THE CORRUPTION OF THE SUN
This chapter begins with Linden and Covenant realizing that the Sunbane-changed Marid’s attack had been successful: Covenant was bitten on the right forearm by one of the serpent’s heads. Linden quickly attempts to administer first aid to Covenant, cutting across the bite in a fashion similar to the way that Covenant attempted to treat the little girl’s snakebite in TPTP. When she attempts to suck out the poison, she is horrified at the unnatural vehemence of the venom:
Meanwhile, Sunder completes the ritual of raising water and food from Marid’s blood. This is our first encounter with the power of the graveler, and we see that his exertions in manipulating the Sunbane have temporarily exhausted him. We’re also introduced to ussusimiel, a type of melon which Sunder says will pass as food on their journey.“Poison. That wasn’t just venom. It was something more – something worse. Like the Sunbane. Some kind of moral poison.”
Covenant is on the verge of passing out from the effects of Marid’s venom and Linden’s attempt to treat him, but before he loses consciousness he tells Sunder that he wants to go to Revelstone. To Sunder, this is just another piece of evidence of Covenant’s lunacy:
After removing Covenant’s tourniquet, the trio set out in on their way and in search of more aliantha. While walking, Sunder sings part of the familiar song that Nassic taught him concerning the paradox of white gold, then goes on to sing of a-Jeroth of the Seven Hells, the Clave name for Lord Foul. The song relates the Clave’s legend that the Land, personified as “Diassomer Mininderain,” the mate of the Master, is cleverly seduced by a-Jeroth and runs away with him. Ashamed of her unfaithfulness, she begs the Master for forgiveness, but receives his wrath and retribution instead, as does a-Jeroth:“Revelstone? You wander in your wits. Do you not know that Revelstone is the Keep of the na-Mhoram? Have I not spoken of the Rede concerning you? The Riders journey throughout the Land, commanding your destruction. Do you believe that they will welcome you courteously?…..Heaven and Earth! This is the greatest madness of all.”
Linden questions Sunder about the Riders, and we learn that the Riders travel on great beasts called coursers – powerful animals bred in Revelstone and immune to the Sunbane.“Thus Earth became a gallow-fells,
For a-Jeroth of the Seven Hells.”
Covenant becomes delirious from the effects of the venom, and is in and out of consciousness for some time. Linden and Sunder travel from one aliantha bush to another, and force-feed treasure berries to Covenant until he begins to recover. When he awakens from his delirium, we have this great foretelling scene between Linden and Covenant:
Sunder returns, saying that he had narrowly missed being spotted by a Rider who was apparently headed for Mithil Stonedown. The trio set out again, knowing that the Rider will soon be after them. We also begin to understand just how difficult travel under the Sunbane will be, as they have only covered six leagues since leaving Mithil Stonedown a few nights earlier.Dimness obscured Linden’s mien; but she was gazing down at him and he gave her a wan smile. “I dreamed about you.”
“Something good, I hope.” She sounded like the shadows.
“You were knocking at my door,” he said because his heart was full of relief. “I opened it and shouted, ‘Goddamn it, if I wanted visitors I’d post a sign.’ You gave me a right cross that almost broke my jaw. It was love at first sight.”
At that, she turned her head away as if he had hurt her. His smile fell apart. Immediately, his relief became the old familiar ache of loneliness, isolation made more poignant by the fact that she was not afraid of him. “Anyway,” he muttered with a crooked grimace like an apology, “it made sense at the time.”
A fertile sun dawns the next morning. So far we’ve briefly seen a sun of rain, and a desert sun. Sunder is elated with the sunrise, as the fertile sun is the “life of the Land.” Also, a fertile sun will slow the Rider in his pursuit.
Covenant is stunned by the power of the fertile sun. Everywhere the light touches, green plants begin to grow. Covenant’s understanding of Earthpower, and of the Law governing it, is called into question by what he is witnessing. Sunder cannot relate to Covenant and Linden his joy of the fertile sun. Linden especially is horrified at what she is witnessing:
To which Sunder replies:“It’s wrong…..Sick. Evil. It’s not supposed to be like this. It’s killing me.”
Sunder raises another crop of ussusimiel and after eating, the trio leaves the riverbed in search of water. They find a mirkfruit vine, which Sunder cuts with his knife and from which water flows.“Because of this, we will have food! The fertile sun gives life to all the Land. In Mithil Stonedown – now, while you stand thus decrying wrong and ill – every man, woman, and child sings. All who have strength are at labor. While the fertile sun holds, they will labor until they fall from weariness. Searching first to discover places where the soil is of a kind to support crops, then striving to clear that ground so seeds may be planted…..And if people from another Stonedown come upon this place, seeking proper soil for themselves, then there will be killing until one Stonedown is left to tend the crops. And the people will sing! The fertile sun is life!…..Speak not to me of wrong!….I cannot bear it.”
They come upon a grove of gilden trees, which Covenant recognizes from his previous times in the Land. The pain that Linden has been experiencing from the Sunbane comes to the surface, as she tells Covenant that the gilden trees are on fire inside. Covenant asks Linden to explain to him why the Sunbane is hurting her so:
Covenant then tells Linden of Foul’s message of doom, received on Kevin’s Watch – to which Linden replies:“I can’t shut it out.” Hands, arms, shoulders – every part of her was clenched into the rictus of damned and demanding passion. “It’s all happening to me. I can see – feel – the trees. In me. It’s too personal. I can’t take it. It’s killing me.”
Covenant realizes the Linden’s denial of the Land and her own inner Despiser will make her an easy target for Lord Foul’s manipulations.“I don’t believe in evil. People aren’t like that. This place is sick. Lord Foul is just something you made up. If you can blame sickness on somebody, instead of accepting it for what it is, then you can avoid being responsible for it. You don’t have to try to end the pain. Even if this is a dream.”
CHAPTER NINE
RIVER-RIDE
Covenant, Sunder and Linden continue on their journey to Revelstone. The second day of the fertile sun causes trees to rise to unimaginable heights. On the third day, the group comes upon an area of broken timber that they find difficult to navigate; by sunset they find an area of heather and settle in for the night.
Covenant realizes that Sunder was troubled; upon questioning Sunder tells them that he cannot find any stone, and he fears to suffer Marid’s fate. Covenant tells him that he will carry him at sunrise, and tries to reassure him that no harm will come to him. Although Sunder fears are not laid to rest, at sunrise he climbed onto Covenant’s back, and a sun of rain dawned before them.
Sunder greets the sun of rain with anticipation, for now the travelers will make better speed. He forms a raft out of branches, and when the Mithil reaches sufficient height, the trio dives into the water while holding onto the raft. Covenant momentarily loses hold, but soon joins the others.
The water is very cold, and the weight of the driving rain causes the overgrown trees to fall, but the group manages to survive their first miserable day in the water. At night as they climb onto the banks of the Mithil, they are exhausted and desperate for fire. Covenant is reluctant to let Sunder shed himself for the power to start the fire, so he takes the Sunstone (orcrest) from Sunder. We see again Covenant’s abhorrence of power; with difficulty he brings the sunstone and white gold together and eventually manages to raise fire from the ring.
Linden tells Sunder that she cannot take another day in the river, to which Sunder replies:
Linden then asks Covenant why it is so hard to use the white ring, and he tells here it is morally hard for him to use power. Sunder replies:“Is there choice?….The ur-Lord aims toward Revelstone. Very well. But the distance is great. Refusing the aid of the River, we must journey afoot. To gain the Keep of the na-Mhoram would require many turnings of the moon. But I fear we would not gain it. The Sunbane is too perilous. And there is the matter of pursuit.”
The set of Linden’s shoulders showed her apprehension. After a moment, she asked tightly, “How much longer?”
The Graveler sighed. “None can foretell the Sunbane,” he said in a dim voice. “It is said that in generations past each new sun shone for five and six, even as many as seven days. But a sun of four days in now uncommon. And with my own eyes I have beheld only one sun of less then three.”
“Two more days,” Linden muttered. “Dear God.”
This profound explanation of the trust between a Stonedown and its Graveler touches Covenant, and he agrees to let Sunder use his power to benefit them in the future. But Linden can’t let go of Covenant’s reluctance to use the wild magic:“There at last, ur-Lord…you have uttered a word which lies within my comprehension. You fear both strength and weakness, both power and lack of power. You fear to be in need – and to have your need answered. As do I. I am a Graveler – well acquainted with such fear. A Stonedown trusts the Graveler for its life. But in the name of that life, that trust, he must shed the blood of his people. Those who trust must be sacrificed to meet that trust. Thus trust becomes a matter of blood and death. Therefore I have fled my home….to serve a man and woman whom I cannot trust. I know not how to trust you, and so I am freed of the burden of trust. There is naught between us which would require me to shed your lives. Or to sacrifice my own.”
The group continues downriver through the second day of rain, and then the third. The next morning finds our first encounter with the sun of pestilence. Sunder says that they are fortunate that the sun of pestilence follows a sun of rain and not a desert or fertile sun. Covenant asks what harm this sun brings, to which Sunder replies:“It isn’t enough,” she said stiffly. “You keep saying you want to fight the Sunbane, but you can hardly light a fire. You might as well be afraid of rubbing sticks together. I need a better answer than that.”
I always feel so sorry for Sunder here, especially where he says “I am homeless and small against the wideness of the world, and in all the Land I fear a sun of pestilence more than any other thing.” How poignant.“ What harm does it not? It is the dread and torment of the Land. Still water becomes stagnant. Growing things rot and crumble. All who eat or drink of that which has not been shaded are afflicted with a disease which few survive and none cure. And the insects-“
“He’s right,” Linden whispered with her mouth full of dismay. “Oh my God.”
“It is the Mithil River which makes us fortunate, for it will not stagnate. Until another desert sun, it will continue to flow from its springs, and from the rain. And it will ward us in other ways also….Yet I cannot behold such a sun without faintheartedness. My people hide in their homes at such a time and pray for a sun of two days. I ache to be hidden also. I am homeless and small against the wideness of the world, and in all the Land I fear a sun of pestilence more than any other thing.”
Covenant attempts to encourage Sunder:
Linden reminds them that they need to be on their way, and they set out into the current once again. The warmer sun heats the river, and their time in the water becomes more bearable. The come to an area of convergence, which Covenant realizes must be the Black River merging with the Mithil on its way to Mt. Thunder. Sunder wants to leave the water at this point, and they are no longer traveling in a northern direction, but Covenant decides to stay in the river, because he knows that they are headed toward Andelain. He desperately needs to see if the heart and soul of the Land still flourishes.“You’re also the only reason we’re still alive.”
“Yes,” the Graveler responded as if he were listening to his own thoughts rather than to Covenant.
“Yes!” Covenant snapped. “And someday every Stonedown is going to know that this Sunbane is not the only way to live. When that day comes, you’re going to be just about the only person in the Land who can teach them anything.”
Sunder was silent for a time. Then he asked distantly, “What will I teach them?”
“To remake the Land…..It used to be a place of such health and loveliness – if you saw it, it would break your heart…..That can be true again.”
Linden covered her gaze; but Sunder turned and met Covenant’s ire. “Your words have no meaning. No man or woman can remake the Land. It is in the hands of the Sunbane, for good or ill. Yet this I say to you – make the attempt. I can no longer bear to believe that Nassic my father was a mere witless fool.”
“I hear you,” Covenant muttered. He felt an unexpected desire for violence. “I hear you.”
While Covenant dwells on his memories of Andelain, Linden becomes very anxious about her surroundings:
( I appreciate the opportunity to participate! Thanks, Don.)"Sunder showed no specific anxiety. But Linden’s agitation mounted. She seemed inexplicably cold; her teeth chattered until she locked her jaws to stop them. She searched the sky and the riverbanks apprehensively, looking-
The air became harder to breathe, humid and dangerous.
Covenant was momentarily deaf to the swelling hum. But then he heard it – a raw thick growling like the anger of bees.
Bees!
The noise augered through him. He gaped in dumb horror as a swarm dense enough to obscure the sun rose abruptly out of the brush along the River and came snarling toward the raft.
“Heaven and Earth!” Sunder gasped.
Linden thrashed the water, clutched at Covenant. “Raver!” Her voice scaled into a shriek. “Oh, my God!”