The Queen's English by Stephen Cline

Author:Stephen Cline
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: satire, language, literary humor, fantasy adventure, spoof, wordplay, literary fantasy, intellectual, sexy scenes
Publisher: Stephen Cline

21. The Queen Dressed Down

Though the remnant band was out of the Old West (at least as far as we are concerned), they were not yet through the desert. And while they were healthy and happy, they were not yet out of danger (philosophers and theologians might chime in here to point out that we are, all of us, never really out of danger, or, contrariwise, we are never truly in it, depending on world view). Thus, though still in the desert, they were not yet out of the woods. Where exactly they are at this particular juncture in their quest seems a fair question to be asked by saddle sore readers, wondering perhaps whether the picaresque nature of the tale does not allow for an infinity of episodes. Well, to answer the latter concern first, the answer is quite simply, yes. It happens to be one of the few areas of genuine originality open to the redactor (aside from stylistic originality). It is in the addition of sub stories within the larger framework that allows the greatest scope for creativity…not, mind, that I, for one, would just make stuff up. No, indeed! But one might dip into the rather capacious stewpot of Jackpot Pastiche, the Harlot Queen histories and apocrypha to serve up, as it were, a choice, fresh morsel of merit, to an audience of gourmands. I leave it, however, for academics to puzzle out the particular contributions unique to this redactor. Besides being rather gauche to point them out myself, are there not dissertations to be written that might not benefit from just such opportunities for original analysis?

As to the former question, if you’ll recall it (namely, where are they?), let us look. If we peer down on the countryside, like so many royal, philosopher kings of Laputa, hovering on our omniscient island above the events, we can see them riding in the dark (for as you’ll recall from the brochure, the desert is a hot place by day; thus they travel now by night). Do they follow some star, you may ask, seeking like the wise men of old, etcetera? Well, no. Dripping Sea God does know, though, to keep the north star more or less on his starboard quarter in order to roughly achieve their destination. Do I sense another question within that exquisite interchange between narrator and audience? Alright, you’re thinking it; may as well ask. Oh, the destination itself, the Oracle’s abode? I wonder, frankly, that it’s not arisen sooner. It may come as a surprise, conditioned as you undoubtedly are to expect such a font of wisdom concerning learning to reside somewhere in the proximity of the Ivy League colleges. I’m afraid that there is nothing for it but to plunge on and tell you plainly that, in fact, the famous Bed by the Ford resides in the west (admittedly, it was removed there, much like the Dodgers from Brooklyn to LA, or London Bridge to the Arizona desert…I seem to recall some anecdote on this latter concerning the Queen…another fresh morsel for later?).

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