From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                   THE XENA SCROLLS ARCHIVE   
      
   Xena Scroll Pouch #2   
      
      
   Dispatches from the Xena Restoration Society team that translated the Xena   
   Scrolls   
   (as edited by Robert Mellette)   
      
      
      
   Pouch 2: X.R.S. Correspondence   
      
   Date: April 1, 994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Costantakos   
   Re: CRADLE OF HOPE (Scroll #805-01-76906)   
      
   I've just completed the translation of the scroll I call "Cradle of Hope." I   
   will distribute it to you via the usual channels for review.   
      
   It seems here that our mysterious author is creating new mythic figures.   
   There are references here to Pandora's granddaughter. I'm not sure I like   
   him tampering with the established myths.   
      
   Evan   
      
   ******************Message Separator******************   
      
   Date: April 10, 1994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Janice Covington   
   Re: RE: CRADLE OF HOPE (Scroll #805-01-76906)   
      
   Evan--   
      
   "Established myths"!?! Are you crazy? You know as well as I do that the Xena   
   Scrolls date back to about the time Herodotus claimed Homer was writing.   
   Unstuff your shirt Evan. Xena IS a character of the "established myths",   
   until now.   
      
   Enough said--so onto your translation:   
      
   In your own classical way, I think you've found the voice of the Xena   
   Scrolls. Obviously, they're written in prose, but there is a poetry here.   
   You've captured this so well:   
      
   "'...There is truth in your dreams,' reads Cynara from the golden   
   stones, 'Your Lordship, there is indeed a child in your future.'   
   But Gregor, the caring king; Gregor, blinded by the loss of his   
   only son and wife, could not see with the ... eyes of the old   
   woman. The only child for him was his infant son, dead these many   
   [months]. 'But this child in not of your line,' spake the   
   prophet, 'Born on the equinox, he is a child in your   
   possession.'"   
      
   And you've done a wonderful job keeping the alliteration:   
      
   "'The child will speak as you speak; will walk as you walk; will sit where   
   you sit and will wear what you wear.' went the   
   prophesy."  And who could be more beautiful than Pandora's Granddaughter?   
   "Her hair, as golden as the Sun, seemed to create a light all it's own. Her   
   eyes matched that sun with the blue of the sky itself. Yet, she carried a   
   heavy load in her small wooden box. Light enough on the outside; inside, it   
   weighed heavy on her heart."   
      
   Of course, the original author is to have most of the credit, but Evan--I'm   
   impressed. I didn't think you had it in you!   
      
   Janice.   
      
   ******************Message Separator******************   
      
   Date: April 12, 1994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Costantakos   
   Re: Having it in me...   
      
   Janice,   
      
   A compliment? From you!?!   
      
   Seriously, thank you. I've always held your work with great esteem, and   
   consider it an honor to have your praise. Even if you are wrong about which   
   myths are established and which are not. If you'd read my books, you'd know!   
      
   Evan.   
      
   ******************Message Separator******************   
      
   Date: May 1, 1994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Mad Marvin   
   Re: I'VE FOUND HER!   
      
   The woman of Poteidaia has a name!!   
      
   While in this part of the world I decided to take a run up to the Xena   
   Scrolls excavation site. Sort of, visit the home office, right? Well today,   
   they uncover a new set of scrolls--or "scroll" I should say. At first we   
   didn't think it was one of the Xena Scrolls. Probably just another ancient   
   rental agreement or legal babbling. I mean, it's on parchment not papyrus,   
   and the handwriting is completely different than the other scrolls.   
      
   But I couldn't wait to get a look at it. [The archeologists] broke all of   
   their own excavations rules to let me at it. The first line is torn for the   
   most part, but does read:   
      
   "...Gabrielle of Poteidaia, Best Friend of Xena: Warrior Princess, sometime   
   adventurer with Hercules, and ..."   
      
   And that's all they would let me read in the field. They had to measure and   
   photograph and preserve the rest. I  can't wait to get at it!   
      
   But who wrote THIS scroll? Why is it separate? Why is Gabrielle mentioned   
   here by name and nowhere else? What does Hercules have to do with it?   
   Mysteries, man, mysteries.   
      
   Mad Marvin in Macedonia   
   Close to Mother Xena.   
      
   ******************Message Separator******************   
      
   Date: May 2, 1994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Janice Covington   
   Re:Gabrielle   
      
   That's great, Marvin! "Gabrielle."saying it all day to myself: "Gabrielle,   
   this" and "Gabrielle that" just to get used to the sound of it. That is   
   really great!   
      
   And the Hercules reference is incredible! This discovery definitely means   
   we've found a lost character of classic Greek Mythology. I'm so excited!!!   
      
   Janice.   
      
   ******************Message Separator******************   
      
   Date: May 2, 1994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Costantakos   
   Re:She has a name!   
      
   Wow! That's great!   
      
   But who wrote this scroll? To whom do we owe the gratitude? Besides Marvin   
   and [archeologist], of course. And Hercules!?!   
      
   To quote an old Haight-Ashbury linguist I know, "Mysteries, man, mysteries."   
      
   Evan.   
      
   ******************Message Separator******************   
      
   Date: May 5, 1994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Hasson   
   Re: Gabrielle and Art History   
      
   Marvin and I drank much wine and celebrated some wonderful discoveries --   
   Gabrielle among them! We met with [name deleted], his Art Restoration   
   friend, and were able to make out some faint images from scroll number   
   805-01-76911. Marvin is working on the specific translation, but a quick   
   scan of the text points to Gabrielle carrying "The mighty staff,"the section   
   seems to be a description by an Amazon warrior on how to kill a Centaur with   
   a fighting   
   staff.   
      
   Marvin wants to call this scroll "Hooves and Harlots."Evan?   
      
   Hasson.   
      
   ******************Message Separator******************   
      
   Date: May 10, 1994   
   To: XRS   
   From: Mad Marvin   
   Re:The Author!   
      
   Check this out! I just read it on the parchment scroll:   
      
   "Father: I've just had read to me the memories and stories of ..." missing   
   here, but then it goes on, "...Gabrielle of Poteidaia, Best Friend of Xena:   
   Warrior Princess, sometime adventurer with Hercules, and ..." piece. Then:   
   "You remember her, Father, from Athens--from school. She's the one who   
   taught me 'to close my eyes, that I might see.' Well, her stories ... of her   
   ... and their [adventures?]"   
      
   This parchment is still in pieces, and I'm reading what parts I can. Hasson   
   is backed up with other parts of the papyrus scrolls and won't get to this   
   for weeks, but you can see where it's heading. This is obviously a letter   
   from the author to his father about the Xena Scrolls. I don't think I'm   
   going too far out on a limb to suggest that Gabrielle might be the author of   
   the Xena Scrolls.   
      
   Mad Marvin   
   Hung Over In Glyfada   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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