Per Ardua Ad Astra
1st November 2007
Vn. 0.7.3
Copyright © 2007 Ian D. K. Kelly, All Rights Reserved
First published in this
edition 2007
by Agrintha Books, Exeter UK
agrinthabooks@blueyonder.co.uk
Copyright © 2007 Ian D K
Kelly, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in any retrieval system, transmitted or recorded by any means whatsoever
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN 978-0-955339?-?-?
In Memoriam
David
Marsden
who
made it to the stars before me
13th
November 2003
1.
In
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2.
And
the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the
deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3.
And
God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
The Author
Ian D. K. Kelly is a computer scientist, who trained as a
mathematician. He is interested in almost everything – including
linguistics, fairy stories, philosophy, and astronomy. Ian plays the piano (and church organ), teaches music and conducts several
choirs, has written books about computer translation (that’s computers
translating between human languages),
pantomimes (“Oh no he hasn’t!” “Oh yes he has!”), and novels for both children and adults. He claims
that if he gets to Heaven, he’ll be a librarian, will hear the real end of J.
S. Bach’s The Art of Fugue
– and drink fine wine all day.
Ian D. K. Kelly
Publications
Ian D. K. Kelly: Emerald
Pie, 2007, Agrintha Books, Exeter, ISBN 978-0-9553399-1-2 A
children’s novel.
Ian D. K. Kelly: Unremembered
Future, publication expected 2008. An adult’s novel.
Ian D. K. Kelly: A
Lad in Knaphill, and His Magic Lamp, 2003, and Ian D. K. Kelly: Cinderella and Her Bearded Sisters,
2005, pantomimes, both available from http://www.idkk.com
You are invited to use these pantomimes, and make any alterations to them for
your own purposes – but if you do use them, please send a donation to Knaphill Methodist Church,
Surrey GU21 2DR, UK. Thank you.
MT
MT
Carpenter’s Carpet
The Apothecary of Leyden
Acknowledgements
Where
to begin? Where to end? I have had many suggestions and much help. I have received
a lot of advice, and taken very little of it. The facts and good ideas are all
due to other people – just the mistakes are mine.
At
the very least I have to thank for (variously) their ideas, their support,
their teaching, their examples, their criticisms (some slight, some deep),
their friendship and their love [in alphabetic order by surname] Shaheen Aziz
Ahmed [who, many years ago, tried to teach me scholarship, art-appreciation,
and Urdu], J. W. R. Anderson [Rux0r], Professor Archbold (UCL) [the first person ever to
call me “Mr. Kelly”, and a masterly teacher of algebra], Marcella Arnow
[charming friend and intellectually focused workmate: the most English American
you can imagine], Peter Bacon, Grace Barr, James Barr [perfect gentle-man,
and devout Christian], Mr. L. Berkeley [an inspired teacher of history,
lovingly known to generations of pupils as Buffalo Bill], Allan Bouchard, Judith Bouchard, Pamela
Bourne, David Brooks [whose 21st birthday party was a turning
point in my life], Dr. Rudranath Capildeo [politician, mathematician,
polymath, who in just a few words encouraged me to look upwards and be my real
self], Martyn Catlow [who quietly taught me the real meaning of the word
courage], Jenny Clayton, Peter Clayton, Roger Clayton, Gerald Cole,
Ian R. Dale, Irene Dale, Carole Duval [ah, Carole – can we ever
understand all the poems in the world?], Rick Duval, Allan Freeman, Barry
Griffin, Walter Goshawke [Accipiter Gentilis], Cathie Hartigan [glad2b], Richard Heathfield, Emma Hibling, Allan Jupp,
Dmitriy V. Kokiyelov, John Latham [John, I wish I had your
skills in study and business organization], Rachel Latham, Veronica Lawson [who
finally convinced me that language translation is difficult, and we often ignore its complexities], Paul Lewis,
Des Maisey, Raphael Mankin, Ann Marsden, David Marsden, Dr. Margaret
Masterman, Caryl Micklem [Reverend and musician, who always made an
inspired choice of musical notes, and the perfect choice of contemplative
words], Romilly Micklem, Timothy Morgan, Rowena Poppe,
Peter Priechenfried, George Purvis, Alan Rabjohn,
Rajan Harishankar, Paul Schooling [dear friend and unforgiving logician,
who struggled to teach me discipline of thought – poor pupil that I am!],
Jane Skinner, Noel Skinner, Phil Smith, Tony Spooner [R. E. Noopsca], Edmund Stephen-Smith [ESS], Tom Stockwell [brilliant teacher of physics and
scientific method: alas, I have forgotten both], Poh-Teen Tang, Tim Upton,
Vince West, David Wigg, Tom Wilson [a wonderful teacher of mathematics,
musician, and gentleman], Andy G. M. Wood [AGMW] (not “Woods” – there’s only one of him). And
[non-alphabetically] my dear family: my patient, charming, irreplaceable wife
Gay [how do put up with me, Gizzie? I am thrilled that you do.], our fantastic
children Benjamin and Miranda, and my wonderful, wonderful parents, Percy and
Vera, whom I can never thank enough.
If
there are names omitted, it is from my stupid forgetfulness, not spite. Thank
you all for your ideas, help, friendship and love over the years.