Erkes Dormitory, Suite 302
Anlingdin Piloting Academy

In which Theo studies the ven’Tura Tables.

The comment I made yesterday about how much Theo is learning about Korval lately would have gone better with this chapter, it turns out. Too late now.

This chapter has the most detailed explanation of anywhere in the series about what it is the ven’Tura Tables actually do. And it is, I think, another example of the authors having a better idea later, at least when it comes to the bit about the Caylon Revisions involving a reconsideration of the very mathematics underlying the Tables; Scout’s Progress gave the impression that the mathematics was sound and the revision was more in the way of checking for calculation and typesetting errors.

Chelly is back, although by the sound of it only until he can arrange to go somewhere far away. Which doesn’t entirely surprise me, after what he’s been through.

If the chain of command in the dorm room goes Senior, First Bunk, Second Bunk, I wonder what it is that distinguishes First Bunk from Second. Is there an actual judgement of aptitude involved, or is it arbitrarily based on something like “person who happened to pick the top bunk” or “first non-senior to move their luggage in”? If it’s one of the latter options, Asu has no call get in a snit about Theo being First Bunk, since she turned down the first choice of bunks herself. (And if there’s a judgement of aptitude involved, I think Theo’s the right choice; as Chelly says, Asu isn’t malicious but she doesn’t think.)

In fairness to Asu, I feel I should note that although Chelly is described as leaving his bags “where Asu could complain that she’d almost fallen over them when she came back”, Asu doesn’t in fact do any such thing.