MLTF outtakes -- Alix & Parry (Part 3 of 5)
Recently, the fabulous fantasy author Diana Pharaoh Francis asked me to do an interview on her blog. I jumped at the chance. She posted it last night. Just go to her website and click on "My Blog."
The chapter I'm posting this week is a big one, so I started on Monday. It's in five parts and will run to the end of this week. It features Alix and Parry who are referred to in MLTF, but never seen. Alix is Raine's best friend, and Parry is a Conclave emissary and Alix's lover.
And you still have until Friday to send me your questions for Raine. She'll answer your questions here this weekend.
Preface to the Alix & Parry chapter: The following chapter (had it remained in the final version of MLTF) would have taken place immediately after Chapter 7 (which ends on page 109 of the final book). In the old Chapter 7, Janek Tawl asks Raine about a receipt he found in a box in Nigel Nicabar's bedroom. The box contained an elaborate and obscenely expensive mage robe. The receipt was from Alix Toril's shop. The date on the receipt was on the day that Nigel disappeared. Here's Part 3 of 5 -- enjoy!
Alix descended the stairs in no particular hurry, and extended her hand to Janek, favoring him with a warm smile. He took her hand and bowed over it. While everyone was still playing nice, I made the introductions.
Eleta arrived with tea for Alix and Janek.
"To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Watcher Tawl?" Alix asked.
"I was hoping you could answer a few questions about a client of yours."
"Of course. Which one?"
"Nigelius Nicabar. I'd like to know about his most recent purchase."
Alix's expression resembled someone who had just swallowed a bug. "Nachtmagus Nicabar's most recent commission was the only custom work I have ever done for him."
"I take it he wasn't a regular client."
"No."
"May I ask why?"
"Nachtmagus Nicabar is repulsive, Watcher Tawl. I've worked hard to build my business to the level where I can be selective with whom I work. A set of custom robes like the ones I made for the nachtmagus require working very closely with the client. I never intend to work that closely with him again."
"Yet you did this time."
"Only as a favor to an old friend. Gerald Aurillac usually does the nachtmagus' custom designs. He's been ill for the past few weeks, and asked if I would help with some of his clients. Nachtmagus Nicabar was one of them."
"You have a problem with necromancers?"
"No, just that one."
"There's a lot of that going around," I told her. "Nigel turned up dead this morning."
"Really?"
"You don't seem surprised," Janek said.
"Are you?" she asked, without missing a beat. "No one liked him, and I would imagine many more actually hated him enough to want him dead. Some of them enough to do the job themselves."
"Do you know who wanted to kill Nigel this week?"
Alix laughed. "I doubt if you have time to wade through that list, Watcher Tawl."
"We found a set of new robes in Nicabar's bedroom, with the receipt still in the box." Janek handed her the receipt. "That's a hefty price to pay for robes."
Alix's lips curled into a smile. "That's the receipt for the final payment. There were three such payments."
Janek almost choked on his tea. "Three?"
The smile broadened. "I do quality work, Watcher Tawl."
"So I understand. But three times this?"
"I did charge an extra fee for the inconvenience of having to work with Nachtmagus Nicabar."
"Taking his measurements alone would be worth that," I said.
"If I would have had to have taken his measurements, I would have charged five times the amount on that receipt," Alix told me. "Fortunately I could work from the last measurements Gerald took."
"That was lucky," I said.
"Yes, it was."
"Did Nicabar mention why he needed Rheskilian court robes?" Janek asked.
"He bragged about a commission he had received directly from King Dunican himself," Alix replied. "He said he had performed an invaluable service and was being repaid with a position at court. He wanted the robes before he left for Dragalon in two weeks."
"Did he say what kind of invaluable service?" Janek asked. His outward expression hadn't changed, but I knew Alix had just struck a big chord.
Rulers seemed to like having a dangerous sorcerer at their right hand--rather like having a big dog.
"He didn't say, and I didn't ask, because I didn't care," Alix said.
"And since it was Nigel, you probably didn't want to know," I added.
"That, too."
"If you remember anything you think might be helpful, would you contact me?" Janek asked.
"Of course."
"Then I won't keep you any longer." He looked at me for a long moment. "Raine, can I count on you to do the same?"
I nodded, though I was more than confused by his behavior. Just as he was getting somewhere, he was leaving.
"As soon as I can," I said, trying unsuccessfully to read some other meaning into his question.
He considered that for a moment, then nodded and left. I waited until the shop door had closed behind him.
Come back tomorrow for Alix & Parry -- Part 4 of 5.
The chapter I'm posting this week is a big one, so I started on Monday. It's in five parts and will run to the end of this week. It features Alix and Parry who are referred to in MLTF, but never seen. Alix is Raine's best friend, and Parry is a Conclave emissary and Alix's lover.
And you still have until Friday to send me your questions for Raine. She'll answer your questions here this weekend.
Preface to the Alix & Parry chapter: The following chapter (had it remained in the final version of MLTF) would have taken place immediately after Chapter 7 (which ends on page 109 of the final book). In the old Chapter 7, Janek Tawl asks Raine about a receipt he found in a box in Nigel Nicabar's bedroom. The box contained an elaborate and obscenely expensive mage robe. The receipt was from Alix Toril's shop. The date on the receipt was on the day that Nigel disappeared. Here's Part 3 of 5 -- enjoy!
Alix descended the stairs in no particular hurry, and extended her hand to Janek, favoring him with a warm smile. He took her hand and bowed over it. While everyone was still playing nice, I made the introductions.
Eleta arrived with tea for Alix and Janek.
"To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Watcher Tawl?" Alix asked.
"I was hoping you could answer a few questions about a client of yours."
"Of course. Which one?"
"Nigelius Nicabar. I'd like to know about his most recent purchase."
Alix's expression resembled someone who had just swallowed a bug. "Nachtmagus Nicabar's most recent commission was the only custom work I have ever done for him."
"I take it he wasn't a regular client."
"No."
"May I ask why?"
"Nachtmagus Nicabar is repulsive, Watcher Tawl. I've worked hard to build my business to the level where I can be selective with whom I work. A set of custom robes like the ones I made for the nachtmagus require working very closely with the client. I never intend to work that closely with him again."
"Yet you did this time."
"Only as a favor to an old friend. Gerald Aurillac usually does the nachtmagus' custom designs. He's been ill for the past few weeks, and asked if I would help with some of his clients. Nachtmagus Nicabar was one of them."
"You have a problem with necromancers?"
"No, just that one."
"There's a lot of that going around," I told her. "Nigel turned up dead this morning."
"Really?"
"You don't seem surprised," Janek said.
"Are you?" she asked, without missing a beat. "No one liked him, and I would imagine many more actually hated him enough to want him dead. Some of them enough to do the job themselves."
"Do you know who wanted to kill Nigel this week?"
Alix laughed. "I doubt if you have time to wade through that list, Watcher Tawl."
"We found a set of new robes in Nicabar's bedroom, with the receipt still in the box." Janek handed her the receipt. "That's a hefty price to pay for robes."
Alix's lips curled into a smile. "That's the receipt for the final payment. There were three such payments."
Janek almost choked on his tea. "Three?"
The smile broadened. "I do quality work, Watcher Tawl."
"So I understand. But three times this?"
"I did charge an extra fee for the inconvenience of having to work with Nachtmagus Nicabar."
"Taking his measurements alone would be worth that," I said.
"If I would have had to have taken his measurements, I would have charged five times the amount on that receipt," Alix told me. "Fortunately I could work from the last measurements Gerald took."
"That was lucky," I said.
"Yes, it was."
"Did Nicabar mention why he needed Rheskilian court robes?" Janek asked.
"He bragged about a commission he had received directly from King Dunican himself," Alix replied. "He said he had performed an invaluable service and was being repaid with a position at court. He wanted the robes before he left for Dragalon in two weeks."
"Did he say what kind of invaluable service?" Janek asked. His outward expression hadn't changed, but I knew Alix had just struck a big chord.
Rulers seemed to like having a dangerous sorcerer at their right hand--rather like having a big dog.
"He didn't say, and I didn't ask, because I didn't care," Alix said.
"And since it was Nigel, you probably didn't want to know," I added.
"That, too."
"If you remember anything you think might be helpful, would you contact me?" Janek asked.
"Of course."
"Then I won't keep you any longer." He looked at me for a long moment. "Raine, can I count on you to do the same?"
I nodded, though I was more than confused by his behavior. Just as he was getting somewhere, he was leaving.
"As soon as I can," I said, trying unsuccessfully to read some other meaning into his question.
He considered that for a moment, then nodded and left. I waited until the shop door had closed behind him.
Come back tomorrow for Alix & Parry -- Part 4 of 5.
posted by Lisa Shearin at
8:18 AM
2 Comments:
I love these outtakes--it's like coming across random chocolates left around the house.
How do you do your world-building? On the fly, or obsessively detailed before you start? Or somewhere in the middle?
Random chocolates -- I love it!
Before I start writing, the location is pretty much in my head; I think it arrives with the snippets, pieces, parts and chunks of dialog and scenes. So I just look around, and write down what I see and hear. It's kinda like being a tourist. ; )
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