Return of the Grail Bearer 2: Over (And Over) The Waterfall

[See Return of the Grail Bearer 1, in which Sir Percival embarks on a quest down the River of Story.]

Percival twisted back to ask the author where they were -- conversation was difficult in a tandem kayak. She was squinting up at the constellations with such concentration, he did not interrupt her.

"Perfect," she said at last. She leaned to one side so he wouldn't have to twist so far around to see her. The boat drifted silently on a current powerful and slow. "We're exactly where I hoped we'd turn up."

"So, which otherworld is this?" He sniffed the air. "It doesn't smell floral like Faerie. It's definitely not Heaven. The sun never sets in your Summerlands, so it's got to be something else."

"Reports on the Summerlands vary, but you're right, this is somewhere else. We're on the Anduin, the Mississippi of Middle Earth. And see that bright star on the eastern horizon?"

"How do you know which way is east?"

"I've known the map to this place since I was eleven. So, the brightest one in the sky? That's Earendil, the most beloved star. You can bottle that light, and it's proof against pretty much any kind of badness. It's a light that never goes out, even in the darkest places. Most to the point, for a Fisher King fighting cancer, it makes unwholesome things wither and back the hell off. Fill the Grail with it, and we're good to go."

"Language," said the Knight of Purity.
( Read more... )

Where To Find Me At MythCon

Tomorrow I fly to Colorado Springs. Weather permitting, I'll land around 4:30pm. So far my only plans for Thursday night are to unpack and iron my conference finery, and if I have any brain left from traveling I'll write another episode of Percival. If any of you going to the conference or already in Colorado would like to get together for dinner, please get in touch. I'd love to see people.

My reading is scheduled for 1:15 in the Aspen Room on Sunday afternoon. Since this year's conference theme is Arthuriana, I plan to read How the Grail Came to the Fisher King in its entirety, and if there's time, maybe such episodes of Return of the Grail Bearer as exist at that point. As my Dickens professor used to say, bring a tissue.

The banquet and presenting of awards is 6:30-8:30 Sunday. There's a remote possibility I'll have occasion to give acceptance remarks.

I'll definitely bring stuff to the Bardic Circle at 9pm Sunday in the Aspen Room. I'm not sure what I'll read yet. Probably scenes from the Rugosa book, maybe the Persephone sonnets, depending on the mood and pacing of the evening.

Monday morning, I fly for home. I'll be in either air or airports for about the next 12 hours, and then I'll spend Tuedsay getting put back together by my excellent chiropractor.