Bechimo
In which some important things are learned.
I like Stost’s reaction to the promise of being kept safe.
There’s a bit of a switch set up in the last couple of chapters. In the previous chapter, we’re shown signs that Kara might be about to cause issues, but in this chapter her concerns are dealt with quickly and sensibly, and instead it’s Win Ton who may be going to be a problem going forward.
This puts a new light on his suggestion of how to deal with the Pathfinders, too. It was, in its way, a reasonable suggestion to offload them onto the Scouts so that Bechimo and crew could proceed on their way, but this conversation suggests that the Pathfinders might not have been the only ones who were unable to leave.
Another thought: Theo recalls during her conversation with Kara that Win Ton was opposed to her bonding with Bechimo. I credit him with genuine concern for her well-being in attempting an unknown procedure, but the expectation that Bechimo would end up in the hands of the Scouts may have given him additional reason to be against it even in the case of it working as planned. (And does Win Ton know that the bonding is permanent, and that he can’t now hand over Bechimo to be studied by the Scouts without inflicting the same fate on Theo?)
PA: I like Stost’s reaction to the promise of being kept safe.
The authors are doing a good job with giving us glimpses of the difference in culture between the Pathfinders and the crew (and especially…the ship!) Theo carefully chose to avoid putting their recovery efforts in terms of a “rescue,” seemingly understanding that this approach could cause offense. But here, Clarence thinks nothing of assuring Stost that he is safe, which could have caused offense if Stost had not bridged the gap in his own understanding to perceive what Clarence meant.