Tag Archives: VanDyk

Conflict of Honors – Chapter 19

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Shipyear 65
Tripday 143
Third Shift
16.00 hours

In which Shan has some explanations.

This is a significant turning point for Shan and Priscilla, with Shan finally explaining what’s going on and the two of them agreeing on a future course of action.

We get another mention of that elusive person, Anne’s brother Richard, and perhaps the most extensive account of him, in Shan’s description of his conflation of Liadens with elves. Shan doesn’t say why Richard picked on Val Con for the role of “king of Elfland”, but presumably it’s because he had heard some account of the Contract which once prompted Anne to accuse Val Con’s father of being King of Liad. In which case, I’m pretty sure this is the first intimation, in published order, of the existence of the Contract.

Conflict of Honors – Chapter 18

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Shipyear 65
Tripday 143
Second Shift
10.30 hours

In which Priscilla reviews her contract, and finds it to be not what she expected.

Priscilla reviews her contract, and learns that it contains an extremely broad clause obliging her to “undertake any additional training or duty considered reasonable or just by [the captain]”. Which, to be fair, Shan did mention when he was giving her a verbal summary of the contract, though he might perhaps have laid more emphasis on it. Either way, Priscilla could have got herself into a lot of trouble by not picking up on it then: Shan might, as she decides, be trusted not to abuse a clause like that, but imagine the uses it might be put to in the hands of, say, the Trader or the second mate of Daxflan.

Priscilla learns that her official service record has mysteriously changed, and now contains no hint of blame to her regarding the circumstances under which she parted ways with Daxflan. Another thing for her to ask the Captain about, when he gives her the opportunity.

The central registry office for the service record is said to be on VanDyk, which was also mentioned in Local Custom as the location of the central registry of Master Traders.

Local Custom – Chapter 13

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In which Er Thom is generous in his gift-giving.

Daav is playing a dangerous hand, not telling Thodelm yos’Galan about Shan even when she asks straight out if there’s anything else she should know about Anne. But I expect he’s taking his cue from Er Thom, and I can understand why Er Thom would prefer for that news to wait until he is able to deliver it in full and in person.

The mention of the Trade Commission on VanDyk is interesting, because its location suggests a Terran origin: VanDyk sounds more like a Terran name than a Liaden, and one would expect a Liaden trade commission to be situated on Liad itself rather than an Outworld. I wonder if it’s a descendent of the same organization Arin Gobelyn was a commissioner of? If so, the fact that it is now trusted with the registry of Master Traders suggests that the efforts of Jethri and his friends to build stronger ties between Liaden traders and Terran traders met with some success.

We also get a passing mention of Korval’s old allies, Clan Erob, who are now situated on Lytaxin.