Thursday, August 31, 2017

Daemons Discuss - Podcast: Take 22! | Chapter Discussion about the All Souls Trilogy; Ch 30 - 34 of A Discovery of Witches

Deborah Harkness' inspiration for "The House" aka "The Bishop House"

Take 22 - The One With the Bite

Description: ADOW ch 30-34 -
Enter Baldwin Montclair! Valerie patiently indulges Angela and Jean (truthfully, she gleefully eggs them on -- that might explain the episode length!) while they spend time with their favorite de Clermont. This has been named 'The One With the Bite,' because of Baldwin's declaration to Matthew: "You bit me!" In this episode, we also head to America (Madison, NY) and meet Sarah Bishop and Emily Mather (and Tabitha. And the House).

This is our last recording in the age of innocence! It was produced 'BEFORE CASTING" aka "BC".  When we found out that casting choices for A Discovery of Witches TV would be revealed, we decided to go on and record this episode as planned to keep our regular schedule going. BUT, we did record a reaction! Make sure you check out our Special Edition episode for our reaction to the casting news on delivered on August 22nd, 2017 (hint - #MatthewSquared). Produced on the fly, so the audio is a bit dodgier than we'd like, but we figured it would be forgiven for this sort of thing! Listen/view show notes here: go.DaemonsDiscuss.com/SE04

Welp! Our. Longest. Episode. EVER! Eek 😳! We couldn't stay contained! Longer commute? Perfect for you -- you are covered both ways! Otherwise, pause it when you've had enough, and save the rest for later! Or binge your way through the whole episode all at once. #NoJudgement

SPOILER ALERT! We (The Daemons) approach this podcast with an assumption that the listener has read The All Souls Trilogy, including A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life.  If you haven't, and you don't mind, we certainly don't mind!  😊  Let's do this.

Listen:

Download .Mp3 of this episode

1. Show notes:

For newcomers to the series:- We'll start with the basics: The books in discussion are A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.  Together they make The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness.
- Our Daemon Guides to the All Souls Trilogy are available for download: ADOW, SON, TBOL

Deb's newsletter - The Blast; subscribe on her website
- If you'd like a ready-reference from the author herself, be sure to download the All Souls Real-Time Reading companion (free e-book at online booksellers via Penguin and Headline books).
- Deborah Harkness usually conducts a real-time reading on her Facebook Page (starting in September), and shares her posts across social media; check out the Real Time Reading FAQ. Visit her website for all of her social media links, and of course all that she has to offer her readers! Be sure to sign up for her newsletter while you are there!
- To see what's available on the web as far as the All Souls universe fandom, check our links page.

In this episode:
* (00:47) – Thanks to our Discussers, Kate H., Camille, Kate S., Dora & Rute! Read the full emails HERE

a. Chapter 30
* (06:14) – We should wait, Matthew.
We should wait, Matthew.”
 “Wait?” Matthew snarled. “For what?”
 “For Baldwin. He was in London and left an hour ago.”
* (06:39) – Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa starts with the verse "Three Cheers for the Red White and Blue!" That's what Val’s idea of fanfare is (perhaps she spent too much time on military bases)!
* (06:55) – Since the link from Deb’s tweet no longer works, you can listen here to Baldwin's playlist song: Waitin' for a Superman

* (07:22) – Enter Baldwin! Baldwin’s introductory quote - Angela was in love after this
Baldwin Montclair, as he was known in the financial markets, strode down the hall of the ground floor. His copper-colored hair gleamed in the electric light, and his muscles twitched with the quick reflexes of a born athlete. Trained to wield a sword from childhood, he had been imposing before becoming a vampire, and after his rebirth few dared to cross him.
* (08:44) – Baldwin and Matthew go at it right away. Valerie is pleased to see “proper Matthew” fight another vampire, Angela likes the mind movie of two hot guys fighting! She cannot wait to see it on TV. Jean said we will witness two sets of that (in SON; Philippe and Matthew).
Baldwin had him by the throat before the words were out of his mouth. Their heads close together, one dark and one bright, they rocketed to the far end of the hall. Matthew’s body smashed into a wooden door, splintering it with the impact.
* (09:25) – Cut from the same cloth…and "amiable characteristics," Angela argues that the "amiable" part is overlooked. Jean explains that the longer we were exposed to the characters (we had time in between the books), the better we comprehended Baldwin’s POV. Valerie says that many readers put Baldwin aside, and don’t give him a lot of thought after the brief encounter with Diana. When we see him again in TBOL people tend to brace themselves for “this guy, AGAIN?!”
They were cut from the same cloth—fond of war, women, and wine, in that order. Despite these amiable characteristics, those who faced him in combat seldom lived to recount the experience.
* (12:32) – Jean contemplates Ysabeau and Baldwin’s relationship; she likened it to a sibling rivalry (with the strange vampire dynamic, its understandable)

* (14:56) – Philippe did not want to prolong war . . .
“The decision to engage in open hostilities with the witches was not yours to make then. It was your father’s—and he expressly forbade prolonging a world war.” Ysabeau stopped behind Baldwin and waited until he turned to face her. “You must let this go. The power to punish such atrocities was placed in the hands of human authorities.”
 Baldwin looked at her sourly. “You took matters into your own hands, as I recall, Ysabeau. How many Nazis did you dine on before you were satisfied?” It was an unforgivable thing to say, but he had been pushed past his normal limits
* (16:37) – Baldwin’s full name
“if your father were alive, Lucius Sigéric Benoit Christophe Baldwin de Clermont, he would be out looking for her—witch or not. He would be ashamed of you, in here settling old scores with your brother.” Every one of the names Philippe had given him over the years sounded like a slap, and Baldwin’s head jerked back when they struck.
* (17:40) – The Grand Master
“Then you leave me no choice.” Matthew’s response stopped him in his tracks.
 “Choice?” Baldwin snorted. “You’ll do what I tell you to do.”
 “I may not be head of the family, but this is no longer a family matter.” Matthew had, at last, figured out the point of Ysabeau’s earlier remark.
 “Fine.” Baldwin shrugged. “Go on this foolish crusade, if you must. Find your witch. Take Marthe—she seems to be as enamored of her as you are. If the two of you want to pester the witches and bring the Congregation down on your heads, that’s your business. To protect the family, I’ll disown you.”
 He was on his way out the door again when his younger brother laid down his trump.
 “I absolve the de Clermonts of any responsibility for sheltering Diana Bishop. The Knights of Lazarus will now see to her safety, as we have done for others in the past.”
 Ysabeau turned away to hide her expression of pride.
 “You can’t be serious,” Baldwin hissed. “If you rally the brotherhood, it will be tantamount to a declaration of war.”
 “If that’s your decision, you know the consequences. I could kill you for your disobedience, but I don’t have time. Your lands and possessions are forfeit. Leave this house, and surrender your seal of office. A new French master will be appointed within the week. You are beyond the protection of the order and have seven days to find yourself a new place to live.”
The Siege of Acre - the beginning of the third Crusade
 * (19:04) – The heroics of the Knights/Baldwin’s speech:
“The Knights don’t come to their master’s aid because of a love affair gone wrong, Matthew. We fought at the Battle of Acre. We helped the Albigensian heretics resist the northerners. We survived the demise of the Templars and the English advances at Crécy and Agincourt. The Knights of Lazarus were on the ships that beat back the Ottoman Empire at Lepanto, and when we refused to fight any further, the Thirty Years’ War came to an end. The brotherhood’s purpose is to ensure that vampires survive in a world dominated by humans.”
* (19:30) – Spellbound!
Baldwin let out a frustrated sigh. “Why can’t Matthew’s witch defend herself?”
 Marthe came into the room, wiping her hands on a towel. She and Ysabeau exchanged glances. “Elle est enchantée,” Marthe said gruffly.
 “The child is spellbound,” Ysabeau agreed with reluctance. “We are certain of it.”
 “Spellbound?” Matthew frowned. Spellbinding put a witch in invisible shackles. It was as unforgivable among witches as trespassing was among vampires.
 “Yes. It is not that she refuses her magic. She has been kept from it—deliberately.” Ysabeau scowled at the idea.
* (21:23) – Baldwin realizes his family is palling around with witches!
Matthew reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He had the house in Madison on speed dial, Baldwin noticed.
* (23:07) – Jean poses the question: How would Ysabeau's number show up on the screen when it rang (how does he have it listed in his contacts)? Jean says "WTF NOW?" Val says "HER" and sings the Wicked Witch of the West's theme song from the Wizard of Oz as the ringtone! 😂

* (24:05) – Not safe from what, but safe UNTIL
“Not ‘safe from what.’ Safe until.” Em’s voice dropped further. “Rebecca  said she would make sure Diana was safe until her daughter was with her shadowed man.”
* (25:05) – The flour scene (Jean really wants this for the TV production)
Baldwin shouted for Ysabeau and strode into the kitchen, grabbing a handful of flour from an open bowl and scattering it onto Marthe’s worktable. He traced the outline of the Auvergne into the flour and dug his thumb into the spot where Sept-Tours stood.
“Where would a witch take another witch that is south and west of here?” he asked.
* (25:12) – What’s between here and the Cantal?
“No. You need to be smart about this. The witches wouldn’t have brought her into Gerbert’s territory—not if they have any sense. If Diana is spellbound, then she’s a mystery to them, too. It will take them some time to solve it. They’ll want privacy, and no vampires interrupting them.” It was the first time Baldwin had managed to say the witch’s name. “In the Cantal the witches would have to answer to Gerbert, so they must be somewhere near the border. Think.” Baldwin’s last drop of patience evaporated. “By the gods, Matthew, you built or designed most of them.”
* (25:55) – Matthew and Baldwin storm the castle.
When they were still twenty feet off the ground, Matthew jumped out and set off at a dead run toward the castle’s gate. Baldwin sighed and jumped after him, first directing the pilot not to move until they were both back on board.
b. Chapter 31
* (27:07) – It's time to wake up!
Diana, it’s time to wake up. My mother’s voice was low but insistent.
Too exhausted to respond, I pulled the brightly colored patchwork quilt over my head, hoping that she wouldn’t be able to find me. My body curled into a tight ball, and I wondered why everything hurt so much.
* (27:31) – Was the loss of memory of her powers have something to do with being spellbound?

* (28:37) – Just like Rebecca’s story . . .
Don’t you want to fly? my mother asked.
Magic is in the heart, Diana, my father said. Don’t forget.
I shut my eyes and imagined a ribbon into place. With the end securely in my fingers, I threw it toward the white ring that flickered in the darkness. The ribbon unfurled and soared through the hole, taking my body with it.
My mother was smiling, and my father looked as proud as he had when he took the training wheels off my first bicycle. Matthew peered down, along with another face that must belong to his brother. With them were a clutch of ghosts who looked amazed that anyone, after all these years, was making it out alive.
* (29:47) – Diana arrives at the lobby!
“Thank God,” Matthew breathed, stretching his long, white fingers toward me. “Take my hand.”
The moment he had me in his grip, my body lost its weightlessness.
“My arm!” I cried out as the muscles pulled and the gash on my forearm gaped.
Matthew grabbed at my shoulder, assisted by another, unfamiliar hand. They lifted me out of the oubliette, and I was crushed for a moment against Matthew’s chest. Grabbing handfuls of his sweater, I clung to him.
“I knew you could do it,” he murmured like the prince in my mother’s story, his voice full of relief.
“We don’t have time for this.” Matthew’s brother was already running down the corridor toward the door.
* (30:38) – I thought you were dead.
My foot brushed against Baldwin’s thigh as he sat down, and he gave me a look of hatred mingled with curiosity. His face was familiar from the visions I’d seen in Matthew’s study: first in light caught in the suit of armor, then again when touching the seals of the Knights of Lazarus. “I thought you were dead.” I shrank toward Matthew.
* (31:30) – Knock her out! We discuss Baldwin's intent here.
“Knock her out,” Baldwin said impatiently.
“I don’t have a sedative with me.”
“Yes you do.” His brother’s eyes glittered. “Do you want me to do it?”
Matthew looked down at me and tried to smile. My shaking subsided a  little, but every time the helicopter dipped and swayed in the wind, it returned, along with my memories of Satu.
“By the gods, Matthew, she’s terrified,” Baldwin said angrily. “Just do it.”
* (33:40) – Jean brings up that Baldwin at that time knew about Matthew’s blood rage.

* (34:29) – Angela makes the observation about their religions, and using diety's names in vein; Matthew: "Christ!!", Baldwin: "By the Gods!"

* (34:53) – Matthew worries about Baldwin being around.
“The water would be full of her blood,” he said tightly. “Baldwin would smell it.”
* (35:10) – This isn’t Jerusalem.
“What happened in Jerusalem?” I asked again.
“Later,” he said, lifting me gently upright.
“The time for secrets has passed, Matthew. Tell her, and be quick about it.” Ysabeau spoke sharply from the bathroom door. “She is your wife and has a right to know.”
* (36:26) – The witch is dead.
“What is it? What did she do?” The room was swinging like a chandelier in an earthquake. Matthew whipped me around to face his mother. Grief and sympathy were etched on her face.
“La sorcière est morte,” Matthew said softly.
* (37:00) – The mirror scene.
The women returned with one mirror in an ornate gilt frame from the salon and a tall cheval glass that only a vampire could have carried up to the tower. Matthew positioned the larger mirror behind me, and Ysabeau and Marthe held the other in front, angling it so that I could see both my back and Matthew, too.
* (37:35) – The dogs . . .
While he was gone, Ysabeau muttered every now and again in a language that was neither Occitan nor French, and Marthe clucked and fussed. They’d removed most of the ruined clothes and bloody linen from the room by the time Matthew reappeared. Fallon and Hector were padding along at his side, their tongues hanging out.
Ysabeau’s eyes narrowed. “Your dogs do not belong in my house.”
Fallon and Hector looked from Ysabeau to Matthew with interest. Matthew clicked his fingers and pointed to the floor. The dogs sank down, their watchful faces turned to me.
“They’ll stay with Diana until we leave,” he said firmly, and though his mother sighed, she didn’t argue with him.
* (40:16) – The seven letters . . .
“There are seven letters in Father’s study,” Matthew told her when his brother was gone. He spoke low and very fast. “Alain will come to fetch them. He knows what to do.” Ysabeau nodded, her eyes bright.
* (42:10) – Why did he write the letters in Philippe’s study? We're just curious!

c. Chapter 32
* (43:37) – Baldwin’s goodbye . . .
 “Thanks.” He might be Matthew’s brother, but Baldwin’s close physical  presence was unnerving. I extended my gauze-wrapped right arm to him in farewell.
“Sister, that’s not how family bids each other adieu.” Baldwin’s voice was softly mocking. He gave me no time to react but gripped my shoulders and kissed me on the cheeks. As his face passed over mine, he deliberately breathed in my scent. It felt like a threat, and I wondered if he meant it as such. He released me and stood.
* (44:00) – Jean’s inscription - Jean loves this quote, therefore she had Deb inscribe it on her copy of The Book of Life. If you think about the quote, it's very reminiscent of Philippe's sentiments: "Think and stay alive".
“What happened at La Pierre feels like a gambit to me,” Baldwin continued, his eyes never wavering. “The Congregation let you go for some reason of their own. Make your next move before they make theirs. Don’t wait your turn like a good girl, and don’t be duped into thinking your current freedom means you’re safe. Decide what to do to survive, and do it.”
* (44:20) – You both look like hell.
“You both look like hell,” he commented.
“Ta gueule,” Matthew said with a false smile, his voice acid. Even with my limited French, I knew this wasn’t something you would say in front of your mother.
* (45:08) – The drive to Sarah’s; Matthew managing the situation.
“We’ll be home just after breakfast. That will be interesting.” Sarah was not at her best before coffee—copious amounts of it—had entered her bloodstream. “We should call and let them know when to expect us.”
“They already know. I called them from Sept-Tours.”
Feeling thoroughly managed and slightly muzzy from morphine and fatigue, I settled back for the drive.
One of the messages on Sarah's car!
* (48:39) – Sarah’s bumper stickers!
Matthew pulled in to the driveway, which was pitted with ice-crusted potholes. The Range Rover rumbled its way over them, and he parked next to Sarah’s beat-up, once-purple car. A new crop of bumper stickers adorned the back. MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOM, a perennial favorite, was stuck next to I’M PAGAN AND I VOTE. Another proclaimed WICCAN ARMY: WE WILL NOT GO SILENTLY INTO THE NIGHT. I sighed.
* (47:50) – The note for Diana and Matthew:
A note in Sarah’s dark, decisive handwriting was taped to the staircase’s newel post.
“Out. Thought the house needed some time alone with you first. Move slowly. Matthew can stay in Em’s old room. Your room is ready.” There was a postscript, in Em’s rounder scrawl. “Both of you use your parents’ room.”
* (48:23) – Sarah’s healing powers. We discuss Sarah vs. Rebecca’s powers here as well.
When Sarah returned with a pot of one of her ointments, Matthew had my foot propped up on his thigh. “There are scissors in my bag upstairs,” he told my aunt, sniffing curiously as she unscrewed the pot’s lid. “Shall I go get them?”
“Don’t need them.” Sarah muttered a few words and gestured at my ankle. The gauze began to unwind itself.
“That’s handy,” Matthew said enviously.
“Show off,” I said under my breath.
* (50:34) – The almost witchfire scene:
 Em put her hand on Sarah’s arm in alarm. “Don’t push her. She’s not in control.”
I could see a bow in my left hand, an arrow in my right. They felt heavy, yet strangely familiar. A few steps away, Sarah was in my sights. Without hesitation, my arms rose and drew apart in preparation to shoot.
My aunt stopped muttering in midspell. “Holy shit,” she breathed, looking at Em in amazement.
“Honey, put the fire down.” Em made a gesture of surrender.
Confused, I reexamined my hands. There was no fire in them.
“Not inside. If you want to unleash witchfire, we’ll go outside,” said Em.
“Calm down, Diana.” Matthew pinned my elbows to my sides, and the heaviness associated with the bow and arrow dissolved.
“I don’t like it when she threatens you.” My voice sounded echoing and strange.
* (51:51) – The chapter in Oneida 😝
“The Knights of Lazarus of Bethany.” He said it quickly, as if afraid he’d lose his resolve. “It’s an old chivalric order.”
Sarah snorted. “Never heard of them. Are they like the Knights of Columbus ? They’ve got a chapter in Oneida.”
“Not really.” Matthew’s mouth twitched. “The Knights of Lazarus date back to the Crusades.”
* (52:53) – Matthew’s hypocracy (pointed out by Angela)!
“But it’s a secret,” I said, confused. We had to keep our secrets—from everyone—whether they involved my abilities or Matthew’s knights.
“No more secrets,” he said firmly, his breath against my neck. “They’re not good for either of us.” When the winds died down, he spun me tightly against him.
d. Chapter 33
* (53:37) – Diana eavesdrops
Too groggy to sit up, I turned my head toward the door. A large key sat in the lock, and there were low voices on the other side. As the muzziness of sleep slowly gave way to awareness, the mumbling became clearer.
“It’s appalling,” Matthew snapped. “How could you let her go on this way?”
“We didn’t know about the extent of her power—not absolutely,” Sarah said, sounding equally furious. “She was bound to be different, given her parents. I never expected witchfire, though.”
* (54:25) – Diana feels sorry for herself; Matthew has had enough.
Matthew stood, extending one hand. “Get up,” he said abruptly.
I slid my hand into his, expecting him to comfort me with a hug. Instead he pushed my arms into the sleeves of the blue parka and stepped away.
“You are a witch. It’s time you learned how to take care of yourself.”
* (55:04) – Peter Knox; there was an incident when she was a child.
“Before they spellbound me, Peter Knox came to see my father.” I shuddered, hearing the doorbell ringing and seeing again the expression on my father’s face when he opened the door. “That creature was in my house. He touched my head.” Knox’s hand resting on the back of my skull had produced an uncanny sensation, I recalled.
* (55:43) – Jean imagines Stephen and Peter going at it with dualing wands at dawn … (Harry Potter-style), Angela imagines a Hamilton-styled "hop over to Weehawken!" Angela is referring to the Weehawken Dualing Grounds.

The training scene (featuring Catherine Zeta Jones) from Entrapment
* (56:06) – You’re dead! Valerie and Angela love the scene where Matthew takes the reins of Diana's magical training. Jean recalls a movie, it takes a while to remember which one, but Angela looks it up. The movie is “Entrapment” there was a laser scene where Sean Connery used the line “you’re dead”
“I’m not a colleague you’re having an argument with. This isn’t an academic dispute—this is life or death.”
“Come down from there,” I said sharply. “You’ve made your point.”
I didn’t see him land at my side, but I felt his cold fingers at my neck and chin, twisting my head to the side and exposing my throat. “If I were Gerbert, you’d be dead already,” he hissed.
“Stop it, Matthew.” I struggled to break free but made no progress.
“No.” His grip tightened. “Satu tried to break you, and you want to disappear because of it. But you have to fight back.”
* (57:44) – Diana’s third eye
There was a tightness between my eyes. I breathed into it, too, remembering Amira’s yoga instruction and Marthe’s advice to let the visions pass through me. The tightness turned to tingling and the tingling to a sense of possibility as my mind’s eye—a witch’s third eye—opened fully for the first time.
* (58:09) – Diana flies (VALERIE NEEDS THIS SCENE TO BE IN THE TV SHOW!)
Fly, I thought, a second before his fingers touched my skin.
The wind rose from my body in a sudden whoosh of power. The earth released me with a gentle push upward. Just as Matthew had promised, it was easy to let my body follow where my thoughts had led. It took no more effort than following an imaginary ribbon up to the sky.
* (1:00:35) – He's mine . . .
It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. There was a surge of desire, strong and visceral, and a rush of pride that he was mine
* (1:00:45) – Stay away from me . . .
“Stay away from me,” he growled, “just for a moment.” Matthew was  struggling to master his predatory instincts. He wanted to hunt me now. The king of beasts didn’t like to be bested.
'Hochzeit' by Chuckometti
* (1:01:17) – The Aurora Consurgens references we made in relation to this scene; see our post - Aurora Consurgens: A Relationship Roadmap, and the episode we did on it as well.

* (1:01:32) – The fireworks.
Stars burst into life at the peak of my pleasure, and a few still hung beneath the ceiling, sparkling and sputtering out the remainder of their brief lives while we lay in each other’s arms and waited for the morning to find us.
e. Chapter 34
* (1:02:47) – Matthew practicing yoga in the backyard.
“What are you looking at?” I expected them to name some rare bird.
“Matthew.”
I backed up a few steps.
“He’s been out there for hours. I don’t think he’s moved a muscle. A raven flew by. I believe she plans to perch on him,” Sarah continued, taking a sip of her coffee.
Matthew was standing with his feet rooted in the earth and his arms stretched out to the sides at shoulder level, index fingers and thumbs gently touching. In his gray T-shirt and black yoga pants, he did look like an unusually well-dressed, robust scarecrow.
* (1:03:40) – Bad dreams…
My sleep had been fitful, full of dreams, snatches of alchemical poetry, and mumbled tirades directed at Satu. Even my grandmother had been worried. She’d been leaning against the chest of drawers with a watchful expression while Matthew soothed me back to sleep.
* (1:04:04) – Diana pulling water out of the ground.
Calmly I breathed in and out. The water level in my palms rose and fell in response to the changing tides within and underneath me. When I could control the water no longer, the mudras broke open, water cascading from my flattened palms. I was left standing in the middle of the backyard, eyes open and arms outstretched, a small puddle on the ground under each hand.
* (1:04:20) – Dowsers! We talked about the art of dowsing being popular in Maine, although we suspect it's popular throughout the northeast and different rural communities throughout the world. Here is a Maine Facebook group for dowsers!

* (1:04:36) – Flying butter, and Tabitha’s gift.
Smiling broadly, I returned my attention to the toaster. I scraped the last of the butter onto my toast and wondered idly if there was more.
A plastic tub appeared at my elbow.
At the mention of another member of her species, Tabitha strutted into the house through the cat door. With a look of complete devotion, she dropped a tiny, dead field mouse at Matthew’s feet.
“Merci, ma petite,” Matthew said gravely. “Unfortunately, I am not hungry at present.”
* (1:05:11) – The house has something to say. It’s bears gifts.
“Come on, out with it,” she snapped several minutes later. “I’ve got things to do.”
A thick brown envelope wormed its way through a crack in the green-painted paneling next to the fireplace. Once it had worked itself free, it shot across the keeping room and landed, faceup, in my lap.
“Diana” was scrawled on the front in blue ballpoint ink. My mother’s small, feminine handwriting was recognizable from permission slips and birthday cards.
* (1:05:34) – The knitting . . .
A ball of green wool and two knitting needles rocketed down the chimney and rolled across the hearth.
“Does the house think I should take up knitting?” I asked.
* (1:06:09) – The contents of the envelope (TOO SOON!)
I unfolded the wrappings. On top, blocking Mathew’s view and separated by still more tissue from what lay beneath, was a piece of ordinary white paper, the edges brown with age. There were three lines written on it in spidery script.
“‘It begins with absence and desire,’” I whispered around the tightness in my throat. “‘It begins with blood and fear.’”
“‘It begins with a discovery of witches,’” Matthew finished, looking over my shoulder.
* (1:08:36) – A caulbearer -- we've seen the photos of actual caulbearers (aka veiled babies), rather than us actually posting a picture, if you are interested, you can click here. *WARNING: not for the squeamish!

“‘I cannot shield you from the challenges you will face. You will know great loss and danger, but also great joy. You may doubt your instincts in the years to come, but your feet have been walking this path since the moment you were born. We knew it when you came into the world a caulbearer. You’ve remained between worlds ever since. It’s who you are, and your destiny. Don’t let anyone keep you from it.’”
* (1:09:01) – The phonebook!
“Cauls have enormous power. Stephen and Rebecca would have saved it.”
We all looked at the crack in the paneling. A phonebook landed in the grate with a thud, sending a cloud of ash into the room.
* (1:09:48) – The phone calls – Alain called, Jean figured out what the “unexpected situation” was (*cough!* FERNANDO *cough*)!
Matthew’s hands pushed my shoulders gently away from my ears, kneading the tight muscles. “She’s fine. This had nothing to do with Ysabeau. It was Alain. He was doing some business for the family and ran into an unexpected situation.”
* (1:11:11) – Miriam and Marcus are inbound
“He and Miriam are on their way to New York. They have something to discuss with you.” Matthew’s face looked like a thundercloud.
“Me? What is it?”
“He wouldn’t tell me.”

* (1:11:40) – Diana: The hostess with the mostest!
“No son of mine is checking in to a hotel. He belongs in the Bishop house, with his family, and Miriam shouldn’t be alone. They’re both staying here, and that’s final,” I said firmly.
“Son?” said Sarah faintly.
“Marcus is Matthew’s son, which makes him my son, too. That makes him a Bishop, and this house belongs to him as much as it does to you, or me, or Em.” I turned to face them, grabbing the sleeves of my shirt tightly with my wet hands, which were shaking
* (1:12:40) – Surprising Witches
“With all that’s happened this morning, the one thing you’re worried about is whether Marcus wants a stepmother. You confound me.” Matthew shook his head. “Are all witches this surprising, Sarah, or is it just Bishops?”
Sarah considered her answer. “Just Bishops.”
* (1:13:06) Housekeeping! – Our awesome iTunes review, an email from Michelle (congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Michelle). We also got a couple of nice Facebook messages from Teresa & Carmen.

* (1:17:11) Save It For the Show… Topic – Bad reviews and reader distress. Jean’s rule of thumb: "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM GOODREADS!" Val wonders why someone would read bad reviews on a book that they love? Who cares what others think! Angela believes some reviewers of this series don’t give it a chance before getting indignant. Jean wraps it up by saying this series doesn’t fit a specific genre, or "box".

* (1:22:53) – No news, because we got an announcement about the big casting announcement on the day we recorded.

* (1:23:06) Promo breakscroll down, or click here to get a hold of us and/or become a Discusser.

* (1:24:32) – Last thoughts/things we can’t let go of:  Jean is at the point where she reads real history and sees the historical figures as AST characters! She sees Eustace Chapuys playing a role Fernando would easily fit in, and she says Count Axel rescuing Marie Antoinette was a total Baldwin move. Val’s last thought: the fandom is awake, and she’s frustrated (a little bit). She didn’t know we could take a break until the TV show arrives! Val brings up All Souls Con, and talks about the Daemons being there for 5 days; we’ll probably put out an episode while there. Angela says “I know what we’re working on!” to taunt you into watching out for the things we unveil in the future.

Thank you, Kate S. Kate H, Rute, Camille, Carmen, Teresa, Michelle & Stephen (he sent us a voice mail, but we didn’t play it here because the episode wound up being so long! We are planning a smallish Bonus episode right before All Souls Con – look for it there. He’s got a question for ALL OF US). Stephen: we'll get pictures once she's been captured, we promise!

All Souls Con Info:
Previous Episode
Special Edition, The One With Our Witch & Vampire
-----

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A. Call us at 1 (360) 519-7836 - Tell us your first name, and your message. Recording will shut off after 3 minutes. * Note - This is a U.S. number.  International rates may apply when dialing out of country. Your message may be used in an episode; messages are subject to editing for clarity and brevity.

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Contact us using this form below: Please make sure to let us know if it's OK to read your email (or a portion of it) on future podcasts.  If not, that's perfectly fine, too. Just let us know! Also, if you sign up for our "Discuss" email list we may send you the subject matter of a future podcast ahead of time - this way your inputs may even get included while we record!

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Thanks for listening!
Until next time...



Credits/Copyright Information 
* Intro music: "Ghost Dance" (edited down to second chorus) by Kevin Macleod, licensed for use by Creative Commons.
* News intro: by AwesomeMusicVideos21; provided for fair-use/royalty-free.
*  Outro music: Rimsky-Korsakov - "Scheherazade Symphonic Suite for Orchestra Op.35 - IV. Allegro molto," Public       

domain/copyright-free.
* Cover art (+ all variations associated w/ it): © Daemons Domain 

* The term "unofficial" is explained in our disclaimer located in Terms of Use - item 14.
* The Daemons Discuss podcast is hosted and produced by the owners (Angela, Jean and Valerie) of Daemons Domain and can also be found by entering the url http://www.DaemonsDiscuss.com in your browser, (listed on the various podcast syndicates like iTunes, Stitcher, etc.) which will redirect you back to the parent site, Daemons Domain.
* This podcast is intended for personal download/consumption.  Please see our Terms of Use; item 3.

* Our episode titles are a loving tribute to the show "Friends" just 'cause we love Friends and - let's face it - it's easier! Here's how one of the show creators explains their reasoning:
Jeff Greenstein: "When Marta & David & Jeff & I did 'Dream On', we used to spend a lot of time thinking about titles, because they were on-screen at the top of each episode. On "Friends", we decided that was a waste of time. We figured, why not name each episode after the thing that people will ostensibly be talking about around the water-cooler the next day?"
This was a Daemon Production

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Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Daemons Discuss - Podcast: Special Edition! | Our Reaction to the Casting of Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop

Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer are our Matthew and Diana for A Discovery of Witches TV
Special Edition - The One With Our Witch and Vampire

Description: Recorded the morning of the announcement (August 22nd, 2017), and we are reacting to the news of who will play Matthew Clairmont, and Diana Bishop! Excuse the audio in spots -- this was produced on the fly! We are pleased the 5 years of waiting and watching are over! ON WITH THE SHOW! 😆

SPOILER ALERT! We (The Daemons) approach this podcast with an assumption that the listener has read The All Souls Trilogy, including A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life.  If you haven't, and you don't mind, we certainly don't mind!  😊  Let's do this.

Listen:

Download .Mp3 of this episode

1. Show notes:

For newcomers to the series:- We'll start with the basics: The books in discussion are A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.  Together they make The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness.
- Our Daemon Guides to the All Souls Trilogy are available for download: ADOW, SON, TBOL

Deb's newsletter - The Blast; subscribe on her website
- If you'd like a ready-reference from the author herself, be sure to download the All Souls Real-Time Reading companion (free e-book at online booksellers via Penguin and Headline books).
- Deborah Harkness usually conducts a real-time reading on her Facebook Page (starting in September), and shares her posts across social media. Check out her website for all of her social media links, and of course all that she has to offer her readers! Be sure to sign up for her newsletter while you are there!
- To see what's available on the web as far as the All Souls universe fandom, check our links page.

In this episode:
We don't know how we can do better than Deb, so here is the scoop from her Facebook Page (her video lives on this post as well):

News Wrap Up: Lead Cast, UK broadcaster, Writer, Director Announcement for A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES TV Adaptation

If you've been following me today on any of my social channels you've probably been bombarded with information today. I've tried to assemble the high points together into a single post here for those who want to be sure they have all the news.

First up: our Diana and Matthew have been cast! I'm over the moon that Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge, Berlin Syndrome) and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey, The Imitation Game) are the lead actors in the A Discovery of Witches series.

UK and Ireland viewers will be able to watch it sometime next year as a Sky Original production made by Bad Wolf TV on Sky 1 and Now TV. Other broadcasters around the globe will be announced in the weeks ahead. WE WILL TELL YOU WHEN WE CAN. WE PROMISE.

Our head writer and showrunner is Kate Brooke (Mr. Selfridge, The Forsyte Saga). I will be introducing you to her more fully on Monday, 28 August, here on Facebook and across my social channels.

Our director for the first episodes is Juan Carlos Medina (The Limehouse Golem, Painless)


Links for you:
Here are the pictures we promised:
 
As promised; the chin shot! That is Diana's chin! Screen shot from the Daily Mail
Like Jean mentioned ... side by side (neck beard and all!) #MatthewSquared
  • If you have/know of a fan entity online, please contact us with the information. Please provide us with the Website/Social Media site, and name of the entity/outlet/group. Welcome to the fandom! Contact us HERE.
Previous Episode
Take 21, The One With the Dream and the Dungeon
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2.  Help us out!

If you enjoyed this episode, and would like to give us some support, here's what you can do:
    a. Tweet about it!  Click here to tweet about this episode!
    b. Subscribe to us: Apple Podcasts, Google Play and/or Stitcher & many more places!
    c. Rate & leave us a review in Apple Podcasts! Do it on your phone, or do it on your computer

3. Your Feedback:

There are many ways to contact us with feedback:

Social Media: Comment on our Facebook page or you can touch base with us on Twitter & Instagram -- we are @DaemonsDomain or @DaemonsDiscuss (same Daemons!) with your comments. Oh, and if you like what you hear, follow us too!

Leave us a voicemail: There are two ways:
A. Call us at 1 (360) 519-7836 - Tell us your first name, and your message. Recording will shut off after 3 minutes. * Note - This is a U.S. number.  International rates may apply when dialing out of country. Your message may be used in an episode; messages are subject to editing for clarity and brevity.

B. Use the SpeakPipe widget below ⬇️ *Note - you'll have 90 seconds before the recording ends. Your message may be used in an episode; messages are subject to editing for clarity and brevity.



Email us directly:  DaemonsDiscuss (one word) at gmail (dot) com.

Contact us using this form below: Please make sure to let us know if it's OK to read your email (or a portion of it) on future podcasts.  If not, that's perfectly fine, too. Just let us know! Also, if you sign up for our "Discuss" email list we may send you the subject matter of a future podcast ahead of time - this way your inputs may even get included while we record!

Feedback for Daemons Discuss Episode
Questions marked by * are required.
1. Name: *

2. Email: *

3. Add you to our "Discuss" email list? You'll be the first to know about upcoming episodes - we'll have your input before we record!
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4. Can we read your name on a future podcast?
  • Yes
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  • First name only
5. Input, questions or comments about *this* episode?

 

Thanks for listening!
Until next time...



Credits/Copyright Information 
* Intro music: "Ghost Dance" (edited down to second chorus) by Kevin Macleod, licensed for use by Creative Commons.
* News intro: by AwesomeMusicVideos21; provided for fair-use/royalty-free.
*  Outro music: Rimsky-Korsakov - "Scheherazade Symphonic Suite for Orchestra Op.35 - IV. Allegro molto," Public       

domain/copyright-free.
* Cover art (+ all variations associated w/ it): © Daemons Domain 

* The term "unofficial" is explained in our disclaimer located in Terms of Use - item 14.
* The Daemons Discuss podcast is hosted and produced by the owners (Angela, Jean and Valerie) of Daemons Domain and can also be found by entering the url http://www.DaemonsDiscuss.com in your browser, (listed on the various podcast syndicates like iTunes, Stitcher, etc.) which will redirect you back to the parent site, Daemons Domain.
* This podcast is intended for personal download/consumption.  Please see our Terms of Use; item 3.

* Our episode titles are a loving tribute to the show "Friends" just 'cause we love Friends and - let's face it - it's easier! Here's how one of the show creators explains their reasoning:
Jeff Greenstein: "When Marta & David & Jeff & I did 'Dream On', we used to spend a lot of time thinking about titles, because they were on-screen at the top of each episode. On "Friends", we decided that was a waste of time. We figured, why not name each episode after the thing that people will ostensibly be talking about around the water-cooler the next day?"
This was a Daemon Production

Follow us on Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Tumblr - Instagram - Subscribe

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Daemons Discuss - Podcast: Take 21! | Chapter Discussion about the All Souls Trilogy; Ch 26 - 29 of A Discovery of Witches

Château de Murol - Deborah Harkness' inspiration for La Pierre

Take 21 - The One With the Dream and the Dungeon

Description: A collection of the most blissful and the most frightening chapters rolled up in one discussion! This discussion opens with Matthew Clairmont's return to Sept-Tours, and closes in a faraway dungeon with Diana Bishop and several spirits. We discuss those events, and what's in between!

SPOILER ALERT! We (The Daemons) approach this podcast with an assumption that the listener has read The All Souls Trilogy, including A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life.  If you haven't, and you don't mind, we certainly don't mind!  😊  Let's do this.

Listen:

Download .Mp3 of the episode

 

1. Show notes:

For newcomers to the series:
- We'll start with the basics: The books in discussion are A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.  Together they make The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness.
- Our Daemon Guides to the All Souls Trilogy are available for download: ADOW, SON, TBOL

Deb's newsletter - The Blast; subscribe on her website
- If you'd like a ready-reference from the author herself, be sure to download the All Souls Real-Time Reading companion (free e-book at online booksellers via Penguin and Headline books).
- Deborah Harkness usually conducts a real-time reading on her Facebook Page (starting in September), and shares her posts across social media. Check out her website for all of her social media links, and of course all that she has to offer her readers! Be sure to sign up for her newsletter while you are there!
- To see what's available on the web as far as the All Souls universe fandom, check our links page.

In this episode:
All Souls Con Information: 

* (01:08) – Jean was having some connectivity issues with her computer. Val tells her to buy a Mac. It’s a running joke between these two. Before Windows users get irate, Valerie actually believes that whatever system is more comfortable to the user, should be the system they are on. However she strongly believes JEAN would be more comfortable with a Mac. Peer pressure is strong amongst the Daemons!

* (01:35) – We did only four chapters to allow for proper introduction to Baldwin. OK, we can justify it by saying we are covering the kidnapping here and the rescue in the next round. Angela confirms Val’s suspicions. It was totally because of Baldwin! 😏

* (02:16) – Thanks to our Discussers Rute, Angela, and Stephen!

* (05:28) – We always assumed that Matthew killed Gillian after he left Diana with Marcus in Oxford. Angela brings up the tracking of the scent of Gillian on the envelope:
“That picture is a threat—and not an idle one. Hamish thought the Bishop name would make the witches more cautious, but I fear the opposite is true. No matter how great her innate talents might be, Diana can’t protect herself, and she’s too damn self-reliant to ask for help. I need you to stay with her for a few hours.” Matthew dragged his eyes from the picture of Rebecca Bishop and Stephen Proctor. “I’m going to find Gillian Chamberlain.”
“You can’t be sure it was Gillian who delivered that picture,” Marcus pointed out. “There are two different scents on it.”
a. Chapter 26
* (06:37) – Matthew returns!
When the Range Rover entered the courtyard, I flew outside. For the first time in our relationship, Matthew didn’t beat me to the door. He was still straightening his long legs when my arms locked around his neck, my toes barely touching the ground.
“Don’t do that again,” I whispered, my eyes shut against sudden tears. “Don’t ever do that again.”
* (06:52) – Ysabeau’s version of Angela’s “snap out of it!”
His mother strode forward and slapped him, hard, across the face. “How dare you ask that question?”
Mother and son both looked shocked. The mark of Ysabeau’s slender hand stood out against Matthew’s cheek for a split second—red, then blue—before it faded.
Is it here? Maybe? Let's talk about this!
* (07:47) – Our heart vein conversation! This conversation took all kinds of strange turns!  Here are a few quotes to go with that sideways discussion. The issue at hand is where the heart vein is located and whether it came into play in the courtyard in Sept-Tours. Jean mentioned the 'blood song' from earlier in the chapters, and Angela mentioned the wedding night in 1590.
Blood singing (A Discovery of Witches, Chapter 14):
“It’s not only your scent that pleases me. I can hear your witch’s blood as it moves through your veins.” Matthew’s cold lips were against my ear, and his breath was sweet. “Did you know that a witch’s blood makes music? Like a siren who sings to the sailor, asking him to steer his ship into the rocks, the call of your blood could be my undoing—and yours.”
Wedding night (Shadow of Night, Chapter 12):
But Matthew wasn’t paying any attention to me. Instead my husband was focused on the place where my nearly transparent high-necked smock disappeared into the heavy reinforced fabric of the corset. He pressed his lips against the swell. Bowing his head in a reverential pose, he took in a jagged breath.
Where Angela and Valerie agreed where the heart vein was located, somewhere in the region where you would put your hand during the Pledge of Alligiance
* (10:02) – Diana really had NO idea – of ANYTHING. Ysabeau’s quote:
“She has no idea.” Ysabeau’s voice rang through the courtyard. Matthew stiffened, his arms circling me protectively. “With that kiss you have broken every rule that holds our world together and keeps us safe. Matthew, you have marked that witch as your own. And, Diana, you have offered your witch’s blood—your power—to a vampire. You have turned your back on your own kind and pledged yourself to a creature who is your enemy.”
“It was a kiss,” I said, shaken.
“It was an oath. And having made this promise to each other, you are outlaws. May the gods help you both.”
* (12:04) – Heart vein location in Shadow of Night, Chapter 30 (to solve the mapping issues!)
“Vampires bite their mates here,” Matthew said, “near the heart.” His lips pressed against the bare flesh above the edge of my smock. It was where he had kissed me on our wedding night, when his emotions had overwhelmed him.“I thought your wanting to kiss me there was just ordinary lust,” I said.“There is nothing ordinary about a vampire’s desire to take blood from this vein.” He moved his mouth a centimeter lower along the blue line and pressed his lips again.
* (13:22) – Diana should fight like the other women in the family:
“Enough of that nonsense. You are going to be hounded to the ends of the earth because of this love you share. We fight as a family.” Ysabeau turned to me. “As for you, daughter—you will fight, as you promised. You are reckless—the truly brave always are—but I cannot fault your courage. Still, you need him as much as you need the air you breathe, and he wants you as he’s wanted nothing and no one since I made him. So it is done, and we will make the best of it.” Ysabeau unexpectedly pulled me toward her and pressed her cold lips to my right cheek, then my left. I’d been living under the woman’s roof for days, but this was my official welcome. She looked coolly at Matthew and made her real point.
“The way we will make the best of it begins with Diana behaving like a witch and not some pathetic human. The women of the de Clermont family defend themselves.
* (13:51) – The chess references continue . . .
“This is why you are always losing at chess, Matthew.” Ysabeau shook her finger at him. “Like Diana, the queen has almost unlimited power. Yet you insist on surrounding her and leaving yourself vulnerable. This is not a game, however, and her weakness puts us all at risk.”
* (14:17) – The conversations back in the salon: The break ins, the hair and nail conversations, binding spells, Ysabeau’s good impression of Rebecca, and her knowledge of witchcraft. We also learn about the congregation’s interest in Ashmole 782. Diana relayed the events referring to her witchwater, and mentioned Ysabeau singing her out of her deluge.
“Were you alone?” Matthew’s voice turned sharp.
“No, no, of course not,” I said hurriedly. “Marthe and your mother were there. They just couldn’t get near me. There was a lot of water, Matthew. Wind, too.”
“What made it stop?” he asked.
“Ysabeau.”
Matthew gave his mother a long look.
“She sang to me.”
The vampire’s heavy lids dropped, shielding his eyes. “Once she sang all the time. Thank you, Maman.”
* (18:08) – Greek funeral ceremony; singing the lamentation (what Jean was talking about). Daemons went on to discuss Ysabeau’s mourning.

* (19:24) – The head probing!
As the day unfolded, Matthew’s happiness at being home was infectious. We moved from lunch to his study. On the floor in front of the fireplace, he discovered most of the places that I was ticklish. Throughout, he never let me behind the walls he’d so carefully constructed to keep creatures away from his secrets.
Once I reached out with invisible fingers to locate a chink in Matthew’s defenses. He looked up at me in surprise.
“Did you say something?” he asked.
“No,” I said, drawing hastily away.
* (19:48) – Arrested action! Sad trombone!
He appeared shortly afterward wearing a pair of loose, striped pajama bottoms and a faded black T-shirt, with no shoes on his long, slender feet. “Do you want the left side or the right?” he asked casually, waiting by the bedpost with his arms crossed.
b. Chapter 27
* (20:43) – Hunting time! Matthew’s anger at Ysabeau’s taking Diana hunting…
“Vampires don’t take warmbloods hunting, Diana.”
This was not a good sign either. He was lying to me.
“Yes they do,” I said softly. “You hunt with Hamish.”
“That’s different. I’ve known him for years, and I don’t share a bed with him.” Matthew’s voice was rough, and he was staring fixedly at his bookshelves.
I started toward him, slowly. “If Hamish can hunt with you, so can I.”
“No.” The muscles in his shoulders stood out in sharp relief, their outlines visible under his sweater.
“Ysabeau took me with her.”
The silence in the room was absolute. Matthew drew in a single, ragged breath, and the muscles in his shoulder twitched. I took another step.
“Don’t,” he said harshly. “I don’t want you near me when I’m angry.”
* (21:40) – The common ground.
“Since I’ve met you,” I said quietly, “you’ve shown me all the pleasant parts of being a vampire. You taste things I can’t even imagine. You remember events and people that I can only read about in books. You smell when I change my mind or want to kiss you. You’ve woken me to a world of sensory possibilities I never dreamed existed.”
I paused for a moment, hoping I was making progress. I wasn’t.
“At the same time, you’ve seen me throw up, set fire to your rug, and  come completely unglued when I received something unexpected in the mail. You missed the waterworks, but they weren’t pretty. In return I’m asking you to let me watch you feed yourself. It’s a basic thing, Matthew. If you can’t bear it, then we can make the Congregation happy and call it off.”
* (21:56) – Jean was a bit upset with Diana’s interference with the stag. Angela saw it as a blessing, Valerie saw it as bringing the deer comfort.
I know that you’re afraid, I said silently, hoping the stag could hear me.  He needs to do this. He doesn’t do this for sport, or to harm you. He does it to stay alive.
* (23:31) – Angela found the perspective in the hunting scene interesting. She questioned if it was part of Diana’s gift to watch everything through Matthew’s eyes.

* (24:22) – 'Ride straight back to Marthe' (Angela makes the observation that Marthe is solid and trustworthy)
“I’ll take you hunting,” Matthew said at last, “provided you don’t come near me and don’t get down from Rakasa’s back. If you get so much as a hint that I’m looking at you—that I’m even thinking about you—turn around and ride straight home to Marthe.”
* (24:50) – Diana gets the sex and survival thing…
Remembering our play in bed that morning, my eyes closed against a sudden jolt of desire. I wanted him as badly here in the forest when he was about to kill something as I had this morning, and I began to understand what worried Matthew about hunting with me. Survival and sexuality were linked in ways I’d never appreciated until now.
* (25:10) – The conversation about having kids, and Matthew’s one (for now) son.
“I haven’t made a vampire for years,” he said. “I can still manage it, but I hope you don’t intend that we have a large family.”
“My family has doubled in the past three weeks, with you, Marthe, and Ysabeau added. I don’t know how much more family I can take.”
“You need to add one more to that number.”
My eyes widened. “There are more of you?”
“Oh, there are always more,” he said drily. “Vampire genealogies are much more complicated than witch genealogies, after all. We have blood relations on three sides, not just two. But this is a member of the family that you’ve already met.”
“Marcus?” I asked, thinking of the young American vampire and his high-tops.
* (27:29) – “Home”
It was twilight when Matthew led us back through the château gates. Sept-Tours was ablaze, every lamp illuminated in silent greeting.
“Home,” I said, my heart lifting at the sight.
Matthew looked at me, rather than the house, and smiled. “Home.”
c. Chapter 28
* (28:00) – In the housekeeping room we learn about Gerbert, we talk about Meridiana, and we talk about our weird affinity for the anti-hero(ine). We also discuss POV’s when history books are written.
From Wikipedia: Gerbert was supposed to have built a brazen head. This "robotic" head would answer his questions with "yes" or "no". He was also reputed to have had a pact with a female demon called Meridiana, who had appeared after he had been rejected by his earthly love, and with whose help he managed to ascend to the papal throne (another legend tells that he won the papacy playing dice with the Devil).  See the whole account here: Pope Sylvester II
We did mention we had an affinity for the Disney 'evil' queens! 😈😈😈
* (29:30) – The Melissa de la Cruz series, (Disney Descendants) is brought up by Angela here, and we bring up Wicked. by Gregory Macguire (of course, made into the famous musical, later).

* (20:06) – They are MARRIED?! We found Diana took the news very well, all things considered.
“I’m not a child, Diana, and my mother needn’t protect me from my own wife.” He kept turning his glass this way and that. The word “wife” echoed in the room for a few moments.
“Did I miss something?” I finally asked. “When were we married?”
Matthew’s eyes lifted. “The moment I came home and said I loved you. It wouldn’t stand up in court perhaps, but as far as vampires are concerned, we’re wed.”
* (31:00) – 'Come to bed!' And Jean defines “third base” for us (in case you wondered.)
He grabbed one of the towels and held it out like a sail in the wind. His eyes were smoky. “Come to bed,” he said, his voice gruff.
* (32:06) – We discuss their conversations, and Matthew’s battle scars.
“What is this, Matthew?” I touched a particularly large snowflake under his left collarbone.
“It’s just a scar,” he said, craning his neck to see. “That one was made by the tip of a broadsword. The Hundred Years’ War, maybe? I can’t remember.”
I slithered up his body to get a better look, pressing my warm skin against him, and he sighed happily.
“A scar? Turn over.”
He made little sounds of pleasure while my hands swept across his back.
“Oh, Matthew.” My worst fears were realized. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of marks. I knelt and pulled the sheet down to his feet. They were on his legs, too.
* (32:34) – This scene is an interesting history lesson!
“I promise not to draw blood, if you promise not to weep.”
It was easier to ignore his words than his fingers. “Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon!” I said triumphantly, pleased at my ability to recall relevant historical information under such distracting conditions. “Did you know them?”
“Not Arthur. I was in Florence. But Catherine, yes. She was nearly as brave as you are. Speaking of the past,” Matthew drew the back of his  hand down my arm, “what does the distinguished historian know about bundling?”
* (32:58) – We talk about Matthew’s end here. We were scared Matthew would end it all based on his history!
“My life now has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everything before was preamble. Now I have you. One day you will be gone, and my life will be over.”
“Not necessarily,” I said hastily. “I’ve only got another handful of decades in me—you could go on forever.” A world without Matthew was unthinkable.
“We’ll see,” he said quietly, stroking my shoulder.
* (33:31) – Death Cab for Cutie, Follow You Into the Dark (it’s on Deb’s playlist).
Lyrics

Love of mine, someday you will die
But I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark…

Love of mine, someday you will die
But I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
And illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me,
Son, fear is the heart of love, so I never went back
You and me we've seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary and the soles of your shoes
Are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
But it's nothing to cry about
'Cause we'll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms

Songwriters: Benjamin Gibbard
I Will Follow You into the Dark lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
* (34:00) – Matthew snores!
It was just before dawn when I awoke to a strange sound coming from the bed next to me, like gravel rolling around in a metal tube.
Matthew was sleeping—and snoring, too. He looked even more like the effigy of a knight on a tombstone now. All that was missing was the dog at his feet and the sword clasped at his waist.
* (34:29) – Diana goes outside after bundling bliss; we question Diana’s sanity and normalcy! Getting a glass of water, using the restroom, perhaps getting a snack would be ok, but going outside?
Outside, the clouds were still hanging in the sky, but at the horizon they were thin enough to reveal faint traces of red behind the gray layers. It might actually clear today, I thought, stretching slightly and looking back at Matthew’s recumbent form. He would be unconscious for hours. I, on the other hand, was feeling restless and oddly rejuvenated. I dressed quickly, wanting to go outside in the gardens and be by myself for a while.
When I finished dressing, Matthew was still lost in his rare, peaceful slumber. “I’ll be back before you know it,” I whispered, kissing him.
* (35:48) – Angela’s inner Sarah came out with Diana at this point.

* (25:14) – WHOOSH! Diana is snatched.  Jean gives us some interesting tidbits about the symbolism of the  apple and the god of war (Mars). Also the rue that is a main ingredient in that tea.
A gust of wind brushed past me, pulling loose the same infernal lock of hair that would not stay put. My fingers scraped it back in place, just as an arm swept me off the ground.
Ears popping, I was rocketed straight up into the sky.
The gentle tingle against my skin told me what I already knew.
When my eyes opened, I would be looking at a witch.
Chapter 29
* (37:00) – We meet Satu, and we finally see a witch that can actively fly.
My captor’s eyes were bright blue, angled over high, strong cheekbones and topped by a shock of platinum hair. She was wearing a thick, hand-knit turtleneck and a pair of tight-fitting jeans. No black robes or brooms, but she was—unmistakably—a witch.
With a contemptuous flick of her fingers, she stopped the sound of my scream before it broke free. Her arm swept to the left, carrying us more horizontally than vertically for the first time since she’d plucked me from the garden at Sept-Tours.
Matthew would wake up and find me gone. He would never forgive himself for falling asleep, or me for going outside. Idiot, I told myself.
“Yes you are, Diana Bishop,” the witch said in a strangely accented voice.
* (37:40) – We see the castle, later known as La Pierre
We descended toward something that looked like a crater set apart from the surrounding countryside by yawning ravines and overgrown forests. It proved to be the ruin of a medieval castle, with high walls and thick foundations that extended deep into the earth. Trees grew inside the husks of long-abandoned buildings huddled in the fortress’s shadow. The castle didn’t have a single graceful line or pleasing feature. There was only one  reason for its existence—to keep out anyone who wished to enter. The poor dirt roads leading over the mountains were the castle’s only link to the rest of the world. My heart sank.
* (38:12) – Before Satu got sadistic, Valerie was really interested in what she had to say.

* (38:58) – Enter Gerbert and his tales of Meridiana.
“It is a strange book, is it not, Diana? A thousand years ago, I took it from a great wizard in Toledo. When I brought it to France, it was already bound by layers of enchantment.”
“Despite your knowledge of magic, you could not discover its secrets.” The scorn in the witch’s voice was unmistakable. “The manuscript is no less bewitched now than it was then. Leave this to us.”
He continued to advance. “I knew a witch then whose name was similar to yours—Meridiana. She didn’t want to help me unlock the manuscript’s secrets, of course. But my blood kept her in thrall.” He was close enough now that the cold emanating from his body chilled me. “Each time I drank from her, small insights into her magic and fragments of her knowledge passed to me. They were frustratingly fleeting, though. I had to keep going back for more. She became weak, and easy to control.” Gerbert’s finger touched my face. “Meridiana’s eyes were rather like yours, too. What did you see, Diana? Will you share it with me?
* (39:49) – Was it Gillian that was telling on Diana and Matthew? Who was the congregation getting their info from?

* (40:14) – Barbara: here’s what we know…
“I just don’t know if I can handle this, Diana,” she whispered when she took the mug. “Marcus explained what Gillian and Peter Knox had planned. But when I think of Barbara Chamberlain and what she must be feeling now that her daughter is dead—” Em shuddered to a stop.
“Gillian Chamberlain was an ambitious woman, Emily,” said Matthew. “All she ever wanted was a seat at the Congregation’s table.”
* (40:40) – Tasting the salt on the way to France.
“Are you quite sure?” she asked gently. “You’ve never tasted a drop of his blood?”
“Of course not!” My childhood might have been devoid of extensive magical training, but I wasn’t a complete idiot. Vampire blood was a powerful, life-altering substance.
“No memories of a taste of concentrated salt? No unusual fatigue? You’ve never fallen deeply asleep when he was in your presence, even though you didn’t want to close your eyes?”
On the plane to France, Matthew had touched his fingers to his own lips, then to mine. I’d tasted salt then. The next thing I knew, I was in France. My certainty wavered.
* (41:52) – Satu lies!
“Your mother and father wouldn’t have wanted you to fall into a vampire’s snares,” Satu explained, as if I were a child. “They knew how important it was to preserve the bonds between witches.”
“What did you say?” There was no whirling now. Instead my mind seemed unusually sharp and my skin was tingling all over, as if a thousand witches were staring at me. There was something I was forgetting, something about my parents that made everything Satu said a lie.
* (42:18) – The oubliette; we weren’t sure if Diana was dreaming while in it, we also talk about the tree roots coming up through the floors. Then we start discussing the word “oubliette” and why would someone want one inside their house?  Why not build a hole outside! Would it be in a medieval MLS listing as a feature? 😜

The view from the business end of an oubliette. We imagine Diana's view was similar.
* (44:55) – Rebecca …
My mother was sitting there, propped against the oubliette’s damp stone walls, holding her arms open. I inched toward her, holding my breath for fear she would disappear. She smiled in welcome, her dark eyes shining with unshed tears. My mother’s ghostly arms and fingers flicked this way and that as I snuggled closer to her familiar body.
Shall I tell you a story?
* (46:16) – Jean shares some apple trivia; Celtic mythology & apples.

* (46:49) – The ghosts in the oubliette:
I slept a bit, but it was hard to ignore the ghosts once they started chattering. At least they provided some light in the gloom. Every time they moved, a tiny bit of phosphorescence smudged the air, linking where they had just been to where they were going. A young woman in filthy rags sat opposite me, humming quietly to herself and staring in my direction with vacant eyes. In the center of the room, a monk, a knight in full armor, and a musketeer peered into an even deeper hole that emitted a feeling of such loss that I couldn’t bear to go near it. The monk muttered the mass for the dead, and the musketeer kept reaching into the pit as if looking for something he had lost.
* (48:06) – Being 'in' this world…we learn in later chapters that Diana floats in between worlds.

* (48:44) – Aurora Consurgens –  when Diana chants them like a spell:
“‘It is I who mediates the elements, bringing each into agreement,’” I mumbled through stiff lips. “‘I make what is moist dry again, and what is dry I make moist. I make what is hard soft again, and harden that which is soft. As I am the end, so my lover is the beginning. I encompass the whole work of creation, and all knowledge is hidden in me.’” Something shimmered against the wall nearby. Here was another ghost, come to say hello, but I closed my eyes, too tired to care, and returned to my recitation.
“‘Who will dare to separate me from my love? No one, for our love is as strong as death. ’”
* (49:10) – “You are my biggest secret” and the “handsome prince that lived in the shadows between sunset and moonrise.” quotes are truly touching to us.

* (49:49) – We are still curious as to why Rebecca and Stephen were in Nigeria? We welcome any ideas from listeners!

* (51:04) Housekeeping!Thanks Wendy, and our new Canadian reviewer!

* (54:31) Save It For the Show…  we discuss a post in a Facebook group questioning the book series’ feminist merits. We find the accusations more than a bit absurd. We concluded that the person may have been a shit-stirring troll, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ or just someone who was extremely naïve. We discuss how we were raised as young feminist idealists (based on the ideals for the time).  Now as more enlightened feminists, we realize not choosing to “have it all” does not ruin feminist credibility. Also, stupidity knows no gender!

* (1:02:23) Promo breakscroll down, or click here to get a hold of us and/or become a Discusser.

* (1:03:55) – Last thoughts/things we can’t let go of! Angela loves the feedback and reviews, Jean doesn’t feel like we have followers, just friends in the community, and all of the Daemons imagine they are just talking to their original 10 listeners in order to make it through! We also talked about our crazy growth! Trust us, we aren’t complaining! We appreciate all of you and everything that goes with it. Special gratitude on this episode goes to Kate, Wendy, Patricia, Rute, Stephen, Angela and our new friend to the north who gave us that cool review!

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* Intro music: "Ghost Dance" (edited down to second chorus) by Kevin Macleod, licensed for use by Creative Commons.
* News intro: by AwesomeMusicVideos21; provided for fair-use/royalty-free.
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* Our episode titles are a loving tribute to the show "Friends" just 'cause we love Friends and - let's face it - it's easier! Here's how one of the show creators explains their reasoning:
Jeff Greenstein: "When Marta & David & Jeff & I did 'Dream On', we used to spend a lot of time thinking about titles, because they were on-screen at the top of each episode. On "Friends", we decided that was a waste of time. We figured, why not name each episode after the thing that people will ostensibly be talking about around the water-cooler the next day?"
This was a Daemon Production

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