Interview with Malick

 

Hello! My name is Jorick and I’m from Joleene Naylor’s Amaranthine series. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo-author magic, Jo normally has Katelina interview other authors’ characters but now we’re interviewing fellow Amaranthian’s with questions that come from you, the readers.

Today I am filling in for Katelina because we are interviewing Malick, and she didn’t feel up to the task. his interview is suspiciously well timed, as the fourth book, Ashes of Deceit, has just been released, and guess who is on the cover?

Jo: *interrupts* I would like to note that I have “capped” Malick’s special abilities for the space of this interview, so no one needs to worry about having their brains melted or anything. Being an author I can do that.Also, it was just luck that his interview was today. Okay, back to you, Jorick.

Jorick: MmHmm. Yes. Thank you. As I was saying, I am interviewing Malick, who is the head of the North American Guild.

Malick: And also your master, I believe. It is interesting that you neglected to mention this.

J: It didn’t seem important. These things drag on long enough without superfluous conversation.

M: You do not enjoy your moments in the lime light? Your chance to speak, unrestrained, and give out your version of all events? Ah! But I suppose the novels already carry your version, don’t they? So perhaps it is unnecessary.

J: There are questions for you. I suggest we get started. From Juli, “rumor has it that you’re ‘the oldest vampire in North America.’ I’m curious, what century were you turned in?”

M: Ahh! The curiosity of the young! So refreshing. You have asked for a century, my child, but I can give you better. It was in the sixth year of Nabonidus. Though perhaps by your modern dating conventions that does not tell so much. I imagine that you would say that it was between 600 and 500 BC. The exact date in your calendar eludes me.

J: From Bonnie, “Are the vampires in Munich older or stronger than you are?”

M: Ah! Munich and the True Council. Such an interesting question, as I do not believe the esteemed author has shown it to you yet. I understand that she plans to in the next volume. Are they older than I? Perhaps. As for strength, who can say. The contest would be a worthy one, assuming any of the ancient masters would stir from their slumber of indifference long enough to give one.

J: *clears throat* Yes. Moving on, another question from Juli, “Would you please tell us about the circumstances in which you were turned and a little about your sire. Is your sire still alive?”

M: An inquisitive mind, this Juli. How interesting. I have not spoken of my “sire” in many centuries. His appearance was of a beautiful youth, you would perhaps go so far as to call him a child by the standards of this time, but his age exceeded my own by nearly two hundred years. He had wearied of the company of those whose outward appearance matched his own, and so looked upon me as a nearer equal. When necessary, we passed ourselves as an old slave and young master, but as time progressed we turned to the more practical charade of father and son. As to his current existence, I could not say. If the rumors were true, then he is dead and has been for over a thousand years.

J: A final question from Juli, “It must be difficult to form friendships/relationships, when everyone around you is SOOOO much younger than yourself. You must feel as though you’re surrounded by “children” by comparison! Do you have anyone in your life that you can turn to, someone that you would consider a confidant or a friend?”

M: How very astute! Ah, but to have friends, child, one must have equals, and those are harder to find.

J: This question comes from Roger. “Don’t you ever get tired of blood? How about nice well done steak with chilli sauce?”

M: *laughs* A sense of humor, I see. How delightful. I can tell that he has never enjoyed the subtle bouquets of a well lived life. Can there be nothing better? For each person’s blood is as unique as they; teaming with their experiences, their turmoil, their fears, desires, the flavor of their environment. If one were tired of such a meal, it could only be because they have forgotten how to enjoy it.

J: As you say. Next is-

M: You seem to be in a rush, my son. Have you no comments to make? No witty banter to fit the spaces between the questions?

J: Not particularly, no.

M: Then why, I wonder, have you been sent to conduct this interview at all? Could I not have read the questions myself?

J: Yes. I suppose our… author wanted to make sure you didn’t skip any.

M: Did she? How interesting. I wonder which topics she felt I might shy away from? The question Bonnie asked about Kateesha, perhaps? Yes, let us have that one next.

J: *makes sound of annoyance* from Bonnie, “Did you and Kateesha have a thing going?”

M: “a thing”. What an interesting choice of words, Bonnie! Though you have not been specific, I can see clearly what you mean. No, we did not have the kind of romantic relationship you are imagining. I had hoped that Jorick would supply that for her.

J: You knew how I felt about her! A relationship of any kind with her would have been impossible!

M: *laughs lightly* Ah! How you like to pretend now! But you did not always spurn her advances so hotly. You have many virtues, my son, but chastity is not one of those. I believe this will lead nicely into the next question?

J: *growls low in throat* Also from Bonnie, “Why did you choose to turn Jorick?”

M: Aha! Even at an interview for another, it is Jorick who is the topic of interest! But I digress. The decision to give him immortality was not made lightly, for it should not be. Only the best and most interesting should be handed such a prize.  Look at him. Is he not beautiful? It was this that first caught my attention, but so many have been beautiful before and found wanting in other aspects. When I first clapped eyes on him, he was, of course, ignorant after the fashion of his people. Peasant stock, you might call him, but his lack of formal education did not diminish the intelligence that shone through his eyes. The potential was there. He lacked only the hand to guide his mind to the paths of knowledge that he so craved. But it was not just knowledge that he wanted, for it is not the virtues that makes one an intriguing companion, but the faults. My son is greedy. He wants it all – everything. He wants knowledge, and power, and strength, and what he has is never enough. Though he spouts the wisdom of old ones and claims to have cooled through his misery, he has not. The passion still burns in him, the hunger for more – more of everything. It is not enough to have loved, he must love more – longer, more fiercely, more completely. It is not enough to be strong, he must be the strongest, he must be feared-

J: if I want to be feared it’s only so others will leave me in peace!

M: Even in that you are greedy, for you want both peace and life at the same time. The thrill, the excitement, and yet you wish to have it at no personal cost, with no sacrifice on your part. You, my son, are a mass of greedy contradictions and THAT is why, when you came to me, demanding in your fury that I give you my strength, I honored your request.

J: Enough! There is another question from Bonnie-

M: But you have skipped dear Donna’s question, have you not? I believe that it follows this stream of thought. Since you will not ask it, I shall do so myself. Donna has asked of me, “Will you ever truly let Jorick go? You still seem to have some hold on him.” My answer must be this, does any parent let go of their child completely? Is there not always a pull, caused by the common blood, even among those parent/child sets who would claim to hate one another? His original biology is thanks to another, but was it not I who raised him from peasant to something greater? In all but the most biological, I am his father, and so he will always remain tied to me in that inexplicable way that a son can never be free of his parents.

J:*through clenched teeth* I am not tied-

M: Our dearest Donna has another question, it seems. Perhaps you would care to read it to me? Or shall I finish the interview on my own while you storm away in a fit of anger?

J: *growls* She wants to know what you think of the idiot.

M: I don’t believe that those were her exact words. “What do you think of Verchiel?” is her precise question, and an interesting one at that. Ah! Verchiel! What can one think of him? Just as I enjoy Jorick’s contradiction, so do I enjoy Verchiel’s seeming unpredictability. It is as if even he does not know what he will do from one moment to another, though there is more of a pattern than he thinks. I know which orders he will obey and which he will disobey, the interesting part is watching HOW he will do these things; how will he get from point a, to point b, as it were. Perhaps because of his mixed cultures, his mind is most intriguing.

J: He’s easy to predict. Just imagine the stupidest, most annoying, haphazard, imbecilic way of doing something, and that’s the path he’ll take.

M: You are unfair to him! Ah, but we all know why. Will you ask the next question?

J: I fail to see the obsession with the idiot, but Bonnie asks, “Why did you make Verchiel an Executioner when he is so unpredictable?”

M: For precisely that reason, my child. A little chaos is necessary if one wishes to maintain order, for just as you can not have light without dark, neither can there be discipline without its opposite. We are drawing to a close now, I see. But we have a final question.

J: It wasn’t for you. Barb wanted to ask it to Katelina-

M: And am I not equipped to answer it? Imagine even, that it is outside of my expertise, have I not seen her every thought and feeling, painted like figures on a sidewalk?

J: *growls low* I don’t think this is appropriate.

M: No, I imagine that you don’t. But I will answer it all the same. Barb has asked about sharing an intimate relationship with a vampire. She was kind enough to share a link (http://kenradaniels.com/2012/05/08/your-guide-to-sex-with-1/) and has asked, “-can [you] tell us if [Jo’s] vampires are like that?” Since the post it links to has a “checklist” of sorts, I shall do the same as it pertains to those living in the Amaranthine universe. I can not, however, speak for vampires in any other universe.

• Point 1 – horny vampires bite – yes, this is true.
• Point 2 – Vampires must be well fed or suffer a crisis of performance – yes and no. If you were to drain them dry, then the answer would be yes, however it is not necessary that they have fed immediately before, or even the same night of. It would be preferable for a human, however, for many reasons, one of which is that a hungry vampire is less likely to stop drinking.
• Point 3 – the vampire’s bite is pleasurable – yes, of course it is, if this is what the vampire has in mind, which, during intimate associations, one would assume would be at the forefront of his or her intent.
• Point 4 – vampires are pale and cold – they are paler, yes, but not necessarily white. I am not white. I was not white in mortal life, and so I am not so in immortality, either. The cold, however, is true unless they have fed on warm blood. Once they’ve fed, they’ll hold the warmth for several hours.
• Point 5 – vampires have increased stamina – I imagine so. Especially since it is not even necessary, for a vampire, to have the traditional “sexual contact” in order to have what is, in effect, sex. This leads back to points 1 and 3, as the sharing of the blood (or drinking of the blood if it does not go both ways) and the mental and para-physical connection are the actual ‘sexual act’ itself, while the more traditional physically “sexual” contact is superfluous and could even be viewed in the same light as “foreplay” – merely there to add to what is already taking place, or will take place.

J: I think that’s enough. You’ve answer the question… thoroughly. Thank you to our readers. Next week we’ll interview Jamie-

M: An odd choice. But, I believe he was a write in candidate, wasn’t he?

J: Yes. If you’re not sure who he is, he’s one of the Executioners. And with that we’re finished here. Hopefully I will NOT see you next week, and Katelina will return to her interviewing duties, or I’m going to demand a raise!

If you’d like to leave questions for Jamie, please check out this blog and leave them in the comments section. Thanks!

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Posted by Joleene Naylor on May 26, 2012

https://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/interview-with-malick/