In which the last pieces fall into place.
I think, if memory serves, this is the first place (in publication order) that the lives and times of Cantra and Tor An were described in any detail. And the details given here, I can’t help noticing, differ in some significant respects from how the story was eventually told in the Crystal books. (One could suggest that the differences are due to the details here coming from Cantra’s logbook, which Crystal Dragon tells us she didn’t actually start keeping until after the War, when she would have been depending on a perhaps-fallible memory. Or perhaps she remembered fine, but chose to present things somewhat differently from how they actually happened; I note that one of the differences of detail is that the logbook entry quoted here presents itself as having been written during the War, before Jela’s death.)
A little detail that might easily be missed (in fact, I don’t recall having consciously noted it on any of my previous reads): Anne is now wearing the ring Er Thom gave her, the “never goodbye” present.
Tomorrow: Scout’s Progress
We have no indication that Cantra’s memory was anything but excellent. The events that happened while she was the scholar are a diffrent matter, and her time before she became Cantra might be another one alltogether.
The destruction of the Ringstars and Headquarters where only told to Cantra – not experienced directly. And there’s no indication that the dramliz ever had a homeworld. It might make some sense to present the places of origin of her allys as if they where special places that fell in the war. Tor Ans Ringstars might have been respectable enough for the Solcintrans; yet they where not widely known after their destruction. Claiming he had been sent to Solcintra for schooling and couldn’t go home afterwards due to the war may have made him more acceptable to the people. Headquarters could symbolize Jela’s homeworld. That the dramliz’ homeworld is mentioned alongside as another victim of the war may place them on the same level as the other fugitives – just a bunch of people (strangers to the Solcintrans and thus suspicious, but not “spawn of the enemy” as many of them originally where).
The feeling the reader gets from this and subsequent logbook entries is quite diffrent from what was told in the prequels. Most of the story in the prequels is not about the war itshelf (that one’s always happening elsewhere, apart from the few occasions Jela fights the enemy), and the migration as such is basicly a couple of weeks on board without much going on and without Jela around. The authors wanted to tell another story than what was described in the logbooks. Since neither Cantra nor the Solcintrans where really aware of what was going on, Cantra having made up a convincing story might fit.
PA: the “never goodbye” present For some reason, this time around, I found myself wondering what will happen now to the nubiath’a Er Thom gave her? We know she’ll end up with many more fabulous jewels, so maybe she just tucks it away to save as a remembrance…who knows? No other couple has needed to deal with such a question!
Regarding details of the War being changed when the books were written, what is it the authors have been known to say…quoting some other author about intentional changes authors make?
@Ed8r, I it’s a quote from Lois McMaster Bujold: “The Author always reserves the right to have a Better Idea” which I quite agree with. Small changes like this, where a passing comment or short quote is slightly or largely contradicted by a full story that gives all the details aren’t ones that have ever really bothered me, at least when those details don’t make any real difference to the plot of either book. I do like Paul’s attempts to find in-universe explanations for these situations, but I’m not bothered when there just isn’t any way to reconcile it in-universe.
That’s the one. I knew Paul would remember it because he’s referred to it so often himself.
The third time around, I’ll confess that I had not noticed the ring either.