Anyway, good stories well told. Congratulations.

Dennis Egan

I *did* however really like Summer’s introduction. I only know Summer from the work she’s done on the Dragon Page podcasts, in which capacity I always thought she was overshadowed by Michael and Evo. It’s really great to hear her all on her own. I’d like to hear more from her. I found myself wishing she had done a full-on introduction, like those Steve Eley does for Escape Pod.

(See also the latest Flash-story on pseudopod.)

I’m kind of ranting. The story was alright.

:-p

And in response to James Brown, who thought the parable broke down when compared to the US’s current middle east involvement, I disagree. Actually, that was the first thing I thought of. Sacrificing our young people to some ill-defined evil being in the mountains above a desert so that society’s fears can be assuaged? Sounds like Iraq/Afghanistan to me.

Although I, as well as csrster, couldn’t see the end coming. I at first thought that the priests were going to start a new tradition of burning people “believed” to be witches. I was glad that the young girl didn’t die.

I to some extent agree with csrster about the believability of the story, although I didn’t really notice that until csrster pointed it out.

Any way, it was a good story that left me with questions: What will happen to the girls that are sacrificed when the main character dies? Will she pick one to be her successor or will the priests just pick a new enemy to sacrifice to?

This may get me lynched: As I always do, I listened for the parable. In my mind, the Dragon personifies the old Soviet Union and the virginal maiden the forces that eventually destroyed that decrepit nation (the Mujahedeen?). The dragon could not die on its own, it had to be slayed.

That would make the priests into the western industrial defense complex, desperate for a new villian after the collapse of the not-so-great evil empire. And the maiden-turned-hag illustrates how the “freedom fighters” of the 80’s became the terrorists of the 21st Century.

Yes, yes, the analogy breaks down when one tries to draw the parallel between the kindly old lady and al Quaida. Still, though, it is commonly said that the West, especially the US, fears terrorists far more than terrorists deserve to be feared. I tend to agree.

Hey, who knows? Maybe the old crone rolls a grenade into the priests’ abbey every so often. However loose the analogy, I think this is a lesson well worth grasping. Wonderful story!

JB

However as I understand it, “suspension of disbelief” usually refers to the fantastical and other-wordly elements of a story - e.g. the existence of magic or dragons. It’s not, or shouldn’t be, an excuse for slack storytelling.

One positive thing I will say is that I _didn’t_ see the end of the story coming. I thought Jeanette would end up turning into a dragon herself.

The second objection reminded me of the People Magazine rip in their review of “Field Of Dreams” where they panned the movie because one had to “suspend disbelief” to view it in a positive light. Never read another People Magazine movie review.

Anyway, I enjoyed the story, but saw the end coming from a mile away. Sometimes that’s a good thing though. Thanks for a pleasant installment!

I thought this story was a little too free with “with one bound she was free” moments - secreting daggers and lockpicks around herself even when being prepared for sacrifice, dashing past dumbfounded priests etc.

Well done Pod Castle for another hook to make sure I’ll never stop listening.

I spent the first half of the story distracted by my own Evil Overlord-ish musing on how, given that there was a dragon that wanted a virgin a year, to set up my kingdom to avoid rampant teen pregnancy or rampant burnination. Which was of course beside the point.

One hopes that the community of exiles in the Good Kingdom Next Door will eventually decide that cultural exchange and free immigration can relieve the peasantry of their old home of the yoke of Narratively Significant Stupid Tyranny, without having to sacrifice anyone.