LAEMUL: It’s actually from the Southern Desert. Much rarer, but I can understand how you might think it Sandak. Similar qualities. But hold it up to the light – see the pinkish cast?
YANORA: (does so) Ahhh – yes, how pretty.
LAEMUL: As is the hand that holds it.
YANORA: (laughs lightly) Ha-ha! So charming. Your reputation for flattery is as well-deserved as your reputation for magick.
LAEMUL: Highness, you can hardly blame me. And I swear my flattery is nothing here but telling pleasant truth.
YANORA: So you say.
LAEMUL: You seem singularly well-informed in matters of magick, Highness. I might say I am surprised, but truly? Not especially.
YANORA: Oh, that disappoints me. I always aim to surprise.
LAEMUL: Well – impressed, certainly. But surprised? Your father has indulged you since childhood with the finest tutors and an education far beyond what is ordinarily afforded even a royal daughter. I am delighted to find that what some have said was a waste of resource seems to have resulted in a fine intellect and a wit well worthy of the exquisite form that houses it.
YANORA: Oh do flatter me some more, Master.
LAEMUL: No, that was no flattery. Do you think I could not have found a plausible – or even magickal – way to stay you from coming in here? Your mere presence in my rooms could create a scandal that could lose me my position or even throw me in a dungeon. But you’re worth the risk. You’re fascinating to me, your Highness. Beautiful and willful. Devastatingly intelligent. Exactly the sort that most men find irresistible and, at the same time hate and resent.
YANORA: “Hate and resent?” That isn’t flattering at all.
LAEMUL: No. An unpleasant truth, alas. But I do not feel threatened as most men do.
LAEMUL: It’s actually from the Southern Desert. Much rarer, but I can understand how you might think it Sandak. Similar qualities. But hold it up to the light - see the pinkish cast?
YANORA: (does so) Ahhh - yes, how pretty.
LAEMUL: As is the hand that holds it.
YANORA: (laughs lightly) Ha-ha! So charming. Your reputation for flattery is as well-deserved as your reputation for magick.
LAEMUL: Highness, you can hardly blame me. And I swear my flattery is nothing here but telling pleasant truth.
YANORA: So you say.
LAEMUL: You seem singularly well-informed in matters of magick, Highness. I might say I am surprised, but truly? Not especially.
YANORA: Oh, that disappoints me. I always aim to surprise.
LAEMUL: Well - impressed, certainly. But surprised? Your father has indulged you since childhood with the finest tutors and an education far beyond what is ordinarily afforded even a royal daughter. I am delighted to find that what some have said was a waste of resource seems to have resulted in a fine intellect and a wit well worthy of the exquisite form that houses it.
YANORA: Oh do flatter me some more, Master.
LAEMUL: No, that was no flattery. Do you think I could not have found a plausible - or even magickal - way to stay you from coming in here? Your mere presence in my rooms could create a scandal that could lose me my position or even throw me in a dungeon. But you’re worth the risk. You’re fascinating to me, your Highness. Beautiful and willful. Devastatingly intelligent. Exactly the sort that most men find irresistible and, at the same time hate and resent.
YANORA: “Hate and resent?” That isn’t flattering at all.
LAEMUL: No. An unpleasant truth, alas. But I do not feel threatened as most men do.
13 thoughts on “Sincere Flattery – Page 1211”
Lora
Ooh, he does want Yanora, he just knows it’s a dangerous gamble touching her. 🙂 Lovely new page, Jed!
C-R8
I’m bad at telling age, so would like to ask: how old is Yanora here? To me, she seems late twenty to thirties, while Laemul is in his twenties. When she was first introduced… She seemed in her fifties to sixties. Not sure about Laemul, hard to tell, but I’m guessing fifty to seventy.
Lora
Jed said she’s 19, but she also doesn’t have any lines as you’d see if she were in her late twenties/early thirties. 🙂 I know media likes to pretend that women in their thirties should look like they are 19-20, but that’s just a falsehood perpetuated by photoshop (and surgery). And of course, by having young women play older women in movies and tv-shows.
Reservist
This scene is happening 35 years ago, when Yanora was 19.
Concerning Laemul, many months ago, JED told me that the ex-magician was in his early sixties. So here, Lae’ is between 25 and 28.
🙂
Matti
“rooms”? Not “room” or “chambers”?
the_eldest
Yes chambers would fit better, but then it is derived from the French word chambre, meaning room.
Reservist
Indeed.
As a French national, I can tell you that “chambre” is mostly used for “chambre à coucher” (bedroom) and, in more specific contexts, to speak about the chambers of the Parliament or, say, the Chambers of Commerce, the chambers of a firearm.
Reservist
I meant the chamber of a firearm.
D’oh!
the_eldest
It seems to me this is the first time she has been told the whole truth in this specific regard. By what we have seen of her current state (of mind) she has at least understood some of the meaning and reasoning.
Alas her boys seem not to have grasped the fullness of their education (yet?). I am still hoping for some breakthrough on those lines.
bugstomper
I looked back for any indication that he is called by the title “Master” and didn’t see any. The crystal is his magikal roofie and has already done its work?
DMC_Run
I’m puzzled that the last 2 word-balloons of the last panel are NOT included in the [TRANSCRIPT] below this page…?
Reservist
Oi there, Jed! How’s it going, matey? Say, I’ve been wondering about one thing. I saw a TV report about a well-known French singer, the late Serge Gainsbourg.
As you probably know, he was jew and his head features reminded me a bit of Michael Levy, our tame magician/musician.
Was Serge a partial inspiration for Michael?
Thank for your answer, matey.
C-R8
Huh, thanks, looks like I was closer, when guessing their older age, but here, when they’re young, I swapped them, lol. Probably due to the difference between then and now, causes me to overshoot.
Yeah, I didn’t pay any attention to the lines, probably because of the media (it’s not real portraits, but created with some 3D thing, I think). Should have, and yeah, tack on make-up to hide it too.
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