Monday,
November 9, 2009
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Aaaaand there went the big ol' expository lump
Didn't post this yesterday because I was up until 2 AM or so writing.
That being said, it was a thoroughly productive session, and I added
a chunk that explained the the cusp point for the AH background (I'm
using John Evangelist Walsh's theory that Elmira Shelton's brothers threatened
Poe in Philadelphia, then assaulted him in Baltimore when he tried to
return to Richmond, forcing him to get drunk -- not that hard with Poe,
he could get loaded on a single glass of wine -- and propping him up
in a dive bar in order to ruin his reputation and break off his engagement
with their sister. Yeah, yeah I know, but it's more dramatically interesting
than the cooping theory).
In the real world, according to Walsh's theory, Poe missed his connecting
train to Richmond and decided to collect his trunk and take a room at
a local hotel while waiting for the next train, at which point the Royster
boys jumped him. In my universe, Poe decides that collecting his trunk
and leaving the station is too dangerous; while hiding in the crowd at
the station he spots Alexander Royster and realizes the brothers are
still on his trail, so he bribes a signalman to lend him his uniform
and hightails it back to Richmond in the employee's carriage, at which
point Elmira swings into action (the more I read about her, the more
I suspect I would have liked her -- she loved Eddy, but she would have
straightened his ass out toot sweet, as well).
And now here he is two years later, happily married to Elmira and trying
to raise funds for the Stylus in England, when that little matter of
a dead chambermaid in his hotel room crops up. I love it when a plot
comes together.