In the Hall of the Mountain Kings

Probably the longest and weirdest chapter in the entire series. (The climactic chapter of I Dare is a similar length, but much less eldritch.) The first time I read it, I came out feeling like I wasn’t sure I hadn’t dreamed parts of it.

The biology lesson is … distinctly unpleasant.

I’ve never felt sure of what the zaliata are. It’s made pretty clear that they’re not human, but if not, what is there?

“In the Hall of the Mountain King” is the title of a famous piece of music by Edvard Grieg, originally written as incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt. The relevant bit of the play tells how Peer Gynt visited the subterranean court of the Mountain King and formed a connection with one of the King’s daughters, not entirely to the satisfaction of anybody involved. I don’t think we’re supposed to try to read the parallels too closely, but the Mountain King is a good counterpart for the Iloheen, not only because he’s supernatural and inhuman, but because his most famous moment has him proclaiming a philosophy of supreme selfishness that regards everyone and everything else as inconsequential.