was over. Roland was dead set on paying this blood price of honor for Probe saving Susan....and that meant that Eddie and the others were coming along!

"Oh 'oy!" Oy the bumbling repeats in a voice that sounded like an English rudby player with a bad cold.

"You can say that again Oy," Jake agreed softly.

"Oy! 'Ake!" the billy bumbler said happily, wagging his tail crazily.

The others smile fondly as Jake scratches behind the bumblers ears, causing the pet to shiver ecstatically, putting aside odd feelings of unease about this subject.

"As for the others, the prophecy of the Two Girls has a lot of STRONG magic that bacially forced the issue in making the Freds adjust," The dragon mage finishes up, "Little chances of them being able to really go insane with that. As for those Freds who turned from male human into either a female fairy or a female Light Elf, their Matrixes are rather invasive and swift in determining how those who become Faire Folk act. Thus is the lot of a Changling."

"Not that we're complaining," the raven haired Light Elf in question said, chuckling as she hugs her flamed haired husband fondly.

"Different strokes for different folks," Susannah Dean summed it up.

Seeing that he'd learned as much as he cared for, Eddie nodded and decided to drop the subject. Besides, he'd already come to accept the situation with these odd people...so if he'd kept this line of question open.....it would lead to false impressions and all that.

"I cry your pardon," Roland says from the side, "But there is one aspect of this subject I am interested in."

Roland knew that as being from Mid-world he had no true "analogs" of himself. As such this subject had a strange....alien appeal to him. One thing he was interested in was the question surrounding aspects of when analogs meet each other....

"As I understand it," the Gunslinger begins, "The reason why analogs who meet each other either instantly love each other as close kin or hate each other with a passsion lay within their Matrixes. Due to the fact that each senses within the other through their Matrixes personality characteristics that they object to. And once this happens, nothing will change it? Couldn't changing their Matrixes with something like a Crystallic fix that?"

"You would think so, but you'd be wrong." Dragon Synizn says, "See, it concerns the basal node of the Matrix located......"

The Dragon Mage then shoots off a half dozen highly technical, arcane terms that leaves the others goggled eyed at him in confusion. The mage then reigns himself in and chastises himself for being entirely too technical.

By the name of my father, I have enough trouble with terms like astin and cheflets.....let alone those.....words.....whatever they mean! Roland thinks to himself, remembering the problems he still had with those arcane, alien words from Eddie's world: aspirin and Keflex (an antibiotic).

"Huh?" Eddie asks, pretty much summing it up for the others.

"Uh, basically the aspect of the Matrix that reflects the underlying personality of the soul within the person is the problem," the dragon explained, "See, you can't alter it without severing the soul's connection with the Matrix. Indeed, some necromancers I've spoken with say that it could well be possible to alter the old basal node and then usher in a new soul with those kind of personality characteristics.....if they were lucky and without any moral fiber whatsoever."

Indeed, it was generally considered a bad idea to do that. An insult to the gods and such to try something like that.....

They soon arrive at their destination point and step through to another world. A world with few people upon it.....

Roland nods and would have said more when he and the others notice the sharp, angry and alert looks of both Queen Astra and Lueoth have as they peer out to the nearby hills.

There is an Astra analog on this world.....close enough for both Queen Astra and Lueoth....feel her.....

It's not a reliable talent, but those within Astra's family had it. Some call it the Touch. Not reliable, but one would be foolish to ignore it....

Her name is also Astra Thessamer, and she was like Queen Astra in body if not in spirit..... Her name was Astra but many knew her only as Mother Night.....

1. She was something what some would call an assasin..... Hired by a an abomination of a dragon......

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