Inspired by a remark anent rationality and emotion in the last post, I thought I’d put up a brief excerpt illustrating the point. [g] This is from a short story (well, all right, it’s 25,000 words, but still…) I’ve just done for an anthology. The story was originally called “Terror Daemonium” and is the story of what happened to Michael Murray (the middle brother, between Young Jamie and Young Ian, Janet’s twin) and to Joan MacKimmie (Laoghaire’s younger daughter; Marsali’s sister) when they went to France at the end of AN ECHO IN THE BONE. I later changed the name to “The Space Between”, but it’ll be up to the anthology editor as to which title he prefers.
Excerpt from “The Space Between” (aka “Terror Daemonium”)
After a short tour through the rooms of the gaming club, Michael indicated a desire to play whist. Cards weren’t Charles’s favorite; he preferred the excitement of dice. Neither was whist at all fashionable; the tables were in a small, dingy salon at the rear of the establishment.
“Whist is too much like work,” Charles grumbled, though good-naturedly. “That’s why you like it, no doubt. Your Scottish sense of virtue doesn’t allow you to do something just for fun.”
There might be something to this. Beyond such philosophical questions, though, the choice of whist did allow Michael to control Charles’s gambling to some extent. Charles had a wife, two sons, and a mistress to support, and while Michael disapproved the existence of the mistress, he did like the lady—and pitied the wife. Michael shrugged and smiled, they found a pair of Italian gentlemen willing to play, and settled down to a peaceful evening of cards.
It _was_ peaceful. Much to his surprise, Michael found after an hour’s play that the thorns of his personal briar patch had coiled themselves up and withdrawn. His mind was quiet, and if he was not happy, he wasn’t actively miserable, either.
He shuffled the cards and laid them out, counting under his breath. Count to ten, he heard, in the back of his mind, and his Da’s laugh. He smiled involuntarily.
The one thing good about the manner of his father’s dying had been that there was time. He wouldn’t wish such a death by inches on anyone, but it had at least allowed all the children and grandchildren to come to Lallybroch, to see each other, to test the bonds of their family and find they held steady, despite years and distance. And time to talk with Da.
Who had, in the course of one conversation in the kitchen with his sons, pointed out a little-known use of mathematics.
“Ye ken how they say ye should count to ten before ye speak, if ye’re blazin’ wi’ fury?”
“Aye. So?” Young Jamie raised a brow.
“Well, that’s because ye canna think of numbers and be angry at the same time. That’s why I took up the study o’ mathematics when I met your Mam.”
There was laughter, and a certain amount of skepticism expressed, but Da insisted it was so, and Michael and Young Ian had undertaken to insult Young Jamie while the latter did sums, by way of experiment, but this enterprise had broken down into giggles as the insults grew sillier, and finally into open roaring, when their mother walked in unexpectedly, in time to hear her youngest son call her oldest son “Ye whore-mongering son of a hypotenuse!”
“Really, Michel,” Charles said to him disapprovingly in English, “you mustn’t grin like that, even if your cards are stunning. It makes them nervous.” He nodded slightly toward the two Italians, who were regarding Michael with an obvious suspicion.
Michael’s cards were in fact mediocre, but he subdued his grin to a satisfied smile, which unnerved one of the Italians sufficiently as to make him throw in a much superior hand. His partner glared.
_Well, then_, Michael thought, feeling better. _I should ha’ thought of that before. I’ll take to solving problems in geometry, just before bed. That’ll put paid to the dreams. Maybe._
###
I'll miss Ian, but you've really piqued my curiosity bringing Janet over and having her meet Claire again so precipitously! I remember being quite livid once; the first things I though were all curse words, but I was in front of children, teachers, the principal … so I counted backwards from ten, in French … twice. Thankfully, it worked ;0
I am lagging behind in my reading because I am a very extremely busy woman, nevertheless I am beginning chapter 80 of Echo in the Bone. I read through the 70′s chapters and found it strange when I was reading first person through Claire’s eyes and popped into third person in a matter of paragraphs, or chapters. Did anyone else find a problem with this?
Don’t get me wrong, it is a difficulty and I do understand what Diana meant so the story isn’t compromised. I just found it odd that the editor didn’t pick up on this.
I love Diana’s work and it has changed my life, I just find this simple error ironic:)
Dear Laura–
I won’t say it’s not possible, but frankly, I’d be surprised as heck if there were errors of that sort. (Mind, changing POV from one short scene to the next might jar the reader–and is in some cases, _meant_ to {g}–but it’s not an error.) Could you tell me a few of the specific instances you saw? (page #, if possible) Thanks!
–Diana
I am lagging behind in my reading because I am a very extremely busy woman, nevertheless I am beginning chapter 80 of Echo in the Bone. I read through the 70′s chapters and found it strange when I was reading first person through Claire’s eyes and popped into third person in a matter of paragraphs, or chapters. Did anyone else find a problem with this?
Don’t get me wrong, it is a difficulty and I do understand what Diana meant so the story isn’t compromised. I just found it odd that the editor didn’t pick up on this.
I love Diana’s work and it has changed my life, I just find this simple error ironic:)
I am also very interested to finish so that I can look forward to the Space Between!
Mmm, nice way to end my day with a Lallybroch thought.
Hadn't thought of Michael in a while!
Nice treat! When will this short story be published?
I love it! I'm the type of "fanatic" fan who just can't get enough. I love delving into the different family ties involved in all your books and end up making my own fantasies of how and what each of the characters might be like. I read your books with an atlas and a homemade encyclopedia of the Outlander series by my chair.
I've been reading your books since the very beginning and I've lost track of how many books I've bought and given away to friends and family. I'm forever scouring bookstores and used books, libraries and church bazars in case I come across anything 'Scotish'. You have expanded my education by leaps and bounds.
My mother-in-law was born in Dumfermline and my daughter and I are saving for a trip to Scotland next year.
Thank you so much Diana for such great, great stories and you can bet your shift that I will continue to enjoy them all for the next 30-40 years if I live that long…lol
ps..I'll be 65 this fall
I love me a little literary snack!
I love what you consider a "short" story. Tee hee 25,000 words.
Thank you so much for expanding on this family. Awesome. I cant wait wait to read it all.
So that's how Jamie wins at cards so much. And another good card player in the family. I'm loving your little sneak peeks at Michael and Joanie's story.
Michael has an interesting 'voice'. I look forward to more of his story. Thanks for sharing these past two excerpts.
Ah, bad at Maths…so that's why I'm so bad at keeping my temper!
I love this! Michael has always been a mystery to me… it is so great to hear his voice. I want to read more More MORE!
Ye ken what they say…. bad at Maths, good at, well, Mmhmm.
Will this be the same anthology with the story about Rogers dad? (Songs of love and death?)