1636 The Viennese Waltz – Snippet 47
Chapter 16: Wedding Plans
March, April and May, 1635
The Hofburg Palace
Vienna, Austria
Emperor Ferdinand III wasn’t thrilled with the letter from Wallenstein. He looked at the two Liechtenstein brothers sitting across the table in the private audience room, and gestured with the letter from Karl Eusebius. “What is your nephew up to, gentlemen?”
“Walking the tightrope?” Maximillian von Liechtenstein said. “When we set up the family charter, it gave Karl and his heirs much of the control over the family estates. Karl Eusebius is trying to follow enough of the rules to keep that agreement from ending up in the courts while at the same time protecting the family’s assets. Just in case.”
“We can, Your Majesty, convince Karl Eusebius to provide more funds. I’m sure of that,” Gundaker said. “But that sort of thing is best done face-to-face.”
Moses Abrabanel snorted. “The princes Liechtenstein are well known for their wealth. However, I doubt that every groschen of it is enough to handle the problems we have today.”
Ferdinand III said, “Every little bit helps, Moses.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. But to solve the problem, we have to start creating money.”
The uproar this caused filled the private audience room, but Moses overrode the noise. “I am less concerned with getting Prince Karl here than I am with getting Sarah Wendell to Vienna. Up-timers still have great cachet, after all. And Sarah is an acknowledged expert in the field of economics. She does work for the USE Federal Reserve Bank and her father is their Secretary of the Treasury.”
“You’re saying that if we got her to endorse it, we could print more money without a larger silver reserve?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Ferdinand III looked at the advisers, Moses Abrabanel, Gundaker and Maximillian von Liechtenstein, and Reichsgraf Maximillian von Trautmannsdorf. “So you all think I should accept Prince Karl’s credentials as ambassador from Bohemia?”
The men around the table nodded.
Higgins Hotel, Grantville
“Maid of honor,” Judy the Younger squealed. “Me? I thought sure you’d ask someone else.”
“You’re my only sister,” Sarah pointed out, trying to sound regretful. “Now, if I’d had another sister . . .”
Judy tossed a pillow at her. “You know you love me.” She hesitated a moment. “What about your other bridesmaids?”
“I really don’t know,” Sarah admitted. “Who’s going to be able to travel all the way to Vienna? Most people I know are up to their eyeballs in work.”
“What about us?” Judy stopped a moment. “The Barbies, I mean. We’d love an excuse to travel, you know.”
“Eek!”
“Oh, don’t be pretending to scream,” Judy said. “You know we can be . . . well, act . . . really presentable when we want to.”
“Yeah, maybe. It’s getting you guys to want to that’s the problem.”
“Seriously, Sarah. I’d really like something for us to do that’s out of Grantville. Vicky took Bill’s death really hard. And if we don’t get Susan away from the old . . . cats . . . in Grantville, she’s going to explode. Even with all the uproar after Mayor Dreeson was killed, those old bats keep after her about her mom.”
Sarah fully understood that, considering Velma Hardesty’s reputation as a man-eating slut. “Actually,” Sarah said, “having Susan in Vienna might be a very good idea.”
“Take one, take us all.” Judy laughed, but there was a catch in her voice. Even Judy was shaken by the deaths of Mayor Dreeson and Bill Magen and she knew that.
“Hush. I said that because I know that Karl’s family is going to be looking for money. Susan is the best of your crew when it comes to holding on to money.”
“I think she’s got the first dollar she ever made,” Judy said. “She’s afraid to let go of any of it. Well, except for what she invests. She doesn’t think that’s spending it.”
“And she’s right. But Karl’s family isn’t looking to invest it. They’re looking to loan it to the emperor.”
Liechtenstein House, outside the Ring of Fire
“So how are we going to get there?” Susan Logsden asked. “I have no desire to repeat Hayley’s trip to the frontier in a covered wagon.”
“Vienna is hardly the frontier, Susan,” Karl complained.
“You’re right. It’s past the frontier, well into Injun country,” Vicky said harshly. “But my point is, I have no desire at all to spend weeks in a covered wagon, squatting in a field to do my business. I am a child of civilization.”
“Well, you can stay home if you want,” Sarah said repressively.
“Nope. Got a letter from Hayley. She needs us, so we’re going, even if we leave the Ken Doll here in Grantville.”
“Not a chance,” Sarah said.
“I’ll arrange transport,” Karl said.
“How?” Sarah asked.
“I have no idea, but I’ll think of something.”
****
It took Karl two days to think of that something, and the expense of several radio calls back and forth to the Netherlands. But he got the loan of one of the Jupiter’s from Fernando, King in the Low Countries. Happily, the royal Netherlands airline had two Jupiter’s currently in service so they could spare one for a week or so. King Fernando might not have agreed on his own. He tended to hoard his beloved new aircraft the way dragons of legend hoarded gold. But Karl suspected he’d come under considerable pressure from his wife. Part of the arrangement was that Karl would bring letters to deliver to her family from Queen Maria Anna.
Fortney House, Race Track City
“Hey, Mom!” Hayley shouted, tracking mud in. “I just got a letter from Judy. Sarah is going to marry Prince Karl von Liechtenstein. Here! In Vienna!”
“What? What happened to David Bartley?” Dana asked.
“Got me. I always thought he was kind of cute, in an Ichabod Crane sort of way. Nothing to write home about. Maybe he just couldn’t compete with the Ken Doll? You know, prince and all that.”
“You think Sarah is the sort to go title hunting?”
“Not really, but I don’t know her all that well. I mean, she’s Judy’s sister, yeah. But you know how older sisters are when it comes to their baby sister’s ‘little’ friends.”
“Big sisters are indeed cruel and heartless creatures. At least till you’re all grown up, and they are never quite convinced that you really are an adult.”
“Right. Just like Natasha is.” Hayley grinned. “So, anyway, Sarah was always a bit distant and we all had the impression that she didn’t approve of the adventurous nature of the Barbie Consortium, but apparently she’s gotten over that.” Hayley looked back at the letter. “Because Judy and the rest of the Barbies are to be her bridesmaids. Judy’s going to be the maid of honor.”
“That’s great. If we don’t go broke before they get here,” Dana said. Over the last several months they had been building up a truly massive cache of I.O.Us and slowly spending themselves into bankruptcy to keep goods on the shelves.
“Yes, I know, Mom. I talked to Moses Abrabanel yesterday, and he is getting leery about loaning us money based on the notes we are carrying. He doesn’t see how people are going to be able to pay us back, so he doesn’t see how we are going to pay his family back. But we can’t stop giving people credit.”
“he got the loan of one of the Jupiter’s . . . two Jupiter’s currently in service” Jupiters, both should be plural, not possessive!
Where will the Jupiter land in Vienna? Flughafen Wien-Schwechat isn’t completed yet, and the surface of the Danube tends to move eastward.
Sigh. I’m still trying to restrain myself from a diatribe on illiteracy. The Rule of the Apostrophe is probably the simplest one in the English language, and the trick to determine how it interacts with the plural and the possessive (and even the plural possessive) is trivial. I’m with you; I can’t see how something like this could still exist in a (supposedly proofread) snippet.
As for the Jupiter, I’d imagine that you’d drive it off the river before turning it off. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t float without the air cushion (there was a story where one sank in shallow water when the skirt ripped and lost its air), so you wouldn’t just leave it in the water.
Get a grip, people. These snippets are taken from drafts. As long as the intent is clear, who cares? Final editing will clean out most of the typos.
My experience suggests that errors in the snippets will show up in the book, and that if there’s any editing done by Baen, it’s hit-or-miss at best. Ryk Spoor reads these comments, but I don’t know about these authors; if they do, the message they should take away is that they need to demand better copy-editing, even if they have to do it themselves.
In any event, the book is due out Tuesday (I’ve already ordered my copy), so we’ll see then.
Well, I got my review copy last week. I don’t think Drak would think it a spoiler if I reveal that I just checked my copy of it and reveal that “Jupiter’s” have been corrected to “Jupiters.”
I am greatly relieved that this issue is resolved in the review copy. I do not know how I could sleep at night, if this tragedy went uncorrected. ; }
Truth! {;-}
But Mark, did they fix the reference to Fernando (should be Francisco) in the previous snippet? I’ll be able to die happy if that’s been fixed, too! {;-}
Oh. I guess I finally realized (yeah, very slowpokey of me) what is the main problem of this Goodlett&Huff novel is:
“Who the hell are all those people?!”
Seriously! We have a ton of either brand new characters, or characters from GGs. I have trouble remembering all those “Barbies” and stuff – it’s been literally years when I first read about them. Now imagine, what would be reaction of people who haven’t read GGs at all. Or anything but the “main-line” novels. And the “List of Characters” at the back of the book won’t help it.
The murder of mayor Dreason and others were a big deal in “Dreason Incident”. Very dramatic and important story-wise (not to mention written by Flint himself). But this novel fails, fails miserably at conveying the feeling of loss, shock and tragedy that affected the whole Grantville at that time.
Besides, by including a veritable horde of new character with practically no links to the “main plot line” and 3/4 of whom are Huff&Goodlett inventions they are making them ultimately expandable. So far, there is no character with whom I would sympathize and whose death I would genuinely mourn. I simply don’t care about any of these cardboard two dimensional badly written “heroes”. For all I care – they can perish at the siege of Vienna en masse, and still I won’t care.
Basically, I can predict several “plot twists” right now. This evil uncle of prince Karl plus father Lamoramini (sp?) will successfully kill one of the up-timers. No matter which one. Viennese bunch of them are equally unsympathetic. This will bite them in their collective posterior, when the Turks invade. Ferdinand and the Austrians will “see the light” of progress and up-timer way, confess their sins and become more accepting and tolerant. Up-timer built gizmos would play an important role in defense of Vienna/escape of Imperial family, roll the credits – The End.
Now, who still thinks this particular book is “good” and why?
If you don’t like you don’t have to read it. Bye! Watch out for the sun coming up.
Flint himself introduced us to most of the Americans currently residing in or near Vienna in Ring of Fire II, the anthology series he created specifically for stories involving characters who WOULD be playing a significant role in the “Main Line” of the series or it’s major offshoots, such as the Papal Line. You are correct that Sarah and Judy “the Barracudy” Wendell and the rest of the Barbie Consortium have mainly appeared in a host of Grantville Gazette stories, but the same could be said of David Bartley before he joined the USE army AND the Main Line with 1635: The Eastern Front. In other words, Flint has been planning to incorporate at least some of these characters into the Main Line for years so it’s not as if Gorg and Paula are shoving them down our throats, let alone Eric’s.
Is this book “good,” you ask? Well, I’m enjoying it, but then I’ve had an interest in the Habsburgs since I was a kid, and Ferdinand III has been a fun character in the series. I like how the rest of the characters are developing and interacting with each other, especially the tensions among the two sets of up-timers in Austria. And if you HAVE read the Gazettes, Sarah and Judy Wendell will be quite familiar to you and are well-developed characters. I am also, of course, waiting with baited breath for the Ottoman invasion and the fall of Vienna.
Have the last few novels been as good as the earlier ones? I will admit that they have not, whether written exclusively by Eric or co-written. 1635: The Eastern Front was particularly “Meh” outside of the chapters dealing directly with Kristina and Ulrik, and I was furious about some of the changes made in the Russian storyline. But there’s also been a lot to like in each of them, from the siege of Dresden to the machinations in Brussels to the naval expedition to the Caribbean and the adventures of Bernie Zeppi in Russia, not to mention the attempted assassination of the Pope, which was among the best action scenes in the entire series.
If nothing else, Eric is totally succeeding in his original aim for the series, which is to convey how complicated history really is.
Flint himself introduced us to most of the Americans currently residing in or near Vienna in Ring of Fire II, the anthology series he created specifically for stories involving characters who WOULD be playing a significant role in the “Main Line†of the series or it’s major offshoots, such as the Papal Line. You are correct that Sarah and Judy “the Barracudy†Wendell and the rest of the Barbie Consortium have mainly appeared in a host of Grantville Gazette stories, but the same could be said of David Bartley before he joined the USE army AND the Main Line with 1635: The Eastern Front. In other words, Flint has been planning to incorporate at least some of these characters into the Main Line for years so it’s not as if Gorg and Paula are shoving them down our throats, let alone Eric’s.
It’s been literally years since the release of both “Ring of Fire II” and novels directly involving “Barbies”. Years. Since then I’ve read a lot of different stuff, often having nothing to do with 1632 series whatsoever. I only vaguely remember who the “Barbies” are and can’t remember their names (except Wendell sisters) at all. Now, imagine the reaction of someone without even this bare minimum of “background knowledge”. To say that for them the book would be “confusing” is like calling a sea “rather wet”.
As for David Bartley – glad that you brought him up! IIRC, he appears in just one (one!) scene in just one chapter of 1635: Eastern Front. The scene, were he informs Jeff and Gretchen about the amount of money they now own. And in this particular scene (written entirely by Eric Flint himself – not by Huff&Goodlett tandem) he behaves, speaks and generally portrayed completely different, then when in the original short stories.
As for the novel in RoFII – to say that up-timers were “portrayed” here would be a stretch. We see in a “blink and you miss” scene Ron Sanderlin in his function as “royal mechanic”. That’s it! No character development, no backstory, nothing at all! I (and, it seems, Flint himself) totally forgot about him and his family during the course of that short novel centered more on Janos Drugeth and Noelle Stull.
As for the other group of uptimers whom Janos is shepherding back to Vienna, all of them are portrayed in wide strokes as some sort of unpleasant people, unsympathetic (some of whom totally deserved what they got in the end). And The Viennese Waltz is no better.
Personally, I don’t think that Flint ever planned to incorporate anything at all from the GG into his series. He had to do that, because he was forced to compromises when writing in collaboration. Seeing, as this world is becoming less and less Flint’s and more and more Goodlett&Huffs (just ask yourself – who is the editor of GG?) it is only natural that Erik has to comply with their vision of his own universe. He used David Bartly only twice – in 1635:EF as a “talking head” to explain the sudden (and plot important) wealth, which fell into Jeff and Gretchen’s lap. In 1636: Saxon Uprising he used Bartly as a plot device to procure everything Stearn’s unstoppable army needed for winter campaign. That’s it – for him other people’s character is nothing more then walking and talking plot device.
Is this book “good,†you ask? Well, I’m enjoying it, but then I’ve had an interest in the Habsburgs since I was a kid, and Ferdinand III has been a fun character in the series. I like how the rest of the characters are developing and interacting with each other, especially the tensions among the two sets of up-timers in Austria. And if you HAVE read the Gazettes, Sarah and Judy Wendell will be quite familiar to you and are well-developed characters. I am also, of course, waiting with baited breath for the Ottoman invasion and the fall of Vienna.
“Fun character”? When a real historical person that played an important (and lets be honest here) quite controversial role in the history of his country and the entire 30 years war relegating said character to either a ridicules “man-child” or the two-dimensional standard issue “reasonable authority figure” only capable of saying “Make it so!” is a disservice both to a real person and literature. If you claim to be a fan of Habsburgs, than explain – how can you stomach such base and profane treatment of one of their members?
I for one fail to see how these characters are “developing”. “Developing” presumes some sort of change. Where is it? As for tensions between Sanderlins and new arrivals – this is hardly anything new or original or worth mentioning. In fact – quite predictable if you read RoF2, where Eric Flint tried to portray said “new arrivals” as standoffish, rude and full of themselves people. If not worse.
Have the last few novels been as good as the earlier ones? I will admit that they have not, whether written exclusively by Eric or co-written. 1635: The Eastern Front was particularly “Meh†outside of the chapters dealing directly with Kristina and Ulrik, and I was furious about some of the changes made in the Russian storyline. But there’s also been a lot to like in each of them, from the siege of Dresden to the machinations in Brussels to the naval expedition to the Caribbean and the adventures of Bernie Zeppi in Russia, not to mention the attempted assassination of the Pope, which was among the best action scenes in the entire series.
The Eastern Front was one giant (and very dull) exposition/prologue for a much more interesting and action packed Saxon Uprising. Before, I’ve thought that 1635:EF and everything (co-)written by Virginia DeMarce to be a lowest point in the “Assiti Shards” Verse. As this very novel demonstrates – I was wrong.
I’ve been on this site for about a year. And all 1632 novels released in this time period (like Devil’s Opera, Seas of Fortune and Commander Cantrell in the West Indies) were actually good. DO and SoF are a good examples of how a short stories authors from GG can become a good writers in the shared Universe. Personally, Iver P. Cooper is one of the best authors for GG IMO.
But this novel… You can practically feel how Huff&Goodlet just don’t care about Flints universe anymore. As if “Dreeson Incident” means nothing for them. At least this is the feeling their bland writing leaves.
Their dialogs are all badly written. The have no original multi dimensional characters of their own, and “borrowed” (either from Eric or from history) characters look unconvincingly. There are no action scenes, no intrigue, no moral dilemmas – just “Accounting 101” set in pseudo historical background.
If nothing else, Eric is totally succeeding in his original aim for the series, which is to convey how complicated history really is.
More like “earning more money by employing 2 mediocre ghost-writers” type of “original aim”. In the last 3 books there is practically nothing penned by Flint himself.
Lyttenstadt, nobody is forcing you to read these books or these snippets and some of us are getting tired of your rants.
Here, Here!
“Well, nobody is forcing you to x!” is one of the weakest comebacks I see on the internet.
The guy obviously cares enough about the subject to share his opinion on it, and frankly – I agree with him on his points.
Stuff like this is why I don’t go to Baen’s Bar. How dare I criticize an author’s decision on something not plot-related and suggest that the decision made it for a weaker book overall.
Summercat, there are times when somebody is “beating a certain drum” so much that readers/listeners get tired of it.
We begin to wonder if he’s really concerned or is just trying to ruin other people’s enjoyment.
“You don’t have to read X” can be seen as the politest response as he is getting annoying.
As for your experiences on Baen’s Bar, I can’t judge since I don’t remember seeing your current handle there so I don’t know what you said there and how people responded to your comments.
Note, I’m not very good at being tactful.
Summercat, Lyttenstadt is the one who is ranting and beating his drum and daring anyone else to disagree with him. The problem is not that he dislikes the book or the authors but his tone and aggressiveness.
I think Drak is being notably tactful given the circumstances.
I’m going to preface this with a statement that will most likely cause you to ignore everything below it. Also, a statement that, if made in reply to a comment of mine, would cause me to both appreciate the honesty, and have much less regard for the reply it prefaced. That is: I’m afraid your comment, quotes included, was so bloody long that I essentially read only chunks of it, and skimmed the rest. I considered copy/pasting it into a wider format, but it’s early, and I’m tired, etc. I may do so later, but for now, just have one thing to say.
Thank you for reminding me who the hell these characters were! I knew I recognized Janos Drugeth’s name, but I had no clue why! And I couldn’t recall where the uptimers in Vienna came from, in terms of boks etc. So, that much, I agree about. As for Eric Flint milking the series for money? Well, while I’m sure he doesn’t exactly consider the cash a downside, c’mon friend. The man is a dyed in the wool union man and socialist (not Marxist, as I understand it, though. IDK) with only a sprinkling of capitalist tendencies to leaven the -to mix my metaphors delightfully- loaf! No, he’s more concerned with message than money. Even at the expense, yes, I said it, of the series’ quality/continuity. But I find myself entertained nonetheless. I only hope the next entry will be helmed by one of my preferred scribes from the good ship Baen. ;) Until then though, this will certainly suffice for me. Philistine that I am. :P *hugz from the internetz* (yes, I am aware that hugs and internet have, respectively, no z and no plural, z or otherwise) ;•p (clown, sticking its tongue out)
I’m looking forward to this book, in part because I’ve read the Grantville Gazettes and have enjoyed these characters.
I must be one of the few real “stick in the Mud” type of reader. I read and reread my favorite authors until the covers wear out. My copy of the Baltic War is now falling apart. I have enjoyed the minor characters that these books and GG stories have developed. I did really enjoy the Saxon Uprising novel.
Lol same here, but I don’t own the 163x paper versions (hardback or other possible solid versions) and my kindle with the whole series, anthologies and all, on it, was…mistakenly discarded by an overeager houseguest with a “tidying up” habit who saw that the screen was broken and didn’t realize the files could be retrieved…ahem. Strangulation may have been considered, but strangling one’s mother is not really an option, particularly if one is Italian. They may be tiny…but they are SCARY! Hee. Jk. Not about the kindle, about the strangulation thing. I mean…a millisecond doesn’t count as “considered” does it? Okay, I’m done now, moving on. ANYway, the point is, every OTHER series I read, I reread all the books in it as soon as a new one is released. It’s hard on the books, but I practically have the Dresden Files, and Safehold series memorized by now, to name two. I also perform voodoo hexes on authors with multiple unfinished series whose last series update was more than two years ago. John Ringo has SO MANY pins in him now… Lol. Jk, but I was guffawing when I thought of that. Very unattractive. To summarize? You’re not alone. But it’s been forever since I was able to indulge in a 163x overdose. *single tear* ;P hope I made ya laugh, or smile!
Wow, throwing away the kindle is almost grounds for justifiable homicide. But who could kill their momma? Bibliotheca Servare, it is good that I am not unique in the reread each series when something new comes out.
Now I remember why I buy Ebooks from places that let me download them again anytime I need to! ;-)
One of the markers of the difference between fanfic and profic is that fanfic doesn’t need to reintroduce its characters every time. If you don’t know who Spock and Kirk are, you’re not going to read fanfic about them. This is fanfic, and I happen find it enjoyable.
Yes, the little flaws bother me some, but let’s get some perspective here. “Don’t, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters. It would not be terrible, though I were to be detained some time here.” —Samuel Johnson, in response to Boswell saying it would be terrible if Johnson had to stay overnight in boring Harwich instead of returning to London
Here’s an interesting complication, which might ease Karl and Sarah’s marriage — Ferdinand III becomes smitten with Judy the Younger
comments ?
Hmmm…I figured it was inevitable that SOMEone was going rto fall hard for the pretty little sister whose prettiness cannot be overstated, but that suggestion…hmm…damn! Good un! I like it! Even more than my -admittedly bitter- “Judy falls for Sarah’s ex whose name I cannot bloody recall” plan! Pete? Dave…David! Right? Anyway. Love that idea. Bind Austro-Hungaria (did I type that right?) Closer to the USE and everywhere else, including Gustav Adolph perfectly in time to fight off an invasion by Muslim hordes. Muahahaha!! “Yes! Yes, my lord, we shall crush them beneath our bootheel. Our armor will be oiled by the vital fluids that pour from their ruined bodies! No potential invader will ever forget the punishment inflicted by us upon these murderous, warmongering gluttons, whose ‘fat’ is found in all the lands they have stolen and subjugated neath their heathen heel! They will remember…and despair!” Ahem. *steps off dramatic-monologue-box* what was I saying? Ah. Yes. Lovely idea, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were right. Judy and Ferdinand… damn. What a pair.
An interesting idea however I simply don’t see such a marriage happening with Ferdinand III due to political considerations so he will probably end up marrying a catholic princess/dutchess/whatever of suitable pedigree.
Well IIRC Ferdinand III is already married and has a son, so marriage is likely out unless something happens to his current wife. [Evil Grin]
IIRC means what Drak? I am forgetting too many of the acronyms… Sorry!
IIRC = If I remember correctly
Drat —
I had forgotten that — went back and re-read
“And in this America or United States? Was it also forbidden there for the president to be a Catholic?â€
“Well, of course, their president was not properly a monarch. He was elected.â€
Maria Anna frowned. “What is wrong with that? My father was elected. God willing, my brother will be elected, and my nephew after him. So have all the Holy Roman Emperors been elected.
It would have thrown a wonderful twist into 17th century International Relations
International Relations being defined as nations having carnal interactions with each other — some consensual, some not.
— Stewart
Ferdy is already happily married (see early chapters of “Bavarian Crisis.” I can’t see Judy the Barracudy settling for Royal Squeeze anyway.
As to the above thread regarding not knowing who characters are, doesn’t evrebody reread all series before a new book comes out? Or at least relvant earlier entries in really long/complex series?
Hank is another admitted rereader… Yea!
Well, I have read the main books but probably only the first 5 or 6 GG books and I haven’t read any of the earlier books for several years, so I can’t recall/ maybe never knew the back story on the more recent uptimer group who have come to Vienna. Otherwise I don’t have any difficulties with the characters. You really can’t expect intros on everybody in a series this big in every book they turn up in. Nor do you actually need them unless the backstory is critical to the plot of the current book.
Real people behave quite differently based on the situation. I would expect a banker or stock broker to behave formally when talking to a client, which is what David was when advising Gretshen(sp) about her situation after the seige of Amsterdam. Characters have “voices” based on who they are, but also on the situation. When one is used to seeing the private person, it can be a shock to have that person in a formal setting having to weigh their words before they speak. This should not be held against the author.