"Space Widow's Lament"

[Lightfoot]

You're a smart fellow, and your wife or companion is very fortunate.
Skyedaughter

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Night, Hood... the above probably directed to one of you... as obviously Skye's incredible song was pointedly directed at me.

My God, she's good, ain't she?

Am I a complete idiot?
Is there more to the tale than meets the eye?

It's true. I may be flying off into the stars
only to find no welcome upon returning.

But she's never seen those stars,
or felt the fever of combat.

Nor shown more than passing interest.
She only know that I'm here. And not there.

I can't explain it. Or deny it. Or defend it.
Yet I'm very good at explaining and denying and defending
....when it suits me.

And, just in passing, when we first met,
it was through this infernal machine.
And when we communicated, it was like the song of birds.
It gave us the freedom to be coy, to boast, to flirt, to yearn.
And now, even though things seem to be crumbling to dust around us,
we seem to have come full circle. Both, ghosts in the Infernal Machine.

Welcome to Sirius, Skyedaughter
Prairie

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<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast



LVX|Cagliostro ~ LVX|Eye.of.Privas</span>

[Fellow Hoodlum]

Light old boy ... Have to agree there, that is good. Just a little to much bitterness in the
prose for my taste though ... and I love co-incidence. Ah well, just the old cynic in me.
Have to say your riposte was more up my street. The spirit of the infernal machine has
haunted us all at some time. The conclusion of your forays sounds like a bonus.
Can't take any credit for the second remark ... Have to have that squarely on your
shoulders aswell mate.
Welcome Skye.

Pip pip ... Hoodlum

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Some say he is a proud member of: "The most paranoid group of people in the Community."

[Lightfoot]

Have to have that squarely on your
shoulders aswell mate.
Welcome Skye.
Pip pip ... Hoodlum

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Well... we've cried, and hollered, and made up some.
I think she may be a bit more open to that little B&B on Belfast.
And... 'll be droppin' in a bit more often for lunch, and chewin' the fat.
Eventually, if those pukes at Cryer can come up with a decent remedy for Space-sickness, I may even buy her a wee runabout so she can pop over to Manhattan and check out the latest fashions.

Lessee, Skye.. that was butter, jam, bread and bangers, right. Be there in a trice!

Sancho

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<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast



LVX|Cagliostro ~ LVX|Eye.of.Privas</span>

[Lightfoot]

I've gonna be gone for a week or so too. Got lots of summer work to do. plus the girlfriend is getting frustrated with not spending enough time or whatever.

...snippage...

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Yo, Prometheus.
Sancho squawin'

Tell yer Lass that Skye is interviewin' for a decent chef at "Hope's Haven".
That'll be up in level 7 of the Belfast tower. And bugger me if she ain't raisin' a cloud o' dust up there as we speak, cleanin' and polishin' and singin' her pipes out.

All ye space widows, keep an eye out fer notice of the Grand Openin'.

Sancho

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<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast



LVX|Cagliostro ~ LVX|Eye.of.Privas</span>

[Fellow Hoodlum]

In a recording studio somewhere in ......

Ah ... The accommodations there are of the highest quality ... I know, I've layed me hat
down already. Breakfast is a sight to behold. And a wonder I can eat it. Err ... did that
sound ok. Sorry not good at these advert things.
The best Guinness in all of Newcasle is served in the lovely surroundings of the Belfast
Tower ... How am I doing here. still sound convincing. Look, don't you think you ought to
get a real celeb to do the commercial ... No really, I mean it. Just not my bag you know.
Crap at this.
Hopes Haven ... Every Pirates port in a storm ... Look I'm sorry I can't say that. Thats
just crap. Who the hell wrote this. My reps on the line here, what little there is left.
Sorry a years free drinking is not worth the grief I'll get for this. I'm a bloody Outcast
I'll have you know ... I've killed people for less than this. The 'kin scriptwriters next on
me list now ... Do it for free ...
Hopes Haven ... Opening soon. Franchises available.

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Some say he is a proud member of: "The most paranoid group of people in the Community."

[Skyedaughter]

Ah ... The accommodations there are of the highest quality ... I know, I've layed me hat down already. Breakfast is a sight to behold. And a wonder I can eat it. Err ... did that sound ok. Sorry not good at these advert things.
The best Guinness in all of Newcasle is served in the lovely surroundings of the Belfast Tower ... How am I doing here. still sound convincing. Look, don't you think you ought to get a real celeb to do the commercial ... No really, I mean it. Just not my bag you know.
Crap at this.
...Hopes Haven ... Opening soon. Franchises available.

Dear Hoodlum,

Well, of course your right laddybuck, and I should be advertising my own little heaven at the eye of any storm. At first I thought I could really have an actual virtual space B & B, but I've learned that to do that, I'd need a ship. So maybe there is a Floating Hope's Heaven in the future. It'd be based on the one I've put together now though. So let me see what I can do with the pr ... not a celebrity in site, but I've been singing and dancing across the stages of the world, as Stevie Nicks said so beautifully in one of her songs, so that must count for some press coinage.

Hope's Heaven ~ From the outside doesn't look like much until you get close, as I do want it to be a real haven and not something I have to spend all my time defending against marauders and thieves and such. But if you get a bit closer, you'll see the artist's heart of me in sculpted and carved images and symbols on the rough stone walls ... probably something for everybody, but my favorites are the Oroburous (snake biting its tail), lots of spirals ~ all sizes, a heart now and then (okay, shoot me; I'm a hapless romantic), stars dancing and trailing light, my Wolf friend and a few others ... but you do have to look closely.

The door, heavy oak, imported from old Earth, very thick and imposing bears a simple Welcome to the Weary and the Bleary. If a spacefarer is very lucky, when (s)he knocks on the door, using the solid brass clapper ring beneath the welcome, and I peer through my little peeky hole to see who's there, if (s)he is very lucky, or I'm feeling especially generous, I will push the button (well there is some high tech on the inside, of course) that causes the great doors to swing open. Just be sure to stand back a bit.

Once inside, there's the bar, of course, and sometimes I still do my own singing. I don't even ask for tips. But I get the wandering spastrel (space minstrel) now and then, so depending on the playbill, it may turn into a racaus party, a maudlin connect the pirates and aren't we all buddies after all, or just a darn good show.

I'm especially proud of the bar...sterling silver. Very high prices for that on old Earth, and I wear a necklace that carries some of the same. The taps are all underneath so you don't see them, but I generally have whatever a person wants in the way of good to delictible draft, not to mention some ordinary and exotic good hard liquor to knock back.

There is a painting above and behind the bar. I did it myself in my youth, a picture of a long haired lass standing at the top of a butte, her head turned longingly to the stars. And what reward does she get for her gazing? Spinning stars and swirling galaxies, shots of light, the trails of ships she may one day fly, an indigo night with a full old Earth moon.

And, well, there's more ... of course the chairs and tables are also old Earth vintage, antiques, purchased very dear, but I would have only the best for my guests, and guests they are. No one who enters lays claim to Skyedaughter, but may call her friend after a time, if they're the right sort. If they're not, they usually get thrown out on their bums and don't bother to come back (although their are a few scorch marks on the great door, but I choose to see them as star fire). For the very weary, I have a few vintage overstuffed chairs and a sofa or two ... my colors, old Earth Sage and Ultramarine Blue.

Well, I've got to run. Just got a curtain call. Yes, I'm the spastrel tonight. If you stick around a bit, you might like what you hear.

...to be continued ~ love to all, Skye

[Lightfoot]

...I'm hopin' one o' those fine overstuffed's still has me name on it, Lass.
I know it's been hard on yez, havin' me come back from a mission you'd heard had been the end o' old Sancho; and findin' me a little less'n alive, yet less'n dead either.

Davey, ye done put me in a precarious position there for awhile, but I'm thankin' ye now. Had ye not made me one o' yer Crew, I'd o' never seen me precious Skyedaughter again.

So, Widow she is, but not, when it comes to havin' a breathin' husband about.
And as to bein' a Widow to the Siren Call o' the stars, she is that, and not as well.
We still be workin' out the details o' that..

Better Undead 'n grounded on the off night than eternally lonely, I sez.

Sancho

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<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast



LVX|Cagliostro ~ LVX|Eye.of.Privas</span>

[Fellow Hoodlum]

Children of the Stars ... Discord and Harmony are such a short step apart.

I'm not that much good with these rhythms and rhyme
But a Lancers life becomes all engrossing you'll find
Its not just those stars and systems will take us away
Theres the time on the board that is all part of the play

Difficult decisions to be made, do we just post one more
God look at the time, crept round to just before four
Widows have retired to their beds and slumber deep
Lancers fight to keep eyes open, should be asleep

She thinks us still crazy, but we're just growing old
The love is still there but it just never gets told
Forgive our stupid ways, please give us a chance
We can fly together and bring back some romance

Fellow Hoodlum ... To Skye from the Light

Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along when you slide on down
The cuervo gold, the fine columbian make tonight a wonderful thing

Walter Becker - Donald Fagan

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Some say he is a proud member of: "The most paranoid group of people in the Community."

[Lightfoot]

Children of the Stars ... Discord and Harmony are such a short step apart.

I'm not that much good with&nbsp; these rhythms and rhyme
But a Lancers life becomes all engrossing you'll find
Its not just those stars and systems will take us away
Theres the time on the board that is all part of the play

Difficult decisions to be made, do we just post one more
God look at the time, crept round to just before four
Widows have retired to their beds and slumber deep
Lancers fight to keep eyes open, should be asleep

She thinks us still crazy, but we're just growing old
The love is still there but it just never gets told
Forgive our stupid ways, please give us a chance
We can fly together and bring back some romance

Fellow Hoodlum ... To Skye from the Light

Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along when you slide on down
The cuervo gold, the fine columbian make tonight a wonderful thing

Walter Becker - Donald Fagan

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Thanks, Mate,

From the both 'o us.

Skye 'n Sancho

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<span style="font-family:Trebuchet Ms">Brotherhood of Light ~ Grenoble ~ Belfast



LVX|Cagliostro ~ LVX|Eye.of.Privas</span>

[Skyedaughter]

[quote=Fellow Hoodlum,Aug 21 2006, 04:38 PM]
Children of the Stars ... Discord and Harmony are such a short step apart.

I'm not that much good with these rhythms and rhyme
But a Lancers life becomes all engrossing you'll find
Its not just those stars and systems will take us away
Theres the time on the board that is all part of the play

Difficult decisions to be made, do we just post one more
God look at the time, crept round to just before four
Widows have retired to their beds and slumber deep
Lancers fight to keep eyes open, should be asleep

She thinks us still crazy, but we're just growing old
The love is still there but it just never gets told
Forgive our stupid ways, please give us a chance
We can fly together and bring back some romance

Fellow Hoodlum ... To Skye from the Light

Dear Hoodlum ~ I fancy your fine words, and they have the ring of truth :::sigh::: sure you wouldn't like to come to Hope's Haven one night and be on the playbill. We do get space poets along with the spastrels, and I can always play guitar behind ye. In fact, you've inspired me ... gig tonight at Hope's Haven, and maybe I'll just have a new song to share. I am partial to those that tip their cups my way after a song. That means a lot more than the usual kind of tip ~ Skye