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Alliance of Equals – Chapter 30

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Langlastport

In which the results of recent efforts are considered.

Well, I was right about the Terran expert. I like the little bits with Admiral Bunter applying his lessons in how to express his feelings through how he speaks. I’m not surprised Inki set a core mandate — in the circumstances, it’s a reasonable precaution for her to take — but it’s going to make Tolly’s task harder (which is of course why it’s a reasonable precaution for her to take).

I am still finding the repeated reassurances regarding Padi’s situation to be the opposite of reassuring. We’re about due for a dramatic climax, and a big bust-out would provide that nicely. I assume something’s going to come up that pushes things over the edge; my money’s currently on Broker Plishet upgrading himself from ‘nuisance’ to ‘threat’ (though I still don’t know what his deal is), with a side bet on the customs inspection turning out to have some sinister connection after all.

I notice we haven’t heard much from Daav and Aelliana lately. Are they actually going to get involved in either of the main plots at any point? Well, the best way to find out is to read on, so I’ll do that.

Alliance of Equals – Chapter 29

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Langlastport

In which Broker Plishet is not as clever as he thinks he is.

Here, one of the threads tying the two plot lines together is the consideration of melant’i.

On Padi’s side, there’s her awareness of the fact that her current melant’i is that of a peaceful trader, not of a pilot in a dangerous situation with several youngsters depending on her. (Which itself shows her development beginning from the beginning of the novel, when she was inclined to fall back into that familiar melant’i whenever uncertain.)

I’m not sure how much furtherer Admiral Bunter is going to get in his studies by turning to melant’i plays; I get the impression, from earlier mentions, that they tend toward extreme situations of the kind where a person is so hedged about by necessity that the only way forward is the death of their dearest friend or whatever. (Recall that Anne in Local Custom was guided somewhat in her understanding of Er Thom by the Liaden literature she’d read, and didn’t always find it a useful guide.) I’m also a bit dubious about his choice of illustrious expert, who by his name is Terran rather than Liaden; on top which is the characterisation of melant’i plays as “exotic”. Then again, the Admiral is himself an outsider to Liaden culture, so perhaps an outsider’s description is what he would find useful.

Alliance of Equals – Chapter 28

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Admiral Bunter

In which the student considers how to proceed.

Another chapter with thematic echoes between the two plot lines. Admiral Bunter and Padi are both being mentored, and both by mentors who choose at times to teach indirectly, by making space for the student to figure out the lesson for themself.

With the introduction of the second mate, it becomes apparent that the Passage‘s first, second and third mates are all new hires, and all relatives of Shan’s — not close relatives, but from distant branches of the family tree not usually involved in yos’Galan’s trading — which strongly suggests that Shan and Priscilla needed to call in some favours to get the command staff for this voyage. They lost a significant chunk of crew when Plan B was invoked, and after how that turned out I guess there was some trouble finding people willing to step into the gaps.

Alliance of Equals – Chapter 26

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Langlastport
The Torridon Hotel

In which there is conversation after dinner.

I don’t know if it’s significant that Shan describes the Liaden tongue as “the language of home” when speaking to the jeweller, after all the reminders there have been that the children of Korval need to stop thinking of Liad as home. Probably it’s just that that’s a conventional phrase and the situation is not appropriate for a more precise description.

I also don’t know if it’s significant that we’re getting a reminder now of Master Moonel, who appeared in Local Custom. That was back when Shan was a small boy, and Moonel was already the most respected jeweller on Liad, so it is not a surprise to learn now that he has since died. (Shan mentions that his shop stands empty; I wonder if that’s a sign that it happened recently, or perhaps that he was so respected nobody wishes to try taking his place.)

Possibly it is the death that matters — it makes two scenes in a row where the subject of death has come up in proximity with Padi, which helps things remain ominous even as her conversation with her father seems to be going well.

Alliance of Equals – Chapter 24

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The Happy Occasion
Langlastport

In which assistance is offered.

The Department of Answering My Questions As Soon As They’re Asked scores again.

If Tolly’s attempt to deflect Haz works as intended, I suppose she’ll go after Inki and Tocohl instead. But somehow I don’t expect it will.

It occurs to me that weird headaches were one of the items listed near the beginning of the novel as indicators of incipient Healer abilities.

Shan’s encounter with the montora juice is a nice light note amid all the foreboding.

Alliance of Equals – Chapter 23

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Jemiatha’s Jumble Stop
Tarigan
Berth 12

In which Tolly has an ally at large.

All things considered, Inki has given Tolly more chance than I was expecting of her. Though I notice she’s managed to arrange things so that whichever of her comrades Haz decides to go in aid of, that will leave one of Inki’s projects clear to proceed uninterrupted.

I was trying to decide whether Haz would be the type to call home with a status report before haring off after — I’m guessing probably Tolly, if she can figure out where he’s being sent — and then I was trying to figure out whether she has a method available for calling home; probably Tocohl’s been handling the status reports, and since she was probably communicating directly with Jeeves she might have been using a channel not accessible to Haz.

Where Tolly is being sent is Nostrilia, which is almost but not quite the name of the most famous planet in the galaxy in Cordwainer Smith’s science fiction stories. It will be interesting to see how far the resemblance extends.

There’s a moment, when Tolly is talking to Haz about people “believing that something that’s manufactured is artificial”, where I get the impression that he’s speaking of himself as much as he is of Tocohl or the Admiral.

Alliance of Equals – Chapter 21

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Admiral Bunter
Jemiatha’s Jumble Stop

In which there are preparations for arrivals and preparations for departures.

Padi is set for her trade reception, and even gets a bit of flying practice in. (Pilot Embrathiri — who incidentally is another character who’s short on gender-specific pronouns — may well have expressed a desire to sit passenger, but I’m inclined to suspect that the expression may have been preceded by a bit of prompting from Padi’s father.) Over at Jemiatha, everything’s set for Admiral Bunter, Tarigan, and Ahab-Esais to go their various ways. All seems to be proceeding smoothly.

This is probably why I’m expecting something to go horribly wrong within the next chapter or two.

(Is it wrong that I’m kind of hoping something will go horribly wrong in a way that means Haz gets to keep hanging out with Tolly? Like, say, Inki steals Tocohl and Tarigan, and Tolly, Haz, and the Admiral have to go in pursuit. Something like that, maybe.)