In which Fer Gun visits a friend.
I’ve enjoyed this story a lot. Without wishing to slight any of the others, it’s definitely my favourite Liaden story of recent years.
I was right about what the future might hold for Fer Gun and Karil, I see. And they have children, which means Daav has relatives somewhere out in the wide universe. I wonder if some of them will be appearing in some future story.
I find it interesting that such a point is made of Daav looking a lot like his father and not much like a child of Korval, when in other places it’s been suggested that he resembles his Korval ancestor Jela to a significant degree. Perhaps I’ve been putting too much weight on those suggestions, or perhaps they were more about attitude than physiognomy. Or perhaps it’s a sign that there’s Korval blood in Fer Gun’s ancestry too?
I enjoyed it, too!
I like the homey garden-scene under Tree a few years later, telling us what became of everyone. Also showing the love Chi has for her boys. When reading that Daav looks like a changeling I got the impression that he may look but doesn’t feel like one – since he is showing all attributes of a typical yos’Phelium child.
And that brings me back to what I said about Kareen (chap 7) – That she may feel like a changeling to Chi. But then there has been told very little of her story – only snatches and pieces – and mostly form the viewpoint of others.
I’d also like to hear more about the family Uldra-Joenz and Daavs half’sibs. And I’m kind of glad Telrune isn’t hardy enough to insist on law and tradition in order to get a one of Fer Gun’s children. – That reminds me, Fer Gun is one of the persons who have Daav’s comm code (not shure where this is said – but I count it as a hint)
@ Daav’s family resemblance – Chi and Petrella (blond hair, sharp face, blue eyes, not a beauty, but with something that draws and holds the eye, arresting face) look more like Cantra (beige hair, green eyes, strong bonded face) and Tor An (yellow hair, amethyst-colored eyes). I believe Korval has no picture of Jela (at least there is none in the gallery of Delms).
We also know that the Uncle has seen Jela as well as several other Korval members over time. So it is a lot easier for Uncle to consciously pick up on Daav’s and Theos family resemblance than it is for Chi. That said there is no reason for Chi not to unconsciously pick up a resemblance to Jela (assuming Cantra left a description) or Jela’s son (there should be a picture of the 2nd Delm) and be attracted to it. Also if Chi followed a hunch in choosing Fer Gun, it seems reasonable that some old blood was brought back into the yos’Phelium line and explains nicely why the Tree is so fond of Fer Gun (that also assumes that Daav and Val Con get their talent for hunches from Chi and not Fer Gun).
Approx. Timeline for the chapters
Chap 1 1324
Chap 2 1324 – the same day
Chap 3 1324 – about a 12 day later (than chap 1)
Chap 4 1324/1325 – about a relumma later (than chap 1)
Chap 5 1324/1325 – at the beginning of the introductory trip
Chap 6 1324/1325 – in the middle of the introductory trip
Chap 7.0 1324/1325 – about 2 month after chap 6 – second last stop on schedule
Chap7. 1 1324/1325 – same day as 7.0
Chap 8 1325 – about a year or a bit more after chap 1
Epilog ca. 1330 or later (Karil had at least 2 children)
@ Korval’s influence on all Liadens and probability of finding Korval genes in the pen’Uldra line
We have reason to suspect that Korval has had a tremendous influence on Liadens and Liaden culture. One can bet that directly after landing on Liad Korval did everything they could to gear itself and the society towards survival traits and towards conserving the ability to fight or flee again if necessary – something that Korval will do to everything it is a part of – even though the means may wary – to ensure that life may live:
• Anchoring Dramliz genes in Korval gene pool – see Tor An’s Dramliz twins and the gene-sharing deal with Tiazan (survival traits),
• building ships (which means that Liad itself had a source of Timonium or there was Timonium somewhere near the planet, enough for the star-drives of the first few ships.),
• establishing the pilots guild (since Cantra and Tor An were the main pilots on Quick Passage they would have been naturally in charge of it),
• establishing the trade guild (with Tor An coming from a Trade Clan, Korval had certainly the competence to do it or to support the one who did it).
• breeding for Pilots (with marriage contracts and paying for spouses Korval could make sure that Pilot genes were among the best paid for and therefor one marker for social status),
• Korval would also see to spreading its own genes in the population, to enhance the %-age of pilots within the population and to make sure that there would be enough future marriage partners for them.
• establishing the scouts (see the donation of Land and money for the academy)
There are also more resent and direct ways in which Korval influenced Liaden society:
• Korval is a trendsetter – various examples from Val Con’s coat at a Day at the Races to Anne’s gown in Scout’s progress
• They were in charge of the money – the dies for currency are owned by Korval and leased to Liad. (I Dare – Chap 49)
• They are in charge of the Code – Lady Kareen is Foremost authority on The Liaden Code of Proper Conduct and has updated, rewritten and published the latest edition – Edition 358. It is also interesting, that the Code of socially correct behavior originates from a protocol of shipboard life.
• They are a strong influence on the Language – Lady Kareen is Founder of the League to Preserve the Purity of the Language.
Remember, most passengers had never before left their planet. What pilots there were on Solcintra, mostly hired elsewhere or took their own ships in the Exodus. We also know that Quick Passage was alone when it arrived on Liad. There is no hint that other ships arrived later. In fact Liadens and their descants seem to be the only population of Inner-World-purebreds, the only population where golden skin and smallness didn’t merge into some larger Terran population. So we can assume that for a long time Liad had only those pilots descending from the original Pilots on Quick Passage – that is Cantra, Tor An and those few pilots they hired, maybe supplemented by a few more with untested and therefor unknown or untrained pilot talent. So in order to transform such a population into one that gains its major part of income by Trading with other planets there must have been a tremendous effort, a social selection for breeding pilots over a long time. As stated above Korval raised the social pressure for and benefits from breeding pilots on several fronts and was a major player in driving Laid into a system depended on actively participating and leading intergalactic trade for its major source of income.
At least in the beginning festival children by pilots would have been a cheap and often employed, though unsure method of acquiring and spreading those favored genes. Additionally, as stated in Fledgling regarding physical limitations, a population may have or develop a small but significant portion of people with pilot talents.
(PS. Paul, if you feel this comment better belongs into some other section, please feel free to move it. I’d also like to know of what you think of this projected social analysis.)
Othin, how do we know the book is set in 1324? Is it stated somewhere?
Jami, it’s not stated in this book, but it is already established elsewhere that 1325 is the year of Daav’s birth.
Oh. Duh! I knew that.
I just didn’t put 2 and 2 together!
Well, all those hints in Chapter 6, such as “Chi notices that the reaction is to the sight of Fer Gun himself.”
Huh. I think Chi was “shopping for” more than an additional crew member, but specifically for a wife to hand off her contract husband to. In fact, Kiril may have been pre-disposed to react to the sight of Fer Gun by having been sent information in advance. What do you think?
I wonder if Fer Gun and Karil’s marriage implies that they turned out to be true lifemates, given how strongly and immediately they reacted to each other earlier. Or are they just regular spouses because it would help the family business run smoother?