Day 168
Standard Year 1118
Irikwae Port
In which there are several beginnings for Jethri and his family.
This is another chapter where I’d probably have a lot to say if I were reading it for the first time, but this time round it’s more the minor details catching my attention.
One really trivial detail is that when Jethri’s thinking about all the people at the Tarnia clanhouse he misses already, one of those listed is a “Mrs tel’Bonti” who is not mentioned anywhere else in the book. Presumably the person being referred to is the cook, Mrs tor’Beli, who does not otherwise appear in the list.
Seeli’s news settles it: there’s definitely something going on between her and Grig. I wonder for how long? “A couple of Standard Months” is since they began their stay on Kinaveral, but of course there’s nothing to say they haven’t been carrying on longer than that.
It’s an interesting touch that the Spacers would prefer their baby to be born in space. Seems to me that would mean they’re a long way from help if anything goes wrong, but then again a Spacer’s life consists almost entirely, one way or another, of being a long way from help if anything goes wrong.
It’s true they’d be a long way from help, but, hey! babies have been born “at home” for thousands of years. In fact, here on our Terra the maternal mortality rate increased when women started going to hospitals for birth. Fortunately that is no longer the case. My point is just that it’s not a totally illogical decision.
Nothing more to say about this chapter on my third time through.
Just rereading Balance, I’ll note, that Jethry had been on at Tarnia Clanhouse for less than 30 days, which is so very much shorter a period than the supposed relumma before entering the tradehalls. He is far ahead of the original plan.