Vandar
Fornem’s Gap
In which Miri launches and Val Con dances.
In Miri’s scene, we get a bit more detail about the last days of Klamath. This is the first time she’s mentioned Skel.
In Val Con’s scene, there’s a glimpse of one of the reasons the Clutch have such long names. Each part of the name identifies an aspect of the self; together, they serve as a reminder of who one is.
It’s interesting that the aspect of Val Con’s self connected to his newest name has nothing to do with the actual words which make up the name. The name “Tough Guy” isn’t about him being a tough guy; it’s a marker for the change in Val Con’s life and self that came about as a consequence of meeting Miri, the person who bestowed the name. And in that respect, it’s like the stick-knife which Val Con bestowed on Miri; though Edger and his brothers may have been mistaken about the spirit of the specific gesture, seeing in it a significance not intended by the giver, they were basically correct that underneath it something significant was taking place.
PA: though Edger and his brothers may have been mistaken about the spirit of the specific gesture, seeing in it a significance not intended by the giver
But I thought Val Con confirmed it when Miri brought it up to him? At the least, he did not try to weasel out of it/?
By the time Miri brings it up to him, they’re in love and beginning to consider planning a future together, so they’re both happy to let Edger’s interpretation stand and be married; but I don’t believe Val Con meant it as a marriage proposal at the time. For one thing, at the time he was still planning to go their separate ways at the first available opportunity, for her safety and his; for another, Edger’s right that Val Con is not the type to marry somebody without asking them first.