Surebleak Port
Portmaster’s Office
In which Miri Robertson calls on the Portmaster.
So, what does it portend that Miri visits in the melant’i of plain “Miri Robertson”? Not entirely that she’s calling as an individual, because when it comes down to it she’s still there to speak for Korval, but perhaps that she’s doing so as an ordinary child of Korval and not as a high Korval official. And perhaps also to underline, a little bit, that she’s also a child of Surebleak and wants what’s good for the planet as well as what’s good for her family.
Also, I’m starting to wonder how it came about that some of the devices decided their orders were irregular. It could just be general cussedness, but I wonder if some of them have been talking to Sye Mon.
Paul: to underline, a little bit, that she’s also a child of Surebleak and wants what’s good for the planet as well as what’s good for her family. This is certainly how I took it.
Paul: I’m starting to wonder how it came about that some of the devices decided their orders were irregular. . . some of them have been talking to Sye Mon. I had the same questions, although now that I’m reading for the 4th time, I also expect that it began with a few of them being smart enough to recognize that the source was not the same.
I assumed the old tech “woke from a long sleep” when their makers died in old universe. As if they were freed to think for themselves, free of either Sherieka or DOI control.
I admit it didn’t quite make complete sense and the text wasn’t explicit about this, but I only read the book once and that’s the impression I got.
Why else, would they suddenly now question orders? This is not the old tech SyE Mon fiddled with — or is it?
And where/when did we learn anything about that Sye Mon knowing how to use fractins to communicate with this Old Tech?
I assumed the old tech “woke from a long sleep” when their makers died in old universe. As if they were freed to think for themselves, free of either Sherieka or DOI control.
Yes, that’s what I think now I’ve finished the book. That doesn’t come up in the book for another few chapters, though, so I didn’t have it in mind when I wrote the post.
This is not the old tech SyE Mon fiddled with — or is it?
This also wasn’t clear to me until later in the book, but no, none of the Old Tech Sye Mon has influenced is present at Benoo Three.
And where/when did we learn anything about that Sye Mon knowing how to use fractins to communicate with this Old Tech?
In the scene in Dragon in Exile where Rys meets his team for the first time, and they each say what they can contribute to the fight against the Department, Sye Mon’s contribution is that he has a way of controlling the Department’s Old Tech.
Right. I actually noted that when I was there for my 3rd read-through. But I did not assume that meant that he know how to use fractins, in fact, it didn’t even occur to me—although it makes sense that it would have to be fractins.
On another note, this book had an odd pacing. Life-and-death matters interspersed with unnecessary but mildly enjoyable scenes. In this chapter, I liked this little interchange:
“She swung into the Portmaster’s Office, walking tall, which she wasn’t, her face easy and her grey eyes showing some amusement. “Afternoon, Portmaster,” she said. “’Preciate you seeing me on no notice.”
“Haven’t had a meeting for nearly an hour,” Portmaster Liu told her. “I was starting to get lonely.”
Miri Robertson grinned and sat down in the visitor’s chair. “Lucky I happened by, then,” she said. The grin faded then, leaving the grey eyes serious.”
Yes, the amusement throughout is itself . . . amusing.