Pharmakon by Dwimordene

[dwimordene-2011.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge:O67: Aspects of Aragorn: Traveller; Magic and Real: Chronicle of a Death Foretold - Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Rangers of the North: The Sceptre of Annúminas; Roles and Names of Aragorn: Stranger; Scientific achievement: pharmacy
Format: Ficlet (150 words)
Genre: Drama
Rating: K+
Characters: Aragorn, Gondor
Pairings: n/a
Summary: "'Poisoning' [is] not the least usual meaning of 'pharmacia.'"




Pharmakon

The wise traveller learns the lay of the land – finds a map, a view, a vantage. Two scepters in stone relief surmount the door to the Tower war room: Osgiliath and Annúminas, writ in stone alliance. On the great map table lies Gondor, mighty in memory: there is no Rohan, but Calenardhon; no Harad but Harondor.

Yet Ecthelion and Denethor debate: they weigh the weaknesses of men from Minas Tirith to Dol Amroth, and play one here, another there, to scrape a bloc together. For their patient sickens yearly – perhaps is dying, and triage has made kingdoms of provinces, allies out of amputations. Raids sink ships and cities. Endings abound. Gondor withers.

If he would not be a stranger, he must deal in bitter medicine, but he tires of playing for parts and pieces and another short season.

“Umbar,” Aragorn says, and the council quiets, horrified. “We raid the shipyards.”

---

"Poisoning [is] not the least usual meaning of pharmacia." - Jacques Derrida, "Plato's Pharmacy."

(Is there a "Scientific Achievement card" tag?)

Comments

[aliana1.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're just cranking 'em out, aren't you? I am admirous. I love the way you use the "pharmacy" prompt here (see, there is life without econ!), and the metaphor of Gondor as an ailing, broken patient is all too apt. I think I recognize the old timey map from LDID, too.

“Umbar,” Aragorn says, and the council quiets, horrified. “We raid the shipyards.”

*claps excitedly* Hope this is the beginning of a longer Umbar sequence!

[starli-ght.livejournal.com]

Aliana wrote:
"Hope this is the beginning of a longer Umbar sequence!"

Can I second that? :-D

Loved this. And, I just have to say you're on fire! All of these lovely ficlets in one day, Yay! Very original use of the prompts, and my favorite phrase is, actually "the council quiets, horrified." You can so feel the tension fill the room. Well done!

[dwimordene-2011.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Starlight! I wish I could write that Umbar story, too - it really needs to be done.

But in terms of sheer fic-tonnage, I think Rhyselle is beating me all bloody - she is in high gear with her muse.

my favorite phrase is, actually "the council quiets, horrified." You can so feel the tension fill the room.

Glad that worked! :-D

[dwimordene-2011.livejournal.com]

Well, we'll see about the longer series - it sort of depends on prompts and energy and time availability right now.

Wow, you're just cranking 'em out, aren't you?

I'm trying to be economical in my writing! As many prompts as possible for one story. (Except that femslash house of Finwë thing... sheesh.)

The LDID map has so much of goodness in it, I could not resist reusing it for this prompt.