Tag Archives: Conrad

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 42

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.

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 35

Blair Road
Boss Conrad’s House

In which Mrs kaz’Ineo has an idea.

The mention of the Gilmour Agency’s human resources manual as a recent acquisition places this chapter not long after the opening scene of “Block Party”, in which Luzeal had just made the discovery, although perhaps not after the entire story, which covers a period of several weeks.
Continue reading

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 33

Jelaza Kazone

In which Miri gives thought to the future.

It is a failure of imagination on my part that it hadn’t occurred to me to wonder what might happen to the Tree if Boss Surebleak succeeded in getting the mobile members of Clan Korval thrown off the planet. Or perhaps it’s just a sign of how confident I am that that’s an outcome so unlikely as to not be worth spending imagination on.

Miri might be onto something with the idea that the Department of the Interior is planning on taking Surebleak for itself. (Indeed, we’ve already seen hints in that direction, such as the plot in “Shout of Honor”.) Which would make Boss Surebleak accusing Korval of a hostile takeover another example of someone accusing another of the thing they’d do themselves given half a chance.

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 32

Surebleak Port
Portmaster’s Office

In which Team Leader Kasveini has her limits.

The idea that social change on Surebleak works from the bottom up, by improving the lives of the people at the bottom of the heap, was a major theme of Dragon in Exile. Part of it was that, as seen again in the Road Boss’s meeting here, it’s harder for the Old Ways to come back if everyone knows they’re better off under the new ways.

Dragon in Exile also saw the origin of Kareen and Kamele’s project collating the historical documents of Surebleak.

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 31

Blair Road

In which the entire Council of Bosses meets to discuss the situation.

Most of the bosses we’ve already met get at least a word in at this meeting. Bosses Marriott, Engles and Torin make their first appearances here, though all have been mentioned before.
Continue reading

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 29

Jelaza Kazone

In which the Road Boss ponders retirement.

Miri’s right about Natesa. I’m not sure whether it’s a genuine oversight or not, even if it is the Department behind this. On the one hand, the Department could be aware of the threat Natesa poses and just have chosen to let their catspaw wear the consequences. On the other hand, the same Department that underestimated Miri because she was Terran (right up until she became Delmae Korval and thus an honorary Liaden) might now be engaged in making the same mistake with Natesa.

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 28

Blair Road
Boss Conrad’s House

In which Boss Conrad receives a letter.

The cinnamon toast is a small detail that shows how things have improved since Boss Conrad got the Council of Bosses set up. I’d bet cinnamon was hard to come by in the old days.
Continue reading

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 25

Jelaza Kazone

In which a professional has been at work.

Of the bosses whose turfs saw action, we have not previously heard of Boss Threadle. Bosses Conrad and Kalhoon are, of course, the leaders of the Council of Bosses, and Boss Vine holds the territory immediately neighbouring the spaceport. Boss Wentworth was mentioned a few times in Necessity’s Child but I don’t recall if we learned anything particular about him.
Continue reading

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 20

Surebleak Port
Office of the Road Boss

In which Delm Korval has visitors.

Well, there’s an answer to my question about how things would have gone if Emissary Twelve had done this on Liad, anyway.
Continue reading

Accepting the Lance – Chapter 16

Surebleak Port
Portmaster’s Office

In which the Clutch are a law unto themselves.

Now I’m trying to picture how things would have gone down if Korval had still been living on Liad when Emissary Twelve came to visit. Liad has a busier airspace than Surebleak — and an active planetary defence system — so Liaden traffic control might have been moved to express its displeasure more forcefully. I don’t know if it would have made much difference to the emissary, though; Turtles build their ships pretty tough.