The war is over! Let’s unpack.

No Battle Scene

I wrote in last week’s unpacking I wasn’t going to write a big battle sequence. It just didn’t fit, given the identity of our window to the story. I followed through this week, and wasn’t really tempted to do otherwise. Will was in the middle of a war, and even skirted around the edges of the people who “knew” what was going on, but he was never “in the know.” In fact, for most of the story he was a passive character because of his “fish out of water” status ¹. The moment he really became a moral agent was in his confrontation with Fictive Kindle. It was also the moment he was his both most powerful and most vulnerable. In the end, weakness won.

Wars are usually told as the stories of victors and losers and battles. I wanted to tell a story of war from the perspectives of the displaced and suffering. I’ll get to a war-type story when I head back to The Valleys in the coming months.

Breaking up is hard to do

I was difficult sending Oscar away, and Grimby and Fineflin along with him. He never quite rose out of being the bumbling comedy relief, but I did like him. We won’t see him again this story, maybe if there’s a next time we’ll catch up. Grimby and Fineflin will make an appearance in an upcoming scene, so if you like those two don’t worry. I even have an idea to write some short stories with them as the main characters. I like the idea of following these partners as they investigate crimes around The Empty Throne.

It was important for me to move Sills into another car. I really like her character, but it was time for the “first four” to travel by themselves. It was nice writing that dynamic again.

Nobody’s business

To tell you the truth, up until the day I wrote “Aftermath” I had no idea the Professor hadn’t created the Penny Ore Detonator. I mean, it’s presence was a huge plot point, how could be not unreal ²?

But then, while taking a shower, I was pondering how yesterday’s scene was going to play out. And this very idea popped into my head! It’s Nobody’s greatest social insight of his life, and he picked a great time to have it.

Nobody’s snack business will, indeed, create an Imaginative Energy surplus. Unfortunately it’s going to devalue pennies and lead to a rash on inflation. But the Darned Elves will still fail to get The Realm on the Sock Standard. Everyone but the elves knows that idea stinks. And, anyway, that’s a story for another day.

Fictive Exile

The elusive Fictive Kindle is not dead, but remains in exile. Perhaps one day he’ll stir up trouble more, but in the years to come he’ll content himself with some minor banditry and filing dubious briefs on behalf of his friends, the Patent Trolls.