Dudley Avenue and Farley Lane
Lady Kareen’s House
In which Kareen has a visit from her sister.
Well, that answers some of the questions I had.
Silain and Alosha will both go with the ship, as is their duty. Silain thinks the ship will not mind losing some people, which makes sense the way she describes it but I still think it sits oddly with the emphasis in Necessity’s Child on maintaining the kompani’s numbers.
Those who remain behind will have a luthia to look after them — although I don’t think anything Silain says narrows down whether it will be Droi or Kezzi. Silain trained both of them, they both have the Sight, and I believe Kareen has met both of them. (Droi has been helping with the history project, and while I don’t remember if it’s been explicitly shown, I’d expect Kareen to have been introduced to her nephew’s sister at some point.) Both are young from the viewpoint of Silain and Kareen. Though Kezzi might be too young to command the respect of the kompani, who all think of her as a child. And I feel like Droi’s been getting more narrative attention in this book so far. So I’d guess it’s going to be Droi.
Of the two other people who people who can call Kareen as Silain did, one is clearly Anthora, and Shan seems the best candidate for the other.
It’s good to see that Kareen has friends, even if it means having to say goodbye to one.
Interesting that Kareen asks a question that I believe perhaps the fans have asked: “Does the ship deliberately seed worlds with Bedel genes?” Interesting too that we do not receive an answer one way or another.
Paul: I still think it sits oddly with the emphasis in Necessity’s Child on maintaining the kompani’s numbers.
I wonder if perhaps at that time they did not yet have the supplies needed to allow those who remain behind to dream themselves into tiles—as Rys later does. Or perhaps even the headman or the luthia did not yet know that such a thing would be acceptable because they had not yet dreamed the solution themselves.