33. Real And Complex Analysis
"Oh, I ate too much," John Scurr groaned as he slid into bed next to his wife. His hair and beard were still perfect.
"Quit your bellyaching, Doctor," Irene teased. "Nobody forced you to clean your plate each course."
"I didn't want to offend my employer," John retorted light-heartedly.
"Which seemingly put you in the minority tonight," Irene noted dryly. "That was a very strange dinner party. Actually, the whole day was highly unusual."
"Welcome to Arendelle, I guess," John remarked. "We were apprised that this place is on the unusual side. Any misgivings about our decision, now that you've seen it a bit?"
"Well, I hadn't given much thought to the international relations here," Irene confessed. "You know that I'm allergic to politics."
"I doubt we'll be mixing with the diplomats very often. Tonight was a special occasion," John reminded her. "I'll be too busy working in the clinics, teaching, and studying the Queen's magic, and you'll be too busy bringing little lives into the world to take tea with ambassadors."
"And too busy making sure Adam and Beatrice aren't bringing home lizards and bugs," Irene quipped.
"We knew that we were taking the children to a magic kingdom, that a few escapades are going to be inescapable. And for the record, tonight's bedtime tuck-in was one of the smoothest we've ever had," John pointed out.
"Except for Beatrice wanting to know what the Princess did to cause trouble. What are we going to tell her?" Irene asked.
"The truth," John said simply. "That Princess Anna more or less spoiled her sister's dessert in a misguided attempt to reprimand the Queen for not finishing her supper."
"I suppose it doesn't sound so bad or worth imitating when you phrase it like that," Irene allowed. "But I don't want our little ones to get any designs. I suspect that, as big-hearted as Princess Anna is, she might not always set the best example for impressionable young minds."
"Says the woman who flung a snowball squarely at a crown princess' forehead more than once today," John accused facetiously.
"It was a sanctioned, all-comers snowball fight! Her Highness was giving as good as she got," Irene said with mock defensiveness. "If she's off-limits, she shouldn't have participated."
"Yes, but I get the feeling things can quickly turn from all-comers to off-limits. It isn't always just fun and games in Arendelle," John repeated soberly. "Like the young woman we met whose brother fell through the ice. I suspect that, as big-hearted as Princess Anna is, she might be a little more vulnerable than she lets on."
"She was certainly upset by Monsieur d'Ambly's outburst," Irene agreed. "Much more so than the Queen appeared to be, even though Her Majesty took the brunt of it. And the Princess' reaction this afternoon when Beatrice said that her sister must have been fun to play with was surprising."
"Not really, after I thought about it a little when-" John began.
"When you were combing your hair?" Irene tweaked.
"When I was watching the royal sisters interact this evening," John corrected with faux impatience. "Princess Anna was just as shocked as everyone else when her sister's powers were revealed, so the logical conclusion is that there never were any magically enhanced playtimes. And given the reported gist of Princess Anna's own outburst at the coronation ball, they probably didn't do much conventional playing together, either."
Irene mulled over her husband's line of reasoning. "Doesn't sound like much fun was had. I suppose I can understand Her Highness being a little overenthusiastic about certain things now. But we need to make it very clear to the children that just because the Princess or Olaf does something, it doesn't mean they should do it, too. Or even tag along."
"And here I thought your biggest concern would be Beatrice falling under the Queen's sway in matters of fashion," John wisecracked.
"Yes, well, I can't say I'm totally pleased about the cut of that dress, especially without stockings, but since it hasn't started a trend, and since the welfare of children seems to be a top priority for Her Majesty, I am prepared to accept a few trifling eccentricities," Irene proclaimed drolly.
"Is that a fancy way of saying you like her?" John queried.
"I like her as much as I can like a person that I've barely met. What she did at that little waterfront demonstration was on the intimidating side," Irene admitted, "but so far she's living up to her reputation for generosity and far-sightedness. What do you think of her?"
"Before we found out that the Queen ate a big lunch, I did side with Princess Anna that Her Majesty ought to have done a better job on her roast beef - although not to the point that I thought a public scolding was called for. She was astonishingly composed and considerate through of all tonight's gaffes," John lauded. "Neither an eruption of magic nor of mundane temper."
"After everything I saw today, I have a hard time believing someone so self-controlled once accidentally froze the country," Irene stated.
"At the table discussion this morning, she told us that she panicked when her powers slipped," John explained. "And then she thought she had fled far enough away to loosen up, without affecting anyone else."
Irene was silent for a few beats as she inferred some of the unspoken details. "Thank goodness Adam and Beatrice don't have magic," she finally said and resisted the urge to go hug the now-sleeping boy and girl. "As amazing as Queen Elsa is, I'm glad our children are perfectly ordinary. No powers, no aristocratic titles."
John rolled onto his side and drew his wife close. "Me, too," he sighed. "Just a normal family is all I ever wanted, and ever will want."
"I knew you had a good head on your shoulders, Dr. Scurr," Irene said softly as she ruffled his hair. It was a little nighttime ritual of theirs.
"Thanks a bunch, Midwife Scurr," he responded as always, snuggling up against her.
"We should get some rest. We might have to help Prof. Mandelbaum get Debora out of the castle's art gallery tomorrow," Irene chuckled.
"Always ready to assist those in need, that's our motto," John murmured as he shut his eyes and breathed in the scent of the woman he loved. He was tired from all the day's activities, and the weight of a full stomach was lulling him to sleep.
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"Oh, I think we made a mistake coming here," Eliasz Mandelbaum groaned as he slid into bed next to his wife.
"Quit your bellyaching, Professor," Debora reproved. "You don't really mean that. Here is not nearly as bad as there."
"You know that I'm allergic to politics," Eliasz bleated.
"You won't be exposed to much of it," Debora insisted. "You'll be teaching at the university, studying the Queen's magic, or doing research and development with Waclaw. And I sincerely doubt that anyone will march in and forcibly shut down Arendelle's university until further notice. Unlike there."
"But perhaps we should reevaluate some of the other places that had academic posts available," Eliasz hedged. "I have two weeks to make my final decision before confirming that I'll join the staff here."
"None of the other schools allow women to enroll," Debora said emphatically. "We came to Arendelle as much for the opportunity for Zlata to get a degree as for your career."
"Why does the most scholastically progressive country in the world also have to be the most dangerous?" Eliasz whined.
"Arendelle is hardly the most dangerous country, and you know it," Debora admonished. "This place is stable politically, thriving economically, and tolerant socially. Not exactly a powder keg ready to go off. You were so eager to come here and teach and investigate the magic. What's gotten into you?"
"This place is also filled with people who are foolish enough to provoke someone who could kill everybody at least seven different ways," Eliasz grumbled.
"And you don't think a run-of-the-mill monarch doesn't have a wide selection of ways to have everybody killed? That the Emperor that we left behind didn't get 'imaginative' when punishing some of the rebels and dissidents?" Debora reproached.
"Yes, but everyone knows better than to cross the Emperor, whereas we just saw two people do it in one night here," Eliasz argued.
"First off, not everyone there knew better than to cross the Emperor, or else you wouldn't have been looking for a new position," Debora observed dryly. "Secondly, we just saw two people cross Queen Elsa ... and nothing horrible happened. No blizzards, no beheadings. In fact, Her Majesty apologized to us for the commotion."
"Doesn't anything about today bother you?" Eliasz questioned sharply.
"Well, I have been trying to wrap my mind around how, in a Christian majority country, a person with obviously pagan powers created a Jewish snowman. It's a theological conundrum," Debora razzed.
"Will you be serious?" Eliasz sputtered.
"I am serious. I hope Father Papadopoulos will research it," Debora said primly.
Eliasz exhaled noisily and tried a different approach. "Aren't you worried that Zlata will take to dressing like the Queen?"
"I'm confident that we've raised Zlata well enough for her to make good choices," Debora chided. "For her to see what aspects of Queen Elsa are appropriate for her to take as a model. Her Majesty has been governing Arendelle since she was about as old as Zlata is now, and it looks like she's been doing a fine job, so there are worse examples for Zlata -or any other young adult- to follow."
"So you really want to stay?" Eliasz asked with an air of resignation.
"Yes. Or at least I want to give it longer than three days, one of which was spent getting bundled off the ship and unpacked. Why are you so convinced we should leave already?" Debora inquired.
"I'm only trying to protect us. Dunderheaded politicians, an impulsive princess, and an incredibly powerful magical queen seems like a disaster waiting to happen," Eliasz maintained. "You saw that little display of destruction by the waterfront today. You know enough about physics and engineering to understand just how powerful Queen Elsa is."
Debora reflected for a few moments. "I also know enough about human nature to understand just how powerful Queen Elsa is. Think about how she dealt with those two attempts on her life during the Eternal Winter, by that young Prince and that Duke and his bodyguards. She let them go. She could have killed them, especially the Prince, and most people wouldn't have found fault with her. But instead she simply sent them back to their own countries. No declaration of war, no demands for reparations. That's how powerful Queen Elsa is."
Eliasz rolled onto his side and looked at his wife with concern. "Debora, my love, I think you're drunk."
"Hardly, Eliasz. Power is when we have every good reason to kill, and we still don't," Debora said gravely. "That kind of self-control and virtue is real power, stronger than anything her magic did to the steel and concrete today."
"Is that a fancy way of saying you like her?" Eliasz probed.
"I don't know her well enough yet to like her - but I certainly trust her. If she wanted to be a tyrant, she would have done it by now," Debora reasoned.
"At the table discussion this morning, Homberg asked her why she hadn't taken over the world. She said there was nothing to be gained that wasn't easier to get and keep by peaceful means," Eliasz told her.
"See, then? Her Majesty has a good head on her shoulders. So far, she's living up to her reputation: She thinks things through; she's fair and consistent and honest. Just like a certain fellow I know," Debora said, and stroked her husband's grey hair; she felt his tension diminish. "She also gives you a run for the money in the awkward joke contest."
"Thanks a bunch, Mrs. Mandelbaum," Eliasz said with feigned sarcasm as he cuddled up against her. "To think that I married you because you help me with my people skills."
"You married me for my smooth moves on the dance floor," Debora amended. "Not that we've done much dancing lately. This Harvest Festival sounds very appealing. Princess Anna mentioned that there will be a big celebration in the courtyard for everybody while the formal ball is held on Saturday night."
"You just want to stay here for the parties," Eliasz laughed.
"Guilty as charged," Debora played along. "We came to Arendelle as much for my business and the lively social scene as for Zlata's education and your career."
"Something for the whole family," Eliasz commented wryly, and blinked sleepily.
"If Jakub could move here too, I would be a very contented mother," Debora sighed.
"One step at a time, my love. Let's get settled in first before we try convincing the newlyweds to relocate," Eliasz counseled and gently laced his fingers through hers.
"Now you talk like your usual sensible self," Debora said and stifled a yawn. "I knew you still had it in you."
"We should get some rest," Eliasz advised. "We're no longer spring chickens. I can't remember the last time we had a snowball fight."
"You had fun, didn't you, Professor?" Debora prodded affectionately.
"Yes," Eliasz owned up after a few seconds. "I felt like a kid again."
"Queen Elsa really is a miracle worker," Debora joshed as she capitulated to her heavy eyelids.
"Please don't act like a kid tomorrow during the castle tour - or when it ends," Eliasz drowsily jibed back and nestled his head close to hers.
"Promised," Debora whispered, and they surrendered to the tug of sleep.
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"Oh, why can't these clouds cooperate for more than three minutes?" Friedrich Homberg groaned as his latest celestial target was shrouded from view.
"Quit your bellyaching, mister," Father Papadopoulos recommended good-humoredly. "There's no use in railing against nature."
"You should know that better than any of us," Sinibaldo chimed in. He had set up his own telescope and had joined the Prussian naturalist and Newark in scanning the sky after the Scurrs, the Mandelbaums, and Duffin had left.
"Even though we're looking through devices made by someone who has at least some portion of nature at her very beck and call," Newark uttered with a smirk.
"Touché, sir," Papadopoulos grinned.
"I hope the conditions are better when I get a night at the big observatory," Homberg said.
"I'm sure Her Majesty will let you reschedule if there's bad weather," the priest reassured him. "She seems very mindful of other people's needs."
"Yes, Queen Elsa seems to understand and value scientific endeavors. I don't see her saying 'Tough luck,' if your turn is a wash out," concurred Sinibaldo.
"But you may have to wait for another opening because there are other people in line," Newark added. "Although apparently the Snow Queen can summon her own squalls to contest with the prevailing winds and create a clear window, even though she is usually extremely loath to do so. Something about not wanting to meddle too much with nature or do anything that might be construed as an act of war, like blowing a storm into another country."
"Not quite the stereotypical concerns of a young queen," Papadopoulos contemplated. "All that power at her beck and call, and a level head to go with it."
"Thank goodness. Especially for that young man who had a little too much to drink," Homberg put in. "She never lost her self-control tonight."
"Except for the little wardrobe malfunction with her cape," Sinibaldo said mischievously. "But otherwise, I didn't detect the slightest chill or see any snow or ice."
"Her Majesty was obviously expecting trouble. You saw how she was keeping an eye on the Frenchmen and mustered the troops around the Princess before Monsieur d'Ambly hurled his invective," Newark analyzed. "She very nearly had everything subtly maneuvered into a harmless impasse - until Her Highness tripped it up."
"Ugh, I'm allergic to politics," Homberg grimaced.
"I'm not," Newark asserted with a wink. "I must say it was quite entertaining to watch an expert working at her craft tonight. Queen Elsa has clearly been well taught in more than just mathematics."
"Yes. Thus far, I haven't seen any signs of her being 'like a babe lost in the woods,' with anything," Sinibaldo said.
"Except making jokes and puns," Homberg chortled. "Hers are so bad that it's almost funny."
"Nobody's perfect," Papadopoulos upheld with a smile.
"Is that a fancy way of saying you like her?" Newark asked with a measured glance.
"I believe so," the priest granted.
"That's not saying very much; you like everyone," Homberg said kindly.
"Thanks a bunch," Papadopoulos acknowledged genially. "But at the present I do believe Queen Elsa is something special. That her magical powers are perhaps only the ... tip of the iceberg."
Homberg, Sinibaldo, and Newark rolled their eyes in unison.
"It's contagious," Sinibaldo muttered lightheartedly.
Newark choked back a laugh. "Well, gentlemen, since the clouds are unaccommodating, I'm heading back to my inn. It's been quite a day, and that castle tour tomorrow sounds intriguing. I'd like to see what other attractions besides fine art and flush toilets lie within." The Myrcian began to disassemble his telescope.
"A prudent suggestion," Homberg said, and he and Sinibaldo followed suit.
When they had all gathered their souvenirs from dinner, they nodded amicably to each other and went their various ways to their lodgings.
Upon entering his rented room, Newark carefully placed the box and the tripod on the table and fished out the microscope. He briefly fiddled with the dials and switches, and jumped back in surprise when turning one of the controls produced a bright, white-blue light underneath the specimen stage. He laughed with delight. "A king's ransom," Newark repeated.
He dug out the canister containing the snowball fight substance, carried it over to a window, set it on the sill, and looked out at the sleeping port town.
"A king's ransom. Elsa of Arendelle, you are magnificent," Newark said to himself, as he opened the canister and ran his fingers through the powdery material, sifting it between his hands as he marveled at its consistency. "You far surpass your reputation. You are beyond anything that I dared to imagine in my greatest fantasies." He closed his hand into a fist, forming the distinctive snow into a firm ball. "And you are going to help me get back what's mine."
Author's Notes - DUN DUN DUUNNN! The music stings! Hey, it's only taken 100K+ words for one day, and for our first schemer (other than Anna) to be revealed. You probably guessed Prof. Newark was up to something; now you have to find out if you sympathize with his cause and/or how awful what he wants Elsa to do to accomplish it will be.
The Mandelbaums are referring to the November Uprising of Poland against the Russian Empire and its aftermath (the University of Warsaw was shut down for a couple of decades). Their discourse about "power" is a shout-out to "Schindler's List." My view of why Elsa simply sends Hans and the Duke back to their respective countries is that she really has learned her lesson about what power is. She's not Incorruptible Pure Pureness. She very much would have killed the Duke's mooks, even though she had them neutralized, even though she could have found a non-lethal method to evict them from her premises. She knows she has the you-can't-say-that-in-a-Disney-film-mate power to kill, the power to kill arbitrarily. But instead she more or less pardons them (give or take a trade embargo). Elsa the Good.
There will be a few Disney theme park jokes working their way in, so be prepared.
Up next is "Tuesday," which will feature: [Totally Honest Trailer Narrator Voice]talking, conversing, chatting, speaking, and discussing.[/Totally Honest Trailer Narrator Voice] Elsa has her interview with Duffin, a lecture for Kai and the kitchen/serving staff, a warning for the diplomats (yeah, baby!), a chat with Kristoff, and another sisterly dialogue. Anna, meanwhile, crashes the castle tour. Because stuff has to happen.
