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Short End Page 29
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Short End Page 29

on August 5, 2021
Chapter: Book 12: Short End
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Discussion ¬

  1. W1nD0c
    W1nD0c
    August 5, 2021, 8:54 pm | # | Reply

    My gut is telling me that the Inspector is this world’s version of what you would get if the Pinkertons were hired to create a magic-centric version of Men-in-Black.
    It makes perfect sense, though, judging by the trail of carnage Vane and Hunter left in their wake that was just collateral damage from their little feud, I can see the population demanding the government set up a force to either keep magic users in check or at least make them think twice about throwing spells around in public.

    • Manabi
      Manabi
      August 8, 2021, 2:14 pm | # | Reply

      It fits in well with his last appearance at the end of Broken Sky 36. That’s where we first met Professor Crawford, who’s not only a wind magic user, he had an underground chamber full of (presumably) magic tomes. He’s also likely a member of some secret society, as Erin gave us a close-up panel on Broken Sky 12 of his handshake with Hunter, showing the ring Crawford was wearing.

      I think the better comparison would be to the Secret Service agents in the Wild Wild West TV show. Think of them as steampunk James Bond. I don’t recall there being magic in the show, but it would have fit in just fine.

      • jsfury
        jsfury
        August 8, 2021, 8:53 pm | # | Reply

        Manabi, I think your analogy and comparison of the Pinkerton pretty neat to compare him with James West of the T.V. show. Indeed that would be a pretty cool addition to NTO. But I’m seeing this gentleman lawman as more of a Deputy Marsal based on a real U.S. Deputy Marshal by the name of Bass Reeves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Reeves

        And get this, he was born in Crawford County, Arkansas. And wouldn’t you know it, Arin has in her strange story a Professor Crawford. I love this story.

        • Keith
          Keith
          August 10, 2021, 7:28 am | # | Reply

          Ah, yes Sam Bass. Now there was a REAL law man by any stripe. A bit a Sam Vimes kind of law man. IF he said he wanted my help? UH, first I’d get over his supposed to be dead aspect and comply to my fullest ability post haste.

  2. Shonkin
    Shonkin
    August 6, 2021, 5:00 pm | # | Reply

    That does, however, get me wondering who the Inspector is approaching Mlle. Dauterive rather than Professor Wind. Other than her feminine charms, she hasn’t been throwing magic around.

    • Manabi
      Manabi
      August 8, 2021, 2:21 pm | # | Reply

      When Hunter met up with her, way back in the first chapter, we learned that she got most of her money from her aunt Boudreaux and that Boudreaux’s death was due to murder. There was an implication there that Mlle. Dauterive was responsible for said murder, so perhaps the inspector was originally sent out to hunt her down. Clearly aunt Boudreaux was a prominent person, since she was not only rich, she also owned that necklace with the red gem Hunter used in the spectral dowser at the start of Broken Sky. It was clearly important, since Hunter went out of his way to hunt Mlle. Dauterive down to get it from her.

      • Shonkin
        Shonkin
        August 9, 2021, 9:28 pm | # | Reply

        Good point. And her unusual success in playing poker may have been a matter of skill (e.g., dealing from the bottom of the deck) or possibly ESP or magic.

  3. Shonkin
    Shonkin
    August 6, 2021, 5:01 pm | # | Reply

    *WHY the Inspector is…

  4. Shonkin
    Shonkin
    August 6, 2021, 5:10 pm | # | Reply

    Although she did wield (or try to wield) a poisoned needle.

  5. Shadowkey392
    Shadowkey392
    August 9, 2021, 8:57 pm | # | Reply

    Just occurred to me that that guy in the overcoat looks like Lee Van Cleef. Not sure if that’s intentional, but if it is, nice!

    • Honzinator
      Honzinator
      August 12, 2021, 10:44 am | # | Reply

      He looks like that black Arkansas US Marshall who was briefly stationed in post-bellum Texas, too. Whichever person he’s modeled on, he looks awesome.
      And the green specs are perhaps a nod to Mark Twain’s shades in Innocents Abroad when he tours the Holy Land? Even if not, they’re historically accurate and sometimes, accidentally, actually kept out a lot of UV light.

      • Shonkin
        Shonkin
        August 13, 2021, 2:47 pm | # | Reply

        That’s Lee, the guy whose devil horse was stolen by John Henry Hunter. Yes, he does look like Lee Van Cleef. He and two of his men (Flint and Eli) have been on Hunter’s trail since then. Along the way Flint became a bit fond of Vane, in a gallant big-brother sort of way. Part of it, no doubt is “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
        All these folks ought to realize that in this case the enemy of their enemy is also an enemy. But they won’t.

        • Manabi
          Manabi
          August 15, 2021, 8:09 am | # | Reply

          In this case Maxium 29 is definitely more apropos: “The enemy of my enemy is my enemy’s enemy. No more. No less.” That’s from Schlock Mercenary’s The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries. The whole list is fun.

          • Shonkin
            Shonkin
            August 15, 2021, 2:59 pm | #

            True!

          • Shonkin
            Shonkin
            August 15, 2021, 3:00 pm | #

            I wish Churchill and Roosevelt had kept that in mind after Hitler attacked Stalin.

  6. Honzinator
    Honzinator
    August 17, 2021, 9:57 am | # | Reply

    Shonkin must like the apocryphal quote attributed to one Rep. Harry S. Truman (and a few others) after Hitler betrayed his old pal who helped him gain a position through an election and then allied with him militarily, Stalin (and rudely well before Stalin could betray him!), “Our policy should be to support whichever side is losing.”

  7. Honzinator
    Honzinator
    August 20, 2021, 4:00 pm | # | Reply

    On the name “Shonkin”, … is that name from Voinovich’s “The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin” or perhaps the far more upbeat Russo-Czech co-production that adapted the story to a far happier ending than one has any right to expect in Ukraine or from a Russian? See https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110348/

    • Shonkin
      Shonkin
      September 5, 2021, 10:13 pm | # | Reply

      Nope. “Shonkin” is the Blackfeet name for the Highwood Mountains in north central Montana.

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