In which Val Con and Miri gather information about their visitors.
This is the first mention I can recall of there now being two separate branches of the Scouts, but it doesn’t surprise me. I presume the schism is a consequence of the events surrounding Korval’s big play and subsequent exile, and the subsequent removal of a chunk of Liaden society to Surebleak. Liaden society as a whole was divided over how to view Korval’s actions, and although many Scouts had a sympathy for Korval it is not to be supposed that they were unanimous in their approval.
Looks like what’s in the cases is instructions for turning out more of the X Strain. And not just instructions, but biological samples to get started with.
I was wondering if, after dragging him all this way, the authors were going to let the Uncle get away without letting on anything to Korval about the Tinsori Light project. This meeting will provide another opportunity for the subject to come up. And might, if M Traven comes along, lead to that interesting interaction I was thinking about earlier. Which leads to the thought that, if the Uncle’s people have been able to produce M Traven, he might not need what’s in the cases — though I’m sure he’ll be happy to take them, all the same.
The existence of detailed paperwork suggests we may be finally about to get an answer to that nagging question about just how old Bechimo is.
I think there’s been a previous mention of a split into scouts and liaden scouts (although it’s possible I’m remembering this scene from when I first read it) but that this is the first time we’ve learned how complete the split is.
Who is now paying the large bill for the Liaden Scouts – salaries, training, ships? Previously, Korval bore the cost & Liad’s government felt little if any affection for the strange folk who became Scouts.
There have been occasional mentions of Korval making contributions to the Scouts, such as the chapter heading mentioning that Korval donated the land and building for the first Scout Academy, but I don’t believe it’s ever been said that Korval bore the entire cost. For that matter, I don’t reckon they’d be allowed to; there’d be too many people who would suspect a situation like that of being Korval buying their own private army.
The Scouts would have to be self-supporting – both in monetary terms, and in terms of persuading the government and general public that they were useful to Liad – to some extent, or they’d never have survived as long as they did.