Penny Lane

More Health Problems

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Just a quick note. I had some facial eruptions on Monday last (9th) which I thought were due to a resident Staph. infection I have. This has gotten progressively worse during the week, though curiously limited in extent. I was given antibiotics which didn't seem to help.

After severe pain early this morning I went and saw an emergency doctor with a completely different result.

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SEE Commentaries #15 to #18

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Author's Commentary on Somewhere Else Entirely: Chapters 15 to 18

I'm now into the meat of the story (or so I innocently believed, anyway) and I am working my way through the preliminaries before the essential action takes place - the as yet completely undetermined journey to the north, which will resolve everything.

Well, it did and it didn't, but that is for another commentary. For now, Garia is still establishing her place in the palace structure.

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What Milsy Did -17-

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The King asks Milsy to discover what Fulvin is doing - he is neglecting his work as palace jeweler and Their Majesties have become concerned. An unexpected outing into an industrial part of the city follows and Milsy accidentally triggers a social revolution!

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

17 - Fulvin's Obsession

What Milsy Did -16-

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Milsy and Tarvan accompany Parrel to see a recent development suggested by Garia. What they find is a development new to Anmar but still in its infancy, a modern blast furnace. They see how the huge brick tower can easily produce pure iron but there is a loading problem. Milsy remembers something that happened to her long ago in the castle...

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

16 - The Tower of Fire

SEE Commentaries #4 - #6

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As before, these are notes which explain my thought processes and decisions while writing SEE, provided here as a service (or a warning!) to other writers.

These three chapters have only minor adjustments in general. The usual things like Capitalization and fixing typos. There are a few cases where I have changed "Yes" to "Aye" but in the main it will be difficult to spot most alterations. I have slightly changed one or two speeches but nothing that has any major significance.

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What Milsy Did -15-

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Milsy is deep in the clock project and has to find a way to deflect the attentions of Bayorn and the Clockmakers' Guild. A demonstration almost goes right and then Robanar makes an important decision.

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

15 - Into the Whirlwind

SEE commentaries

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As you all probably know I am currently writing What Milsy Did, but along with that there are of course many other projects on the back burner, not all of which are Anmar related. In addition I have to balance writing with Real Life, Health and my recently increased family. (I'm off on Friday to help my son build two wardrobes to replace the temporary ones that the Twins have destroyed.)

Although Somewhere Else Entirely seems like a good story - good enough that I see people reading it every single day - as the author I am aware of many shortcomings and just plain goofs. Like most stories it evolved during the creation process and so various parts don't quite gel. It is my intention to slowly go through it from one end to the other correcting the worst of the problems.

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What Milsy Did -14-

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Milsy begins to adjust to public life in the palace and her first occasion is in front of the Palace Guard. Fresh men are chosen and added to her small detail. The new clock for Master Gerdas is assembled and Milsy has to explain to Robanar why it is needed, with the result that the King makes a far-reaching decision. Later, disturbing news is received...

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

14 - The Volunteers

What Milsy Did -13-

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Milsy gets her badge, visits a glassworks and subsequently has to consult Rosilda. The second clock arrives and is wired up, the clocks are tested and news arrives from the far north which results in Milsy being released from her primary duty.

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

13 - News from the North

What Milsy Did -12-

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Milsy has an unexpected meeting with the Royal Astronomer and receives an unusual request. A chance meeting in the corridor causes her to consider her future. Later in the laboratory Milsy and Tarvan begin to dismantle the provided clock, discovering that the Clockmakers' Guild have not made their task easy.

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

12 - Mechanisms and Arrangements

What Milsy Did -11-

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Milsy is anxious to begin working on the promised clock but her day is side-tracked into more domestic matters. As she travels around the palace her appearance causes more confusion, especially following a visit to the Salon. Eventually Tarvan appears with good news of a sort, and with an unexpected gift!

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

11 - Domestic Concerns

What Milsy Did -10-

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Milsy's life takes another turn when she is offered guild membership by Parrel. With an enhanced escort Milsy, Tarvan and Parrel travel to the Hall of the Guilds to meet some senior Guildmasters who agree, but then must come a difficult confrontation at the Clockmakers Guildhall.

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

10 - Journeywoman

What Milsy Did -9-

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In the laboratory Milsy varnishes some wire until an unexpected interruption leads to a visit to the chamber of the Great Clock that keeps time for the whole palace. It does not take long for her to discern how it functions and, naturally, she begins to have ideas to improve the mechanism. The guildsmen of the Clockmakers' Guild are not impressed...

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

9 - The Great Clock

What Milsy Did -8-

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Today is the day when Milsy gets her first look at the laboratory, wherein Garia and Tarvan have been conducting strange experiments. She learns the rudiments of magnetism and electricity and begins helping in the construction of some electrical devices. Later, Tarvan has not one but two proposals to put to her!

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

8 - In the Questor's Laboratory

Milsy Slowdown

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Although I've managed to get the preceding chapters of What Milsy Did out in a reasonably prompt fashion, it looks like I won't be able to keep that pace up.

Various Real Life issues including but not limited to health, family and house need my attention and so there will be less time for writing.

Sorry, folks.

Penny

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What Milsy Did -7-

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Milsy and Bursila continue their efforts to learn to read, but the only materials available are difficult to follow. After lunch, the two set out to continue their exploration of the palace but become lost and attempts to find their way back result in a meeting Milsy would rather have avoided.

What Milsy Did

A Tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

7 - "You, Girl!"

What Milsy Did -6-

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Milsy begins her reading lessons, accompanied by Bursila. The next day their lessons continue but now include writing. After several days the Queen relents and Milsy takes her first look at the labyrinth of palace corridors.

What Milsy Did

A Tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

6 - Reading Lessons

What Milsy Did -5-

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The two Guildsmen show Milsy the clothing which Garia wore when she arrived on Anmar, which amazes her greatly and results in an astonishing conclusion. Deficiencies in her wardrobe are discovered and Rosilda requested to remedy the omissions. Steps are taken to obtain reading lessons and Milsy's education about the routine of the palace continues.

What Milsy Did

A Tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

5 - The Guildsmen

What Milsy Did -4-

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A tense standoff is resolved by the Queen and then Milsy has to consider what these two men can do for her. She struggles to understand the routine of the palace and realizes she has some important gaps in her education.

What Milsy Did

A Tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

4 - Settling In

What Milsy Did -3-

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Milsy is smuggled over the Sirrel and the substitution is made with Garia. She spends a night at South Slip and meets the other noble women before joining the King and Queen for the procession south to the capital. When they arrive at the palace she is taken to Garia's suite but discovery threatens...

What Milsy Did

A Tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

3 - The Royal Procession

What Milsy Did -2-

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Milsy learns more about the person she is supposed to be, discovering that a whole new world awaits her beyond the castle. There are near misses, changes of plan and much waiting around until the time comes to begin the deception. She is introduced to the guardsmen who will be escorting her and then she secretly leaves the castle to prepare for the substitution.

What Milsy Did

A Tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

2 - Under Cover

What Milsy Did -1-

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When your life revolves around washing pots and peeling vegetables a summons from the Duchess can only mean one thing - trouble! A young kitchen servant finds herself catapulted into an amazing adventure where she is asked to perform a dangerous task for the King and Queen, with the possibility of a new life if she survives.

What Milsy Did

A Tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

1 - "They Want You Upstairs"

What Milsy Did

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When your life revolves around washing pots and peeling vegetables a summons from the Duchess can only mean one thing - trouble! A young kitchen servant finds herself catapulted into an amazing adventure where she is asked to perform a dangerous task for the King and Queen, with the possibility of a new life if she survives.

SEE hit counts

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Since completing - nominally, anyway - Somewhere Else Entirely, I've been keeping an eye on the read counts. I know that some of you like to wait until stories are complete before reading so I expected some extra traffic. I also know some of you like the story enough that you are re-reading it again. Me, too! Sometimes I still can't believe I did this.

I have noticed that the total read counts vary between ~2,000 and ~5,000 (ish) for most chapters, which is only to be expected. #1 is slightly different (12,905), but that's because a number of people have dipped in and decided it wasn't for them. Fair enough. But three chapters have read counts way greater than the normal spread and I don't know why.

Edited due to poor research :(

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Somewhere Else Entirely - Epilogue 3

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The crew of the Vasco da Gama have discovered that Anmar keeps a secret, that Vast, Multidimensional Beings colonized it long before humans on Earth even had written language - and are still doing so. It seems there is a threat to the galaxy and long-term plans have been made to defend it. Some of the audience is naturally skeptical. Then King Keren makes things worse by inviting a long-dead Queen to tell them what is really happening, and the crew learn that everything they thought they knew bears little resemblance to the truth.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

Epilogue 3 - The Great Plan

Somewhere Else Entirely - Epilogue 2

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With the quarantine now lifted, the crew of the Vasco da Gama finally get to explore Anmar. However, the questions keep multiplying with the answers seemingly too incredible to accept. Then King Keren invites them to a session where he reveals that, two hundred and five years ago, the royal family made a pact with aliens, Vast Multidimensional Beings...

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

Epilogue 2 - The Secret Pact

Somewhere Else Entirely - Epilogue 1

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An interstellar survey craft arrives in a previously unexplored star system to begin to evaluate the resources which may be available. At first, everything proceeds smoothly but then the unexpected happens, and even the most outlandish theories struggle to explain the bizarre circumstances facing the explorers.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

Epilogue 1 - The Impossible World

Author's Note: This chapter is set 206 years after the events in Chapter 138.

Taking Movies to Palarand

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So when Gary returns to Anmar he'll have an unspecified number of SDHC cards. Now, most of these won't be of immediate use but you can be sure that a specification of the interface will be available - and all those chips will act as a sure incentive to find out what's on them.

You can take it for granted that among the contents will be movies. An average movie can be from 1Gb to 5Gb depending on length and bitrate so a single chip will hold many. So, what exactly might he have taken?

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Somewhere Else Entirely -138-

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In a hospital room, interested parties gather to observe the impending death of a patient. However, events do not proceed as anticipated and further events cause many questions to be asked. Unfortunately, most will never be answered.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

138 - Hiatus

Somewhere Else Entirely -137-

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In Dekarran, Garia struggles with her feelings concerning her forthcoming journey. Despite this, she still finds time to discuss the castle's drains, attend Merizel's wedding, visit the King's Tower again and find Eriana a new job. The deliberations of the rulers reaches a successful conclusion and finally, Garia has an entirely unexpected encounter.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

137 - The Empty Road

Five years of SEE

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I just had a look at "My Stories" and I notice that there is activity all along the line back as far as Chapter 1. So, people are still re-reading it! I admire your stamina.

I also noticed the date I posted the first chapter, 22nd December 2010. Wow, a whole five years! I swear I never intended for it to take this long!

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Somewhere Else Entirely -136-

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Several of the invited guests have to depart but it seems the rest wish to clarify their ideas. Eventually, Garia and Keren leave to travel north to Dekarran before the other guests follow. Along the way they remember previous journeys along this important highway.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

136 - Departures and Memories

Somewhere Else Entirely -135-

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Despite being freshly married Garia's days are filled with the same demands on her time as before. Some important matters are resolved before she joins the rulers in debating the future of the Great Valley.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

135 - Oaths and Decisions

Somewhere Else Entirely -134-

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Torulf gets a shock when the bodies are inspected the following morning. Later, an extraordinary meeting of all the attending rulers is convened to discuss the future of the states who make up the Great Valley. Garia offers Torulf a way out of his predicament before visiting the range with some of those from Blackstone. On their way back to the hotel Bleskin has an unpleasant encounter.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

134 - Congress

Somewhere Else Entirely -133-

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It is the day that all of Palarand has been waiting for, the day when Garia, Baroness Blackstone, is married to Keren, Crown Prince of Palarand and becomes his future Queen. Unfortunately, it is also the morning after a violent night before, when an intruder was slain barely strides from where she was sleeping. Can she put this distraction aside and make her day a happy one?

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

133 - Princess of Palarand

Somewhere Else Entirely -132-

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Garia finally welcomes all those who had traveled down to the capital from Blackstone. The customary feast of Spring Dawning is observed, during which an important announcement is made. The next day several members of House Blackstone are married, giving Garia a foretaste of her own wedding which is to follow.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

132 - Three Weddings

Limo Dancing

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Some of you may remember that recently I had some unexpected news: my eldest son was (a) getting married and (b) preparing for fatherhood. We flew over for the wedding in New York and subsequently to visit our twin grand-daughters.

Since then, he has declared his intention of returning to England, so we have to prepare for the hordes...

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Somewhere Else Entirely -131-

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The palace has to welcome some unexpected guests! Especially unwelcome when it is Eriana's brother and twenty brawny Einnlanders, intent on returning her to her father. Fortunately Eriana has some ideas about how to fend off the unwanted attention but her brother might not be smart enough to notice them...

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

131 - Torulf

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