Time

	In 1991, the 'Mother of all Battles' began as Operation Desert Storm was launched. Gulf War Allies send hundreds of planes on bombing raids into Iraq yet Saddam Hussein remained defiant. Warnings about weapons of mass destruction and alien technology buried deep in Iraq go unheeded. That was just crazy talk, surely?

The American, British, French, Saudi and Kuwaiti aircraft took off at 2330 GMT. Their bombs were aimed at military and strategic targets, including an oil refinery and Baghdad airport. At least 400 raids took place. Latest reports indicated that Allied aircraft suffered unexpected resistance. US Defence Secretary, Dick Cheney, said the operation appeared to have encountered difficulties. Two hours after the raids began, President George Bush made a televised address. He said the military objectives were clear - force Iraqi troops out of Kuwait and restore the legitimate government. In Baghdad, Saddam Hussein remained defiant. He said the 'Mother of all Battles had begun'. He urged the Iraqi people to 'stand up to evil'.

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in the Dreamtime , the pale ones came, as Anansi had foretold. Many seasons passed in torment at their hands, but the people were strong, and the lost ones in the sky were waiting for them. Anansi gave them strength, and his web gave them escape when it was needed.

In 1971, British spacecraft Marie Celeste prepared to re-enter the atmosphere after mechanical failures had been fixed. Or patched up, really. They really had to do something about this quality control problem for next time. The ill-fated Apollo 13 mission had been too much trouble, it really had.

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In 1971, South Dakotan Senator George McGovern, a hero of World War II, began his campaign for the presidency as the candidate of peace. Using his background as a bomber pilot, McGovern argued that Vietnam represented no strategic value to the United States, and should be free to determine their own future. A nation sick of the war agrees with him, and he defeated Richard Nixon in a landslide.

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In 1601, a Royal Proclamation was issued and a Lubeck merchant, Caspar van Senden, licensed to remove all 'negroes and blackamoores' from Great Britain. There was a fear that the Africans might be taking jobs away from English citizens and also a concern that they were 'infidels'.

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In 1977, NASA complete the impact analysis for the delay Space Shuttle program. Columbia (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) would be the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet, and its first mission, STS-1, was reprogrammed for quarter two, 1981. Trouble was SkyLab had entered a dangerous orbit. If no further action was taken, SkyLab would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere sometime in 1979 and almost certainly break up on entry. The plan works and SkyLab is shifted into a higher orbit. But the 1982 mission from the Shuttle is a disaster and the Soviet Union has to rescue the American astronauts. Their success sets a precedent that was established with Apollo-Soyuz, and the the two nations merge their Space programs.

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In 12-8-1-11-16, the sailors of Ouezteca met the Kingdom of Hawai’i. Captain Quetchook of the Imperial Navy, the first westerner to see the Hawai’ians, entered into a treaty with King Kalaniopuu for exclusive trade, and made himself a wealthy man from the agricultural bounty of the island kingdom.

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	In 1977, Gary Gilmore, the convicted murderer, was executed on this day by firing squad in the Utah state prison in Salt Lake City. It was the first execution to have been carried out in the United States for almost 10 years. Gilmore, 36, was sentenced to death for the murder in 1976 of a motel clerk in Provo, Utah. An appeals court in Denver overturned a restraining order on the execution in the early hours of this morning. In his closing words, one of the judges emphasised that Mr Gilmore should take responsibility for insisting that his own execution go ahead.

The death penalty had been controversially reinstated in the United States in 1976 and Gilmore was the first prisoner to be executed under the new law. Gilmore fought the justice system to ensure he would be executed quickly - had already spent 18 of his last 21 years in jail. It soon became clear that Gilmore had >cheated death to engineer his own release. Two people received Gilmore's corneas within hours of his death. Utah medical staff were unable to explain this phenomenom, instead recommending fast-track treatment. They both responded positively, with the same form of words – 'Lets do it'.

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In 1781, Thomas Gainsborough completed his masterpiece The Two Georges, depicting King George III and General George Washington's historic agreement which established the British North American Union. The Sons of Liberty considered Washington a turncoat. Two hundred and fifteen years later they would succeeed in snatching this symbol of national unity just before the arrival of King Charles III's visit to the State capital of Victoria.

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In 2005, President Al Gore addressed the nation for the last time in office, apologising to the American people for his own '911' failures. Specifically he refered to the oversight and execution of Executive Order 13015, which established the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security of 1996. Often called the Gore Commission in recognition that Gore was the chairman, that work group operated for six months, from August 1996 until February of 1997, when it issued its final report. Gore's commission were mandated to provide to the President 'a strategy designed to improve aviation safety and security'.

According to the 911 Commission Report (page 344):

The Gore Commission's Report, having thoroughly canvassed available expertise in and outside of government, did not mention suicide hijackings or the use of aircraft as weapons.

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In 1991, Israel joined the Gulf War after Iraq attacks Tel Aviv and Haifa with Scud missiles. It was the first time Tel Aviv has been hit in the history of the Israel-Arab conflict. Saddam Husssein had succeeded in provoking the Israel leadership both through these bombings, and also by establishing linkage between Kuwait and Palestinian nationhood.

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In 1991, in Kuwait & Iraq, Operation Desert Fly centred upon a dual military application of the pioneering work of Seth Brundle. US Ground Forces were teleported into strategic battle points. And the Iraqi Presidential Guard were decimated by soldier flies. President George Bush spoke of the 'end of history' as the world's only hyper-power appeared set for global domnation.

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Carl Sagan

The state of TIAH

December 20th, 2006

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Alternate Historian's Note: Stephen Payne provides the alternate history, (although we have a post for Carl Sagan in tribute of the 20th anniversary of his passing), as we continue the second half of our NaNoWriMo novel. We hope you are enjoying this change in format – let us know how you feel about it in comments or by emailing us. This will be the format of TIAH throughout the holiday season, unless we receive a great outcry about it. Speaking of the Holiday Season, keep in mind those who need help year-round and keep yourselves safe and happy, as well. And, should you feel generous inclinations towards our guest historians, you can visit the sites of those who have separate ones from TIAH; generosity towards us here at the Academy is always appreciated, too, and you can find ways to help us out all over the site. Right now, we'd appreciate a lead on a good day job, but my lovely Co-Historian could also use some more memory on her PC, if anyone feels generously inclined. (It's PC133-style – yes, it's an old machine). Any good wishes you have towards us can be emailed here.

in 1989, the United States send troops into Central America. On the pretext of overthrowing the government of Manuel Noriega, they recover Extraterrestrial Technology (ET) buried in Panama. Like Iraq a year later, former CIA Director George Bush had developed a long-term plan for harnessing ET since his access to Project Blue Book in the mid-70s, but needed the Presidency to make it happen. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1990, the Kuwaiti Oil Tanker fleet transports the alien seaborne creatures into the English Channel. Made possible by the Iraqi occupation, they had been transported across land in Kuwait and secreted into the tankers for their invasion of Great Britain. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1996, NeXT merges with Apple Computer, starting the path to Mac OS X which is used on 98% of personal computers today. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1996, award-winning scientist and celebrity Carl Sagan undergoes the last treatment to remove the bone cancer he had been plagued by for 2 years. The cure for cancer was developed, appropriately enough, by a young doctor who had been inspired to go into science by Dr. Sagan's Cosmos book and series. 4 years after this, of course, Dr. Sagan became National Science Advisor to President Al Gore, and was instrumental in crafting the international treaty that halted the global warming epidemic, as well as the ground-breaking Universal Treaty for the Exploration of Space. Although he has no political ambition, Democrats in New York state have urged the governor to appoint the good doctor as the state's junior senator should Hillary Clinton win the right to succeed President Gore in the Oval Office, due to his immense personal popularity.

After(cont.)
“Too bad we can't draw that much out of an ATM machine,” Janice said. “We could use some fundage.”
“Have you thought about just reporting in, givin' 'em what they want, and then seeing if they'll let you go?” Steph wanted to find a reasonable way out of all this.
“You wouldn't be thinking that if you'd seen little Miss Raintree.” Janice shuddered. “Man. I'm gonna have nightmares over that one.”
“We could report in and see if they try to detain us,” Kevin said. “I mean, there weren't that many people in the armory when I went there. More than likely, everybody's out enforcing martial law. We zip in, we report what we found in Waco – except for you, Miss Carbonari,” he said, after seeing Janice straighten up to protest. “Then, I say, see you later, gotta report back to my unit in Bryan.”
“What about me?” Jake looked over at Kevin. “I'm at my unit. I ain't got 3 million bucks to grease my way out. They tell me I gotta stay, I'm stuck there.”
“We could... we could... we could say you got picked up by a unit from Dallas that needed additional manpower!” Kevin was proud of this scheme. “Yeah, we ran into another unit that was going through Waco, they needed a good sergeant right away, they took you. Paperwork'll be down in a few days.”
Jake looked at him much like he would look at a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe. “You don't tell too many lies, do you, Bradley? Cuz that one sucks. Nobody gets transferred without the paperwork.”
“This is an emergency.”
“Army won't care.”
“It could buy us some time, at least, Jake,” Janice said. “I think it's pretty stupid, too,” she said, prompting Kevin to pout at her, “but it'll cause enough confusion to give us a day or two. That's all the time I need to work my contacts and get the word out to the world.”
“And then, what?” Kevin had raised his voice a bit, embarrassing himself. He lowered it and kept talking. “What happens when a lot of people know? Whoever's responsible for this just folds up shop, says 'you got me', and lets us get back to regular life? You liberal nutjobs, you all live in your own little fantasy world - “ All three of them shouted at him, and he was about to raise his voice to reply when Joan and George walked back into the dining room.
Steph ran over to her children and told them, “Don't worry now, the discussion just got a little exciting.” She looked disapprovingly at Kevin, and his face burned with shame.
“I'm sorry, Steph. Kids, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice like that.” He turned to Jake and Janice, and apologized to them, too. “This has all just been...” He couldn't think of anything to finish out his thoughts, and they both nodded.
“Hey,” Janice said, brightly, “I'm just surprised I've only seen one dead body in all this. People like me, we've been expecting a blood bath with the coup.”

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Poseidon Corps' 1st Mission; Yang Gao

September 7th, 2005

in 1776, HMS Eagle, the flagship of British Admiral Richard Howe, is sunk by a bomb that had been attached by an American patriot in a submersible. The success of this mission led to the formation of the deadly Poseidon Corps of submersibles. No British ship was safe in an American harbor after this, when stealthy death could come from below them.

in 1282, Caliph Baudouin of the Walloon establishes the Bierfestival, the one day of the year when good Muslims of the kingdom were allowed to drink fermented beverages. Although denounced as heresy by most Imams, the Bierfestival quickly became a huge tourist attraction from all sections of Islam.

in 1924, Daniel Inouye, future leader of the Hawaiian sect of the Semitic-African Resistance, was born in Honolulu. As a young man, Inouye became involved in radical politics, and fought with the remnants of the Greater Zionist Resistance as the New Reich advanced across Asia in 1944-48. Inouye lost the use of his arm during a mortar barrage in Nanking, and was spirited back to the States before his unit could be taken by the Reich. After recovering from his wound, Inouye turned to voicing the S.A.R.’s concerns in the political arena in Hawaii.

in 1935, physicist Richard C. Tolman published his paper, Parallel Universes & Their Consequences On Our Own, detailing his proof that alternate universes had to exist. While this part of his paper is generally accepted among the scientific community, the second part, which predicted random crossovers from other universes into ours, was largely ignored. It is possible that the reason behind that was the cult that Tolman began in the 40’s, which claimed to be able to control these crossovers.

in 1940, Philo T. Farnsworth, transmissions specialist with Dynamic Pictures, sent an entire film across the Knowledge Railroad. Anyone with Rail access was able to view the 48-minute film Captain of the Guard after agreeing to a small fee to be added onto their Rail access bill. This revolutionized the film industry and the Railroad; profits for both exploded in the coming years.

in 1950, the League of Nations rejects a plea from the Soviet States of America to condemn the bombing of West Jamaica by the anti-Communist European Coalition. The Coalition had won League support for their mission to prevent the West Jamaican communists from invading the East Jamaicans just two months before.

in 1959, Huan Yue touches the mind of Li Huang-Sen, but tells him that he must not seek her any further or harm may come to him. Li tells her that he doesn’t care, and will seek her though death itself awaits him; Huan Yue’s mind disappears, and the man who took her tells Li that death is, indeed, waiting for him.

in 1979, saying, “Government shouldn’t be in the business of bail-outs,” President Ronald Reagan makes one of his most unpopular decisions and rejects plans to aid the financially-challenged Chrysler Corporation. Ever since winning office in ’76, Reagan had been attempting to pare the size of government down; this move, which threw tens of thousands of Chrysler employees out of work, made his popularity plummet, never to recover.

in 1996, rappers Tupac Shakur and Marion “Suge” Knight are shot while leaving a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas. Knight dies of his injuries, but Shakur recovers. 4 months later, he is arrested while attempting to kill the gangsters that he felt were responsible for the original shooting.

in 1996, Professor Malcolm Thomas visits Dr. Melvin Courtney in the Edwards Air Force base infirmary. Dr. Courtney is unconscious, but the doctors are optimistic that a couple of days of intravenous fluids will bring him back to health. Meanwhile, the brass at the base are anxious to learn about the object’s flight capabilities, and are leaning on Professor Thomas to show them what he knows.

in 4697, in orbit around Yang Gao, Admiral Hu’s ship begins acting strangely. Without commands from the crew, it breaks orbit and plunges into the atmosphere of the planet below. Before his comm cuts out, Admiral Hu commands the other 4 ships to leave orbit and get greater distance from the planet; moments after the command is given, his ship impacts on the planet below, and sensors on the remaining 4 ships of the fleet begin reading nothing but static from Yang Gao. Captain Wu Banqquo orders the fleet to break orbit and put distance between themselves and the planet; as this is being done, another ship goes haywire and plunges into the atmosphere. Captain Wu orders probes launched; he wants more information before either turning around, or attempting to land on the planet.

in 2004, the miraculous technology of the Elders is able to save the young son of Egyptian President Mubarak, who had been shot by rioters the day before. Doctors in Cairo had been unable to do anything, and Mubarak had turned to the Elder delegation in desperation. After they cured his boy, he pledged Egypt’s loyalty to them.


TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST

In order to provide for the upkeep of our new historian, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - make a donation at our Paypal link, then email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Boring contest information is available on our Forum link below. Enter early and often!

Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link - Boring legal info on the TIAH Halloween Contest!
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, voting for the winner is now over. Be sure to watch Sept. 9 for the winner, and watch the pilots at http://aol.com/situationcomedy

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Rejection

Algeria	In 1961 the French people voted to grant Algeria its independence in a referendum. The result was a clear majority for self-determination, with 75% voting in favour. In Algeria, a slightly lower percentage - 69% - voted in favour. More than 40% of the electorate abstained in response to a campaign by the rebel pro-independence group FLN to boycott the vote. The FLN, led by Ben Bella, has been waging an increasingly violent guerrilla war against French colonists for seven years, causing a political crisis in France.
Crisis

The referendum result was welcomed by French Prime Minister Michel Debré as a "clear and striking response". General de Gaulle was informed of the results by telephone at his country home at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises and remarked that the "good sense" of the people had prevailed. He had staked his political future on the referendum result, saying in a broadcast to the nation three days ago that it would be a matter between himself and the individual voter. There was an atmosphere of high tension in Algeria as voting took place. Security was at its highest in the capital, Algiers, where an estimated 20,000 French troops were on patrol. And that was the nub of the problem, the French Government was looking for trouble in the wrong place. The military commander in Algeria, General Raoul Salan, announced a Universal Declaration of Independence, forming a government of French settlers determined to fight the independence movement. Led by Salan and a group of French army officers staged a successful coup in Algiers in April 1961 as well as carrying out several bomb attacks in mainland France assassinating President de Gaulle.

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	In 1979, Donny Osmond appeared on the Tonight Show with his two deaf brothers Virl and Tom. They performed a version of "Crazy Horses". Truth be told, musically it wasn't very good. Donny said that now he had suffered rejection himself, he had apologised to his brothers for their exclusion from the band. He was sorry, so very sorry about that.
Osmonds

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M. Mitterand	In 1996, France mourned the loss of its longest-serving president, François Mitterrand, who died at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. The news was announced by President Jacques Chirac at a news conference at the Elysee Palace. He told journalists: "For 14 years M Mitterrand wrote an important page in the history of our country. A great figure has left us." François Mitterrand took many secrets with him when he died, but his most startling claim was revealed in Ali Magoudi’s book, Rendez-vous: The psychoanalysis of François Mitterrand.
President

The figure who enters, 45 minutes late, is François Mitterrand, no less — the president of France. Magoudi discovers that his patient does not want to talk about his childhood or his dreams, but about Margaret Thatcher and the crisis over the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. “Excuse me,” Mitterrand begins, apologising for his late arrival. “I had a difference of opinion to settle with the Iron Lady. What an impossible woman, that Thatcher! “With her four nuclear submarines on mission in the southern Atlantic, she threatens to launch the atomic weapon against Argentina — unless I supply her with the secret codes that render deaf and blind the missiles we have sold to the Argentinians. Margaret has given me very precise instructions on the telephone. Controversy continues to rage amongst contemporary historian. With fifty years of hindsight, many believe that the casus belli for World War Three was Western defence sales, placing equal blame on both Britain and France.

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In 1992, President George Bush regurgitated his sushi at a dinner banquet during a tour of Japan. Much like the footage of a fatigued President Carter during a 1980 fun run, this anti-photo opportunity in election year was a disaster for Bush who had previously been seen as an athletic and youthful commander-in-chief.

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In 1811, Charles Deslonde led a successful slave revolt in parts of the Louisiana Territory. The revolt took place in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana and St. James Parish, Louisiana. Deslonde and about 500 insurgent slaves marched down the Mississippi River Road toward New Orleans, killing two whites, burning plantations and crops, and capturing weapons and ammunition. The revolt was a pivotal moment in the termination of Jim Crow laws in the South during the early nineteenth century.

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Harmony	In 2009, quite unexpectedly, arbitrators from the Congress of Worlds arrived uninvited on planet earth to resolve what they saw as the long-standing dispute between the sons of Apollo, Mason Williams and Tommy Emmanuel. Just about everybody in the galaxy was talking about the family schism, it was after all threatening the spheres. Surely the arbitrators must help reconcile the gods discordant interpretations of the harmony, or they would die trying.
of the Spheres

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In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a 'War on Poverty' in the United States. In reality hybrids like Johnson were being developed by the Alliance for alien re-population. Conversion failures were hidden amongst the exaggerated deaths of the homeless that were reported in the United States during the 1960s. This excludes the three hobos famously filmed on the Grassy Knoll at Dallas during the Kennedy Assassination, during the cover-up they really were killed by Alliance agents.

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In 12-13-2-1-5, the great Sioux military leader, Tashunca-uitco, fought his final battle against the superior forces of the Oueztecan Empire. Knowing they were hopelessly outnumbered, Tashunca-uitco and his warriors bravely held off the Oueztec long enough to give their Cheyenne allies, led by Tatanka Iyotake, time to escape.

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Nelson Mandela	“I, met Nelson soon after his release from prison.” said Samson Zola, “All those years on on Robben Island, breaking stones and collecting seaweed. He should have been filled with hatred and thirst for revenge.” In Laura Resnick's dystopia, years of civil war had torn apart the dream of a Rainbow nation. Samson Zola prepared to assassinate the President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. Even though he loved him like a father, he saw the need to return South Africa to its people.
Alternate Tyrant

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In 1935, the blond King of Rock and Roll, Jesse Garon Presley, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Jesse, as he was known to fans around the world, shocked and rocked the 50’s with his blend of black and white southern music, and became the most famous singer in the world – no one else even comes close to his fame and ability to sell records. After his death in the 1970’s, there have even been fans who have started a church in his name, sometimes referred to as the Jesse-its.

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In 1992, during a tour of Japan, President George Bush became ill at a dinner banquet. Although he dismissed it as a sour stomach, in his hotel room later that evening, he suffered a fatal stroke. His death brought an end to the Republican Party’s dream of another 4 years in the White House, as newly-elevated President Dan Quayle was crushed in the November election, 74 to 21 percent, by Democrat Bill Clinton of Arkansas.

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In 1634, Galileo Galilei is executed by the Inquisition for heresy, months after being found guilty. The Church had originally granted the blasphemer leniency, but after he continued to publish his “scientific” papers, they took action to silence his heliocentric fallacies forever.

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Stephen R. Donaldson	In 1968, Stephen Reeder Donaldson languished in Vietnam. By inclination a conscientious objector, he had been compelled to serve in the armed forces. Much later, and after dropping out of his Ph.D. program and moving to New Jersey in order to write fiction, Donaldson made his publishing debut with the first "Covenant" trilogy in 1977. That enabled him to move to a healthier climate. He now lives in New Mexico.
Unbeliever

Donaldson's two year compulsory military duty would be the deep undercurrent of his escapist fantasy writing. In “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever”, the protagonist was a leper struggled with disempowerment in a Land he did not really believe in. These are the pale deaths which men miscall their lives: for all the scents of green things growing, Each breath is but an exhalation of the grave, bodies jerk like puppet corpses and hell walks laughing- ~”You Cannot Hope”.

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