We're between cases. Nothing better to do today, so I took this survey: "What Book Are You?" http://bluepyramid.org/ia/bquiz.htm
Did it for some others, too. Here's what I got.
Vern, the Dragon Detective: You're Animal Farm by George OrwellYou are living proof that power corrupts and whoever leads you will become just as bad as the past leaders. You're quite conflicted about this emotionally and waver from hopelessly idealistic to tragically jaded. Ultimately, you know you can't trust pigs. Your best moments are when you're down on all fours.
Well, I certainly agree that some animals are more equal than others .
Sister Grace, Mage of Our Lady of the Miracles: You're Anne of Green Gables by L.M. MontgomeryBright, chipper, vivid, but with the emotional fortitude of cottage cheese, you make quite an impression on everyone you meet. You're impulsive, rash, honest, and probably don't have a great relationship with your parents. People hurt your feelings constantly, but your brazen honestly doesn't exactly treat others with kid gloves. Ultimately, though, you win the hearts and minds of everyone that matters. You spell your name with an E and you want everyone to know about it.
This is a good match for her, except for the hurt feelings part, and she usually lets Vern handle the Bad Cop role. However, she does spell her name with an E. Otherwise, its Grac, and thats kind of demeaning in Dwarvish.
Coyote the Trickster: You're One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia MarquezLonely and struggling, you've been around for a very long time. Conflict has filled most of your life and torn apart nearly everyone you know. Yet there is something majestic and even epic about your presence in the world. You love life all the more for having seen its decimation. After all, it takes a village.
Except for the lonely, struggling part, this is a pretty good match. (A hundred years of solitude from him wouldn't be nearly enough.)
Gozonverbosomofic, the High Elf Speaker of the Forests: You're Rootsby Alex HaleyWhile almost everyone agrees that you're brilliant, no one knows quite how to categorize you. Some say that you're a person with an amazing family tree. Some say that you're just a darn good storyteller. Others say that you're both and don't much care where to draw the line. What is known is that your people have been through a great number of trials and that you are where you are because of hard work. You have nothing to lose but your chains.
Actually, thats not too bad, eitherand youve got to love the irony of the Speaker of the Forests being Roots!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rIDuqU_UTtE
This is the book trailer for Infinite Space, Infinite God, edited by Karina and Rob Fabian. (I tried to post the video instead of the link, but for some reason, the blog won't do it. Don't ask me why. I'm a PI, not an IT.)
Karina transcribes our Dragon Eye, PI cases for us. This is no easy feat, mind you. Dragons have perfect memory for detail and you might not know it, but I can ramble. Even worse is when our cases involve High Elves. Since they live so long, they have no problem talking your ear off for an afternoon or a weekend. "Excuse me" involves a 15-minute ceremony when it's done right. Next time you read one of her Dragon Eye stories, marvel at how well she's "translated" their converstaions into something that won't take a month to read.
In addition to the Dragon Eye cases, she writes science fiction. I love science fiction. There's nothing like it in Faerie. Can you imagine how special novelty is to an immortal? If dragons could weep, I would have the first time I saw Star Trek--and not because of Shatner's acting.
Infinite Space, Infinite God is available in e-book and comes out in print in August. You can order it at Twilight Times Books (www.twilighttimesbooks.com). To learn more about the book, go to the ISIG web site at http://isigsf.tripod.com.
You Mundanes never cease to amaze me--and since I've been alive since the Dawn of Faerie Earth, that's saying something.
This week was the whole "Tomb of Jesus" fiasco. Yeah, fiasco. Sensationalized semi-science masquerading as a documentary. But I'm not here to issue a rebuttal--enough of you Mundanes are doing that. Besides, I've spent enough time in the Mundane world that I'm no longer surprised at what your media will do.
Nah, what gets me is the way you Mundanes need to argue, doubt or deny what God gives you: from His laws to His son--even that God exists at all. I know much of the Faerie world thinks you simply lack faith, but I have another theory.
You lack Magic.
Not your fault. God build your universe differently. Maybe He built it before ours. I don't know. I may be immortal, but my time-sense is different from yours. I might be able to date the age of my world in your years--if you want to pay me to concentrate on it for a century or so. Lots of naps and meals between now and thenRegardless, I think that the lack of magic has made it easier to blur the lines of Good and evil, and made it easier for Satan to hide in your world.
Now a bunch of you are going to argue that magic itself is evil and leads people away from righteousness. For your world, perhaps. Let me explain about my world.
On Faerie, we have three kinds of magic: Holy, Evil, and Neutral.
Holy is simple: employing the power of God with His permission, in His name and for His work. My partner, Sister Grace, practices that kind of magic. It doesn't just take knowledge and skill, but also a deep commitment to God. It also carries a terrible penalty if you think of misusing it. In fact, the first rule of Holy Magic is "Thou Shalt Not Consider Misusing My Gifts." Not just don't do it--don't consider it.
Then there's evil magic. This is the real deal--selling your soul, making the pact, blood sacrifice kind of stuff. (No cats or brooms--where did you Mundanes come up with that, anyway? Ever try to ride a broom? Without wires, that is.) The strength of the magic depends on the strength of your willing dedication to evil. In other words, you may be fooled into doing a few simple spells of black magic, but to do the really powerful stuff, you have to know and accept Satan as your master. Unfortunately, black magic is as addictive as heroine. You can break the addiction, but it's not easy; you might end up saving your soul at the expense of your mind. Fortunately, most Faerie are smart enough to Just Say No.
Finally, there's neutral magic. And it's not the easy whimsical stuff of those Harry Potter stories. No waving your wand and the dishes wash themselves. A better analogy is rebuilding the dishwasher after every meal. Most people would rather deal with dishpan hands. Yeah, we have potions and charms, but most of those are a mix of chemistry and magic.
Finally, the Magicals (non-human Faerie) have their own kind of magic with its own rules.
So what's this got to do with the Tomb of Jesus and Mundane human faith? On Faerie, we see magic all the time. We believe in miracles. We expect miracles. So we can recognize and accept the Ascension for what it is: the bodily assumption of Christ into heaven. A very big deal, yes. Unbelievable? No.
You Mundanes lack magic and thus are skeptical of anything that looks too good to be true. In fact, you are more than ready to believe it isn't. Logic dictates that you can't prove a negative, but often you don't have to. Just shed a little doubt into it and Mudanes are all too willing to disbelieve.
Yet Jesus did miracles in your universe as well as mine. He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. He even brought the dead back to life. He passed that ability to the Apostles. On our world, we call that holy magic or miracles. Your world has only miracles.
But you do have miracles. Jesus performed them. Saints did, to. But Satan cant. With a very few exceptions, he had to do his dirty work thought guile and technology. Ironically, thanks to the skeptical Human mind, he does quite well with that.
