
Not everything an author writes makes it into a book.
Scenes or parts of scenes may not further the action
or theme enough, or may just be too tangential. This
pair of novels (really,
one long novel) has been in process
across decades, so several extracts have gone missing
between
successive computers and word processing programs. Yet a few remain; I've
included them here, with an explanation at the end as
to why it was cut.
Further, as 9-10 months pass between Becoming
and Rise, I've penned a few pieces that fit
into that lost year. In "Moth and Flame," I detail the
early, tender negotiations of new love that occur
off-stage in the novels (and readers get a bit of romantic fun). In the short "Two Scorpions,"
Hephaistion and Myrtale face off. And in the novelette, "For the Love of
Geometry," Aristoteles makes a bet with Philippos,
allowing me to show the boys through adult eyes.
Scenes
Cut from Becoming
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"Laomedon"
(PDF) HTML
version
Just a brief
exchange from the scene in the great
hall, as Alexandros waits for the rite
after his boar hunt. Originally, this
took place just after Philippos and
Attalos's exchange about him. |
"Shoot It
Straight Up" (PDF) HTML version
Takes place at
Mieza after Alexander's broken arm has
healed, but before the aurora borealis
scene. Teen boys being reckless.
Incidentally, this is based on a real
event, albeit not one involving
Alexander.
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Extra
Scenes Between the Novels
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"Moth & Flame"
(PDF) HTML version
A wee bit of teenaged romantic floof and
angst. The boys seek out the edges of this
new thing between them.
(Story opens approximately
2 months after the final conversation in
Becoming between Alexandros and
Aristoteles.)
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"Two
Scorpions" (PDF)
HTML version
Myrtalē/Olympias.
Hephaistion. A Conversation.
(Story takes place
during the mindwinter Lenaia, in
Pella, not quite 2 months after
"Moth & Flame.")
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For the
Love of Geometry
(PDF) HTML version
Aristoteles
has a proposal. He and Philippos talk.
A wager is made. Anyntor has his own
opinion on matters. Who will prevail?
(Mostly adult POVs on
the boys near the end of their
Mieza sojourn. Part of it takes
place in early spring, but the
rest just a month before
Alexandros's initiation
[epilogue].)
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Scenes
Cut from Rise |
"Hetairos
Belting" (PDF) HTML
version
Hephaistion
takes his vow before the king, in
his father's place. Originally, this
occurred on the first day of the
Hetairideia in the next-to-last
chapter. |
"Gnosis" (PDF)
HTML
version
For good sex,
one needs to know mundane
details. It's all rather
pedantic and embarrassing, but
annoyingly crucial.
Hephaistion finds an
unexpected tutor. This would
have been the last scene in
the next-to-last chapter,
occurring while Alexandros met
with his father to ask him to
recall their friends from
exile. |
"Family
Rites" (PDF)
HTML
version
At the four-month
anniversary of Amyntor's
death, Alexandros sits with
his friend. Originally, this
was the first scene of the
last chapter.
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NEW!
"Boukephalas and
an Apple" (PDF)
HTML version
Alexander has
a few moments to play
with his horse.
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One-Year-Anniversary
Bonus Scene
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Final
Scene rewritten from Hephaistion's
point-of-view (PDF)
HTML
version
Partly due to
boredom in quarantine, I
offered, on
my Tumblr account, to
write/rewrite one scene, of
a fan's choice. Two
different people requested
the final scene of Rise through
Hephaistion's eyes. So here
it is. While Hephaistion
isn't privy to the
semi-argument between
Philippos and Alexandros
regarding Pausanias and
justice, I tried to preserve
some of the gist in a
different setting. Bonus
bits: you find out in what
unit Hephaistion is now
serving, and what his
favorite color is. I've
always known, but I don't
think that made it into the
final version of the novels.
(Alexandros's favorite color
is, perhaps predictably,
red.)
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*Disclaimer: none of these scenes have been edited by the
Riptide staff, and they are not responsible for the
content.
Contact Jeanne Reames
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