Six of Us
Daiellen System
In which Sye Mon and Bon Vit are brought up to speed.
The Daiellen Sector is Surebleak’s neighbourhood, so these two haven’t travelled all that far — or else they headed back once they discovered where the war machines had been sent. Either way, it means it wouldn’t take too long for them to join in with the convocation at Benoo Three if for some reason their presence was required in person.
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Lutetia
In which Don Eyr learns a new recipe.
The spell-checker for this story appears to have been uncertain whether Don Eyr’s friend is named “Serana” or “Serena”.
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Tarigan
In which Tolly and Haz clear the air.
Tolly seems to have accepted something he’s been fighting shy of for about a book and half. Things will hopefully go smoother when he’s not constantly trying to persuade Haz not to watch his back.
Haz seems to have accepted something she’s been struggling with, too, although perhaps it’s just that she’s become more comfortable talking about it. (Even then, that she finds in Tolly someone she’s comfortable talking about it with is promising.)
Tarigan
Nostrilia Outspace
In which Hazenthull has a nap.
All this nothing-happening is very wearing on the nerves. One could almost start thinking that nothing is going to happen, that the warning message is going to arrive in the nick of time and Hazenthull is going to get out unscathed.
Of course, the point where you start thinking that is the point where you really have to start worrying…
(And the other possibility is that it’s going to turn out that Hazenthull would have been fine, and it’s the warning message or the rescue mission that leads to her getting caught. But I don’t think the authors are that evil.)
In which Miri and Val Con discover the fruits of the ship’s labors.
Among the things I keep thinking about, re-reading this novel, are the fact that it was the first to be written and published and the consequence that there are things in it which read differently with knowledge of the rest of the series.
For a small example, there’s the “obscure sense” that tells Miri without looking that Val Con has returned, which one might connect with Aelliana’s ability to tell without looking when Daav entered the room, and what that developed into.
Possibly a more significant example is Val Con’s explanation of the roles of First and Second Speaker, which — though it does clarify some of the questions we had about the succession back around “A Day at the Races” — completely fails to mention that there are such things as delms, or who might fill that role for Korval.