Landomist
In which our heroes shake the dust of Osabei Tower from their feet, some with more violence than others.
Jela has resigned himself to leaving without Cantra, but the Tree digs its heels in (or should that be “digs its roots in”?). It can tell that Cantra is on her way out, and that she’ll need both of them when she arrives. He sends Tor An on ahead with Master dea’Syl, to Captain Wellik, garrisoned on Solcintra. I can’t tell from the description whether Wellik is X Strain or not.
It’s an interesting coincidence that the emblem on Tor An’s ship (I’m not sure whether it’s the emblem of the ship only, or of the Trade Clan) is a dragon.
I note that the sections that are not from Jela’s viewpoint decline to commit themselves on whether they’re from the viewpoint of Cantra or of Scholar tay’Nordif.
Despite, or perhaps because, it’s naturally sessile, the Tree seems to really enjoy travelling at high speeds.
Elsewhere, Lute and his lady encounter Rool Tiazan in the aftermath of his battle with the Iloheen. We learn that Lute’s lady has, as it was foreshadowed last time we saw her, “accepted that burden which no dominant had taken up since the first had been born from the need of the Iloheen”: she has a name. (Indeed, she has a Name, although I confess I’m not clear on the distinction.) Those of us who recognised Lute’s name are not surprised to find that her name is Moonhawk.
I feel fairly certain that Wellick was an engineered soldier, probably an X. Here is why:
Early in this chapter, Jela sends Tree a picture of Wellick: “dour and tall, a single brown star very nearly the color of his skin, tatooed high on his cheek.”
So, from this excerpt we know that Wellick has brown skin like Jela, and a tattoo, so he might be an engineered soldier, of whatever strain (M or X).
A bit later in the chapter, Jela says to Tor An: “Your contact is Captain Wellick. I know you have no love of soldiers, especially the Xtrangs, but I personally vouch for Wellick.”
So, this appears to imply that Wellick is an X-strain, but a worthy one. The text is not clear, but I think we have enough to posit a high probability. And good thing, that we have another example of a dutiful X, since future books (with cross-genetic studies, and with Beautiful/Nelirikk) hint at a re-joining of all races, Liaden, Terran, and Yxtrang.
I found myself charmed by the symbolism of the images — the way Lair’s descendant insisted that Jela go back for Cantra / Scholar. When a wounded dragon didn’t do the trick, Jela was bombarded with increasingly more dire images.
A bit too obvious and lacking nuance, the trading sigil for Tor An’s clan (a dragon clutching stars). That coincidence felt overdone. Also, calling it a sigil struck me as odd, since that term is used primarily to describe occult icons and symbols.
Anyway, an excellent chapter!
(I was never interested in Moonhawk, Lute, etc., so I tend to skim. As you know, Lute and Moonhawk become Shan and Pricilla. In my view, this confuses the characterization of Shan and Pricilla.)
I’m not so sure that the dragon sigil on Tor An’s ship is an over-done coincidence. Tor An was sucked into this story by some sort of luck or manipulation when he was injured and fevered. Could the tree have done that, having an affinity to dragons already?
I agree with Jelala Alone — Wellick seems to be an X. Those of us who have already read the stories know that Xs aren’t all bad, since Beautiful (and others) are dutiful soldiers.
Cantra had an interesting way of escaping the tower. Good thing the tree was tracking her!
When the asteroid where Lute and his lady were hiding phased wildly, I immediately thought of the Improbability Drive in Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. A hippogriff? Oh, yeah!
@Helen,
Yes, good point, I can buy the idea that Tree “saw” Tor An’s dragon emblem from a distance.
Hah! “Hitchhiker’s Guide!” On my second pass through the series, I thought of the Clutch ship, phasing in and out, doing the neutron dance — with electrons.
I think that Wellik is an X, but one of the good guys. “I know you have no love of soldiers, especially the X Strains, but I personally vouch for Wellik.”
“Disagreement among the troops” indeed! Jela had convinced himself that he had to leave Cantra behind in order for the mission to succeed, but the Tree knew that this sacrifice was unnecessary . . . and that in fact, Cantra was going to be absolutely necessary for the future of humans and dramliza, not to mention sussdriad!