Oh good, it's nice to see things from the viewpoint of one of the men for a change
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| Only the mountains never meet (updated 07/02) http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8470 |
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| Author: | KathrynW [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Only the mountains never meet (updated 07/02) |
This was going to be my entry for the Chalet School Big Bang but with 10 days to go, I've decided to write something else instead! However, as I'd already got about 2,000 words written for this one and do, eventually, want to finish it, I thought I would post it here. James Russell sat in the corner of his compartment, staring with unseeing eyes as the Austrian countryside flew past. His only travelling companion was an elderly woman with whom he had exchanged pleasantries before lapsing into silence. Innsbruck was his last stop on this whirlwind tour. The plan, to establish a sanatorium in the mountains was, James knew, sound. But still, he wondered if he’d ever be able to leave England and all her memories behind. The last decade has passed without much note. Christmases he could remember because every year he volunteered to dress up and give presents out to the patients on the ward. There had been the occasional holiday too. And the annual old school dinners. These events, though, were all just ways of marking the passing of the years, nothing really meant anything. He wouldn’t be able to forget the past but would he be able to make his peace with it? As a weary James contemplated what had become of his life, the train suddenly began to rock violently from side to side, throwing the passengers out of their seats. He sprang to his feet to steady the old lady and, as he did so, the carriage gave a final lurch and collapsed on its side. ‘Are you hurt?’ James asked quickly. ‘I am a doctor’. ‘No, I think not but there may be other people who require assistance, Herr Doktor.’ Acknowledging the truth of this remark, James hauled himself through the window of the carriage which had sprung open in the force of the crash. He extended a hand to his cabin mate who showed remarkable agility for a woman of her age and left her in the competent hands of a train official. The scene before him was one of devastation. The train was shorn in two with the engine and three of the front carriages lying on their sides in a narrow gorge-like way. From every direction came the shrieks of the passengers as they tried to free themselves of the splintered carriages. |
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| Author: | Alison H [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Oh good, it's nice to see things from the viewpoint of one of the men for a change .
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Ah, how interesting! I can't wait to read more - thankyou! |
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| Author: | cal562301 [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Very interesting start. Looking forward to more. Thanks, Kathryn. |
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| Author: | wheelchairprincess [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Great start, thank you! |
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| Author: | janetbrown23 [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Agrees with all of the above. Thank you. |
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| Author: | Nell [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Looking good Kathryn! And I like the challenge you've set yourself with the CSBB!! |
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| Author: | Nightwing [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Oh, lovely! I love Jem as he first appears - nice to see things from his POV
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| Author: | Abi [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Looks most interesting! |
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| Author: | charli [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Looking forward to more Thanks.
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| Author: | Liz K [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 1:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Mm mmmmmmmmmmm, sounds good, can't wait for more please. |
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| Author: | KathrynW [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 8:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet |
Nell wrote: Looking good Kathryn! And I like the challenge you've set yourself with the CSBB!! It seems a worse and worse idea now! Thanks for all the comments, here is a bit more. Some of this may look familiar  Suddenly, above the shrieks came a shout of ‘Fire!’ James turned to see that the foremost carriage was now ablaze and already men were tearing along, working madly to save those in deadly peril. James rushed forwards, repeating that he was a doctor and could help the injured. Men were pulling dazed passengers from the train; some were badly burnt and others could not breathe for the smoke. James administered what medical aid he could and helped to drag the injured away from the wreckage. He was stopped by the sight of a fat woman who was badly jammed in the window-frame of one of the compartments. The woman’s long grey hair was streaming wildly round her face as she struggled violently to get free of the window-frame which held her gripped in a vice. As she shrieked ‘Das Feuer! Das Feuer!’, James noticed a slight woman dash towards the window. ‘Steady’, James heard the rescuer say in a low, musical English voice. The fat woman responded with a torrent of wild German as her rescuer struggled. There was a sound of rending and tearing and a sudden gasp, and then the fat woman suddenly shot out over the wheels and on to the heap of stones, her clothes in shreds, but otherwise safe. As the English lady began to sway, James sprung forwards and caught her just as her legs buckled. There was a cry from a thin, black-haired girl who broke free of the care of two older girls. ‘Madge! Madge, darling!’ ‘Stand back’, James replied in English. ‘She’s fainted, that’s all. Let’s get her away from here’. Although his voice was kind, there was no mistaking the authority in it as he carried the woman to a field away from the train and laid her on a coat. From his pocket, he pulled out a flask and held it to the woman’s lips. With an effort she pulled herself together and pushed it away. ‘No, no,’ she said. ‘Oh, Madge!’ sobbed the girl. ‘O—ooh! I thought you—you w—were dead!’ ‘Hush!’ said James. ‘She’ll be all right in a minute, kiddy. It’s only whisky-and-water I’m giving you, Madam. Better take a little to buck you up!’ ‘No; I’m all right!’ With an effort she sat up, pushing the hair off her face. The girl promptly flung her arms round her, hugging her tightly. ‘Oh, Madge darling! Oh, I had such a fright! Oh, Madge!’ ‘There! That’ll do,’ said James. ‘You’re not helping her, kid. Let her alone for a minute or two to come round. It’s quite all right—the other kids are safe enough, and—oh, you plucky girl! It was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen!’ ‘It was nothing,’ returned the lady, who was rapidly coming to herself. ‘Joey! Don’t strangle me, child! Let me get up!’ |
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| Author: | Alison H [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 30/09) |
Never thought about it much before, but it's really good that Jem meets Madge when she's rescuing someone, rather than the later pattern of male doctor rescues helpless female teacher/pupil .
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 30/09) |
How very true, Alison - and yet he still gets to do a little bit of rescuing of his own! Thankyou; I really can't wait to see where you take this next. (More soon please?) |
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| Author: | Llywela [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 11:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 30/09) |
So interesting to explore a familiar event from a different perspective! |
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| Author: | Abi [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 7:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 30/09) |
Good point Alison - I hadn't thought of that before either. She is very heroic.
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| Author: | Finn [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 8:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 30/09) |
Madge used to be cool, before she went all maternal...  Thanks, Kathryn! |
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| Author: | KathrynW [ Fri Oct 01, 2010 1:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 30/09) |
A bit more for a Friday afternoon...thanks for all your comments! As she struggled to her feet, she began to sway and James quickly flung an arm around her shoulders to steady her. ‘There!’ he said rather roughly. ‘Come over here and sit down a minute! You can’t do everything at once! I’ll send the other kids along, and you’ll be all right in a minute. No, there’s nothing you can do. Everyone got clear but the driver. He fell on his head, poor chap! Even your fat rescue is recovered enough to fuss about having no skirt on——’ ‘Yes; and oh, Madge, who do you think it is?’ interrupted the girl, with considerable lack of both manners and grammar. ‘It’s Frau Berlin!’ ‘Oh, goodness!’ ‘Isn’t it rum? And we left Paneirimo because of her and Grizel, and then you save her life! Yes, you did. The carriage got on fire just as you slithered down. If it hadn’t been for you, she’d have been burnt to death! She was only bumped a bit, and she wanted to kiss you, only that man came and hiked you off into this field, and she suddenly found her clothes were all torn, so she wouldn’t follow us! Grizel and Juliet are over there. They aren’t hurt, and nor am I. Do buck up, Madge!’ James stood to one side, smiling as he listened to the tumult of words. He could see that his patient had suffered no serious ill-effects. The two older girls approached the party at that point and the story was told again. Eventually, he intervened. ‘Now then, you kids, let’s go and see what we can do about getting on. I know this place, and we’re about ten miles from anywhere, Besides, Miss——?’ ‘Bettany,’ she supplied with a smile. ‘These are my sister Joey, and two of my pupils—Grizel Cochrane and Juliet Carrick.’ ‘Ah, thank you,’ he replied. ‘My name’s Russell—James Russell, at your service. Well, as I was going to say, Miss Bettany, you had better get somewhere where you can lie down for a bit.’ He took one last look back at the crash scene. All the passengers had been moved clear of the fire and men had arrived with buckets and hoses to see to the flames. There didn’t appear to be anything more that he could do to help. He turned to the party, ‘There’s a main road goes past here somewhere, and, with luck, we ought to get a lift in something. If you will take my arm, I think we can get there all right, and we can’t do anything here.’ |
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| Author: | Finn [ Fri Oct 01, 2010 1:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 01/10) |
This is set in my favourite part of the series - looking forward to more, Kathryn! |
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| Author: | Alison H [ Fri Oct 01, 2010 1:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 01/10) |
Madge and Jem were both great in the early books. |
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 01/10) |
I do like this! Thankyou! |
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| Author: | Abi [ Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 01/10) |
Jem seems so normal here! 
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| Author: | KathrynW [ Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 01/10) |
A little more. Thanks for all your comments. It took them some time to make it to the road but just as they reached it, a peasant came past with an empty hay-cart. After several hours, they reached a tiny village where James saw his charges safely into a Gasthaus. ‘Are you going to stay here too?’ asked Joey, now a firm friend. ‘No. I need to be getting onto Innsbruck. I think Miss Bettany needs to stay here for a day or two to rest.’ He turned to Madge, ‘Would you like me to wire to the school and let them know of the delay?’ ‘Oh yes, please. Let me give you the address. Joey-baba, can you hand me my writing case? Miss Maynard, one of the staff, will be expecting us.’ She carefully wrote the address on a piece of paper and handed it to James. ‘Thank you for all that you have done Mr Russell. I don’t know how to thank you.’ ‘There is no need to thank me, Miss Bettany. No need at all. And now I will take my leave of you and fulfil the last part of my commission.’ How bowed seriously as he said this and was rewarded with broad grins from all of the party. ‘Let us not say goodbye,’ he continued with a twinkle in his eye, ‘just farewell until we meet again fair maidens.’ With this, he left the inn to seek an alternative means of transport. He realised as he did so that he felt lighter of heart than he had for many years. As he walked along the side of the road, he started whistling a tune from his youth. Maybe, he thought, just maybe he could be happy again. |
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| Author: | Alison H [ Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:05 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 05/10) |
It's lovely to see Jem like this. |
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 05/10) |
Aww, how sweet! Thankyou! |
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| Author: | Abi [ Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 05/10) |
Ah, nice Jem.
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| Author: | Mia [ Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 01/10) |
KathrynW wrote: ‘Let us not say goodbye,’ he continued with a twinkle in his eye, ‘just farewell until we meet again fair maidens.’ This is amazing Kathryn. Thank you |
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 2:41 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 05/10) |
Thanks, am really enjoying this |
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| Author: | Cath V-P [ Thu Oct 07, 2010 9:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 05/10) |
That's rather nice - a happy reminder of the early books. Thank you! |
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| Author: | KathrynW [ Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 05/10) |
So it turns out that I actually had some more of this written...oops. This is also probably littered with EBDisms that I've forgotten about...is Miss Maynard even there are this time??! I am such a bad drabbler! When James Russell reached the school the next day, he was shown into the headmistress’ sitting room. He did not have long to wait until a woman with a worried look on her face appeared. ‘I’m afraid the headmistress is not here at present. I’m Miss Maynard. Can I be of assistance?' 'Just the person I was looking for! James Russell at your service, I bear tidings of your headmistress. I'm afraid she got rather caught up in a train crash yesterday' 'A crash? My goodness. Is she injured? How are the girls?' 'Oh yes, there is no cause for concern. She merely fainted with the effort of rescuing a passenger who had got trapped.’ James neglected to repeat Joey’s rather picturesque description of the woman after the event. 'I have given her strict instructions to rest for a few days before continuing her journey. I’m sure you’re more than capable of holding the fort in her absence.' 'Poor Madge. Are you sure I shouldn’t go to her? She has all the girls to cope with.’ ‘She’ll be right as rain in a day or two, please do not worry unduly. It will take them a little while to clear the tracks in any event.’ ‘If you’re sure that she doesn’t need my help...’ ‘I can’t imagine,’ James said with a wry smile, ‘that she needs much help with anything!’ Miss Maynard laughed, ‘That’s certainly true. Thank you for coming all this way to pass on the message.' 'It was no trouble at all. I had some business to attend to nearby.' 'Will you be here long? I'm sure Miss Bettany will be anxious to thank you properly on her return.' 'I am returning to England tomorrow but I don’t imagine I’ll be a stranger for too much longer.’ With this enigmatic remark, James stood up, shook hands and bade farewell. Miss Maynard smiled to herself as she watched the doctor's retreating figure, 'Yes,’ she thought, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a lot more of you.’ |
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| Author: | JB [ Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 07/02) |
Thanks, Kathryn. Good to see another update. Miss Maynard joined the school during its first term so she would have been around for this. |
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| Author: | roversgirl [ Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 07/02) |
This is lovely. Thank you 
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 07/02) |
How very sharp of her! Thankyou! |
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| Author: | Alison H [ Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Only the mountains never meet (updated 07/02) |
Nice to see more of this. |
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