, Covenant has effectively become his father. What happens from here on out may be largely dependent on him (speculation, but I’m sure it will be), and this chapter is what opens up all of the possibilities that choice affords.trust her
Symbols of war and death dominate the chapter. From the ground
, Linden“as hard as the surface of an anvil”
, and herald of war, and“saw a pale plume trailing after her like a “pennon”
in the air from“tasted death”
The Ranyhyn raced off as to war through past wars. Linden is trying to understand their objective, why their haste. She searches back for prophecy,“the forgotten detritus of Lord Foul’s wars.”
, and wonders if they“written in water”
She looks to Stave to understand the purpose of the Ranyhyn, but“intended to intercept the Ruinwash.”
Despite Linden’s ignorance, as they approach their destination, it is apparent to us that they are reaching the climax.“nothing in his manner implied recognition – or comprehension.”
Nearing their destination,“She had the impression that she was approaching the rim of the world…[the steps of the Ranyhyn] were almost stately, and the spirit shining through their sweat and fatigue suggested pride or awe, as if they were nearing a source of wonder, a place potent to transform realities.”
suggest the nature of what they are going to encounter. They discover their destination:“mammoth scapulae that jutted…from the underlying skeleton of the rise”
Linden’s reaction makes one wonder: how did she ever come to trust the Ranyhyn? When they arrive,“The bottom of the caldera was filled with piled bones.”
Why not just wait? No, she has to assume something has gone wrong. The pile of bones is“Linden started downward like a woman who had come to the end of her wits.”
. To Linden,“meaningless”
from death,“her life was still constrained by stone walls that allowed no turning, no choices: no conceivable escape”
She struggles to return to trust, but while she vacillates, the crisis snaps into place, and all of her doubts become instantly irrelevant. A caesure erupts, and Jeremiah obliviously walks into its path. The others watch for her, trusting her to act, so she acts in spite of self-doubt.“no help for her son.”
Law exists outside of Linden and succeeds in spite of her weakness.“She saw herself fail…but her sins had not altered the nature of the Staff.”
Jeremiah, meanwhile, is beginning to move toward his purpose. His coming into focus is anticipated:
Now, it appears that we see the object on which he had been focusing.“Linden had not seen him blink since his rescue. Yet his eyes were unharmed, preserved by some implication of the Earthpower that he had received from Anele.”
First he needed the sacrifice of the Harrow, the Ardent, Liand and Anele for his rescue from Lord Foul and the croyel. Now, he needs the death of countless ancient creatures for the materials of his work.“His need for death is great.”
The materials for Jeremiah’s work are bones, but select bones. None of the bones come from the torso, the spine, the neck or the head (ok, maybe the scapulae are part of the torso, or maybe they are part of the limb joint). The bones belong to the extremities, another reminder that the story is all about crisis. Jeremiah begins building something.
I used the word “focus” to describe Jeremiah’s behavior, but he seems to build
His actions surely require consciousness, but we can’t see his consciousness, only“without focusing his eyes or giving any sign that he was conscious of his hands.”
One wonders if our cues that awareness is present aren’t the same as the cues that someone can be distracted. We don’t think Jeremiah is aware because he isn’t distracted by anything. He might be more aware than we think, but he is in prison, and until he gets out, only getting out matters to him.“Earthpower and absence.”
As Jeremiah gets building, Linden has to cope with another caesure. She is getting pretty handy and dealing with them, though. It looks like everything is under control, and we will get to see what Jeremiah is about to accomplish…except…
The Elohim’s arrival is troubling in two ways. First, Linden suspects that Infelice has the power to stop Jeremiah. Second, she learns from Infelice why it might not be such a good thing is Jeremiah succeeds. Linden might have been daunted, but Infelice inadvertently gives Linden the realization she needs to
Jeremiah’s coming here was foreseen by the Insequent and the Ranyhyn. Now, it appears nothing can deter Linden. She is determined to stop Infelice…by…arguing with her. It turns out her gift for doubt comes in handy!“[contradict] the harsh logic of despair.”
Linden is maybe just buying time, but what does Linden ask, and how does Infelice answer?
Why here? It is the resting place of [the Elohim’s] abhorrence. (One wonders if Infelice notices the irony that the Ranyhyn chose this place. Perhaps they are trying to tell her that what they hate isn’t necessarily hateful.)
Why now, why in such a hurry? The Ranyhyn sense that Joan is reaching the climax of her crisis, and Jeremiah needs to accomplish this first.
What does Infelice think Jeremiah’s is doing? He can make a prison for the Elohim. (Infelice doesn’t say that is what he is doing, just that he can. Linden pretends this answer makes sense to keep Infelice talking. In fact, there is no reason why Jeremiah should want to build a prison for the Elohim right now, and so it appears Infelice actually knows what Jeremiah is doing, but is trying to avoid telling Linden.)
Why is a prison worse than the death that the Elohim are facing already? It is worse because they would be aware of it.
And the key question: what evil might Jeremiah achieve that the Elohim hope to forestall? The Elohim fear he will assist with the imprisonment of the Creator and all possible creation, Lord Foul’s
.“deeper purpose”
Now we are at the crux. Linden has been struggling with self-doubt from the very beginning. She clearly loves her son as a mother. Does she trust him? She has been given reason to doubt, rather to believe that Jeremiah belongs to Lord Foul. So far she has refused to believe it. Stave makes the final argument for her. Using his precise Haruchai logic he essentially says, “you can’t prove the boy is a tool of Corruption.” To Linden, this means she can trust him because the beings of the Land trust him.
Now Linden is ready to fight, but of course, the fight isn’t going to go her way. She is taken out of action right up to the last moment, and released by Stave’s inhuman determination just long enough to toss a toy to Jeremiah…
Why the race car? Jeremiah had left it alone of all his toys, had not used it for any of his structures. Now it becomes the keystone. The race tracks that went with it were ignored at first as well. Only at night would he build with the race tracks, as if they were part of his subconscious. The car isn’t normally a building block. Rather, it represents movement, action and will;
. Now in his extremity he has taken it with him, the only object from his own world besides his soiled pajamas covered with horses. Esmer had restored it for him, foreseeing this moment. Jeremiah’s gesture to receive the toy is magical and completely trusting. He just holds his hand out and knows that he will be understood and that his mother will put the toy in his hand. I wonder if Donaldson meant to play on words when he calls Jeremiah’s halfhand (“slight” of hand) a legerdemain (sleight of hand).“fierce stubbornness…Jeremiah’s birthright”
The Ranyhyn come in for the third and final defense for Jeremiah, and he wins his way to freedom. All I can say is, I totally cried when he looked at his mother.