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In the Keys to the Kingdom series, the main character, Arthur, is supposed to die of an asthma attack. Both the Will (possessing Sneezer) - "I set the dials myself, to find someone suitably on the edge of infinity. You give him the Key, he dies, you get it back." - and Mister Monday - "You're sure this one will die straight away?" The Will/Sneezer replies - "It's him no doubt at all. Arthur Penhaligon, due to drop off the twig any minute". Then he is given the Key, and he doesn't die of the asthma attack.
Several chapters later, we get a bit more explanation. This is where the resistance to fate manipulation comes in. I'll type up the whole thing:
"Chance and circumstance", said the Will. "I will relate to you the situation. Twelve days ago, as time flows in the House, I managed to free myself from the bonds and strictures employed to imprison me on a distant star. I came to the Hose and managed by ways sneaky and deceitful to enter the mind of Sneezer, Mister Monday's butler and factotum. From within Sneezer, I enticed Monday to give away the Key to a mortal who was soon to die. He thought he could then reclaim the Key, since having given it away once he would have fulfilled the conditions of the Will and so would be safe from any retribution by the powers of Righteousness and Law. That is to say, myself and the other parts of the Will that may yet escape their durance. You know what happened then."
"But why me? And why did you want a mortal to have the Key?"
"It was mere chance that you were chosen in particular. It was written by the Architect that only a mortal can be a rightful Heir," said the Will. "I simply went through the records of those who would die on an easily accessible Monday. I wanted someone who would be mentally flexible. Young and not oversuperstituous or rigidly religious, so that ruled out a great many Mondays throughout what you call history. It had to be a Monday so Mister Monday and myself - as Sneezer, of course - would be able to enter your world"
"I was really going to die?" asked Arthur slowly. This was a new shock. "Of an asthma attack?"
"Yes," said the Will. "But when you took the Key, you changed the record."
"I don't understand"
"It's quite simple Arthur. Listen carefully. Every record in the House, whether it be on stone or metal, papyrus or paper, is intimately connected with what it records in the Secondary Realms. As whatever it records changes out there, so does the record. If you have the power, you can see what changes are to come and it is possible to intervene. But the reverse is also true. If a record is changed here, then that change will occur to the person, place, object or whatever is recorded."
So by my interpretation of all this, Arthur was fated to die - it was written on his record. But then he was given the Key by someone from the House beyond the Secondary Realms and in gaining the Key, had his fate changed. Also, Denizens of the House lack records themselves - that is, they are fateless.
Thoughts on this quote and my interpretation? Can resistance to fate manipulation be added to the KttK characters?
Several chapters later, we get a bit more explanation. This is where the resistance to fate manipulation comes in. I'll type up the whole thing:
"Chance and circumstance", said the Will. "I will relate to you the situation. Twelve days ago, as time flows in the House, I managed to free myself from the bonds and strictures employed to imprison me on a distant star. I came to the Hose and managed by ways sneaky and deceitful to enter the mind of Sneezer, Mister Monday's butler and factotum. From within Sneezer, I enticed Monday to give away the Key to a mortal who was soon to die. He thought he could then reclaim the Key, since having given it away once he would have fulfilled the conditions of the Will and so would be safe from any retribution by the powers of Righteousness and Law. That is to say, myself and the other parts of the Will that may yet escape their durance. You know what happened then."
"But why me? And why did you want a mortal to have the Key?"
"It was mere chance that you were chosen in particular. It was written by the Architect that only a mortal can be a rightful Heir," said the Will. "I simply went through the records of those who would die on an easily accessible Monday. I wanted someone who would be mentally flexible. Young and not oversuperstituous or rigidly religious, so that ruled out a great many Mondays throughout what you call history. It had to be a Monday so Mister Monday and myself - as Sneezer, of course - would be able to enter your world"
"I was really going to die?" asked Arthur slowly. This was a new shock. "Of an asthma attack?"
"Yes," said the Will. "But when you took the Key, you changed the record."
"I don't understand"
"It's quite simple Arthur. Listen carefully. Every record in the House, whether it be on stone or metal, papyrus or paper, is intimately connected with what it records in the Secondary Realms. As whatever it records changes out there, so does the record. If you have the power, you can see what changes are to come and it is possible to intervene. But the reverse is also true. If a record is changed here, then that change will occur to the person, place, object or whatever is recorded."
So by my interpretation of all this, Arthur was fated to die - it was written on his record. But then he was given the Key by someone from the House beyond the Secondary Realms and in gaining the Key, had his fate changed. Also, Denizens of the House lack records themselves - that is, they are fateless.
Thoughts on this quote and my interpretation? Can resistance to fate manipulation be added to the KttK characters?
