In which Er Thom yos’Galan says no.
This is the first time we’ve seen the Tree since the end of Crystal Dragon, centuries ago. It appears to be doing well for itself.
Er Thom, on the other hand, is not doing so well, for all that he’s now captain and master trader of the clan’s best ship.
And Daav, who last we saw him was not looking forward to succeeding his mother as Delm, has now done so. It remains to be seen how well he’s doing.
And I’m back in the problem position of not having much to say, since I’ve read this chapter often enough that everything seems too familiar to remark on. (Well, I could mention the way Er Thom has suddenly gained an elder brother to help explain why his mother is disinclined to acquiesce to his request, which is a lot more noticeable reading in chronological order, but I covered that a couple of days ago when Er Thom was introduced, so.)
I read this series in chrono order, and fell hard for Tree in Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon. After which, for a few books — short and long — I despaired of seeing my beloved Tree again. So this chapter was a happy reunion of sorts, even if Tree was not given voice or action.
I agree with Jelala Alone. And in fact, much as I love every book, I’ve been disappointed that we don’t get more Tree communication aside from very brief scenes.
@Jelala alone:
I would say that in the last couple books—as of this writing, Neogenesis and (about to be released) Accepting the Lance—we at least see more interaction with the Tree, even though it is not quite what we had in Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon where the Tree and Jela were so intimately bound together by their survival and his promise.
Regarding the meaning of Jelaza Kazone as “Jela’s Fulfillment”:
I thought we’d been told it meant “Jela’s Promise”? Do some books say one and some another? Are there any other meanings given? Paul have you tracked which is which?
There are different translations in different places; often two or more translations at once, to make the point that it doesn’t have an exact equivalent in English. In Plan B, when Val Con is explaining to Nelirikk that they’re connected through Jela, he says that it could be translated as “Jela’s Fulfillment” or “Jela’s Promise” or “Jela’s Contract” or “Jela’s Dream”, depending on the context. Later in this book, when Anne hears the name for the first time, she notes that it could also be translated as “Jela’s Peace”.