Fledgling – Chapter 28

Vashtara
Dining Hall Lobby

In which offers are made at mealtimes.

I’m amused by Jen Sar’s private observations of the care Roni has taken with her appearance. But I wonder about his discourse on the subject of the first-pair: it doesn’t seem in character for him, but on the other hand it doesn’t seem in character that he would simply be saying whatever he thinks Lystra wants to hear; like many Liadens, he’s disinclined to use an outright lie when a misleadingly-stated truth will serve. (As witness his statement about Lystra standing guardian over that which interests him nearly.) One aspect that comes to mind is that, while he says that he believes in the advantages of a first-pair partner being superior in age and experience, he doesn’t say how much, and leaves Roni’s mother to assume that he considers the gap between Roni and himself appropriate, where perhaps his true belief is only that things are likely to go smoother with a partner who’s a little bit older and not a complete novice.

Aelliana’s assertion that she knew no questionable people before she met him is… maybe true, from a certain point of view; it depends on what questions one is inclined to ask. She certainly had friends among the scouts, who many cultured Liadens including members of her own family would be inclined to consider questionable people. And, for that matter, there were members of her own family who were somewhat questionable themselves, though she might not have thought to say so before she met him.

There are several observations a person might make about the conversation with Hafley and her onagrata, but I’ll content myself with noting that the mention of Clyburn’s pull with Administration provides an additional suggestion, if one were needed, that Hafley’s advice to Kamele about cultivating a young man for the benefit of one’s career was drawn from personal experience.

2 thoughts on “Fledgling – Chapter 28

  1. Ed8r

    Chronologically at least, it is in this chapter that we first hear about maize buttons, when Lystra sends Roni off to find some for Professor Kiladi. Much later, we will hear about Theo loving maize buttons, and I don’t recall how many times in between. But what I want to know is: what are they? They seem to be individual-sized biscuits of some sort. Have the authors modeled them on some RW dish?

    Here in the US we have both cornflour (very finely ground) and cornmeal, which is quite coarse. Cornmeal is used to make, among other things, cornbread, corn muffins, etc. We also have a dish called “cornpone” but there is a sort of continuum between what is considered “cornbread” and what is considered “cornpone,” with no agreement on where to draw the line. I’ve looked for recipes that remind me of Theo’s more detailed description of “maize buttons” (appearing in the new Accepting the Lance), but I have not found anything that seems similar.

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