One thing to keep in mind -- this passage here is also a foreshadowing of the three great ordeals to come for the healing of the Land. When Covenant plunges himself into the Banefire (and Linden quenches it) to purge the venom (and fails because it's Foul's creation and not his own), then when wild ...

>Since each Elohim performs solitary self- >contemplation and does not emotionally need, or >become heavily identified with, other beings >(whether Elohim or of other species), I think they >fail to reckon with the human capacity for love. Indeed -- that may be part of the point of the story of Kast...

>Interesting to note that Findail didn't express any alarm in the (potential) danger of turning Covenant over to the Gyre.

He probably thinks that the Elohim mindblock will hold through anything this lesser thaumaturge could manage to achieve. (In which, he is not entirely incorrect.)

Let us note that the <i>Haruchai</i> are so eager to do something that they jump into an apparent river of fire. Linden doesn't see this (I don't think), maybe because she doesn't trust herself to <i>see</i> them right now, but they've got courage and drive in measureless quantities.

If Linden's father parallels (in whatever way), a failed Covenant, does that mean that Linden is (in some way) a parallel of Elena in the First Chronicles?

I'm beginning to scare myself here...

The other thing to note is that building a raft to carry all of them might have _taken_ those four days... did any of them have appropriate tools along? Hatchets? Rope?

And do _you_ want to be the one cutting down trees in Andelain?

Therefore I have forewarned you. So that you will know your peril, and be unable to evade it. So that as you strive to evade it, the Despiser may laugh in scorn and triumph." This parallels Llara's experience at Soaring Woodhelven in <i>Lord Foul's Bane</i> -- she's told that the Lords will be...