Who Was Brought to the Land? (Prologue spoilers)

[Aleksandr]

And yet another matter for speculation concenring the summoning:

I ran across a passage where Linden assumess that she was in fact summoned by Joan, which does make a bit of sense. Joan was in the land briefly (perhaps as long a day Land-time assuming five minutes real world time passed between her transition and Linden's) which would give time enough for Turiya Herem to get to her and focus her on that summoning with her ring. And Liden did experince Joan's madness during the transition. But that has consequences later on: if Joan was the summoner (for Linden, Jeremiah and whoever was brought along) then if (when) Joan dies Linden and everyone else will fade (and perahaps die as well)

[Stead]

I kept waiting for Sandy to show up, too. I guess he's saving it for later. The sheriff would be a nice surprise, too. He could be a strong character, maybe something of a Lebbick.

[burgs]

Like I said earlier, spatial relations probably won't allow the Sherrif to come through, but if he did, Linden should ride a Caesure back to the time of the Sunbane, and tie the b@stard up under a sun of pestilence. He deserves no better.

[Kevin son of Ireland]

I'd like to know why there was no sign of the creator at all this time. In the first chronicles we seen him a few times and he actually congratulated TC at the end. In the second books he appeared once only i think. and now he hasn't appeared at all. Do you think SD wants to totally ignore this line now or does anyone think he will be back in the story at all?

[burgs]

He'll be here, no doubt. This is his baby, and he has more of a stake in it than Foul does.

If Foul is present (even if weakened or just more hidden), then you can bet the Creator is right around the corner.

[dlbpharmd]

While Linden is in the process of being summoned, the text says clearly that Sandy and Sheriff Lytton are not being summoned to the Land.

[avial]

..I believe jeremiah's constructs are a direct result of some form of interaction with the creator - and interesting too that he is a "builder" - perhaps a builder of a new land??

[burgs]

I agree with that.

[dlbpharmd]

I agree also.

[Old Darth]

Yep I agree with that thought.

[duchess of malfi]

As do I. There has to be some sort of significance to those structures, or Donaldson would not so lovingly describe them.

[Aleksandr]

While Linden is in the process of being summoned, the text says clearly that Sandy and Sheriff Lytton are not being summoned to the Land.

Could you provide the quote? I don't recall this being dealt with at all in the summoning. Also, is it an objective statement, or subjective belief or speculation on Linden's part?
I would agree that the Sherrif wouldn't be summoned, he's too far away and why would Donaldson want to have to deal with an @$$hole like that in the Land? But I find Sandy's presence at the summoning spot quite gratuitous and unnecessary (unless she is to play some role in the real world in the aftermath, assuming Donaldson returns us there at the end) so I am thinking we haven't seen the last of her.

[Stead]

While Linden is in the process of being summoned, the text says clearly that Sandy and Sheriff Lytton are not being summoned to the Land.

Could you provide the quote? I don't recall this being dealt with at all in the summoning. Also, is it an objective statement, or subjective belief or speculation on Linden's part?
I would agree that the Sherrif wouldn't be summoned, he's too far away and why would Donaldson want to have to deal with an @$$hole like that in the Land? But I find Sandy's presence at the summoning spot quite gratuitous and unnecessary (unless she is to play some role in the real world in the aftermath, assuming Donaldson returns us there at the end) so I am thinking we haven't seen the last of her.

The quote from the book (from what I can see) is this:

"Barton Lytton had probably survived. And Sandy Eastwall might live still. Prostrate, they had sprawled below the wild gunfire. They had no part in this."

To me, this was Linden's supposition. There might be something else, but that's all I've found. Contrary to saying that neither got summoned, it tells me that both of them probably were.

Also, Roger made a few sneers at Lytton ("You're braver than I thought. I didn't think you had it in you") which point to some kind of personal thing between them, that shouldn't be if Lytton doesn't play a part eventually.

It seems that the point of summoning was anywhere within the hail of gunfire, so Lytton could've been taken as well.

He'll probably show up with a ship-full of giants or something.

[burgs]

It doesn't seem congruous with SRDs "story telling integrity" to say something like "they had no part in this", and then go back on it. I agree that it was from Linden's perspective, rather than the narrators, but it's still the narrator talking through Linden.

SRD takes integrity far too seriously to use this as a foil.

[Stead]

Yeah you're right. but it would still be a neat surprise if they showed up sometime.

[Aleksandr]

It doesn't seem congruous with SRDs "story telling integrity" to say something like "they had no part in this", and then go back on it.

It’s a perfectly acceptable literary technique to use misdirection like this via a character’s subjective impressions to throw readers off the trail of a future plot development. Donaldson has done as much in several places in the past: having Mhoram speculate that it was dead Kevin wielding the Staff of Law for Foul and then having it be Elena instead; or telling us (through Tull) that the giants of Seareach were all dead (except the Ravers) and then Foamfollower shows up very much alive in TPTP (and ditto with Bannor after the Bloodguard have “all” gone home)
Also, the reason I keep wondering about Sandy, is because Donaldson is pretty stingey about adding characters to his stories. As he mentioned in one of the gradual interviews, most of his characters have no families or casual friends simply because he does not want to have extraneous people show up and complicate the story. So generally a character introduced in a story of his will have a role to play somewhere. Sandy was not needed except briefly as Jeremiah’s caregiver and Donaldson could have killed her off when Roger took the boy—he had no compunctions about blowing away the nurse Sarah and the guards at the hospital; instead he kept her alive. So I’m thinking he has a use for her somewhere down the line. Maybe in the real world (again, assuming we go back there at the very end) or maybe in the Land.

[I'm Murrin]

If Lytton does show up, I'm greatly hoping it's as a gibbering wreck who couldn't cope with the translation out of his own world into the Land, heh.

[burgs]

It’s a perfectly acceptable literary technique to use misdirection like this via a character’s subjective impressions to throw readers off the trail of a future plot development.

I agree, it is. Many writers do this, although most do it cheaply to achieve ridiculous melodramatic effect.

Donaldson has done as much in several places in the past: having Mhoram speculate that it was dead Kevin wielding the Staff of Law for Foul and then having it be Elena instead.

It was Lord Trevor who made this speculation.

The Stone does not suffice. I have felt it. Even Lord Foul the Despiser could not become so much more unconquerable in seven short years. (...) This weather -- this winter. It sustains and drives the army -- it frees Satansfist -- it frees the Despiser himself for other work -- the work of the Stone. The work of these dead. Mhoram, do you remember Drool Rockworm's power over the weather -- and the moon?.(...) I have felt it. Lord Foul holds the Staff of Law. (...) Perhaps the same being who slew Elena bore the Staff to Foul's Creche -- perhaps it is dead Kevin himself who wields the Staff on Foul's behalf, so that the Despiser need not personally use a power not apt for his control.

Furthermore, they were operating on the best of their knowledge at the time. The situations are entirely different. There was precedent for the control of the environment, and the only precedent involved the Staff. In other words, it was their best guess. How could they know that dead Elena actually held the Staff for Foul?

or telling us (through Tull) that the giants of Seareach were all dead (except the Ravers) and then Foamfollower shows up very much alive in TPTP (and ditto with Bannor after the Bloodguard have “all” gone home)

Nobody knew that Foamfollower could not return to Revelstone for his own personal reasons. There was no way that they could have known this. The same goes for Bannor. His and Foamfollower's decisions were very similar.

Also, the reason I keep wondering about Sandy, is because Donaldson is pretty stingey about adding characters to his stories. As he mentioned in one of the gradual interviews, most of his characters have no families or casual friends simply because he does not want to have extraneous people show up and complicate the story. So generally a character introduced in a story of his will have a role to play somewhere. Sandy was not needed except briefly as Jeremiah’s caregiver and Donaldson could have killed her off when Roger took the boy—he had no compunctions about blowing away the nurse Sarah and the guards at the hospital; instead he kept her alive.

You might have something here, although I'm not sure what Sandy could do for Jeremiah. We certianly aren't aware of the very close relationship that they must have developed over the years, as she was the primary caregiver for Jeremiah, so perhaps that's something that Foul (or someone) will want to use to exploit Jeremiah somewhere down the line. If not for SRDs comments on his judicious use of characters, I would rule this out entirely because Sandy seems unimportant to the Land. But she may be important to Jeremiah.

[finn]

Sandy and the Sherriff were not on Kevin's Watch, and Foul did not acknowledge them.

Could they be somewhere else? Amongst the Elohim or with the Giants? Could the sherriff be an officer of the army where the sandgorgons were held captive, and in what time?

I think it unlikley, however they are up Donaldsons sleeve for a twist in the plot later if he so needs or chooses.

I think that the balance of good and evil is Covenant/Foul, Linden/Covenant's wife, Roger/Jeremiah. The first is obvious, the second is both have loved and been loved by Covenant and the third is both are sons of Covenants women; despite Jeremiah not being his natural son Covenant will become a de facto father as the de facto partner of Linden, should he be able to manifest.

There are (not yet) any counterbalance characters to Sandy and the Sherriff.

[burgs]

Your last point is salient.

I can't imagine where Sheriff Lyton would turn up. Certainly not with any Sandgorgons. I would personally throw stones at SRD if he did anything that cheesy.