Trade Secret – Chapter 28

Port Chavvy

In which Bar Jan chel’Gaibin learns the consequences of his actions.

Well. I thought something interesting might result when they asked Jethri to translate for the medics, but I wasn’t expecting this.

I think I know Jethri well enough by now to expect that he’ll try and do something to help chel’Gaibin, though I doubt whether chel’Gaibin will accept or understand it.

(I wonder how this is going to affect Tan Sim. Does he become a suitable candidate for heir now that the delm has no other sons, or will she attempt some other solution that will permit her to leave him where he is?)

The interactions between chel’Gaibin and his valet say a lot about both of them. (Running the numbers, Khana vo’Daran has been at Bar Jan chel’Gaibin’s side more than half of Bar Jan’s lifetime, since Bar Jan was a child in truth.)

9 thoughts on “Trade Secret – Chapter 28

  1. Raymond Schumann

    I can’t figure out why Infreya chel’Gaibin declared Bar Jan dead. That is no light step and a huge loss to the clan. It can’t be for acting the jerk. Bar Jan has been doing that all along.

    Was it for dueling? For dueling with non standard weapons? For losing? For what? This expensive expulsion must make sense in Liaden terms. It doesn’t make sense to me.

  2. Paul A. Post author

    It’s been a while since I read it and I don’t recall all the details, but I think what it comes down to is that he made such a mess of things as to convince his delm that he wouldn’t be a huge loss to the clan, or at least that the damage sustained from cutting him loose would be less than the present and future damage to be sustained by keeping him.

  3. Ed8r

    *sigh* I was relieved but also kind of let down by this resolution of all chel’Gaibin’s machinations. Happy of course that Jethri found such an unusual weapon to have to hand, and Bar Jan giving him an excuse to use it effectively. But somehow it left a sense of emptiness for me, rather than of satisfaction.

    Infreya has shown herself to be just as awful as Iza, in her own way. Perhaps that was the author’s intent: to present two young men who had to overcome horrible mothers…one who makes right/good choices and becomes the better for it in contrast to one who becomes an even worse example of humanity than his mother!

  4. Othin

    You are right, Infreya and Iza are both bad mothers. Both also lack people skills. Both have favoured children and children they get rid of. And both are not really good or warm with any of their children. Both are broken persons in themselves – at least partly because of a tragic loss in their past. And both are leaders of their people.

    Of the two I find to be the more interesting. Maybe because we get to know more about her. And while Iza is handling Jethri very badly I’m not so sure that she really did all she did because of inattention or neglect or a wish to hurt Jethri. I’m not trying to redeem her, but I think she might have had conflicting feelings, motives and intentions regarding Jethri. She might have followed the best course she could.

    Jethri’s similarity with Arin would have hurt her, a constant reminder, so she didn’t allow him to get close to her. Her temper had at least 2 purposes. Push Arin’s son away from her and push all that grieve, guild, and furry she still felt about his death away to. And of course Arin’s betrayal, or should I say double or triple betrayal? Arin got a son somewhere while having a relationship with her, being married with her. And then he didn’t have the guts to tell her the truth. And when she had done all she could, all Arin may have wished from her, given him her name, allowed his child an board and given that son also her name, did research for his project, what did he do? He betrayed her again and died, left her alone.

    How old was Jethri when Arin died? 8? So Iza, not knowing that he had a special genetically enhanced or engineered talent for fratcins, put all the dangerous stuff away, letting Jethri believe she destroyed it so he wouldn’t search for it. She must have believed that Arin died because of all this stuff, no matter what Grig may have told her. And Arin as well as Grig didn’t tell Iza all their secrets. But in her own way Iza did protect Jethri. She did all she could to ensure Jethri wouldn’t follow in Arin’s footsteps and get himself killed to. She didn’t allow Grig to take care of Jethri. Telling Jethri he was no pilot at all, kept him out of the loop of certain dangerous connections and not coincidentally out of her way too. She properly was afraid what she would do to him, especially as Jethri grew older and more similar to the Arin she knew. This means that she must have realised herself as dangerous for Jethri. On one hand there was all the furry she felt, but she may have also been afraid of attraction to Jethri too.

    Placing Jethri on another Goblin ship accomplishes two things for Iza. Get him out of the way and hide him. When Jethri finds himself a Liaden apprenticeship the same two things are accomplished, even in a better way. Especially if the dangerous connections are Terran connections.

  5. Ed8r

    Nicely done, Othin! I still don’t find her behavior excusable, but at least you show it to be a hair more understandable.

  6. Skip

    I just finished the book. I felt Bar Jan’s treachery in the duel was credible, given what we know of him. I was sorry he lived. Here’s a man who will scheme all his life.

    I agree with Raymond…his mother’s decision to cast him dead made no sense, unless he confided his secret plans to ex-Scout yos’Belin during their night of ecstasy, and she duly reported it to the Delm who hired her. Part of his plan was to remove the obstacle that was his mother.

  7. Ed8r

    I had assumed that must be the case, even though we weren’t given that information explicitly.

  8. Ed8r

    And yes, again, I assume his mother found out about his plans to remove her before her time. Also, doesn’t it seem that ex-Scout yos’Belin is either a double-agent or one who is easily bought?

  9. Othin

    Ex-Scout yos’Belin – is a very dangerous character and her actions and motives are multilayered. I find it hard to deduce her goal – to me she still remains a mystery.

    Sometimes I think she fully intendet to enhance the gulf between Bar Jan and his mother. There was no way to not notice his arrogance, greed and willingness to reach his goals by any means. That as well as his background as high house heir make him an ideal candidate for a high position in the DoI – maybe even Comander. (I refere to yos’Belins boast to give him to a positionn above the Council of Clans and thus make hime more than a mere Delm of a high house.)

    As to Infreya finding out Ban Jan’s plans, that would be giving her to much cedit imho. She may have been aware of not inspireing love for her in Ban Jan. But I don’t think she had read Ban Jan’s debt book and I also don’t think Infrey was aware of Ban Jan reading and copying her secret files.

    Bar Jan still has al his man packed for him and Bar Jan’s debt book will be among that things. He might still have his armor or a second armor stet that vo’Daran packed.

    Weahter that is truth or just a dangeling carrot to manipulate him or thomething to draw him deeper into the conspiracy – who knows. Maybe the new book will tell.

    Somehow I can’t believe that Bar Jan will not find ways to use his knowlage to better his situation as dead son and stranded Liaden among Terrans. The question is just – will his mother or Jethri be his main target.

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