The Word Cloud - Writing Community - Help and advice for writers

Unfortunately, I am sworn to secrecy about this fellow clouder (until they have told certain people) but a wonderful person I count as a special friend now has agent representation.
The person has worked very hard and written a fabulous story which has now been snapped up. Film rights have already been discussed and I actually shed a tear for joy when she told me (10 mins ago!).
It is so great when good things happen to good people and I am so proud of the person.

Aah, this is killing me but I have promised and it is not my news to tell.

Champagne celebrations in a couple of weeks!

Love You _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ xxxxxxxxx

When I was young broadcasters used to stop broadcasting TV in the daytime. There was a morning news and current affairs programme until about 8:30 I think and then nothing, until Popeye came on at about 4:30. They simply switched off the transmitters. Perhaps they assumed that during the day people were either working or had fresh air to breathe in. There was always the wireless for those in their sick beds. They also shut down at about 10:30 or 11 ish at night, which was of course when everyone would be abed, unless they had a party to go to.

The beginning of colour broadcasting coincided with my early teenage years. BBC2 was launched in 1967 and was the first colour channel. You needed a new set to receive BBC2, which could be colour or black and white. Colour sets were eye wateringly expensive, certainly beyond the modest means of my family. But we did splash out on a dual standard B&W, so we could receive BBC2. This is why I can write this blog today.

To set up a colour TV in those days was a complex procedure and needed a TV engineer to visit to “align the guns” (really). This caused a small problem in that there was nothing being transmitted in the working day so he could do this. For this reason the BBC2 trade test transmissions were born. On an hourly cycle there would be 30 to 35 minutes of colour test card, for alignment, followed by a short colour film to take it up to the hour. And so we come to the purpose of my maundering today.

Amongst these films there were some gems. I wonder if any other of the other wrinklies around here might recall them.

There was a film about an Australian Road train, which is a massively long lorry, travelling from north to south along to a musical accompaniment by Frank Ifield. Frank Ifield is/was an Australian singer whose sole distinction was that he yodelled; an otherwise essentially Swiss undertaking. This little film told a harmless tale which served to inform the watcher that there were road trains in Australia and why. It did little for Frank, I suspect. He didn’t even yodel in that one.

A tale about a young boy trading along a river in Burma, called I think “Bulong and Bola”, who was saving for an outboard motor to make his life better, was made by the Shell film unit. It educated the watcher on how, I think, cassava plants were brought to market and the lives of the people at the start of that chain.

The best by far was a film about restoring an old Bullnosed Morris from unloved rust and decrepitude to motoring perfection. There was no dialogue but it had a soundtrack by the Dave Brubeck quartet (if memory serves). It was made by British Petroleum in 1963. The star, Mr Ronald Chudley went on to appear in an episode of Emergency Ward 10 (one) and promptly left to become a writer (yay) in Canada. One or two of the uncredited actors had acting careers of sorts. It won an Oscar!

There were many more of these short films, a day in the life of Italian motorway service station is another I remember; some cracking women and great cars in that one. Many of them are currently held in a video library in London owned by BP and they keep them under wraps. I know, I have offered to help unwrap them.

 My point is this. These little films made possible the setting up of colour TVs in the late sixties and entertained a swotty 12 year old (me) for a while, but that wasn’t why they were made. Which begs the question why were they made? Those short films were utterly wonderful. They were made by big industrial concerns, the government, or I just don’t know who and for no truly specific reason other than altruism that I can see. They were made simply to educate and inform with no sense of profit.

Am I right? Was life more simple back then?

http://nyarlathotep.socialgo.com/

Well, after three days, the Temple has 9 members; if recruitment continues at the same rate, after a year we'll have more than a thousand!

We now have 7 groups, 4 of them owned by members other than myself.

I've posted a piece of erotica - 'Sexual Elf' - on Khaloth's 'Sexual Nightmares' group. It's way too obscene to post on the Cloud!

Hoping to see more Cloudies at the Temple of Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos. "Ab insomni non custodita draconi!"

 

Chapter One

 

The Curfew Bell

 

      As the hands of the large Schwarzkopf clock fell upon the five and twelve, bells all over Ernsbrecht, capital city of Wünnen, began to emit their thunderous chimes. Most citizens took no notice. The bells were not for them. The curfew was there for the others. They had to get to their part of the city, the Begrenzt, where they would stay until the following morning. No decent man or woman of good upbringing wanted to be around those accursed magic makers after dark. Bad enough they worked in the city during daytime.

     Deep beneath the city, within tunnels filled with dust and soot one 19-year-old boy, or man as he liked to shout at his parents when they treated him like a child, could not hear a thing.

     By chance, a bell deep within the Klemens Coal Mine chose this night to stay quiet. Covered in black soot and rust and hanging from a rotten rope. The bell had earlier that day given its last desperate clang when it had fallen to the ground.

     Oblivious to the curfew bell echoing through the cold winter night air above, Ludwig von Hammersmark, along with all the other workers of the Klemens Coal Mine, kept on working deep into the night.

     Ludwig was a slender, blond haired boy with muscles that reflected his years running up and down the tunnels of the mine. Some within the Begrenzt would have said he looked quite respectable if not for the soot covering him from head to toe in a thick layer of black.

     Sighing Ludwig ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. It would take him hours tonight trying to fight off the soot from his body not to mention his clothes. Shaking his head resignedly Ludwig surveyed the dark and dingy tunnels ahead. The tunnel he was walking in split in two directions. He knew the tunnels by heart; working here for eleven years would make this a second home to anyone. The tunnel going straight ahead led to the ovens; it was easy to know from the uncomfortable but familiar heat. And the one branching to the left led to the new dig site where Old Dietfried Rothman found a rich source of coal six days ago. Although Ludwig was assigned to a different site he regularly visited this one because of his best friends Heinz von Ősterreich and Leiberich Teschen.

     Starting down the one on the left Ludwig took out his wand and held it high above his head.

     “Taschenlampe licht,” he said and his wand-tip flared into a blinding light, illuminating the rough surface of the rock walls and floor. Old Dietfried had told them to light their way through the new tunnels to avoid any unnecessary injuries and Ludwig didn’t want to risk another scolding from the old man, arriving without a light.

     After a few twists and turns, and awkward stumbles despite the light flowing from his wand, Ludwig finally stepped into a vast cavern, both the ceiling and far walls way beyond his light. Deeper within the cavern Ludwig saw faint lights moving up and down one of the rock walls carrying the scars of recent explosions. Dust and soot hung heavily in the air and Ludwig guessed that they had just started exploding sections of the rock.

     Coughing Ludwig chose his path carefully towards the far lights. Old Dietfried was never known for his neatness in the work place or out and as Ludwig suspected the ground was strewn with loose rocks and boulders.

     “Hey, Ludwig, just in time my friend!” Heinz shouted, waving enthusiastically at Ludwig with his wand hand. Heinz was taller than Ludwig and much more muscular, with hair blacker than the soot covering his huge frame. The moving light created by Heinz’s waving wand made the shadows around the rocks surrounding Ludwig dance, making him stumble.

     “Cut it out, will you!’ Ludwig breathed catching himself before he laid flat on the ground with a rock between his ribs.

     “Sorry.” Heinz lowered his wand and turned to the other lights still further on. “Old man, Ludwig is here, where do you want him?”

     “That sorry excuse for a wizard? Nowhere!” Old Dietfried shouted causing Ludwig and Heinz to burst into laughter.

     “I like you too,” Ludwig shouted back and they heard Dietfried curse.

     “He’s warming up to you.” Heinz said and Ludwig patted him on the shoulder.

     “Whatever you say,” Ludwig said, his ‘r’s a heavy burr.

     “No really, usually he would have cursed and chased you away by now.”

     “Well he did the cursing bit,” Ludwig said laughing.

     “Ludwig!” Leiberich shouted. Ludwig turned just in time to see Leiberich stumble over a huge rock he should have been able to see a mile back, and his thin form disappeared into a hole, fiery red hair flailing at the sudden descent. “Ouch... ouch... ouch...” Ludwig heard him shout as he and Heinz hurried over.

     “Oh, you useless, wrag gnome!” exclaimed Ludwig edging closer to the hole. “Your mother should send you to a mill.”

     “Ouch... ouch... I think it’s broken.”

     “What, your arm, or your bad luck, hopefully.”

     “NO! My wand!”

     “O great, another one,” Dietfried said cursing under his breath as he joined Ludwig and Heinz at the hole’s edge. “You’re going through wands faster than I can go through women.”

     Ludwig closed his eyes tightly forcing an image of Old Dietfried, thinning grey hair around a wrinkled face with a very pronounced nose, lying in a bed with twenty women out of his mind. Certain the image won’t return of its own accord Ludwig opened them again and glanced at Heinz who was trying hard not to break into hysterical laughter.

     “Help the boy out of that stinking hole and give him your wand,” Dietfried said irritably as he glanced at Ludwig. Ludwig stared at the delicately carved wand of his great grandfather, Waldemar von Hammersmark. His father gave him the wand when he turned six. His grandfather had been the most skilled and powerful wizard of his time. Ludwig’s father had been unable to use the wand, its powers too great, so what chance would Leiberich have? Not that Ludwig would even consider giving his almost seven-hundred-year-old intricately carved twelve-and-a-quarter inches of rosewood wand imbued with unicorn and dragon blood, to his very clumsy friend.

     “I don’t think so,” Ludwig said decisively, crossing his arms. “I’ll do it instead. Leiberich can get another wand from Windischgraetz Wands to break tomorrow.”

     “Can you just get me out of this hole?” Leiberich said indignantly. “You can squabble about my usefulness later.”

     “Be quiet boy! Or I leave you there,” Dietfried snapped highly irritated. “Fine do what you want. Probably a smart move with that one.”

     As Dietfried moved away to a small crate with papers Ludwig turned to Leiberich grinning broadly.

     “You’re really trying your luck with him,” Ludwig said as he stuck out a hand for Leiberich to grab.

     “Well it’s not like I fell in here deliberately!” Leiberich grumbled, jumping for Ludwig’s hand. Grabbing his forearm Ludwig pulled and with a little help from Heinz heaved Leiberich from the hole, Heinz and Ludwig laughing again until Dietfried shouted at them.

     “Be quiet and come here!”

     Ludwig and Heinz complied and joined Dietfried at the crate. Ludwig recognised the mining map which Dietfried was studying closely. The map was no ordinary map; like normal maps it showed every tunnel in the mine but this one also showed little name tags where people were in the mine, moving as they did. This was a useful addition to the miners as cave-ins and new members getting lost was a constant threat. But another thing the map showed was the weak spots in the rocks; it was this, Dietfried was running his old eyes over.

     “You see those spots there?” Dietfried asked pointing at the map where in very fine script said ‘weak point’. Ludwig and Heinz nodded. “That’s where I want you two. Now get going. You, Leiberich, stay out of the way; only you would find a way to have this explosion kill you.” Ludwig stifled a laugh as he glanced at Heinz before heading to the spot where Dietfried wanted them. Ludwig could hear Leiberich curse the old man but further than that his retort was unintelligible.

     “Okay, on my mark. Use the minor destruction spell, vernichtung,” Dietfried advised, lifting his wand. Ludwig did the same and in the corner of his vision he saw Heinz following suite.

     “Now.”

     “Vernichtung!” they shouted in unison and their wands crackled as magic shot towards the rock wall. Sparks spider-webbed over the surface of the wall for a split-second then with a deafening boom it blew apart, a thick cloud of dust sweeping upwards and drowning them in its suffocating embrace. Ludwig coughed desperately for fresh air as he backed away from the crumbling wall.

      “Letzen,” Dietfried said coughing and the warm suffocating air was suddenly cool and fresh. Taking a deep breath and opening his eyes Ludwig scanned their handy work. A pile of rocks lay at their feet where a five-feet-thick rock wall was only a moment before.

      “Well done,” Dietfried shouted, suddenly over his sour mood. “We have done today’s and half of tomorrow’s work in one day!”

      “Speaking of, when is the damn bell going to ring?” Leiberich said carefully climbing over a pile of rocks; where he almost slipped and fell. “I can do with a nice cold beer.”

      “I’m with you in that,” Heinz said his eyes closed as if all ready savouring the cold wheat beer.

     “You’re forgetting its winter.” Ludwig pointed out and both of their faces looked confused.

     “And?”

     “Well, either way,” Dietfried said rolling up the maps on the crate. “We can go home and clean this up tomorrow. Oh and, Leiberich, please bring an extra wand.”

     Ludwig and Heinz laughed heartily whilst Leiberich frowned and mumbled under his breath as they started out of the cavern and into the series of tunnels, all of them holding their wands high in the air to light the way, except Leiberich who looked sulkily at the broken bits of wand in his hand.

     “My mother is going to kill me this time,” He said faintly as he fingered a fingernail sticking from the broken wood.

     “Isn’t that what you said the last five times?” Heinz asked smiling. “And, here you are.”

     “Yeah you’re probably only going to have to do a few extra chores,” Ludwig said patting him on the back.

     “A few extra? I already do all the chores in the house. And you don’t understand. She bought me this wand only yesterday saying, ‘Boy, you better keep this wand safe or I’ll feed you your shredded hide for breakfast’, when she handed it to me this morning.” Leiberich looked pale and swallowed nervously. “It cost her seven-hundred Polins. It’s a moon rock wand with Vila fingernail clippings.”

     Ludwig felt his mouth drop open, Leiberich’s broken wand was stronger than Heinz’s wand by far; Ludwig never thought Leiberich a particularly strong wizard having had only weak cheap wands. – Guess I was wrong. –

     “If I were your mum, boy, I would boil the skin and flesh off your bones and sell it as soup for the non-magic folk,” Dietfried said with a broad smile, revealing his missing teeth. Ludwig smiled inwardly at Dietfried’s use of the old term for the nemagi – non-magic folk – most of the older generations of the wizarding community still used it. Leiberich looked suddenly ill as he stared blankly at the tunnel floor. Ludwig knew well that Leiberich’s mother wasn’t at all incapable of that. Since Leiberich’s father had died of an illness when he was four his mother had been distant and rarely home and when she was she treated Leiberich as if he was worthless. Ludwig didn’t like Mr Teschen that much from the few times he had seen her.

     “I think we have an extra wand in the house,” Ludwig said, throwing Dietfried an angry glare, if the old wizard noticed it he did not show it. “I’ll ask my parents if you can have it.”

     “So long as I have a wand.” Leiberich said beaming up at Ludwig. Ludwig did not really believe there was a wand just lying around in their house but if it cheered Leiberich up for now, he can go and buy a new one tomorrow.

     “How did you lose all your other wands again?” Heinz asked mockingly, pretending to think deeply. Ludwig wanted to glance at Heinz sternly but instead found himself laughing.

      “Aha yes, it was the one you dropped in the Ergiebig River, the one you lost when that Bonito Maiden caught you caching one of her fish, then that time you lost control of your broom and it slipped from your pocket and ...” Heinz counted down on his fingers trying hard not to laugh whilst Ludwig did so fervently. It is true that Leiberich had had lots of wand where a normal wizard or witch usually only has the one his entire life. Ludwig guessed that a wand just did not enjoy Leiberich being its master.

     The rest of the trip up to the surface Ludwig and Heinz laughed at the sour expression on Leiberich’s face whilst Dietfried occasionally muttered under his breath, which Ludwig guessed was caused by the man’s old age because he did not seem to notice. Before long they reached the massive steel door leading to the surface of the Klemens Coal Mine, Heinz flourishing his wand eagerly and the moonlit night fell on them like silvery liquid as the door swung open. They all froze, staring uncomprehendingly at the dark night.

     “But how?” Leiberich asked breathlessly. “The bell didn’t ring.”

     “It couldn’t ring,” Heinz said simply. They all turned to him questioningly before seeing what he held in his hand. The old rusted bell that hung just behind the door had broken from the frame.

     “What should we do?” Leiberich asked in a whisper afraid the Württembechen Guard would jump out of the shadows at any moment.

     “We go back down into the tunnels,” Dietfried said firmly turning away from the night.

     “Are you mad?” Heinz said. “I’m not going to spend the whole night within a dusty soot filled tunnel. I’m going home.”

     “You will not!” Dietfried shouted grabbing Heinz’s arm as he made to step into the open air. “The other miners need to be told.”

     “You do that,” Heinz said simply, shrugging off the old man’s hand and walking off. Dietfried stared after him with such anger Ludwig thought that the old man might have a heart attack.

     “I’m going with him,” Leiberich said. “I don’t even have a wand so I need to head back.”

     “Boy if you step-” Dietfried broke off as Leiberich jogged after Heinz leaving Ludwig and Dietfried behind.

     “I am going to skin them alive next time I see them,” Dietfried said walking into the tunnel. “Just wait till I tell their parents.”

     Dietfried must have noticed that Ludwig did not follow because he stopped and turned around.

     “You coming boy?”

     Ludwig was glancing after Leiberich who had just disappeared into an alleyway. Glancing back at Old Dietfried he shook his head, smiling defiantly.

     “Sorry old man!” Ludwig shouted over his shoulder and darted into the night, ignoring the angry shouts bellowing from the mine’s open door when finally he heard it slam shut and was left in silence.

     Ludwig, Heinz and Leiberich had done this millions of times, sneaked out of the Begrenzt at the dead of night and under invisibility charms spied on nemagi. What could possibly go wrong this time?

     Ludwig turned his head in every direction opening his eyes to their fullest, hoping to let in more light, as he stared at everything at once: the deserted brick road, oil lamps which threw their fiery light upon the snow covered brick road and large grey buildings rising on either side, smoke still seeping from chimneys into the darkened sky as nemagi factories kept working into the dead of night. Snow drifted down and settled upon anything they could find purchase on. Ludwig swallowed in relief at what the street lacked, the Württembechen Guard. If the magically annulled law enforcement saw him or Heinz and Leiberich they would be in serious trouble.

     Ludwig stuck to the shadows like the series of insects around the oil lamps. Ludwig heard rather than felt his heart race in the suppressive silence disturbed only by the occasional bark of a distant dog. As Ludwig passed an old worn wagon left in front of a large building, a sign post reading ‘Allgemein arbeiten’, he froze as a loud grown echoed from a wooden box upon it. Surveying the surrounding area Ludwig hopped onto the wagon when he was sure it was clear and peered into the box. Ludwig felt his stomach lurched as a putrid smell caught him off guard and resisted the urge to vomit. With his hand in front of his nose Ludwig glanced at what was causing the stench and again his stomach lurched but this time in pity.

     The box contained six kobalds, little knee high creatures that strangely resembled old men with dark brown hair and brown long beards, all of whom looked sick and had the sunken look of being starved. Some were sleeping - Or maybe dead - Ludwig thought whilst others stared up at him blinking gloomily; the bottom of the box was covered in excrement and snow. Glancing at the side of the box Ludwig found the piece of paper tagging the box as a shipment for a Leopold Ausubel at the Iron Works of South Side Ernsbrecht.

     Feeling helpless Ludwig jumped from the wagon and cursed the nemagi malevolently. As the industrial side of Ernsbrecht began to bloom almost thirty years ago the nemagi didn’t need kobalds just to clean their houses at night anymore but also the factories and mines, so they began to set traps to capture them and forced them to work like so many other magical creatures. Kicking at a loose brick in the road Ludwig cursed again. The brick were sent flying and slammed into a building just a few feet away.  

     Suddenly not caring if he got caught Ludwig walked boldly on, glancing at the buildings he passed hoping to see a nemagi. But what will he do, attack? Ludwig never liked violence so he doubted it. And in any case using magic on a nemagi was punishable by death no matter the reason for doing so. With his shoulders slumping he retreated back into the shadows, again feeling helpless.

     Ludwig reached a snowy white building glowing faintly in the moonlight as it towered over the other buildings; a huge round clock ticking away upon one of its spires. Standing at the foot of this spire were two bent figures as they crouched in its shadow behind a large crate.

     “Hey you two,” Ludwig called silently, sneaking towards them. The two figures whirled around in alarm Heinz holding his wand ready. Ludwig lifted his hands and scowled as they recognised him, although looking very much relieved.

     “Shhhh!” Leiberich whispered as Ludwig crouched next to him. “Two Württembechen Guard down the road.” Ludwig leaned passed the crate and spotted two richly dressed men with top hats talking heartily to one another. The one was staring at the other disbelievingly as he spun a walking stick in one hand.

     “... I’m telling you.” Their distant voices drifted on the cold wind and Ludwig rubbed his hands together for warmth. “King Matthäus has had it; I overheard him speaking with Lord Commander Ernst.” The other one still looked unconvinced for some reason. “I’m serious he’s just waiting for a reason so that when he orders it, it will look like he had no choice...”

     Ludwig found the two men’s conversation quite amusing. He wondered sometimes what nemagi talked about; not having magic as a topic must be quite boring. He can still recall all the times he and Heinz had stayed up late at night talking heartily about magic.

     Something tugged on Ludwig’s sleeve and he whirled about finding Heinz staring at him intently before signing away with his hands. Ludwig didn’t understand half of it but nodded anyway. With a final nod from Heinz and Leiberich; clearly decided on a course of action, though Ludwig had not seen any sign of a plan amongst the signals and wanted to raise this point when Heinz lifted his wand.

     “Verschwinden,” Heinz whispered and vanished as his spell diverted Ludwig’s eyes around him. Ludwig stared at where Heinz was disbelievingly his eyes refusing to focus on the exact spot. If he had known this was what he was planning he would have stopped it. Sneaking past Württembechen Guard wasn’t what Ludwig would call his biggest ambition. – Besides what would mother and father say? – Ludwig thought suddenly and a surge of defiance rushed through him; the feeling was thrilling and exciting. – Who cares? - Their parents are always so content with being caged within the Begrenzt, always following nemagi rules without complaint. Ludwig loathed nemagi and any opportunity to defy them must be grabbed by both hands and squeezed dry of every possibility.

     Ludwig nodded determinedly to himself and pointed his wand at Leiberich with a silent mutter of, “Verschwinden”, and as Leiberich vanished lifted his wand with another “Verschwinden”. A strange sensation past over his body, a feeling that his body was falling apart and mixing with the air around him, it was difficult to breathe and Ludwig half wanted to dispel the spell. He never liked the disappearing charms. As children they had used it many times to play hide and go seek.

     Taking a deep fragmented breath Ludwig stepped out from behind the box and saw Leiberich and Heinz, foggy and unfocussed like clouds of smoke. Out in the open Ludwig did not feel as determined as before. The Württembechen Guard was only about twenty feet away, still deep in conversation.

     “Come on, Ludwig, they can’t hear or see us!” Heinz shouted into the air as if to prove his point. Despite knowing it for a fact Ludwig flinched and glanced alarmingly at the officers. They seemed no more aware of them than before. Ludwig took a deep breath and felt a little silly and embarrassed at his two friend’s looks of amusement.

     “Let’s just get out of here,” Ludwig laughed hitting Leiberich on the head.

     Heinz laughed and began to walk towards the two officers. They were arguing now about something the king had said.

     “-you can ask Hans if you don’t believe me, Erich. He was there when they did it. Poor fools, they probably won’t know of it until it’s too late.”

     “Well then I’ll just have to ask him then won’t I?” The other one said irritably. “I just can’t see how that can work. I thought the things were, you know, indestructible?”

     Ludwig stared at the officers intently, his heart racing within his chest so that he was afraid the spell might not be able to hide the pounding of it. He has never been this close to them before, having always seen them in the distance and avoided them when possible. But as he stared at them, he wasn’t afraid but exhilarated. They couldn’t see him or hear him he was safe behind a veil of magic. Their keinlaute gems, a rare blue crystal which the nemagi found within the Höcher Mountains that dispels magic cast at the wearer, hung around their necks from golden chains.

     But then something weird happened. The nemagi, with his back against the white building, looked up and their eyes met. His keinlaute gem ignited, glowing hot white against his chest. Ludwig froze and it felt as if his stomach dropped onto the snow beneath him in horror. – They can see us! –

     The other nemagi stopped talking staring a moment at his companion’s shocked pale face and wide eyes before turning around. He let out a small gasp as he stared at each of them and their wands, his face uncomprehending.

     For a moment all five of them stood frozen in place staring at each other in shock. Then the one who was still looking into Ludwig’s eyes took a small whistle from his pocket and drew it to his mouth.

     A long high pitched peal ripped through the air, unfreezing all of them. The other nemagi lunged forward at Leiberich but Ludwig grabbed Leiberich’s arm and pulled him forwards into an earnest sprint. Both of the nemagi officers were blowing their whistles now and answering peals echoed from every side. Leiberich was yelling at the top of his voice as Ludwig pulled him into an alley after Heinz who was shouting for them to follow him. A nemagi rushed after them but Ludwig whirled around and hit him hard on the side of his face; his companion shouted something and smoke erupted from a gunpowder pistol he had pulled from his overcoat. Ludwig ducked, pulling Leiberich down with him and then broke into a sprint once more, wand held over his shoulder as another thunderous shot echoed up the alley and hit the wall beside him. A hand appeared from a branching alleyway grabbing Ludwig’s wand hand but a groan erupted from his lips and he let go at once as Heinz hit him hard on the back of his head.

     “Come on!” Heinz shouted and took off again.

     They were in a narrow road flanked by tall buildings when they erupted form the alley; Ludwig turned left after Heinz and sprinted. He could hear footsteps right behind him and Leiberich’s ragged breaths. Ahead another alley appeared on the right between what looked like a bakery and an inn. Heinz darted into it and Ludwig followed whirling around as he crossed the threshold into shadows and pointed his wand, waiting for Leiberich to come stumbling in as well before shouting, “Gar Verweisebied!”. A translucent wall appeared between the two buildings with a loud bang, shimmering as the moon light shone on it.

     “Where are we?” Leiberich asked, panting heavily as he pushed himself to his feet where he had tripped over a crate filled with rotten food.

     “I don’t know,” Ludwig said clutching at his side where a painful stitch had formed. The run had made him loose track of where they were in the nemagi area.

     “We’re on the outskirts of the industrial area,” Heinz informed them, looking untouched by all the sprinting. “From here it’s just down the road and then left into the poorer nemagi residential area and-”

     “Shhh,” Ludwig said.

     Footsteps, shouts and whistles echoed from up the road from which they had come; the inn beside them was in uproar from the commotion.

     “Let’s go, Heinz lead away then,” Ludwig said and Heinz nodded, Leiberich was muttering under his breath.

     Heinz ran down the alley, Ludwig following and Leiberich trailing behind, and into the street beyond, nemagi filled the street and more was still pouring from the inn shouting drunkenly at the Württembechen Guard’s noise. But at seeing them they staggered and began to run in every direction, yelling as they went.

     As three Württembechen Guard materialized from the crowd still pouring out of the inn, Ludwig, Heinz and Leiberich sprinted down the road; rapid footfalls falling in step behind them.

     Heinz dashed down another alley and a window above Ludwig’s head shattered as he ran after; a curse resounding from the nemagi behind them who had missed the shot. Showered in glass Ludwig staggered, crashing into a stack of wooden barrels, knocking it over. Leiberich yelped as the barrels crashed in front of him and staggered backwards. Ludwig whirled around, struggling to get to his feet, to see Leiberich grabbed by three Württembechen Guard. Leiberich let out a terrified scream and swinging fists and legs uselessly as they wrestled him to the ground.

     Ludwig and Leiberich’s eyes met and a chill went through Ludwig as he saw the horror in his eyes.

     “Ludwig!” Heinz shouted from behind Ludwig and he felt Heinz grab his arm, pulling him to his feet and dragging him down the alley. Leiberich bellowed another terrified scream before Ludwig shrugged off Heinz’s arm and ran on his own away from his friend as more nemagi appeared.

     They were halfway down the alley when a nemagi appeared in the opening, sneering at them victoriously. The nemagi was heavily built and could easily take them both, and he knew it. But Ludwig had his wand.

     Pointing over Heinz’s shoulder Ludwig shouted, “Verandern!”, a section of the alley wall of the building next to the nemagi officer turned suddenly to liquid. The nemagi gave a surprised yelp as he was washed off his feet and sent crashing into the other side of the alley; Heinz giving a whoop of victory as they sped past and into the street.

     Ludwig had only a brief glimpse of a fist before tiny lights burst into his vision and his back hit the cold brick road, knocking the air out of his lungs. Ludwig gasped for breath as he rolled onto his side blinking desperately. Heinz had whirled around at the commotion and was staring with a mixture of fear and excitement at the nemagi towering over Ludwig.

     “Filthy magic-makers-” The nemagi began but was interrupted as Heinz lunged; the nemagi stepped aside quickly and grabbed Heinz’s hitting arm before bringing his own fist around to hit Heinz squarely in the face. Heinz howled in pain as he staggered backwards clutching his mouth and nose.

     With the officer’s attention temporarily drawn to Heinz, Ludwig scrambled towards his wand and in one fluent movement hit the nemagi in the chest as he closed his fingers around the keinlaute gem. The nemagi staggered backwards and the chain broke from his neck. A searing pain erupted from Ludwig’s hand as the gem burned into his skin. Ludwig gasped in surprise at the sudden pain but ignored it as he pointed his wand at the Württembechen Guard.

     “Weggeben bewegen!” Ludwig shouted and the nemagi stiffened and fell backwards, unmoving like a statue.

     “Nice one,” Heinz said, his speech impaired as a bubble of blood emerged from his skew nose. Ludwig gave a fleeting smile as pain continued to surge from his hand, gasping he opened his closed palm and saw the white hot gem sizzling against his skin.

     “Is that?” Heinz began but stopped as Ludwig swung his arm but the gem refused to come off and instead glowed even brighter, increasing its heat. Ludwig let out a loud cry of pain before sticking it with his wand. With a thunderous bang the gem blew from his hand leaving Ludwig panting as he clutched his hand.

     “Bring it,” Ludwig said as Heinz bent to have a closer look at it. He did not know why he wanted to take it along but he knew it was an opportunity to possess one, an opportunity he should not pass. Heinz looked at him doubtfully before wrapping it in a handkerchief, careful not to touch it.

     “Now let’s get out of here,” Heinz said.

     Ludwig nodded and they set off down the road. They were in the nemagi’s poorer residential area, Ludwig noted with a flush of relief, only a block of shabby houses separated them and the Begrenzt. They were safe now.

– Except Leiberich. – Ludwig thought and dread filled his whole being. One of his friends was in the Württembechen’s custody and who knows what they will do.

I have been absent from the Cloud for a brief while.  One of the things this blog aims to do is explain why.  More importantly, it aims to provide insight into a murky world most would rather not contemplate because it’s a dead boring murky world, and, when does anyone ever really get a definitive answer in this subject area anyway? 

In a staggering break from tradition, the answer is here.

The short version:

Got a computer virus.

The story-teller’s and writer’s version:

I have encountered particularly nasty computer viruses, rootkits, trojans, worms and malware before, but this one pooped on the lot.

I’d left my computer on overnight.  In the morning there was a Microsoft security update to greet me.  I clicked to close it, but it started running in a manner that transferred me from bleary-eyed and dopy, to awake, alert, and panicked.  Although Antimalware Doctor bore the look and supporting indicators of a Microsoft update, it had revealed itself to be a malicious program, or malware, which couldn’t be stopped.

Pressing CTRL, ALT and DELETE brought up the Task Manager.  Selecting Application/End Task temporarily halted the malware, but it was able to self-execute at will, and from a variety of different actions.  I changed tack to the Control Panel and selected Add or Remove Programs.  But this standard Microsoft functionality had been compromised so that any attempt to Remove the malware resulted in it executing.  Worst of all, fully up-to-date and operational Norton 360 anti-virus software had also been compromised to the point of being completely disabled.  Attempts to get it functional again failed, or were blocked.  Look, I know Norton is pants, but it came free with the computer, so I’d thought I’d give it another chance to see if it had got any better since the last time it screwed up.  Nope.

I was in trouble and out of my depth, so I dived online to learn what I could about Antimalware Doctor, and learn it fast.  A sedate morning easing out of sleepiness by responding to Clouder posts was an intention shot to smithereens.

An online removal procedure provided a short list of associated files and registry HKEYS, so I removed those files manually.  The antimalwaredoctor.exe file wasn’t present in the location specified, nor did it show up in a file search.  However, another file called newsecureapp70700.exe (which wasn’t mentioned) was present in a specified directory.  I searched for information about this file online, and recognised that a specialist removal tool was required.

I restarted my computer, got Norton 360 functioning again, and ran several anti-virus full system scans.  The scans returned no threats, even though I had identified a known threat and had confirmed its location.  I contacted Norton directly.  A representative accessed my machine remotely.  If you’ve never witnessed this before, it’s moderately spectacular.  Someone else, a long way away, controls your mouse pointer, opens things, types stuff, closes things and generally buggers about on your computer while you watch the screen.

After a couple of hours, the representative had removed the .exe file with a tool called Norton Power Eraser.  I pointed out that there were still regular attack/intrusion threat notifications every few minutes (which they also witnessed), but the case was declared resolved and the job closed.

In the past I have tried a wide variety of highly-recommended anti-virus software.  The market leaders Norton (Symantec) and McAfee are [insert an expletive of your choice], do not deserve to be market leaders, and I’ve told them so.  I’ve tried AVG, CA, Kaspersky, F-Secure, Panda, Ad-Aware... all of them ranging from poor to terrible.  BitDefender has been very good in the past, and my former preferred choice.  This time around, I ran scans with Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Trend Micro Homecare.  These two are the flavour of the moment in techie circles, but both failed to detect any threats on my machine when I knew something unholy was there.

Many people know someone who is referred to as a computer genius, whether or not that is an exaggeration.  Henk is a former colleague of mine and a long-standing friend.  He is very senior, very important, and fulfils the role of protecting Microsoft from viruses, computer threats and all that malarkey.  Imagine Dolph Lundgren, if you’re familiar with the mountain of a man.  Now imagine him even bigger, friendly, helpful, generous, and a thoroughly decent bloke.  That’s Henk.  Everyone should have a Henk in their lives. 

Microsoft, as an organisation, has done more to infuriate me than could be put into several volumes of a dull and overly-ranty book.  One branch of Microsoft, however, has impressed me to the point of blog-writing.  In terms of computer stuff, the level to which I have been impressed is second only to when Tim Berners-Lee gave the internet to the world for free.

I contacted Henk and explained what had happened.  Within minutes, he was back to me with a link to something called the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner.  This returned a threat called Win32/Alureon.H, which Norton and others had completely missed.  Henk recognised this instantly and provided another link to the solution.  Malicious Software Removal Tool KB890830 (I wonder what its friends call it?) detected and eradicated the most devious and subversive virus I have ever heard of.

The Aleurean Virus/Rootkit is described as “severe” and, “a multi-component family of Trojans involved in a broad range of subversive activities online in order to generate revenue from various sources for its controllers... which also utilises advanced stealth techniques in order to hinder the detection and removal of its various components.”

Antimalware Doctor was just a little side show put on to keep me preoccupied while Alureon set about some serious nasty business like emptying my bank accounts, rendering my computer useless and impregnating my fiancée.  Left in the incapable hands of Norton (and others) Alureon would have:

Modified search results (search hijacking);

Redirected browsing to sites of the attacker's choice (browser hijacking);

Changed Domain Name System (DNS) settings in order to redirect to sites of the attacker's choice without the affected user's knowledge;

Downloaded and executed arbitrary files, including additional components and other malware;

Installed rogue security software.

In the words of Henk himself, “It’s a nasty one, that.”

More than the downloadable tools, Microsoft offers its own little-known anti-virus and computer protection package.  I hadn’t previously heard of it; it’s called Microsoft Security Essentials.  It is clear to me that this is the most advanced anti-virus software available at the moment, and offers the highest level of security.  It’s the kind of offering you’d expect to dig deep into your pockets for, but it’s all completely free.  I have completely uninstalled Norton 360, replaced it with Essentials, and put this new bit of kit through its paces.  It’s the badger’s nadgers.  And a doddle.

It has taken me a long while to get to this point.  [I see you nodding].  I’ve been through the trauma of being a gnat’s chuff away from losing all my work, intrusion attacks, and my computers’ security being breached.  I’ve trudged the internet, read independent reviews, and tried all sorts of options.  I’ve learned a great deal, and learned it the hard way.  So what I am doing in this blog is passing on my experiences so that you good people don’t have to go through anything similar.  And, of course, my self-indulgence of getting the whole flippin’ experience off my chest.

Take it, or leave it, it’s your own call.  Contrary to my deep-rooted instinct, I am now a strong advocate of these free Microsoft tools and the anti-virus software.  I will highly recommend these to other individuals and businesses.

 

Now then, is there any use for a Word Cloud group that centralises all things computer and Cloud technical?

I was awake during the wee smalls of this morning pondering; night-dreaming if you will. What happens when? What happens on and after that glorious day when you actually see your first project come to fruition; have a book published, have a screenplay produced. What are the consequences to your daily life; your privacy? Oh I’m not talking tabloid fame or paparazzi intervention here but what if one is shy by nature? Is it possible to still lead a private, quiet life or should you expect to be forced or encouraged into public speaking, public appearances, interviews etc.? Are they part and parcel of being a successful writer or can you opt out and still be successful? (I have a feeling that I know the answer but wanted to ask the question anyway.) It is sometimes easy to tell a published author from a ‘working-towards-it’ author on TheCloud; they emit a certain confidence, certainty, stature, not to say that others don’t on occasions of course. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting for one minute that 'the published’ are cocky in any way, merely wonderfully self-assured. It’s an enviable quality; I’m in awe. Does this air come from the validation of publication or did you always possess a good degree of confidence? Is it possible to juxtapose confidence in your writing with timidity in oneself or is that only for us split-personality, introvert/extrovert Geminis? In short, what can we unassuming-type, waiting-in-the-wings writers expect? Was it wonderful, unsettling or both when opportunity knocked? (Personally, I feel both extraordinarily excited at the prospect and scared s**tless. Time to get a grip perhaps?) Any insights would be most welcome. Thanks.

Oh dear, the bothersome business of titles.

It's a strange thing, really. No one in the trade minds much what you put on the cover of your manuscript. Until a final decision is made by your publisher (and rubberstamped by you), all titles are effectively 'working titles' only. With subtitles (for non-fiction), it's the same deal. Only once has a book of mine worn the same title to the printers as it was wearing when it went to my agent for the first time.

Yet for all that a title is provisional, just as publishers are pitching to retailers, you're pitching to publishers. And titles matter. I've got a book proposal at the moment, which I want to call something like "STORY: Why smart people read bad books".

I think that sums up the promise of the book pretty neatly. And although the book does include a fair bit of popular science and smuggles in a bit of lit crit as well, the subtitle makes it feel like its own unique thing - not some mishmash of popular science and lit crit. (A mishmash, needless to say, which would never enjoy the happy suns of the 3-for-2 tables).

But is the subtitle too negative? After all, the book is also about why smart people read good books - why everyone reads books at all, and why story is so weirdly prevalent in our culture.

I ask, because I genuinely don't know. I thought my subtitle worked. I thought I'd cracked the secret of the commercial title/subtitle. My agent, however, reckons that the manuscript itself is good, but that the subtitle is too negative and fails to sell the book. Is he right? Maybe. He usually (drat the man!) is. But I'm crap on titles and I thought I had it. I think it's back to the drawing board time ...

We said goodbye to our 15 year old Staffordshire today, we took her to te vet at the allotted hour.
I carried her in as she was unable to walk properly, went in, had a quick chat with the vet and soon they were administering the injection for her, she  went under and her breathing became shallow, they put in more and slowly her breathing stopped.
My OH was of course very upset, I of course was very upset. But it was a dignified end for a much loved dog, now she resides under a slab on the lawn by the veg patch to one side and a flower border to the other, she will go back to the soil and the earth and hopefully will return as some feisty pup somewhere.
 Adios Meg we both loved you dearly.
 
One question was in my mind, why can't we have the choice for ourselves? 

Three Dimensions Of Time

This might be of interest to sci-fi and fantasy types.

Some of us have been discussing four dimensional space (Forum/Critiques/A Short Selective Journey Through Hell: Chapter 2) and the question of time has arisen. Is it a dimension like the others? I suspect not, because it doesn’t feel the same. So what sort of dimension it is?

Maybe it’s three.

1. The first dimension of time, I would suggest, is the normal straight-line time we usually experience: past-present-future. This is the equivalent of length.

2. The second dimension is more like a historian’s view, looking down, as it were, from above and seeing how widely separated events (say, in Tokyo and Aberystwyth) may occur at similar moments. This would be the equivalent of adding breadth.

3. When we add the third dimension (height) we make a time-world that can be moved around in. Just as we can go backwards, forwards, sideways, fast, slow or stop in our three spatial dimensions, so a Time-Lord (Hi there, Doctor!) can go any direction – or none – in his three dimensions of time.

4. I can’t picture a fourth dimension of time, though I can of space: “innerness”. However, I bear in mind Blake’s line: “to see a world in a grain of sand... And eternity in an hour.” So maybe that’s it. The secret, both of space and time, lies within – in which case, the fourth dimension of time may be eternity, which can be found inside outer time.

(Possibly a god’s eye view.) (Or even God’s eye view – but I wouldn’t like to presume too far in speculation.) (As Alexander Pope didn’t quite put it: “Presume not God to scan/ Shurrup Gerry, yer only a man!”)

Is all this old and familiar? After all, I presume Doctor Who ought to be based on some sort of theory. And Sci-Fi writers like going off in all sorts of strange directions. So, yeah, I’m probably just catching up on what everyone’s been talking about for ages. Have they?