Wow, that's a lotta action for 50 pages

[rolanni]

So, what I've been doing today, around infodumps, laundry and cat-skritching, is making a timeline, sort of, of the last eight chapters of Scout's Progress. I must say that we managed to squeeze a lot into those last few pages. Happily, because things were moving so fast, we left a bunch of details unmentioned. Now, we get to mention them. At least, some of them.

*rubs hands together*

This is gonna be fun.

For those six other people in the world with an interest in timelines, and to protect them what might not yet have read Scout's Progress, look .


Timing, Last Eight Chapters of Scout's Progress


It is early morning, but well after dawn at the Mizel Clanhouse in Chonselta when Ran Eld reads the news of Aelliana's lift "yesterday"

At Solcintra, Daav climbs the tree; it is just coming dawn

At Binjali's Clonak and Frad are doing a repair; it is the morning after a serious night of partying -- hardly dawn

Aelliana wakes

Ran Eld arrives at Binjali's and departs, possibly for the Port Master's office

Scarcely has he gone then Aelliana arrives at Binjali's and is apprised of her brother's visit. She takes some time to consider the situation, argues with Clonak, and leaves for Chonselta

She arrives in Raingleam Street, having presumably taken the first available ferry to the other side of the world

There is an altercation between herself and her brother, she is knocked unconscious and placed in the sleep learner

The danger-zone mentioned re brain-burn and the sleep learner is 6 hours, at max

Meanwhile, in Solcintra, Daav and Er Thom are talking. Samiv tel'Izak presents herself to her delm. Daav eats lunch and retires to his room, instructing Mr. pel'Kana that he is not at home. He dithers for a "while," and finally settles down to carve. Frad's call comes in, he takes a stated ten minutes to dress appropriately, and rushes out, finding Samiv in his drawing room. They leave together for Chonselta.

The above action is interspersed with scenes of Aelliana in the sleep learner

In Chonselta, Ran Eld has not come down to Prime (evening) meal and Voni is in a pet. She leaves the table with her meal unfinished. Sinit scores an extra popover, and retires to the library to read.

The timer goes off; the sleep learner opens

Sinit is roused from her reading by the doorbell. Being youngest, she is responsible for the door. The porch-light is on. Daav shows her his ring and asks to be taken to Aelliana. Sinit says that she believes Aelliana is in Solcintra, but nontheless lets Korval and his companion in.

Palaver and confusion with the various sibs. Sinit discovers the savaged and abandoned sleep learner. The timer has stopped at five hours (stated). When Daav looks out of the open window, he sees the garden gate swinging on its hinges, rocked by the night-breeze.

More palaver as the delm arrives, then Daav and Samiv are away, hot on Aelliana's trail. She, in the meantime, has convinced a sympathetic cabbie to take her to Chonselta Guild Hall. The pilots there call Jon dea'Cort, who instructs them to take her immediately to the Healers.

It appears to be quite late when Daav and Samiv finally arrive at Healer Hall, having tracked Aelliana through the city, to the cab driver, to the Guildhall and so forth. The Healers refuse to allow him to see Aelliana, and tell him to come back "tomorrow."

Returning via Daav's jump-buggy to Solcintra, he calls Clonak's father and feeds him the gossip to be shared with Samiv's delm. He finds her "at breakfast" (stated). Some while later, Daav and Samiv arrive, and Daav is shown out.

Daav returns home and shouts at the tree

He is next seen being let into Chonselta Healer Hall, where he is given a glass of wine and left to stew. Master Healer Kestra arrives, they talk and he is at last allowed to go up to Aelliana.

Abovestairs, Aelliana is looking out over the garden, the sun high and bright in the sky

The End!

heh, heh, heh...

Comments

[keristor.livejournal.com]

"in media res"? I thought that meant virtual memory (resident on other media) *g*...

(That technique tends not to work on me, because I usually do a "page 117 test" -- turn to a page around that number, which is usually a way beyond the beginning but not close to the end, and see if that page grabs me. That way I avoid any 'hooks' an author might have put at the start and get a sample of what the writing is really like, if I turn the page to see what's next I'll buy the book.)

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Yes, but you know, if you buy the book, you'll want to read the beginning sometime, and it ought to be worth your while, too.

Avoiding hooks...hooks are what make the story go. That being so, you're just as likely to encounter one on page 117 -- in fact, it will be a hook that pulls you onto page 118, in a book that passes the test...

[keristor.livejournal.com]

In the books I like that's certainly true, which is why the page 117 test. The reason I want to avoid the hooks at the start is because every writer puts those in, my test is to see whether they do it on every page or only at the beginning. But it's not just obvious hooks which interest me, it's writing style, characters (if an author can make a character grab me on one random page) and other aspect which I don't necessarily consciously notice.

(I think the first line of AoC is up there with the best hooks I know. Possibly matched by Heinlein's "Once there was a Martian called Smith", I'd be hard put to choose between them.)