I don't care if we ever see the lilitongue again. What I want to see is the other "infernals" listed in the Compendium of Set.

Re the other topic:

A 90-year-old woman had some health problems. She was in a wheelchair, and she had some trouble speaking, but could communicate by writing notes.

At a family gathering, some of the family noticed grandma start to slowly lean to her left, so they stuffed a pillow on her left side to keep her upright. After a while they noticed grandma start to slowly lean to her right, so they stuffed in another pillow on her right side. Finally they noticed grandma start to slowly lean forward, so they put a strip of cloth around her middle and tied her to the wheelchair.

A short time later one of her nephews came by and asked how the old woman was doing. He patiently waited while she wrote out her reply: "They won't let me fart!"

I don't care if we ever see the lilitongue again. What I want to see is the other "infernals" listed in the Compendium of Set.

Have you read "Freak Show?" I wonder if the machine that plays such a prominent part in that book is one or more of the "infernals."

I still want to see the Lilitongue again. I want to know where it takes you.

Re the other topic:

A 90-year-old woman had some health problems. She was in a wheelchair, and she had some trouble speaking, but could communicate by writing notes.

At a family gathering, some of the family noticed grandma start to slowly lean to her left, so they stuffed a pillow on her left side to keep her upright. After a while they noticed grandma start to slowly lean to her right, so they stuffed in another pillow on her right side. Finally they noticed grandma start to slowly lean forward, so they put a strip of cloth around her middle and tied her to the wheelchair.

A short time later one of her nephews came by and asked how the old woman was doing. He patiently waited while she wrote out her reply: "They won't let me fart!"

Hysterical! You see, we all have to break wind to keep afloat!

The point with Gia is...she's just too darned perfect. She needs to be mussed up a bit, by her own doing.

Do you think it's easy being perky all the time? Well believe you me, it's not!

It's a full time job looking good too, all the clothes must be professionally pressed and starched, necessitating countless trips to the dry cleaning shop. Sometimes they leave a spot on or there's a spot that wasn't there when I brought it in last week!!

And keeping this hair looking the way Jack likes it, Why, I can't let it grow more than an inch before anyone notices. Then back to the Hair Cuttery and it's not just $10.00 anymore, plus it's all the way down on Lex completely opposite the dry cleaners so I can't do it in one trip. Well not if I'm going to pick up Vicky after school.

Have you ever tried to get your make-up just right so it looks like you aren't wearing any? Huh? Well, it takes time because I have to mix my own cosmetics myself. I use natural ingredients like cucumber, dhurba grass and fish oil that i press myself. And now they're closing the Fulton Street Fish Market, where am I going to get fresh dolphin livers, probably have to drive to Jersey once a week. Note to self, check into getting EZ-Pass.

And for your information missy, my eye is brown, well more hazel actually, and I wear a tinted contact lens on it. What? the other eye, well it's GLASS!!! Are you happy now, I have a glass eye because Gretchen, the girl who ate paste in third grade threw her Skipper at me when we were playing Barbies.

And keeping up this place, don't get me started. The AC is on the fritz, I'm hot and sweaty and carrying around Jack's get isn't helping what with this the hottest summer inm NYC in recent memory.. Plus the old ladies didn't leave any loose cash around to help with the bills. I'll have to sell at least 3 paintings to get the AC running and that slack ass agent of mine can't get me another show till the fall!!

I'm far from perfect, but I'm as close as one can get.

Have you read "Freak Show?" I wonder if the machine that plays such a prominent part in that book is one or more of the "infernals."

No, I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of that yet. But, I do remember a comment in All the Rage about Ozymandius's father having an "infernal machine", so I've been wondering about that. I didn't know it was prominent in Freak Show.

I would also be interested to know if the "infernals" actually come from the Otherness, or if they have some other source. There seem to be many strange powers active on Earth, including the Ally and the Lady, so we may often be too quick to assume that anything odd has its origins in the Otherness. Some of the stuff in the Compendium may be Otherness related, while some may have other sources, even when it's of interest or use to the Otherness.

Take Charlie, for example. He's clearly not in the Otherness, nor working for the Otherness. What or who exactly is responsible for his condition? Is it a side effect of the operation of the Otherness, or is there another power at work here? (In fact, was the Otherness even in operation at ALL during The Haunted Air? I don't think anyone, including Tara Portman and the Lady, ever said so directly.)

Do you think it's easy being perky all the time? Well believe you me, it's not!

It's a full time job looking good too, all the clothes must be professionally pressed and starched, necessitating countless trips to the dry cleaning shop. Sometimes they leave a spot on or there's a spot that wasn't there when I brought it in last week!!

And keeping this hair looking the way Jack likes it, Why, I can't let it grow more than an inch before anyone notices. Then back to the Hair Cuttery and it's not just $10.00 anymore, plus it's all the way down on Lex completely opposite the dry cleaners so I can't do it in one trip. Well not if I'm going to pick up Vicky after school.

Have you ever tried to get your make-up just right so it looks like you aren't wearing any? Huh? Well, it takes time because I have to mix my own cosmetics myself. I use natural ingredients like cucumber, dhurba grass and fish oil that i press myself. And now they're closing the Fulton Street Fish Market, where am I going to get fresh dolphin livers, probably have to drive to Jersey once a week. Note to self, check into getting EZ-Pass.

And for your information missy, my eye is brown, well more hazel actually, and I wear a tinted contact lens on it. What? the other eye, well it's GLASS!!! Are you happy now, I have a glass eye because Gretchen, the girl who ate paste in third grade threw her Skipper at me when we were playing Barbies.

And keeping up this place, don't get me started. The AC is on the fritz, I'm hot and sweaty and carrying around Jack's get isn't helping what with this the hottest summer inm NYC in recent memory.. Plus the old ladies didn't leave any loose cash around to help with the bills. I'll have to sell at least 3 paintings to get the AC running and that slack ass agent of mine can't get me another show till the fall!!

I'm far from perfect, but I'm as close as one can get.

UHH, Keith. You all right buddy? You sound like someone else. :confused: :p


KRW

Hysterical! You see, we all have to break wind to keep afloat!

As the Bard (Ian Anderson) wrote: "the wise man breaks wind and is gone". Probably so he doesn't have to deal with that "you smelt it; you dealt it" routine.

SERIOUS SPOILER ALERTS FOR "HAUNTED AIR," "REPRISAL" AND MILDLY FOR "FREAK SHOW"








Great questions, Brett.

No, I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of that yet. But, I do remember a comment in All the Rage about Ozymandius's father having an "infernal machine", so I've been wondering about that. I didn't know it was prominent in Freak Show.

It is very prominent in "Freak Show," and that's all I'll say about it. Don't want to spoil anything for you. I found an inexpensive used paperback of "Freak Show" on amazon.com. Have you tried there?

I would also be interested to know if the "infernals" actually come from the Otherness, or if they have some other source.

Certainly in "Freak Show" there is no doubt that the "infernal machine" comes form the Otherness. That's stated clearly, and again, that's all I'll say for now.

There seem to be many strange powers active on Earth, including the Ally and the Lady, so we may often be too quick to assume that anything odd has its origins in the Otherness. Some of the stuff in the Compendium may be Otherness related, while some may have other sources, even when it's of interest or use to the Otherness.

True.

Take Charlie, for example. He's clearly not in the Otherness, nor working for the Otherness. What or who exactly is responsible for his condition? Is it a side effect of the operation of the Otherness, or is there another power at work here? (In fact, was the Otherness even in operation at ALL during The Haunted Air? I don't think anyone, including Tara Portman and the Lady, ever said so directly.)

I thought the Otherness was at work in "Haunted Air" for several reasons. (1)If I remember correctly, the stones that made up the walls in the basement of Menaleus Mansion were from the Keep, including the so-called crosses that in actuality mimic the shape of the handle of Glaeken's sword. (2) Brett, have you read "Reprisal" yet? If not, then skip this next sentence......Menaleus Mansion was the same house in which Sara Lom did horrible things to little Danny, which is most definitely the Otherness at work. (3) The house itself woke up when Jack and Gia crossed the threshold, and from that point on, it wanted Gia. It worked through Sara Portman, but it was after Gia. I saw that as another way for the Otherness to get to Jack, to isolate him, separate him from all the people he loves.

There may be other examples from "The Haunted Air," but that's all I can recall at the moment.

REPRISAL SPOILER

REPRISAL SPOILER

REPRISAL SPOILER

Menaleus Mansion was the same house in which Sara Lom did horrible things to little Danny, which is most definitely the Otherness at work.

Holy CRAP!! That was the same house?!? How did I miss that?!? Now I have to get out The Haunted Air again! That puts that book in a very different light for me. I feel like such a moron. I remember the house having a "history", but I just never put two and two together.

Blake

SERIOUS SPOILER ALERTS FOR THE WHOLE FERSLUGGINER AC/RJ SERIES, ESPECIALLY HAUNTED AIR and REPRISAL.

I thought the Otherness was at work in "Haunted Air" for several reasons. (1)If I remember correctly, the stones that made up the walls in the basement of Menaleus Mansion were from the Keep, including the so-called crosses that in actuality mimic the shape of the handle of Glaeken's sword.

Yes, that's true. So, why would stones carrying the imprint of the hilt be imbued with Otherness, rather than imbued with the power of the Ally? Those stones existed to help restrain Rasalom, acting against him! The Circle might have been attracted to them simply because of their aura of power, regardless of source. The Ally, as we know, can't be defined as "good". (I like to think of the Ally as The Great Indifference, but it is a known source of some pretty horrible things, like the death of poor Olive at the hands of the Twins in Conspiracies.) Even in Nightworld the Keep was a place of refuge against the Otherness, so the stones still retained some kind of anti-Otherness effect.

(2) Menaleus Mansion was the same house in which Sara Lom did horrible things to little Danny, which is most definitely the Otherness at work.

The job done on Danny was definitely Otherness, but I'm not ready to concede that Sara Lom selected the house because it had a history of Otherness. Rasalom feeds on human misery regardless of it's source, and he would have liked the aura created by the child killers in any case. The appeal of the mansion was in its history of pain and death to innocent lives. We can't even be sure that the Circle was truly working under the influence of ANY power, because the book left open the possibility that Eli Bellitto was a self-deluded nutburger born in 1940, and not a 206-year-old "adept".

(3) The house itself woke up when Jack and Gia crossed the threshold, and from that point on, it wanted Gia. It worked through Sara Portman, but it was after Gia. I saw that as another way for the Otherness to get to Jack, to isolate him, separate him from all the people he loves.

I think most people saw it that way. In fact, that was my reaction as well, until other possibilities started occuring to me. There is an ambiguity here that isn't present in other events that are clearly Otherness related.

In Conspiracies we have the presence of Rasalom, the actions of the Monroe Cluster created by his rebirth, and a Chaos Hole. Clearly Otherness.

In All the Rage we have a Rakosh (created from a piece of Rasalom's own flesh, by his own admission) as the source of the drug, and the hand of Rasalom is evident in the way in which Prather and Monnet learned of the creature. Clearly Otherness.

In Hosts we have evidence that Rasalom himself infected the viral cultures with the mutant strain. Clearly Otherness. (But, Rasalom could not possibly have forseen that Jack's sister would become involved through such an odd chain of "coincidences". Could some other power have been responsible for this aspect, forcing Jack's involvement?)

In Gateways we have a Chaos Hole at a Nexus, a Florida clan similar to the Monroe Cluster, and another personal appearance by Rasalom. Clearly Otherness. (But, what actually DID bring Tom Sr. to Florida? Is there evidence that this was an Otherness-influnced decison? Or, again, some other power at work, trying to draw Jack into the situation there?)

In Crisscross we have evidence that the founder of the Dormentalists got the idea from the Otherness, and Rasalom arranged to have Brady receive the Compendium, all as part of a millenia-long plan to kill the Lady. Clearly Otherness.

But, things are much more ambiguous in The Haunted Air and Infernal. They seem to suggest that other forces with other agendas are at work, but not leaving a clear trail.

The Lady seems to have been pretty clear when the Otherness is at work, but does not mention the Otherness in THA; she just says that Gia is in danger. While Rasalom did use the mansion at one point in the past, there is no evidence at all that he had any behind-the-scenes influence on the Circle or the events of THA. Tara Portman does not have any idea of who or what revived her spirit, so we can't get any evidence pro or con from her.

The provenance of Tom's map to the Lilitongue is very strange. But, unlike similar events in the series (such as the way in which Brady got the Compendium), there isn't any hint of Rasalom's hand at work. The Lady warns of danger again, but does not mention the Otherness, and does not contact Jack. (Strange. Given her history with Jack, she knew he would understand and believe anything she told him, so why was she avoiding him? Why give the warning only to someone who would ignore her? Unless she felt morally obligated to give a warning, but did not actually want it heeded. Maybe the Lady actually wanted events to proceed as they did, wiping out another branch of the spear!)

The Otherness has a great hatred for Jack, but it doesn't strike me as being a very subtle power. After its first try for his life in Conspiracies, would it really settle for torturing him by bumping off his relatives? Would it really indulge itself in complicated plans like filling a plane full of Hassidic Jews to attract terrorists who would kill Jack's father? Or is some other power really responsible for the "coincidences" that bring Jack where he's needed to fight the Otherness?

(Wow, when did this turn into an essay? Sorry for the length! :o)

Brett,
Great essay, even if inadvertent.

It would be great to have some sort of get together to have all of us in the same room discussing FPW's stories at length. Wow, that could be a GU!

Seriously, though, FPW's books are just that rich that you can have countless discussions of them and not tread the same paths twice.

I take a more simplistic view of the Otherness/Ally connection. I see them as attached at the wrist and ankle. Seems to me you can't have one without the other, at least in FPW-land.

And finally, simplistic though it may be, there are no coincidences. Everything is related; everything comes together the way it does to advance RJ toward the ultimate climax
of "Nightworld."