Author: Walter Koroljow
Date: 03:36:02 04/30/00
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On April 30, 2000 at 01:22:50, Ralf Elvsén wrote: > >The following is an excerpt from the novel "The Book of Dreams" >by Jack Vance. The story takes place in a distant future. The hero >Keith Gersen is trying to locate some criminals to avenge events from >the past. While waiting for his plots to start to work he strolls the >streets of the city Avente on the planet Alphanor, which orbits the star Rigel. > >"With time to spare before his appointment with Addels, Gersen sauntered >along Corrib Place, looking into shops, which here affected a special >éclat and offered only goods of distinction and elegance: fancy pastries >and imported sweetmeats; rare gems, pearls from the local rorqual, >crystals won from dead stars; gloves, cravats, gaiters, kerchiefs, perfumes, >philtres, magic Duhamel oil; bibelots, curios, portfolios of antique >art: Giotto and Gostwane: William Snyder and William Blake; Mucha, Dulac, >Lindsay; Rackham, Nielsen; Dürer, Doré, David Russell. > >Gersen paused ten minutes to watch a pair of puppets at a game of chess. >The puppets were Maholibus and Cascadine, characters from the Comic >Masque. Each had captured several pieces; each in turn, after deliberation, >made his move. When one captured a piece, the other made gestures of >rage and agitation. Maholibus made a move and spoke in a creaking voice: >'Checkmate!' Cascadine cried out in anguish. He struck himself on the >forehead and toppled backward off his chair. A moment later he picked >himself up; the two arranged the pieces and started a new game… > >Gersen entered the shop, bought the chess-player puppets, and ordered them >delivered to Penwipers: one of the rare occasions of his life when he had >encumbered himself with a trivial article." > >I want a set of puppets of the above described type shipped to me immediately. >The price is irrelevant! > >Ralf I have read (your post made me count them) 38 books by Jack Vance, but haven't seen a new Jack Vance novel in years. Do you know if he is still alive? Cheers, Walter
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