Was just talking with an old fannish friend the other night about the Xanadu series, the Vicky Wyman one, and it got off on some odd tangents about 'potential story ideas'.

I mentioned an old idea I had about how the vixen Fatima probably visited her lover Tabbe down in the 'Wallows', which seems to be a slum set close by the Imperial Palace. No city beyond that, mind you, just a slum. Really given how all we've ever seen of Xanadu is the Imperial Palace, the Wallows, and a port city, I'm left wondering how this place rates as an 'empire'. The Wallows is much like the pre-modern cities described by Poul Anderson in his not well enough known essay 'On Thud and Blunder' -- a pit of savagery and vice with a few, probably very well-guarded, spots of relative safety. This was born out in the original story given that much of what we see of the Wallows is of a violent and lawless place, and the one time Fatima visits Tabbe he bluntly tells her that "The Wallows is no safe place for a lovely lady like you!"

Now Fata, it should be pointed out, is described as 'a little naive about life outside the Imperial Court'. Mostly because she was brought there when she was six years old to be a companion/playmate for then-Imperial Princess Alicia, and she lived there ever since. She's also described as generous, compassionate, and very lovely by the standards of her society. So I mentioned to my friend, "What happens when Fata goes down to visit her boyfriend, notices how harsh life is for most of these people, and decides that she'll come back later with gold and food for them? Given that she probably wears her jewelry and court clothes, as we saw her do in the story?" Though Fatima did have the sense to cover them with a dark cloak.

His response was, "The same thing that happens to foolish young women in real life who try that. She ends up in a headline, but not the way she wanted."

Myself, given that Fata's face and name are probably known? She is the lady in waiting to the empress, and she wears the sort of clothes and jewelry are obviously for a lady of the court. I suspect that even the densest thug would know what that means, and what would likely happen if they tried to mug her or worse. Still there's always someone dumb enough to grab first and ponder the consequences later.

Though he agreed with me that the well-meaning vixen would almost certainly be sent on her way by the locals. "This isn't the palace, and you don't belong here. Get out, and take the trouble you bring back with you!"

Mind that I think a story where Fatima ends up stuck somewhere in the Wallows while both Tabbe and the Imperial Guard turn the place upside down looking for the vixen could be either comical or tragic depending on how it was written.