In the beginning of the chapter, Terisa and Geraden want to talk to one of the present authority figures (Artagel, Master Barsonage and the Tor), to catch up on events. Since none are available, they spend the time consolidating their relationship.
During this time, the relevance of the hop-board metaphor is for the first time made very clear, and highlights the differing ethical viewpoints of King Joyse and Havelock in particular. Terisa realises:
Terisa contrasts the uncompromising attitude of Havelock with that of her former employer, Reverend Thatcher. She sees him in a new light now; where she previously thought of him as ineffectual, she now admires his dedication on a personal level.No-one understands hop-board. The King tries to protect his pieces.
King Joyse had protected her, protected Geraden.Had tried to protect the Tor. At some personal cost, he had done what he could to protect his wife and daughters. It was even conceivable that he had tried to protect Castellan Lebbick.
Individuals. What good are they? Worthless. It's all strategy. Sacrifice the right men to trap your opponent.
... Did that fundamental flaw cripple everything? Was his policy fatally marred by his inability to sacrifice individuals for the sake of something larger?
...Which of course she hadn't, and by proxy, neither has the author. He raises the question as to which is more ethical: to care for individuals on a deeply personal level, no matter the cost to humanity as a whole - or to be ruthless in the pursuit of what's good for humanity, while ignoring individual needs, and even lives - but leaves us, for now, without an answer."If you gave him a choice between... free education for the whole city for one day, and helping one drunk get through another day with a hot meal, he'd choose to help the drunk. Not because he didn't think education is important, but because he couldn't help caring about the drunk.
"Maybe that's sad. Maybe it's even stupid. It's certainly hopeless.
"But it's also wonderful."
She stopped as if she had made herself clear.
When they finally get together with Artagel, one of the subjects that is discussed is that of Lebbick and Saddith. Interestingly, Terisa has sympathy for Lebbick, whereas Geraden does not.
This, of course, is almost directly after the revelation that Joyse is supposedly incapable, unlike Havelock, of regarding people as mere pawns. He puts his whole plan in jeopardy in order to attempt the rescue of his wife, yet apparently was unwilling to do the same for Lebbick. I guess we all have our priorities......Geraden muttered into the inaccurate light of the flames, "It's hard to feel sorry for him. After what he did to Saddith. After what he meant to do to Terisa.
"No, Terisa said at once. It's easy. His wife died. She and Orison and King Joyse were his reasons for living... King Joyse would have been kinder to cut him off at the knees."
Havelock pays a nocturnal visit to Terisa and Geraden. The message he seems to be trying to convey, is that they should trust him. The hop-board metaphor is brought into play again, with further realisations on Terisa's part:
Another major theme, that of gender roles, is brought to the fore when the Tor tries to forbid Terisa from marching with 'the men', because she is a woman. The outcome is that Terisa is successful in claiming the right to go, on the basis of her accomplishments; she is technically under the auspices of the Congery because of her unique ability with mirrors and translation.Suddenly, the test King Joyse had arranged for Prince Kragen, the strange game of checkers in the audience hall, became poignant to her - poignant and awful. By that test, King Joyse had learned that his daughter would betray him.
This whole incident lends a certain irony to the title chapter, "Men Go Forth". This irony is added to when Artagel, the 'manliest' of them all, is effectively forbidden to go with the company, and instead is allotted the task of remaining to oversee the defense of the castle. Artagel's response is to clothe himself in Lebbick's bloodied garments, so that
Logistic preparations are made, including an ingenious arrangemant of supplying the troops through the use of conjury - translating provisions back and forth between the castle and the campsite, and finallyAnybody who looks at me is by the stars going to know what I stand for.
Six thousand men and one woman, to be precise.With the Congery and six thousand men behind him, the Tor rode out of Orison.
