FlourPower Bakery
In which the snow removal team has more than snow on their minds.
We haven’t had a scene set in FlourPower since back when it featured in “Skyblaze”.
Me, I’m a cynic, so I was expecting that if this meeting had any surprises it was going to be in the other direction. Which makes me not only a cynic but bad at strategy, since Nelirikk was sitting right there the whole time and anybody trying to start trouble on behalf of Boss Surebleak would have been in for it.
I too had expected something sinister rather than this show of support.
I noted what I thought was an anomoly in the text: while they’re discussing the bets that are being placed . . . Miri says (while speaking to ‘bleakers) that “At least it’s good for business.” Throughout the books, up until this instance, she has almost always used the Surebleak form bidness. In this book, she has used the correct word in her thoughts a couple times, but this is the first time I noticed her speaking the word business instead of bidness. I wondered whether the authors (and editors ) had overlooked it, but in the text of this book, only those who’ve never been off Surebleak (Yulie Shaper, Brill in this chapter, and a couple of the Bosses later) are shown to use the form bidness.
The new novella The GATE THAT LOCKS THE TREE also mentions Flourpower bakery.
She would eat breakfast at Flourpower slightly later, and as the day brightened she saw that Korval’s Tree stood a little short against the still perceptible stars …
Since you put one mention of the new novella here, I’ll take that as an opportunity to segue to another: There is one aspect of this new story that I didn’t like AT ALL. I am assuming the authors (and their editors) had completely forgotten about how a certain element had already been used in Crystal Dragon, because the call back is not a pleasant association.
I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but will ponder it. A challenge!
Referring to the location where parts of the story are set? Yes, I have Thoughts about that.
That’s it, Paul. I had a couple ideas, but I didn’t like either one. I will wait (impatiently) for your notes later.
I’m clueless. What element??? Do you refer to the Tree’s ability to communicate with Korval in CRYSTAL DRAGON ? Or to control weather? I’ll admit I found it strange that suddenly Jeeves has to be interpreting for Tree.
Agreed that something apparently has changed.
But I *think* both Paul and I are referring to a chapter setting.
At first I wondered at what Ed8r and Paul referred to. But yesterday I finally got it. And yes, at first reading I also didn’t like it. But then I immediately forgot about it. So thanks for reminding us.
And yes, I don’t think the location is fair, since it implies a comparison.
Another thing I second is Jeeves speaking for the tree. I don’t think it fits. Not really.
But all the other parts of the story I really love.
When the blog gets that far, I’m going to have things to say about Jeeves speaking for the Tree, too.
I still don’t know what you’re all seeing that I missed, but maybe it’s because I’m trying to see it via Crystal Dragon, as Ed8r said. What could CD have to say about location in this expanding universe??? What element?
Paul, I can wait till you blog on The Gate….
Sorry, Skip. Didn’t intend to exclude you. I (and I suppose Paul) were only trying to avoid spoilers, I think. I’ll be (just an eensy bit) less cryptic: compare the chapter title for the Prologue in Crystal Dragon with the subheads in The Gate beginning with Act Three.
Oh!! Now I see. And agree. I’d totally forgotten that from CD. I will say more about this when Paul gets to it, but thanks for the pointer!