The Outlandish Companion - Diana Gabaldon [86]
With Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat (the Old Fox), I played somewhat more loosely. Though I saddled him with a thoroughly fictitious illegitimate grandson,1 the general depiction of his personality as wily, sensual, and politically astute is based soundly on a good many accounts of his life and behavior—even though those accounts vary considerably in detail and reliability.
At the same time, the prostatitis that served as his ostensible excuse for not joining Charles Stuart was purely my invention.
I had been reading an article at the local health club about the symptoms of prostate enlargement and prostatitis, which included a remark about how common this problem was in men over sixty-five. I at once exclaimed “Eureka!,” went home, and wrote the scene at Beaufort Castle (the Castle also had to be invented, as the original was leveled after the Rising, and thus wasn’t available for research) in which Claire performs her dinner table diagnosis.
Young Simon (the Young Fox) is also a real historical character, about whom a fair amount is known. Most of the actions for which he was known, though, took place in the latter years of his life—a span that falls outside the constraints of the story so far. However, I rather think we haven’t seen the last of Young Simon.
Louis XV was—obviously—a real historical person. The descriptions of his levee and Court customs, his sexual behavior (exchanging political patronage for the favors of the wives of those seeking advantage), and his deep interest in the occult were taken from various historical sources.
Dr. Fleche and his servant, Plato, are likewise real historical characters; the Doctor, in fact, is widely credited with having caused the premature demise of a good many of the French Royal Family.
The Comte St. Germain was a real character of the times, and one with a reputation for being involved in occult matters—but very little else seemed known for sure about him. I consequently took nothing but his name and his unsavory associations, and beyond that, invented wholesale. (I note in passing that another author—Chelsea Quinn Yarbro—evidently took the Comte and used him fictionally; as a vampire, whose immortality allows him to live in various interesting time periods.)
Monsieur Forez was a professional hangman, operating in Paris at roughly the time of Dragonfly in Amber. I found mention of him with a description of the perquisites of the hangman’s trade, and—being quite unable to resist including “hanged-men’s grease” in the book—included Monsieur Forez, too.
Governor Tryon of North Carolina is naturally a real historical personage. While his dialogue with Jamie is of course invented, he did in fact pursue an aggressive policy of land grants in an effort to settle and civilize the backcountry of the Colony. The language of the land grant—and of the oath required of the defeated Jacobites—is taken word for word from historical documents of the time.
Farquard Campbell, Jocasta’s friend in Drums of Autumn, was likewise a real person, prominent in the affairs of the Cape Fear River area and very influential among the Highlanders who settled there. His personal life, however—wives, children, etc.— is invented.
Other minor characters taken from the pages of history are marked in the Cast of Characters for each novel.
REAL PEOPLE
There is a second classification of Real People who serve as characters in my own books; these are the beloved and long-suffering friends whose forebearance has allowed me to exercise my sense of humor at their expense, by writing them into my stories.
John Simpson Sr. and John Simpson Jr.
John E. Simpson Jr. was one of my