A Return on the Investment

 

A trio of highwaymen confronted a pair of dandies outside of Milano, swords drawn. They grinned at the small object produced by the one with dark hair--until, with concussive force, the lights went out. 

Carl Franconi, professor of linguistics, stared at the victims who'd fallen into a ditch. "You didn't kill them, did you?"

"Only stunned," said Commander Moast. "Let's resume our leisurely tour of the countryside." He addressed the hidden comunit in his tunic. "Kyra, what's our tactical?"

First Officer Preston sounded tinny in the receiver. "Spanish and Venetian forces have consolidated in the north. The French are in retreat. Distance to objective is two point three miles."

The two men moved aside for an aristocrat's carriage thundering past, then resumed their trek in dappled sun on the dusty road. 

Franconi glanced about nervously. "Listen, Moast--how can you trust me to stay mum about how you've discovered time travel?--or do I suffer a mysterious accident?" 

"Who'd believe you?" Moast countered. Among thousands of teleportals scattered throughout the galaxy was one orbiting Tau Ceti. Now, to protect it's time travel function, it floated in an asteroid belt. That had been no mean feat.

"It's a violation of contract," Franconi insisted. "You have command of that ship in return for handing over everything you find out there. All captains follow that rule."

"Think so?" Moast went tongue in cheek. "You have a high opinion of your fellow man, Professor. The Consortium is no different. They're trying to shake me down for a 'rental fee', which is money I don't have."

"You'll certainly have it if our mission succeeds, and if we don't get killed."

As profitable as were the missions out of Pluto Station, the central hub for the Earth system, Moast had plenty of detractors. It all started when with an attempt to plant spyware in Orchidia's AI. The technicians were routed by an army of servobots. It seemed the AI had acquired a keen sense of self preservation, and trusted no one but Moast. 

"Remember the agreement," Franconi said. "I get whatever I can negotiate for, apart from the main package."

"You can afford it after all that gold we traded for lire. Don't sweat it."

"But whatever we take back will be brand new, and labeled forgeries."

Moast laughed. "That's the beauty of it. The goods will age accordingly, which is why we can't take back anything living." 

The comunit interrupted. "Destination has six life forms. We're prepared for selective stun on your orders." 

"Stand by," Moast said. He surveyed the impressive villa of Vaprio d' Adda, owned by the Medici clan. Was there anything they didn't own? " Okay, Prof, it's time to test that proto Italian."

They came upon a gardener who frowned at the odd accent, but he admitted them to a cluttered workshop that smelled of oils and varnish. An elderly gent in a floppy hat was working on a sketch of an equestrian monument.

Franconi made introductions, then made his pitch. "You recently accepted a commission of 500 lire for a portrait. We're prepared to double it if you'll paint an alternate version."

The gent made a clenched fist gesture of agreement.

Franconi beamed gratitude. "Imagine it--another Mona Lisa. We're in your debt, Monsignor da Vinci."

So was Moast, who now had a year's rental on the starship Orchidia.

Canker Barrels (2)

 

Previous Holmes, Watson and Colton are invited aboard a ghost ship.

Our steam launch bobbed in a gentle swell as it nosed alongside the derelict. The three of us made use of a rope ladder to reach a port on the gun deck. Long bereft of powder, the cannons didn't represent the threat promised by Captain Weehauken. An oppressive mist arose to engulf the ship in a pall of gloom. The pirates were expecting us.

I had to duck the low beams bracing the main deck. "Abysmal place. It smells of rotting fish."

"As well it should, matey." Weehauken closed a creaking hatch behind him. He'b brought his attire up to date, had even replaced the hook with a gloved prosthesis. The outlandish hat looked much out of place. Regardless, it served as the nidus for him to take shape as a gray-fleshed corpse with one staring eye. 

Holmes balanced well on the swaying deck. "I understand you're in possession of forbidden facts."

"I be for a fact." The captain swept his hat in a mocking bow. "I didn't have it all 'til I tricked one of the hellspawn into coming aboard. We'll let him do the talkin'." He opened a chest and removed a moldy coat. It bucked in his hand, arms flapping, emitting a maniacal scream.

"Stow that blarney, ya scabrous bilge rat!" Weehauken forced it to limp compliance. "Assume the form by which ye profaned this mortal plane." A figure materialized.

"My word!" Colton took down the handkerchief covering his nose. "His name was Barnes. He disappeared over twenty years ago, highly placed in the exchequer." 

The captain leered. "Where else but centers of power and money, news, and education. That's where the rotters always be."

"I say," I mentioned to Holmes. "That's an unfortunate word for him to use."

"Yes," Holmes said. "Shall we hear from Mr Barnes?"

Weehauken interrupted. "You won't like it. They'll start their evil empire by taking down the greatest of the free nations. That's you, unless the Americans manage to overtake you. And don't think royals haven't invited themselves to the party."

I was about to protest this aspersion on the queen when Barnes launched into his dreary prophecy. The Illuminati were planning decades ahead. They dreamed of a world drastically shorn of population. They even had theories as to what form this magic bullet might take, right down to the necessity of inducing the public to believe their unwitting suicide a good thing. But first, they must create class structures and pit them against each other.

"Diabolical!" I burst out. "This is mass murder on a record scale!"

"With Illuminati at the top," Holmes mused. "Gentlemen, I must speak to the captain alone."

Reluctantly I accompanied Mr Colton back to the launch. Holmes rejoined us twenty minutes later, having little to say about the proceedings.

Next day, the newspapers described the disappearance of a derelict ship surrounded by anchor buoys. 

"Hmpf. I say, Holmes, the pirates have gotten away. Do you think Captain Weehauken will make good his threat to go 'canker barrels' on the world?"

"Not the world, Watson--the Illuminati, wherever he finds a chance to bedevil them."

I continued reading. "Curious. It happened during routine maintenance, when one of the buoys was briefly unchained. How could the pirates have known?"

"As you say, old boy." Holmes picked up his fiddle. "Most curious, isn't it?"

Canker Barrels

 

From the journal of Dr Watson

Our only maritime case of greater strangeness had involved mermaids. We'd not normally investigate a missing ship, save for the fact that Sherlock Holmes was requested by none other than the missing captain. 

Mr Colton sat neat the sunny window here at Baker Street, dispatched by the Home Secretary. He fretted with a bowler hat in his lap. "The ship in question is the Manitou. Her crew ran our blockade of Napoleon, because the Illuminati favored a greater European dictatorship."

"Ah yes." Holmes fired up his pipe. "I've often delighted in defeating their evil schemes. But we know the ship isn't really lost, don't we."

"Quite right; we have it trapped a few miles off Land's End."

"Trapped?" I set down my tea mid-sip. "You make it sound as if crewed by pirates."

"Not pirates, Dr Watson. Ghosts thereof."

I started to laugh, then remembered the case of the succubus. "I can imagine the mischief they could be about. How does this involve us?"

"Quite simply, it's Captain Weehauken who wants a meeting with Mr Holmes." Colton displayed a photo of a captain's hat apparently floating in a ship's cabin. "They manifest through physical objects, their spirits not being captured on film. The captain was privy to Illuminati secrets he decided to profit from, with predictable results. Then he and his dead crew were brought back by some unholy means to serve the masters they had betrayed.  As years went by, the crew threw off those shackles, coming and going in a mist."

Holmes listened closely. "That would make them ideal smugglers. I presume the captain wishes to impart his dangerous secrets to me, hoping to even the score."

Colton made a deferential nod. "Very astute. The Admiralty is equally intrigued, because nothing these people do benefits anyone but themselves. Besides, we can't be certain how long we can prevent Weehauken from carrying out his threat to go 'canker barrels' on the world."

"Now that's a curious expression," I allowed.

"It has something to do with spoilage of ship's stores. In other words, he threatens to go ape dip on the high seas, whatever that entails." 

Holmes stood up. "Then we mustn't keep the captain waiting."

We still didn't know why the captain was so eager to spill the secrets, or what he expected us to do with them. But when it came to Illuminati, the less one knew about them, the better.

Math, the Son of Mathonwy — Part 2

Blodeuwedd is fashioned out of plants to be the wife of Llew Llaw Gyffes, who is also given the Cantrev of Dinodig to rule. One day when he goes to visit Math, Blodeuwedd, who remains behind, hears the sound of a horn. She learns he is Gronw Pebyr, Lord of Penllyn. As night approaches, he goes to the gate; and after discussion, she allows him in, as this would be fitting for a lord. On first sight, she is in love with him; and she manages to keep him with her for two days. Having spoken on how they might be always together, she tells him, on the third day as he departs, she will ask Llew under the cover of caring for his safety how he could be killed.

Llew takes lightly her concern. It is in the most impossible way someone could kill him. The spear with which he could be slain must take a year to fashion, and only on a Sunday. He cannot be slain in a house or outside, nor on horseback or on foot: "By making a bath for me by the side of a river, and by putting a roof over a cauldron, and thatching it well and tightly, and bringing a buck, and putting it beside the cauldron. Then if I place one foot on the buck's back, and the other on the edge of the cauldron, whosoever strikes me thus will cause my death."

Blodeuwedd soon sends word to Gronw instruction on how to make the spear. Then a year later, she tells Llew she has been thinking of what he said, and wishes he show how his death could come about. She sends word to Gronw to prepare for the ambush, and does other preparation. Once Llew stood one foot on the buck, the other on the edge of the cauldron, Gronw throws a poison spear. Llew in a scream flies off in the form of an eagle, and vanishes.

Gronw takes over the territory. News reach Math and Gwydion. After a long search, Gwydion is at a vassal's home, and hears about a sow that in daytime goes off somewhere. The next day Gwydion dressed as a swineherd follows the sow, and discovers it ate putrid flesh dropped by is an eagle. Gwydion recognizes the eagle as LLew, and as he signs to it, the eagle comes closer to him, finally dropping to Gwydion's knee. The latter then strikes the eagle with a wand, and Llew returns to his form. He was skin and bones. A year later Llew is restored to health.

When Blodeuwedd hears that Gwydion with men are coming, she flees to the mountains with her women. The women go to a court in the mountains, but fear makes them approach it looking backward. They all fall into a lake, and are drowned except for Blodeuwedd. Gwydion catches up to her; and for punishment, turns her into an owl, hateful to all birds. Gronw sends an embassy to Llew. For punishment, Gronw is to stand at the spot Llew did earlier. When this is done, Gronw as if he might stand behind a slab or rock on the other side of the river. This is granted, and Llew throws the spear that goes through the rock and kills Gwonw. Llew retakes his domain.

Criticism

It appears that the major characters are, or were, gods. When the tales were set down, they act as men, but there is always the sense of their godhood behind their deeds. One god might have been able to transform into an eagle. Much also appears lost in this complicated tale. The three boys turned from animals (in the first summary) are named, but nothing more is said of them. 

Memorable Dialogue in Movies

 

Good afternoon fellow writers, editors, teachers and those aspiring into the

literary field.    My topic today is the best dialogue you ever
 read, heard.  Please copy & paste them. It can be from anywhere, such as plays
and the big screen.   I thought of this topic because I think dialogue is so
expressive and the way itis said is also important.

It is not on the list, but Princess Bride's  "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed
 my father, prepare to die."

Gone with the Wind, "I don't give a damn, my dear!"

"Luke, I am your father."

When two people gather in a room to talk things through like adults, what happens in mostly pretty
standard; if everything goes right, both individuals shake hands and go back to the world with a
 smile on their faces and one reason less to worry.

However, in the movie world, when you see a dialogue-heavy scene coming, you know it’s about to

 go down.

Unlike the real world, two individuals having a conversation can’t just be a friendly encounter 

(unless you’re watching an indie, low budget or Richard Linklater film); tension has to be present, 

with plenty of drama and rage. In short, shenanigans are likely to ensue and at the very least,
something important will be revealed that may change the course of the plot.

If you decide to continue reading this amazing list, you’ll find the 20 best one-on-one
verbal confrontations of recorded film history.

20. My Dinner with Andre

This movie consists of a single scene of dialogue, stretched for over two hours, in which the
protagonist reunites with an old friend named Andre, who has been involved in an interesting
series of activities in a search for real meaning in his life.

Wally calmly listens as his friend enthusiastically describes what he has been doing all this
time: being buried alive, making a weird play with no audience in a forest, adopting a
Buddhist monk for a few weeks, joining a group of people who were trying to achieve a
kind of enlightened extra-human state. Andre seems to be into new age culture, and he
 and Wally are very dissimilar.

Watching them talk for almost two hours nonstop is quite interesting. The protagonist
disagrees with Andre’s extremism about how the modern world is pointless, but he does
appreciate the comforts that technology offers, whereas Andre prefers a more animalistic
 and natural state of being and savagely critiques the vices and problems of our contemporary
civilization.

Their philosophical dissertations show some of the blatant issues Western society has to
face, such as alienation, routine, self-deception, lack of empathy. It’s an analysis you shouldn’t
miss. Best lines: Andre: “Our minds are just focused on these goals and plans, which in
themselves are not reality.” Wally: “Goals and plans are not… they’re fantasy. They’re part of a dream life.”

19. Manhattan

All Woody Allen films are dialogue driven. His scripts are influenced by a
number of literaryauthors, and most of his texts could be easily adapted
into a play. He also borrows often from the Hollywood golden era and
classic foreign masterpieces, such as “Casablanca”, “8½”,
“Citizen Kane” and “The Seventh Seal”.

“Manhattan” is a mixture of many of his inspirations, including New York,
which may be considered his biggest one. Allen plays Isaac, a chatty
New Yorker who’s dating a 17-year-old named Tracy.
He doesn’t seem to be taking the relationship seriously, but Tracy has
fallen in love with him.

Throughout the whole movie, Isaac treats Tracy like a child and is
condescending toward herin an attempt to undermine their mutual
 affection. He prefers thepseudo-intellectual Mary,but it’s clear
 that he would rather be with Tracy if not for her age.

At the end, Isaac’s attempts to seduce Mary get hampered by his
 best friend. Isaac runs toward Tracy’s building, realizing that he had
always loved her, while the wonderful soundtrack transports us into
ancient Hollywood history. Gershwin’s famous “Rhapsody in Blue” carries the
whole movie until the end.

She’s getting ready to leave for London on a scholarship, and when he realizes
that it’s too late to convince her, Tracy comforts him by saying that when she
comes back in six months, she would still love him. Isaac is not so sure about that,
but is convinced when Tracy says the famous line: “You have to have a little
faith in people.” This scene nicely ties up the film in a nice bow. Shot in glorious
black and white and withamazing performances from both actors, it’s one of the
greatest dialogues in film history.

Best lines: Tracy: “You have to have a little faith in people.”

18. The Third Man

Considered one of the best classic thrillers of all time, this movie’s smart plot was decades
ahead of its time, inspiring future generations of filmmakers with its flawless black-and-white
aesthetic and memorable scenes; namely the famous dialogue on the Ferris wheel.

Holly Martins has arrived to post-World War II Vienna, following an invitation from his old
friend Harry Lime. Just after his arrival, Holly is informed that Harry was run over by a truck
and died instantly. He assists with the funeral and everyone seems to think that Harry was
a criminal. Holly then starts a difficult investigation process to prove the innocence of his
best buddy.

After asking around, the protagonist is convinced that his friend isn’t what he used to be.
Everything points at Harry being a cruel racketeer who faked his death, so Holly tells one of
Harry’s associates that he’ll be around the Ferris wheel waiting for him to clear things up.

Harry, played by no less than Orson Welles, joins Holly at the meeting spot as though everything
were normal. Holly starts talking about all the evidence he has found against him; meanwhile, the
Ferris wheel has started spinning, and we see the landscape moving behind Harry. He doesn’t
seem to care about any of this and threatens Holly’s life if he were to rat him out. The dialogue
itself turns very poetic, as Welles’s character is marvelously written, and he carries the
conversation like a master of manipulation, while his friend is perplexed at his change of
personality.

This is a key moment for the film, in which Welles solidifies his awesome performance and the
mystery is cleared.

Best lines: Harry Lime: “Don’t be so gloomy. After all it’s not that awful. Like the fella says, in
Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they
produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly
love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.
So long, Holly.”

17. Goodfellas

In an attempt of reprising the role of “himself”, Joe Pesci plays a psycho mobster named
Tommy, who’s as crazy as he’s funny, although Pesci’s character is in denial of those aspects
of his personality.

Martin Scorsese structures this dialogue scene wonderfully, using two camera setups that
allow us to see each character’s reactions.

Tommy is telling a story to a group of other mobsters in a restaurant, about how he refused to be
interrogated by cops when they approached him as he was resting in a park. Everyone is
laughing due to the actor’s hilarious way of telling the tale and Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta)
instinctively says to Tommy that he’s funny, who replies, “funny how?” Henry doesn’t know how to
 answer and starts mumbling, so Tommy questions him again with a bit of anger in his voice,
as silence takes over the table.

Soon enough, Henry finds out that Tommy is only messing with him and everybody starts laughing
again. However, we also see how much of a lunatic Tommy is, which makes us wonder if Henry
is safe by his side.

This scene is based on a real experience Joe Pesci had when working on a restaurant. He told
a mobster that he was funny and things went downhill from there, as the guy didn’t take the
compliment too fondly. The director didn’t add this bit to the filming schedule, only he and Joe
knew about it, so the other actors improvised around Pesci’s great performance, and their
reactions are real and priceless.

Scorsese portrays the relationship between these two in a single masterful dialogue that,
on top of being amusing, establishes the movie’s whole rhythm, which is dynamic and unexpected.

Best lines: Tommy DeVito: “No, no, I don’t know, you said it. How do I know? You said I’m funny.
How the fuck am I funny, what the fuck is so funny about me? Tell me, tell me what’s funny!”
Henry Hill: [long pause] “Get the fuck out of here, Tommy!” T: [everyone laughs] “Ya motherfucker!
I almost had him, I almost had him. Ya stuttering prick ya. Frankie, was he shaking? I wonder
about you sometimes, Henry. You may fold under questioning.”

16. Hunger

Steve McQueen cast young Magneto and Davos Seaworth for his first feature film. I was surprised
when I didn’t encounter any swordfights or metal bending/murdering in the whole film’s runtime,
although I did came across a sweet dialogue scene.

Michael Fassbender plays Bobby Sands, an Irish republican who leads a hunger strike while
imprisoned. He has a conversation with Father Dominic about his life, religion and motives, a 
relaxed chat while smoking and displaying a great amount of chemistry. The camera is static
as both men interrogate one another.

Both actors do a great job, as filming a single take from the same angle and with an extreme amount
of lines to remember couldn’t have been an easy task. Though we only see their shapes due to the
dim lighting for most of the scene, the performers are able to express every emotion and keep us
interested for almost 30 minutes and with minimal cuts. Best lines: Father Dominic Moran: 
“I want to know whether your intent is just purely to commit suicide here.”

Bobby Sands: “You want me to argue about the morality of what I’m about to do and whether
it’s really suicide or not? For one, you’re calling it suicide. I call it murder. And that’s just another
wee difference between us two. We’re both Catholic men, both Republicans. But while you were
poaching salmon in beautiful Kilrea, we were being burnt out of our house in Rathcoole. Similar
in many ways, Dom, but life and experiences focused our beliefs differently. You understand me?”

15. Casablanca

Holding the unbeaten record of the world for “most times the movie’s title is mentioned in its
runtime”, “Casablanca” is really the classic of classics. People don’t usually think that is the best
movie ever made, but within its historical context, “Casablanca” set the tone for decades of cinema
to come.

American Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and his squeeze Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) were forced to
 flee Paris just when their relationship was consolidating, because Hitler just couldn’t go down
without committing every crime imaginable, he also had to cockblock Humphrey Bogart. However,
Ilsa suddenly decides to ditch him with a letter, which is the equivalent of sending your loved one
a Snapchat of you raising your middle finger as a breakup tactic.

They see each other again, after a long time, in Rick’s popular nightclub. He possesses some special
visas that Ilsa and her revolutionary husband need in order to escape from the Third Reich
persecution and flee to the United States. He’s reluctant to give up those documents, because of the
 great harm Ilsa caused him; Bogart’s character often states that, after what happened to him,
 he only cares about himself.

However, in the final scene, Rick makes a huge sacrifice for the greater good. He was planning to
give Ilsa’s husband the visa but stay with his former girlfriend in Casablanca, because she claimed
she still loved him. At the moment of truth, he gives them both the visas and stays alone, with one
of the most memorable lines in the history of film.

http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-20-best-dialogue-scenes-
in-cinema-history/

Dabbling in my Journal

Good afternoon! Glad to see you drop by and tell us what you are working on. Or maybe you are just taking it easy. Is your mind as actively creative that won't shut off even when you are relaxing? Even when I take it easy, my mind wanders and dwells on the current project in progress. I even dreamt of a scene last night of the character, a sorcerer causing all the mayhem. 

Sitting on the porch under the shade of the red umbrella and the oak tree is nice on a spring day.

Let us know what inspires you.  Listening to nature feeds the soul.  For this process, I prefer the handwritten in pencil method.  It's not so permanent on the screen yet.  

Hope to get through some scenes today,

one that creates the pivotal moment of the story my character is going to endure. Going to take a bit of research as well. Make the story credible, lure the reader in.

A Niche Kind of Place

 

Happy Friday!   It's been a horrendous week.  Too much to do and little time for writing or anything creative.  What is your system on gearing up to write or cerate a work of art?  Maybe it's sketching or freehand.  I like a variety and it all depends. I write much more than working on art projects but easily switch hats as it comes. Try out some natural sounds with music. Dan Gibson is superb if you have not heard his music.  I recall many Sunday nights when Hearts of Space would come on.   Just great to listen to or write or create to.

Do you dabble in writing, journaling, creative writing, editing or any field of the arts? From painting, photography, drawing to graphic arts. My BA degree is in graphic communications. What programs do you use? This is the place to join to inspire and share expertise on a project, a technique that works for you that one may struggling with.  Perhaps you are an aspiring writer or artist.  Maybe you want to sell your artwork and need advice how to do so.   Feel free to join us as creative minds work together.   This place is for anyone who loves art and writing. 

If this is your first visit with us, enjoy and look around. There are many stories to look at and we have a great bunch of good people happy in their creative worlds. 

Take a nice diversion from your usual routine and try something new.