In the hour prior . . .Kyra was seldom nonplused, but Mairi's story, her claims, begged belief to stand on the edge of sanity and leap into the fantastical. She had searched Mairi's countenance, her tone, for a scintilla of cozen. She found none, which placed at her feet both relief of soul and distress of dilemma. She made Mairi no promise other than to sincerely consider her plangent plea, to review the reports and weigh all options against risk and reward.
So, she sat with leaden mind and aching neck and flipped the pages of the report quickly, back and forth with her white agile tense fingers as if the manner of turning would uncover a hidden meaning, a different conclusion, like the gentle warm waves of the beach shifting sand to reveal the treasures of the sea. She needed something to take to the rest of the crew. If the report held "that something" she was not seeing it. The doctors' conclusion was unequivocal. Emy would never, could never, see again.
"Ms Kyra," asked Goldie, sensing distress in her beloved, "can I get you anything?"
The sudden sound of Goldie's voice snapped Kyra's head back causing her coal black shoulder length hair to rise as velvet curtains on either side of her porcelain white face. Kyra closed the report, the sound echoing like a gavel in an empty courtroom, jury hung. "Come here Goldie. Let me ask you a question."
Goldie hummed to the edge of the metal desk, the handiwork of Papa floating efficiently just inches above the ground and blinked her mechanical eyes. Kyra could have sworn she tilted her head as if ready for serious contemplation.
"Remember when you and Pinkie offered to give the last of your resources so that Von, Em and myself might have just a little more time?"
"Yes Ms Kyra."
"Tell me why? Why were you willing to sacrifice yourself, not that we would live, but that we might have a few more minutes longer?"
Without hesitating Goldie replied. "Nothing is greater than to give all you have for another. I saw it as an opportunity to fulfill the promise."
"The promise?"
"Papa put his love into every nut and bolt and circuit of my being. The promise, as Papa put it, was, that in a moment of need, he would be able, through me, to reach past time and distance and life itself, and convey his love from me to you."
Within Kyra's sapphire eyes, sparkles of metallic gold coruscated. "May I ask you another question?"
Goldie tilted her head the other way and nodded.
"Which is greater. Life or Love?"
Goldie began to whirl and lights Kyra had never seen blinked and flashed. She uttered one non-mechanical word. "Love."
Kyra sat and Goldie hummed. The two looking at each other as if something sacred had been said, had been shared, and neither one wanted to break the spell.
"Comm Em. Tell her I'm on my way."
"Yes Ms Kyra."
"And Goldie?"
"Yes?"
"Shine on."
4 comments:
I'm so impatient to read what else you have written tonight, that you'll have to consider any comments this morning instalment one. :-) My, oh, my, to visit and see that there are not one, not two, but many chapters, it almost makes up for how much you were missed these past couple of days. :-)
Two things that strike out here are Em's diagnosis given to her by her doctors, somehow seeing it confirmed here, seeing Kyra reading it in light of what she has just learned from Mairi, not only makes the circumstance of Em's blindness more real but more dire.
That said, the meaning of this chapter is clear of course. The question that she asks of Goldie, that Goldie answers so beautifully (Papa sure was something special!), beyond Life, just as Kyra knows, Love still endures. To return for Dr X, putting them all in more potential danger, to risk it in order that they might be able to give Em her sight back, even if they did not succeed would be testament to Love. Gotta rush...
We all want something greater than ourselves to life for, to make live and all its pain meaningful and worthwhile. In this story, the holy grail is "Love."
Kyra sees this. John, at the moment, does not. And Rog is struggling a bit too. :-)
Reading so many in a row was like a longer version of the couple of chapters that you did that consisted of little more than a sentence or two, a snapshot into what was going on in various areas of the story at that one moment in time. One would read those and almost want to find a quiet corner to contemplate what each meant, as though there wasn't opportunity to process during. By no means a criticism or complaint, those are some of the chapters that are best remembered for that very reason. A whole lot of stimuli in a limited amount of time.
These chapters though they happen chronologically (presumably) and are broader than the aforementioned, the very fact that they happened in such quick succession gives them the same quality. More so is how though connected, they differ in subject matter and/or tone. The first is such a wonderful piece of writing. Several noteworthy turns of phrase therein that lend sound and moving vision to what would otherwise be mere words in their singlular pictures. An example of one that I like is the moment where Kyra closes the folder, another when Goldie cocks her head to one side. The exchange between them betrays what can only be termed as a deep understanding, the captain and the mechanical servant and yet there is mutual respect, consideration, admiration and affection, and none of it is in the least bit peculiar, not that Goldie isn't every bit the wondrous contraption that she is, but more importantly, that Kyra, would if not defer to then at least acknowledge that she can learn from Goldie. From what you have written, now and in the last chapters on Bravo, Kyra is not unaware of why Goldie and Pinky made such an offer, but rather to hear her confirm it now lends credence to a decision that she has already made, in her heart and mind for the correct reasons but just as she was flicking through the pages of the folder to find something concrete that she could hold up in the face of incredulity, so too she looks to Goldie for right words that would explain in simplest terms. Her conversation with Goldie cleverly reminds also that it is not so long ago that her she made her decision to go after the other Hynerian craft, a decision that did not find favour with everyone, one that almost cost lives and did cost, for now if not forever, several other things, most importantly in this context Em's sight. Really enjoyed this chapter, was a great piece of writing.
These are all wonderful images btw, some very familiar of course, that top one is an old favourite and I remember well the sketch of Kyra. Have to admit that I cannot help feeling one of them is out of place, though I do adore that very image. :-) Shine on feels like I have seen the greater picture, as though it is a crop of something we have seen before, just beautiful, so vital and glowing. The red and blue image is excellent too, reminds me of a Moulin Rouge corset. They are all, all, fabulous!
Em's vow, though I touched on this earlier, her standing before Kyra, with eyes that no longer are able to see what is in front of her, only into the past, and that heartfelt promise at the end, I wanted to add that her words impact but that once again the ties back to previous chapters, regarding her mother but also on a more jagged line her letters to her father, means that the words as she says them touch deeper by way of what we know of her. Em is one of the characters that though we have seen quite a bit of her, there is still a mystery to her. Not sure why really, since we have seen her interact with the other characters, we have witnessed her private thoughts in her letters, we've learned something of her childhood, some of the things that made her who she is now, and perhaps most telling of all, we know that she decided to accompany Kyra and Von on the mission, and yet still there is a feeling that she is holding parts of herself back, that the crew members do not know her as well as they might know most of the others. This blindness that has not been thrust upon her might just bring her out into sight so to speak, and not least when she realizes that Kyra intends to head back the way they came on the chance that there will then be a way in which Em's sight will be restored. As I said recently and without doubt that feeling comes from your own words about it and my seeing where you are going than any bright ideas that I had myself, but it seems now as though this is make or break time. Recent events have pulled them apart, hurled several of them off into corners where they if not are then seem alone, they've also lost Bravo, their home away from home. They've lost so much, but recovering from the traumatic events of late, Trev, Em and Yul in particular, needs if it is to happen before relations become irretrievable soon. Em's eyes may not be healed as a result of Kyra's decision to go back, but hopefully it will be healing.
What one can appreciate about Kyra as a character is that she is by no means perfect, she has doubts, fears, needs, and so on, and these times alone, when she is thinking back, mulling something over, writing, remembering, reacting, it is at those times that one admires her most.
And still, the Papa/Kyra chapter does not invite comment, rather just relish.
A great, great treat to have you come back after a trip away and in the nicest possible way bombard us with chapters. Thoroughly enjoyed each, special in each their way.
Hope you're having a wonderful day, x
What a gift of a comment. Wow, if I may say that--LOL. Sometimes a turn of phrase is more important to me than plot. Plot is Plot. But to find a metaphor or a simile that brings forth a dreamy smile of mind, well, I'll take that over plot every time. Don't get me wrong, good plot is good, but good plot and poor writing is not good. Whereas, good writing and poor plot is still good writing. :-D
Maybe this is why I love Wolfe so much. I read him to read him. And he seldom disappoints. :-)
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