Watch the Rabbit, not the Magician
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Tristan has been called many things. I've promoted him as the psychopath time traveler. I posted this recently:
Psychopath. Monster....
Magician.
Wait? Magician?
Jamie grapples to understand what drives Tristan to "dangle scissors precariously over history" as he manipulates Time seemingly with no other purpose than to cause trouble...and erase people.
In Sisterhood of the Sword, Tristan alludes that "all this" is a game. What sort of game, Jamie wonders, requires innocent people to be erased. She vows not to play his game. However, Tristan will not go away so lightly, and here we are at Time by Einstein. Tristan is returning. And Jamie will continue to grapple with someone who seemingly has no concern for anyone but himself.
A new theme sneaked into Sisterhood of the Sword. This theme will continue into Time by Einstein and further into next year's book. This blog intends to give you an inside tip so you can better catch the slight of hand that only a magician can perform.
When Jamie and Tristan met in World War II Halifax (Sisterhood of the Sword) he challenged her: I notice everything. Are you paying attention? I hope you’re sitting straight. Things are about to get fun!
Fun is his choice of word, but he's warned her. Things are not as they seem. Have you caught the subtle shifts?
From Sisterhood of the Sword:
“So what are you?” I (Jamie) ignored his odd turn of phrase.
“Like am I Fae or an Otherworldly being?”
“I don’t want to put words in your mouth.”
He thought a moment. “I should call you Roberta Sparrow.”
“Don’t change subjects.”
“If I am something, I am the Artifact. I don’t mean like Lumen, although I supposed it could also be an Artifact, in context. Ever see the movie Donnie Darko?”
It clicked. It clicked so hard my head hurt again as thunder rolled above my head. Bruce had once referred to me as an artifact. “You’re kidding, right?”
“The Artifact. The Living Receiver. The Manipulated Living and Dead. Primary Universe. Tangent Universe,” he ticked off terms. “Any super fan of Donnie Darko understands.”
Not so long ago Bruce had compared me to the anomaly that remained on an overused VCR tape. An image—the anomaly —bled through a recording which had been recorded over and over until the tape lost its integrity. He utilized the analogy to explain a shifting timeline where certain facts—but not all—were altered. Like how Eliyana could die and I, her decedent, still lived in a timeline altered midstream. Bruce’s comparison seemed overly simple compared to Tristan’s entangled verbosity.
“Einstein used his own terms, but boiled down, Donnie Darko is a twist on his Theory of Quantum mechanics.”
“So you’re saying we’re still in an alternate universe due to your actions—actions which impact my life. That’s why you expect we’ll keep meeting. You’re the Artifact, the first sign that a tangent universe—a parallel universe—exists. You really enjoy messing with Time, don’t you?”
He halted again. “Eliyana’s corner of the world was unimportant.”
I sidestepped, envisioning him in a hideous rabbit suit. “All life is important. Don’t patronize me by minimizing the scale of your handiwork.”
***
This is the first reference to a "rabbit" in the series. This snippet also introduces Einstein and the movie Donnie Darko. If you're familiar with it, you're familiar with that rabbit.
In Time by Einstein, there is a scene, which will be partially redacted to help avoid spoilers:
“Aw, come now,” {he} fired back to the mute statue. “We don’t need to play this game. It’s just the two of us, or should I say the one of us, since I am you, and you are me.” He laughed loud and long at his own hilarity. “I am magician and rabbit!”
***
While the meaning of this may not be immediately understood, we know a magician's traditional trick is to pull a rabbit out of his hat. Is Tristan using magic to manipulate Time? No, the answer is never that simple. Not with him. His plans, his tricks are bigger than that.
He further says: "But are you watching the rabbit or the magician? Pay attention or you might miss it.”
I simply scowled, and he erupted in laughter.
***
So pay attention. Sit straight. Tristan is about to unleash his own brand of "magic" as he manipulates Time in Time by Einstein. He's upping his game. Will Jamie ever consider "playing" with him in an attempt to stop him? Or will she continue to worry about the consequences of her own actions upon Time?
Get the book!
Time by Einstein and The Wild Hunt are both available internationally on Amazon. However, if you are in the Halifax area, there are other options.
Time by Einstein and The Wild Hunt are both available.
You can purchase any of the Jamie Poole Books directly from the author. Arrangements can be made by emailing: JamiePooleBooks@gmail.com.
We are pleased to announce that we will be returning to Hal-Con this year as a vendor. Here are DETAILS.
Additionally Dartmouth Book Exchange is a preferred vendor who can assist you in getting the books any time of year. If you are a customer of Dartmouth Book Exchange, ask them about the special we are running for Hal-Con and Dartmouth Book Exchange. This special is good until November 10, 2024.
