The Coming Apocalypse – Page 1097

TRANSCRIPT:   DRACONIAN PRIEST: It do not change de lives we ha’  lost, de destruction and de treasure cost.   GUDIK: Granted.  We can discuss reparations, but now we need a principle to stop fighting each other and …   THERIK: The Church will not pay a copper penny! This -   YANORA: Bishop, I think that you may find that once my son is back on the throne where he belongs, the Church will have enough to do with cleaning itself up.  I am speaking of traitors wearing the vestments of Thrasu …   DRACONIAN: Heh.  Dat sounds a bit dire fer yer Church. THRASAN: More than the likes of me need be concerned about.  Or the Erogenians, neither. Saying that the Dragons are awake.  How did they know? Did they see `em? What did they play riddles with `em or something? DRACONIAN: Suppos’tly de Erogenian queen says dey saw `em. THRASAN: Well … Erogenians. DRACONIAN: De Erogenians be b’barians, aye, but dey’re right in de Book O’ Draco. Dey even gets a place in Second Paradise after de Final Fall.   An’ dey never lie. THRASAN: Well, yeah, I heard that they don’t lie to each other.  They can lie to enemies. DRACONIAN: Oh. Aye, I never t’ought o’ dat … Still.  If de Dragons are awake, it means de end of de worl’. THRASAN: “If.” DRACONIAN: Aye. THRASAN: You got a name? DRACONIAN: `Course.  But … I t’ink I won’ tell ye. THRASAN: Oh. DRACONIAN: On’y `cause if de Dragons ain’t back, den we got to go back to killin’ each odder. And’ I don’t wanna know yer name nor you know mine. THRASAN: Oh. Yeah. DRACONIAN TRAVELLERS: We mus’ see de King! DRACONIAN: Hoy dere! DRACONIAN: Halt!  Who goes?

21 thoughts on “The Coming Apocalypse – Page 1097

  1. A nicely dressed plot device, at that!

  2. I really like the basic humanity in this one.

  3. I love these guys. This page makes me both happy and sad at the Draconian’s war wisdom.

    (One day, I’ll write a story, or just a chapter thereof, set during a war, where one of the main characters never loads their gun to make sure they don’t kill someone decent on the other side. And then the sergeant finds out about this and yells at the person, eventually reaching a climax with, “CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF EVERYONE DID THAT?” To which the person smiles beatifically and answers, “Yes.”)

    Back to the page at hand, I wonder if Yanora is getting ahead of herself here. If the bishop is one of the (necessarily few) traitors, saying they’re on to them is a mistake. But I guess she’s way savvier than me and knows what to expect about the man.

    Also, reparations after a war. I wonder how many rulers would be keen on declaring war if they were made to first sit and explain in detail how reparations would be made.

    And I can’t really agree with the Thrasan in that second panel, as he’s concerned too. Of course, I’m speaking from a democratic point of view while he’s in a feudal context, which tends to hamper political discussion.

    Last, the transcript has “DRACONIAN” say “Halt! Who goes?” while the page makes it appear the Thrasan is saying that. Just in case you want to fix that, JED.

    1. Remember earlier, Gudik said the priest wasn’t chosen for his brains… that means he is unlikely to be one of the direct conspirators since all of those claim to have brains. Although why Gudik took a priest as an advisor who didn’t have brains makes me wonder if he’s really king or not.

      1. I’d contend that conspiracies do include stupid people, generally as unwitting pawns but still, at least, as retainers for the conspiracy members. As such, he might (in good will) tip Macon off by trying to warn him *against* the conspiracy. Again, I guess Yanora knows this better than me and I don’t need to worry.

        As for Gudik taking a stupid priest for an advisor, well, first off that might have been the priest appointed to him by the Church (he’s the crusade specialist), and to refuse him might have been a political mistake. Or he’d rather have a stupid priest advisor since he doesn’t intend to follow his advice anyway, and suspects any priest of spying upon him for Macon (who’s fishy anyway). I guess he more or less has to have a priest with him, so he might as well take a stupid one who won’t be able to be an effective spy.

        1. Or, the’s the third-born son of an important retainer, and as idiotic, or rather hidebound and short sighted as the boy is, he needs the boys fathers support.

  4. “You seem a decent fellow. I’d hate to kill you…”

    1. “You seem a decent fellow, I’d hate to die.”

  5. The Draconian refusing to give his name made me sad. I am pretty sure it was supposed to.

  6. Ok Im in love with this two guys. Practical wisdon, humour, honor. Can I wish for them to end in a bar and a few drinks together? When evertthing is done…

  7. Oh yes, I meant to ask about that “riddles” reference the Thrasan makes. Does anybody know about a link between Dragons and riddles in this world? I don’t remember seeing one except maybe “what is crispy, crunchy, charbroiled and tasty?”

    1. I suspect it’s a nod to the contest between Bilbo and Gollum.

      1. Now that you mention it, Bilbo answered Smaug’s questions with riddles as well.

        Still, what do Thrasans and Draconians know of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien? It would be funny if his books had made their way to Teria, but so far as I know there’s no evidence thereof.

        And actually, while Vito has made quite a few references to Star Wars and The Princess Bride, and rightly so, right now I don’t remember a direct reference to Tolkien in this story.

        No “You… Shall… Not… Pass!” No “Fly, you fools!” No “Pity? It was pity that stayed his hand.” No “All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost.” No “All shall love me and despair!” (That one would fit Yanora so well.) No “I would not snare even an Urtt with a falsehood.” No “Generous deed should not be checked by cold counsel” when they tried to help Ginsha out. No “It is useless to meet revenge with revenge: it will heal nothing.”

        … No “But no living man am I!”

      2. The conversations between Bilbo & Smaug, were if not explicitly riddles, full of double meanings.

  8. Plot device! Argh! It had better be good, Jed. Normally when I see a plot device it rarely gets used well.

    But how I do like the double conversation going on on these pages. 🙂

  9. Strange. The Draconian infantryman has a shield and spear, but no sword, not even some kind of long dagger.
    And his Thrasan colleague has a sword, but no spear nor shield.

    You’d think they’d have both been issued something
    to protect themselves and to fight at close-quarter range and against mounted threats.

    Ah well. Maybe it was so to kind of force them to rely on each other and cooperate,
    should a threat appear.

    1. They’re probably not the only defenders.

  10. Its probably just me, but do these two look a little Cumberbatch/Freeman?

  11. Darn it, posting no longer opens the door to seeing what else is waiting for approval.

  12. In reply to JD’s comment about writing a story where a character doesn’t load their gun to avoid killing someone, after the Battle of Gettysburg a number of the dead were found to have several bullets in their muskets. They had evidently pretended to fire and reload.

  13. You might want to check your transcript:
    DRACONIAN: Halt! Who goes?
    I’m pretty sure that should be
    THRASAN: Halt! Who goes?

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