Admiral Bunter
In which the topic of ethics recurs.
And in this chapter we get a direct reference to the events of “Wise Child”, described in sufficient detail to assist anyone who hasn’t read it already. I wonder if that portends that Disian is going to be showing up in this story. It might not, it might just be mentioned for the light it sheds on the present circumstance, but I’d like to see Disian again and learn how she’s getting on.
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In which the wise person accepts gracefully that which she cannot change.
It’s interesting that Continue reading
In which Tocohl explores the boundaries of her new situation.
An interesting narrative embellishment here: this chapter is set before the previous one, ending around the time it starts. The authors had a choice what order to reveal this information to the audience, and didn’t go for the obvious option. One consequence is that when the audience is reading about Inkirani preparing to tackle Tocohl again, they know that it’s not going to go how she expects but they don’t know any more than she does exactly what she’s going to find waiting for her.
In which Inkirani Yo has no idea of what’s about to hit her.
This chapter is from Inkirani’s point of view, for the first time in the book (and, I believe, the first time in the series, since in Alliance of Equals her motives and intentions were being concealed from the audience). So now we know how sincere she was about what she told Tocohl.
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Ahab-Esais
In which there is a light in darkness.
Inkirani said earlier that Tocohl’s builder had done good work, but she didn’t know the half of it.
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Vivulonj Prosperu
In which Daav and Aelliana explore the boundaries of their new situation.
It is a good question, how the Tree knew they’d need those particular seed pods; we’ve had cause to ask similar questions before, though usually not involving such a complicated and unpredictable chain of events. I don’t find the suggestion that the pods would never have ripened if they hadn’t been needed reassuring, because it suggests that the pods are themselves aware of their surroundings and capable of interpreting events, which is a disconcerting attribute to ascribe to (a) a small lump of vegetable matter with no apparent nervous system, and (b) something one has recently eaten.
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In which Admiral Bunter considers his options.
Oh, I see how it is: every time the story is about to shift to a different set of characters, something’s going to happen that will leave us worrying about one of the characters we’re parting from, until we see them again.
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In which Tolly does some housecleaning.
There’s a moment, when Tolly is reflecting on the horrors of being forced to do things against one’s will, when I get the feeling he’s recalling a specific thing from his own past. I wonder if we’ll be hearing more about it, at some point when he has less urgent things on his mind. (And I wonder if it has anything to do with the question of how Thirteen-Sixty-Two became Tolly Jones.)
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Admiral Bunter
In which Tolly ponders ethics.
Bits of this chapter remind me of “Wise Child”, the short story featuring Tolly.
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In which Tocohl hasn’t given up yet.
So, it appears that Inkirani Yo does have some genuine misgivings about her choice of action. Whether they’ll be enough to make a difference remains to be seen.
…and, as this is the end of the chapter, we’re off to check on some other characters next with that uncertainty hovering in the background.
That’s not a happy thought on which to end, so instead here’s a thought I just had about something Inkirani Yo said earlier: If she’s correct in her assumption that the Uncle is involved in the event she’s going to investigate, that means Daav and Aelliana will be about the place somewhere too. It might end up being them coming to the rescue of their kinswoman — who they don’t know is their kinswoman, and of whose very existence indeed they remain completely unsuspecting. Another one of the list of strange family reunions to look forward to.