Fervor

FP

Adonis Rep

A high-profile interview on a temperate island; what more could a galaxy-renowned fantasy reporter ask for? In hindsight, I could think of a few things, but when I got the call to interview a young Finder named Sam, the assignment sounded like a dream.
So, what's the catch? That's what I should have asked. Why don't I ever ask that? People ask that all the time--and for good reason, apparently. But not me. Adonis Rep--interview hound, and consumate professional ding-bat.
The catch, I discovered, once it was too late to back out, was that Sam is deaf. Not a problem--I'll just bring a nimble-fingered translater. But wait just one moment. That's not all. Our young Sam doesn't sign, and isn't a very good lip-reader.
So what do I do now?
Well, he has psionic abilities.
And suddenly I was interested again. I've interviewed all sorts of talents all over the multiverse. My most recent interview was a shape-shifting silver seal, but I had never, in my illustrious career, interviewed a psionist.
Suddenly, I was psyched (pardon the pun) to interview the young Finder, and submitted myself to the Fantasy Press staff, for the necessary preparations. What might those be? you ask. Just a simple little surgically implanted device that allowed me to communicate with Sam via the telekenetic web known as the Connection.
Now, I'm not a fan of surgery to begin with, and brain surgery less so, but as I've proven time and time again, I'll do anything for a good interview.
If I'd only known the potential dangers . . .
The stupid implant malfunctioned, and while I'm still able to communicate with Sam, I'm also being subjected to the full volume joys of the Spanish Duffy Cover Channel. If anyone's out there, I'M BEGGING YOU FOR MERCY!

I arrived on Fervor Island and met Sam on the beach during one of his regular Finding trips. The young grey-eyed boy, with light brown hair, looked as though he were only eight years old, but I knew from my research he was older than that. Apparently his psionic connection had its side-effects as well. We sat down on the beach together, and he gazed out over the rolling waves, while I did my best to ignore the nasal latin voices in my head. My only hope was to submerge myself in the work, so I dove right into the interview.

Adonis Rep: Sam, you've been on this island your entire life, and while you look very young, how long has that actually been?

Sam: I'm almost thirteen, I think. We've lost track of time and we haven't aged physically since the Second Exodus, because of the stasis. (There is silence as he makes sure his walls are fairly solid.)
Umm...you won't be sharing this interview with Francis, will you?

AR: Unless he subscribes to the Fantasy Press, you should be okay. As yet, I don't believe we have distribution in these parts.
These psionic powers you have sound truly remarkable. (WELL, WELL, WELL) Go away spanish Duffy!
Excuse me. My implant is giving me a headache. Are there any drawbacks to your Connection?

Sam: It was really bad at first, actually, because it was so chaotic. Most of us didn't understand what was going on. The adults who used to mind and teach us didn't tell us what was going to happen before they left; they only told the Tellers and the Controls. It's horrible having someone in your head and listening to your thoughts when you don't want them there. It's not so fun hearing other people's thoughts when you don't intend to listen either - it feels like you're intruding. It got better once we learned how to build our walls to keep people out of our head and our thoughts in. There were other problems though. You can't lie through the connection. The truth is always there, behind the false thoughts and the person that you're trying to lie to can feel that. You can't even tell a little white lie, when you need to. The closest you can manage is stretching the truth a little, by leaving out important details. There are problems dealing with pthers too. The Tellers use the connection to make you do things you don't necessarily want to do, and you can't talk to the Controls at all through the Connection. They don't like that. And honestly, I think the connection is probably associated with my deafness, but I don't have proof of that yet.


AR: As I understand it: Fervor is made up of Tellers, Finders, Keepers, Watchers, Fixers, and Controls, each with their own set of gifts and limits. You are a Finder. If you had your choice of gifts, would you be a Finder or would you have chosen another role?

Sam: Oh, I can't really imagine myself as anything other than a Finder anymore. I've tried. I don't want to be a Control, because they aren't part of the connection, and they don't really get to do anything special. I wouldn't want to be a Watcher either, because having to run the same circuit day after day would get really boring after a while. Being a Fixer would be handy, but I wouldn't want to have to get all touchy feely with Nathan (he laughs)and if I were a Teller, ordering people around might be kind of fun, but other people don't usually like that much. I guess if I had to pick anything I'd want to be a Keeper. It would be nice to be able to go almost anywhere on the island and remember everything the way that Fiona does.


AR: Fervor Island is also divided up between Bigs and Littles. You and your friend Sarah are Littles. Royce, Nathan, Fiona, and Francis are Bigs. There seems to be some mystery surrounding the origin of you Littles. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Sam: Are you sure Francis isn't going to hear all of this?

AR: Not to worry. Fervor Island is more isolated than you can imagine.

Sam: Um, the only thing I know is that the Bigs were born the way they are, but the Littles were made that way. I'm not sure exactly what that means. Francis does, but he doesn't like it when we ask too many questions.

AR: You've recently made contact with a Technician named Elliot who is not on the island. Have you given much thought to life in the wider world? What do you imagine the benefits might be were you to escape Fervor Island? (WHY WON'T YOU RELEASE ME?) Duffy, no!

Sam: I don't know what the wider world is like. I've never known anything other than Fervor. But I don't want to be a kid forever, and people on the mainland aren't stuck in the stasis. That, and Fiona remembers some things about the mainland . She says we don't live like regular people, and that we were never meant to live this way. I want to know what that's like...I need to know.


AR: I'm sorry, Sam, but I'm going to have to cut this interview short. This implant is driving me loco. See! Look at that. I don't even know spanish.
If you'll indulge me for one more question, we can both get out of here and head back to Warwick Avenue-- er -- I mean, we can go our seperate ways.
On Fervor Island you'll never grow up, and your role is set as a Finder for your group. If stasis is ever lifted and you're finally able to grow up, have you given any thought to what you want to be?

Sam: I used to think I might want to be a teacher, because you have to learn things in order to teach them, and I love learning things. All I've really known other than the children here are teachers and minders, but now I know that there are technicians as well. There are a lot of other jobs I haven't heard of on the mainland, I think, from what Fiona has said. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what is out there, before I make up my mind.

AR: Well, once you get off the island keep your ear to the ground. Something will turn up.
Oh my goodness. I'm sorry. I just realized what I said. It's just an expression.
Duffy, no!
What I meant to say, is that you'll find something that suits you.
Duffy, stop, por favor!
I really have to get out of here, Sam. Thank you so much for the interview. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until you're off Fervor Island to read it. We'll try to keep it out of Francis' hands until then.
Why, Duffy? Why?!

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Chantal Boudreau is an accountant by day and an author/illustrator during evenings and weekends, who lives by the ocean in beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada with her husband and two children. In addition to being a CMA-MBA, she has a BA with a major in English from Dalhousie University. A member of the Horror Writers Association, she writes and illustrates predominantly horror, dark fantasy and fantasy and has had several of her short stories published, including her zombie tales “Palliative” and “Just Another Day” both appearing in horror anthologies, and her novelette “Shear Terror”. Fervor, her debut novel, a dystopian science fantasy tale, was released in March of 2011 by May December Publications. Other releases contracted for this year include her short stories "Waking the Dead" and "Dry Heat", as well as Magic University, the first in her classic fantasy series, Masters & Renegades, to be released in September.

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Adonis Rep interviews are created and written by Tim Worsham. If you are an author or fan of genre fiction and would like to see one of your favorite characters interviewed, contact Tim at tcworm@hotmail.com
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Check out these links to Fervor and other works by Chantal:

Fervor on Amazon -



Fervor on Smashwords-



Amazon author page -