From merrie@umich.eduFri Nov 4 17:58:23 1994 Date: Fri, 4 Nov 1994 11:06:42 -0500 (EST) From: Merrie Haskell To: thari@umich.edu Subject: Laughter's Interim Diary I know I don't have to, but... it helps keep the details straight. I was confusing myself. (you know us bears of little brain) Midsummer, Foil I never know what day it is anymore, you know. Because it's winter in Amber and it's summer in Foil and it's whatever whereever else. It's a good thing I keep Beauty with me, so I can monitor the passing of my subjective time with her growth, and not get too confused by the psychotic time flows of the Shadows. Anyways, it's just past midsummer in Foil, and Sand had her babies today. Twins. I just don't know. I'm kinda glad I'm out of the running though. I mean, babies are swell, but not two at once. All things considered, life is going well. My first solo hell-ride led me to the most awesome forest. I spent all day there collecting sample, undisturbed by human contact. That's good, because if I had caught anyone cutting on those trees, they would have been treed, and my mother would not have come to rescue them. I've gone through a high-tech shadow or two in my wanderings. I don't think I'm ready for gas streetlights and railroads yet; but I have found that shadows like Foil plus a century are not too stressful. I have set myself up as a widow with a small child in London of the seventeen hundreds. I do not like the clothing, since women are expected to wear panniers and powdered wigs, but just a little bit of shadow manipulation changes everyone's expectations so conveniently. Lavendar, Lady Foyle, is regarded as an eccentric. So much the better. A disturbing side note: Calamus appears to have been a shadow of Driscoll, who was traitor to Amber during Patternfall. Calamus=Driscoll, Mergeance War=Patternfall? Lughnasa, Foil I've come back to Foil for the harvest feasts. The bonfires are quite spectacular tonight. A few recent trips to Amber have yeilded these amazing facts: Ariana is raising Sand's children, since she's one of the few nursing mothers in Amber at the moment. That's fortunate, I suppose. I wasn't about to start lactating to raise any children. Shard apologized to me for the fight. We won't discuss that. Anyways. I'm in Foil tonight because Felix and Foster are coming for dinner. Apparently, they're living in a very fast shadow, where Felix is in medical school. It should be interesting to talk with him about this, since my studies often merge with medicine. As for Foster, I suppose it should be educational to watch a young boy grow up semi-normally. Granted that Foster is much more powerful than Calamus ever was, it should be pleasant to see that all males that age are not morbid, twisted souls. I hope. I don't think Felix would allow that to happen. I hope. Samhain, Foil I seem to be coming back to Foil for overnight stays only on the major holidays. It's the last night of the year, and I think the Wild Hunt should be something spectacular-- just because I need the release. I've been studying a lot, having moved up another century in technology. London, Foil, 1810 in a Shadow nearby is very interesting, but exhausting. While I think that I'm cut out for the student life, I very much do not feel that I am cut out for playing so many different roles. If I am not taking lessons with my tutors in 1810, I'm running a country in 1638, and if I'm not doing that, I'm fencing with Ariana in timeless Amber, or visiting with Mother (Fiona), or with Mum (Caitt). Or finding a shadow that's just *too* interesting not to collect at least a specimen from. Or teaching Beauty the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous and magical and non-magical herbs. There's always something. But tonight, I can leave that all behind for a little while. The Wild Hunt is more than enough tension relief. Apparently most of my more violently inclined relatives will be there. Intriguing. Christmas, Foil Christmas is still Christmas to my daughter, regardless of the workings of the universe. Ah, me. I'm rather too full of goose to think too hard about anything. Just that it's getting on towards time to move up another century. The scientific advances thus far have been slight in the area of knowledge and great in the area of technique. Nothing to lose sleep over, just time to consider moving on, in the next few months, to London 1925. Day of the Trees, Foil America is seeking to dominate the world scene of the twentieth century. Who knew? So, I guess I'm going to America when I make the next time jump. In other news... Foster is getting pretty old. He's at the age of majority for my shadow. Scary thought, that I left home at thirteen and thought nothing of it. I don't remember being so young. I hope I'm not expected to pack Beauty off at age thirteen or fourteen. Except I didn't leave home, really, because it was just Foil. While I've grown to understand that you can actually walk on the surface of other planets, I know this could never have happened in my Foil. My dear, dear Foil. Another year between you and the ravages of war. Another year between me and that awful time. Beauty is three years old today. Happy birthday, daughter. Midsummer, Foil A year gone by in Foil. About four years in Felix's shadow. A little less than a year in Amber. Crazy, this time-changing stuff. I like America. I've finally advanced far enough in time that I think I can simply study there for years if I need to, yet not too far that I feel lost in the technology. It's best this way... Of course, with the advancement of technology, no one thinks they need herbs anymore, but there are always a few. The edge or the fringe or some such. But botany as a science has progressed towards something called bio-engineering in addition to the "old sketch a flower and define it's properties" technique. Medicine is radically different, but there the fringe elements come in-- homeopathy, aromatherapy, Chinese herbs... I'm enrolled in Duke University as graduate student Lavendar Foyle. Single motherhood is not so frowned upon here, so there's no pose as a widow. I found a nice house in the suburbs for Beauty and I and Rachel, the nanny. I'm getting to know my fellow students, though the call me Lavi. Not a name I'm fond of. A couple of people know to call me Laughter, and that's good. I've got a job as a research assistant for a big corporation out in the Research Triangle Park. Small potatoes for an Amberite, but I've got a lot to learn, and it's not like I'm doing it for the money. I've fallen into the habit of trumping to Foil every night before bedtime and then hellriding back. The ride isn't far, and the stables at the country club are only a brisk walk through a small wood that backs my house. And I still don't need much sleep. I find the fact that all the most expensive homes face on golfing courses amusing. Suburban enclave living is interesting. The only thing I really miss is the theater, but theatre has become crap in many ways since Shakespeare's original troupe died out. Fortunately, it hasn't happened in Foil yet, so I can go see it again. Oh, I've liked a few things on Broadway, but it's just not the same. Movies are no better, though I admit a certain fascination for the medium. What's truly amazing is the books. I've been stocking my library in Foil like there is no tomorrow. Funny thing about electricity-- it's convenient, but I'd rather have gas lamps. I've updated the manor with running water and a few electric lamps-- but the real reason I wired it for electricity is that I can pug in my stereo. Music that you can listen to anytime is just too good to pass up. I wonder what I'll do in Amber-- purchase a windup victrola?