In which Aelliana lifts as planned.
Another of Cantra’s log entries that doesn’t entirely accord with her history as revealed in the prequels. In particular, her claim to be “a sport, child of a long line of random elements”, considered from an in-universe perspective, can not be anything other than a deliberate lie.
Yardkeeper Gat’s declaration — “I don’t care what her name is or how good she can add” — is interesting. Even as he declares that Aelliana’s reputation cuts no ice in the present context (which is very likely true) he’s taking the time to show that he recognises the name and the reputation. Daav didn’t tell him she was a mathematician.
PA: her claim to be “a sport, child of a long line of random elements” . . . cannot be anything other than a deliberate lie.
Yes, this is rather curious, isn’t it/ Why would she not be honest about her history, even down to explaining how she and Jela were even able to produce a child: the Tree?
I don’t get it, why must it be a lie? Also I’m not sure on the meaning of being ‘a sport’ in this context. Could you please explain?
The relevant meaning of “sport” in this context is “in biology, an organism that shows an unusual or singular deviation from the normal or parent type”.
Cantra is not the child of a long line of random elements, she’s the carefully-designed child of a carefully-designed line of aelantaza. Which she knows perfectly well.
Out-of-universe, it’s likely that the authors hadn’t yet found out about her aelantaza heritage when they wrote this book. In-universe, she has to be lying — perhaps to keep anybody from finding out about her aelantaza heritage. It’s possible that when she wrote the diary entry, people still remembered the aelantaza and having that part of her history known would cause enough problems that she sought to conceal it even at the cost of depriving her descendants of useful information.
I like your reasoning, Paul. And I must say, one can understand how it would happen, that when it came time to actually write the migration duology, some of those previously written logbook entires would be … in the way, feeling like a muzzle on creativity. All things considered, I thought the authors pulled it off well.
Thanks for clarifying sport. And your other explanation is well thought. Thanks
But … the Cantra I remember was loosely with at least some truth anyway and sometimes counted Garren as her mother. And also the information of her being a product of the Lyre Institute and an aelantaza survived. Daav talks with Uncle about that.
So my question must be if a long line of random element couldn’t be true too – in the following sense. Might not the Institute at that time have tried either to produce random element in aelantaza on purpose or took random element (knowingly or unknowingly) because it was connected with some other advantage. In both possibilities they must have decided that no matter what advantage luck might be for their products – it wouldn’t outwait the uncontrollability of random element – thusly the line edit – seen from a broader perspective than what Cantra told us.
This speculation would raise the questions about other policy changes they now have had in producing their exceptional children (game pieces) and if they have developed other ways of suppressing the original personality while impersonating someone during their assignment.
Othin, coming back and reading this almost a year later, I have another thought about Tanyalyre/Lyre Institute:
If they keep meticulous records, then isn’t someone there aware that Korval carries the genes they had created thousand(s) of years ago in the Old Universe? And—with the careful inbreeding (careful because they avoided it being too limited) that took place between yos’Phelium and yos’Galen—wouldn’t those genes still exist in some form? Of course I also suspect that they are ones behind the attempt Moonhawk foiled, to steal the secret of the catalyst molecule, hoping to be able to “manufacture witches.” I’ll be interested to see where the authors take this.
Coming back to this chapter today, and reading Cantra’s log entry from the top of the chapter, I have an additional comment about her saying that she is “a sport, child of a long line of random elements”.
While it is true that we know she is not strictly a sport and that she was at least a partially manufactured human, it seems to me that we could understand her wording as an intentional use of hyperbole to provide obvious contrast between yos’Phelium and yos’Galen. Whereas line yos’Phelium is basically a recent invention with no indication it could “breed true,” line yos’Galen had already been pilots for generations. Together Cantra and Tor An wanted to establish that Delm Korval always be the best pilot. Besides, she probably would have assumed that her hyperbole would be recognized for what it is, don’t you think?
btw, I see this as similar to the description she wrote in the log, of Jela putting the Tree in a ration can to move it from its planet—not history, but hyperbole “for effect.”