Retcon
I just made the staggering and baffling discovery that when I typed up my first Quantum Leap/Knightmare fanfic, Enter, Leaper, which I treated as my passport into the Knightmare fan community, I left out an entire page/scene. If any readers have picked up on the continuity errors thrown up by its absence, none has said anything! But maybe it's better that I discovered this myself, even if it has taken over 7 years. Anyway, the scene is now in place. For reference, it's below, but it won't mean much out of context. I won't link to the complete story, but I think you know where to find it if you want to (re)read it.
Emerging onto the precipice of a grim rock face that rose and fell into darkness, Sam’s gaze was grabbed by the irate, scantily-clad woman crouching several metres away. Competing for Sam’s gaze was the excruciatingly huge, furry, arachnophobic’s nightmare clambering down the rock face toward her. Sam was reminded of an unspecific 1950s monster movie he’d probably never seen.
"You! Motley!" screamed the woman. "My blade will not stop the creature. I require assistance!" She sounded reluctant to ask for help, but Sam doubted that his costume inspired confidence. The Dungeoneer wasn’t here. Sam’s second of hesitation has been too long for the unfortunate woman, who shouted at him again. She was surprisingly imperious.
"Jester! I demand assistance! Have you no magic?!"
Yes; Mellisandre has bestowed the WASH spell. But how to cast it?
"WASH!" Sam exclaimed. No effect.
Al had appeared, supplied with a knowledge of Dungeon magic.
"It’s a spell, Sam! Spell it! W, A, S, H!" Al called out, with Sam joining in. Immediately, they heard a dull hissing, getting louder; then a torrent of water spewed down the mountainside, at high speed. Sam lunged for a handhold in the rock face and avoided being removed as the eruption of water shot past, but he glimpsed the spider, legs flailing frustratedly, spinning downward and out of sight.
When the cascade had exhausted itself into a trickle, Sam saw the woman, hanging off the precipice. "Get up and help me!" she rasped. Sam almost preferred to remain where he was, and ruminate on the fact that he had just cast his first spell, but chose to help the green-clad Amazonian. Ignoring a certain lecherous hologram, Sam helped the soaking brunette, who offered him all too grudging gratitude, onto the ledge. Al quickly filled Sam in on her identity, Velda, the elf, adding sotto voce, "Sam, you wanna get dis damsel outta dis dress?"
"That is the first time the faeriekind have met aggression from Ariadne," said Velda, referring to the departed spider. I believe the balance of power in the Dungeon is being tilted somehow. I was intended to meet the Dungeoneer, and tell them that the second step is the ladder, but they were put on a different path."
Would this affect the leap? Sam wasn’t certain. "I need to find Mellisandre."
"Indeed," said the elf demurely. "You are headed in the right direction. Whereas I must hasten back to Vanburn and warn my kin of what has happened. Farewell." Miraculously dried, they headed off in opposite directions along the path.
Emerging onto the precipice of a grim rock face that rose and fell into darkness, Sam’s gaze was grabbed by the irate, scantily-clad woman crouching several metres away. Competing for Sam’s gaze was the excruciatingly huge, furry, arachnophobic’s nightmare clambering down the rock face toward her. Sam was reminded of an unspecific 1950s monster movie he’d probably never seen.
"You! Motley!" screamed the woman. "My blade will not stop the creature. I require assistance!" She sounded reluctant to ask for help, but Sam doubted that his costume inspired confidence. The Dungeoneer wasn’t here. Sam’s second of hesitation has been too long for the unfortunate woman, who shouted at him again. She was surprisingly imperious.
"Jester! I demand assistance! Have you no magic?!"
Yes; Mellisandre has bestowed the WASH spell. But how to cast it?
"WASH!" Sam exclaimed. No effect.
Al had appeared, supplied with a knowledge of Dungeon magic.
"It’s a spell, Sam! Spell it! W, A, S, H!" Al called out, with Sam joining in. Immediately, they heard a dull hissing, getting louder; then a torrent of water spewed down the mountainside, at high speed. Sam lunged for a handhold in the rock face and avoided being removed as the eruption of water shot past, but he glimpsed the spider, legs flailing frustratedly, spinning downward and out of sight.
When the cascade had exhausted itself into a trickle, Sam saw the woman, hanging off the precipice. "Get up and help me!" she rasped. Sam almost preferred to remain where he was, and ruminate on the fact that he had just cast his first spell, but chose to help the green-clad Amazonian. Ignoring a certain lecherous hologram, Sam helped the soaking brunette, who offered him all too grudging gratitude, onto the ledge. Al quickly filled Sam in on her identity, Velda, the elf, adding sotto voce, "Sam, you wanna get dis damsel outta dis dress?"
"That is the first time the faeriekind have met aggression from Ariadne," said Velda, referring to the departed spider. I believe the balance of power in the Dungeon is being tilted somehow. I was intended to meet the Dungeoneer, and tell them that the second step is the ladder, but they were put on a different path."
Would this affect the leap? Sam wasn’t certain. "I need to find Mellisandre."
"Indeed," said the elf demurely. "You are headed in the right direction. Whereas I must hasten back to Vanburn and warn my kin of what has happened. Farewell." Miraculously dried, they headed off in opposite directions along the path.