Fatal Revenant, Part 1, Chapter 11, Melenkurion Skyweir

[Cameraman Jenn]

In this chapter, Linden, Covenant and Jeremiah travel by one last arch jump and arrive at the plateau on Melenkurion Skyweir where Jeremiah is to build his construct. Linden uses her percipience to feel the warmth and power within the mountain and also the huge pressures that are building within the mountain itself. Covenant explains that there is to be a huge earthquake that actually splits the mountain open and that in Damelon's time he will name the place "Rivenrock." Covenant then goes on to explain how they are going to use Jeremiah's magic ability to create the "doorway" to the earthblood. Covenant explains six very important things about what Jeremiah's constructs can actually do. They can be portals in distance, portals in time and portals to nowhere i.e. prisons. They can also attract, repel or blind the Elohim. They can also display one power from each list at the same time. In this instance the construct is a portal of distance and will blind the Elohim. It is also important to note that even though he can build anything to do anything he MUST have the proper perfect materials so this hinders him from being a being of uncontested power. Covenant and Linden have left Jeremiah to his building and walk towards the edge of the plateau to talk about what is supposed to happen under the mountain with the earthblood. At this point Linden makes a decision that she is not going to trust Covenant and is going to do her own thing. She makes this decision based on her surety that Covenant is still lying to her. She lies to him and agrees to stick with the plan. After this little chat, she and Covenant go back and watch Jeremiah building his construct. It appears in the form of a crude box and it is thrumming with power and seems hardly able to stand yet feels strong. She uses her percipience to "see" it but can't seem to find anything unnatural or familiar to her in the magic that he is using. It's just completely unfamiliar. Once the box is finished to a point they instruct her to get in it and make sure she positions herself so that she won't accidentally touch them or touch them with the staff. They all get in and Jeremiah closes the entry behind them and it all goes dark then the box is glowing and Linden can feel the incredible power of earthblood all around them and the box suddenly disappears altogether. In her mind she is going over things that Covenant has said and trying to figure out their meaning. Things very much concerned with Kastenessan and Covenant's own disregard for the people and the Land. She finds herself on very slick rock and they have to travel up to a waterfall to a hidden passage to get to the source and both Jeremiah and Covenant leave her behind. She struggles to catch up and when they have all reached close to the source behind the waterfall she goes flying at them perfectly willing to touch them and risk erasing them despite her self professed "love" for her son and wish to save him at any cost. She skids over the rocks to reach the earthblood first. Covenant tries to argue with her to stop and she refuses and even says she is done arguing although they argue a bit longer and she drinks the earthblood and makes her command. "Show me the truth."

Let's look at this statement. "Show me the truth." What does this mean exactly? Show me the truth of my worst nightmares? Show me the truth about Santa Claus? Show me the truth about myself? I find this a VERY open ended statement. How do we know that what she does get shown IS the truth of reality and not the truth about her worst fears? Who's truth is it?

[lurch]

That Linden uses the Power To Command,,to Command, " Show Me The Truth",,in itself is a question and a half Jenn.

Consider, this first section of FR starts out High on a Tower and in ethereal illuminating Sunlite,,and here we are in and at The Bedrock, the Deep Foundation of Melekurion Skyweir in darkness only illuminated by the mysterious glow of the Earthblood that flows with out sound. Truth? This is all metaphor. We are finally at the Heart of all matters.

And what a terrorizing place and time it is for Linden and for us the reader. This is where the word " Good" as repeated by The Illusion Master,,leaves sour bile in the back of the throat with every utterance of its malevolent irony. Truth? This where Jeremiah's " Talent",, his Theurgy, his magic, is used , raped, abused, misdirected, by the Illusion Masters. Truth! As Shakespearre put it in Macbeth. where," Foul is Fair and Fair is Foul".

Right and wrong can't be determined here,,only The Truth can be and Linden demands it. Her Heart has felt the pain of lies and falsehoods,,the work of the Illusion Masters,,long enough. In a way,,suffering all the falsehoods, Lies,, Illusions,,is the vehicle that has brought Linden to this moment of demanding Truth. A terrifying demand it is,,to demand the Truth. I mean.. she doesn't know, Linden has already thought to herself that TC's lies are beyond her imagination,,so ,,so can be the Truth.

Linden demanding Truth,,is you Jenn..demanding the same, " What does this mean exactly?"...Its a perceptual thing. As has been demonstrated in this first section of the FR,,Truth isn't even that which is seen with the eyes.,, I see a brick,, I touch it, it exists,,its real,,but thats not its " Truth". What I perceive as the brick's" Truth" may not be the same as You perceive the brick as. You may see it a bit red'er,, or browner than I do,, for example. So, its not What is Truth ,,its Where is Truth?..Donaldson is suggesting, to me anyway,,that it lays in the " Feel",,the Heart, The Intuition, the Imagination...of the Individual. What You Feel, What Your Heart tells you, what You Intuit, What awaits You in Your Infinite Imagination, Is Your Talent, Your Potentials, Your Truth.

But first,,you have to know and recognize the Illusions..the Illusions that barricade , slow you down, keep you from your free imagination,, the mental fascists that would turn you away from your own imaginative creative abilities. You have to identify them and deal with them accordingly,,A terrifying realization it is,, that what is real,,has little Truth. You have to stop being subservient to the Illusions and the Masters of Illusions. You have to be True , to Your "self."

Of all the things that Linden could have Commanded.. she chose wisely.

[dlbpharmd]

"Show me the Truth!"

This is one of the great moments in the Chronicles, ranking right up there with "Nom!"

I remember I couldn't turn the page fast enough. What a great chapter, indeed the past 2-3 chapters have been spectacular. I'll say more later.

[danlo]

Great dissection Jenn. This chapter seriously grabbed me and screamed Donaldson is BACK! I think this is the best chapter he's ever written (except maybe for A Place of Death in Mordant's Need).

[Cameraman Jenn]

I'm a little confused by your post, Lurch. Are you saying that the truth is inside Linden's heart and intuition? If that is in fact what you are saying then how did she chose wisely by using the Earthblood to show her the truth when she already knew it anyway? Am I reading that correctly?

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

[lurch]

I don't see the " she knew it already". She quickly came to the observation that the TC who stood before her, wasn't the same TC she remembered. As time progressed she put 2 and 2 together and had little doubt that this TC was a liar. But, as far as who or what the TC who stood before her ,,was really,,she did not know. She had no clue as to the real situation of Jeremiah.
Esmer told Linden that she must be the first to drink the Earthblood,,a message that echoed inside of Linden often. So,,her choosing,,was more like following strong direction from Esmer.

" Show me The Truth"..says somethings..This demand ( at the end of I'm not arguing anymore)..acknowledges the presense of falsehood, Illusion. It also acknowledges the lack of knowing what or where Truth is. The question is...what in the story, supports Linden asking that question...Esmer telling her that she must be first,,isn't enough. Yet,,every question she asks out of ignorance,,from begining in Runes to this point,,is the support for her demanding The Truth now. Every lie thrown at her from the beginnings of Runes supports Linden's demand now. I don't recall Linden actually saying or thinking,," I must find the Truth..' yet all the falseness, lies, Illusions have been guiding her to this moment of demand. The dimension of guidence, that brings Linden to this demand,,is as ethereal,,yet tangible ,as any Donaldson paradox. Fascinating it is,,that the author brings Linden to the realization of what she must do,,and doesn't tell us,,until the very act is executed. The dislocation,,un-realness,,other reality of this chapter and the preceding ones leading up to this one, is in beautiful contrast to, and at the same time,, a big part of the answer to, Linden's demand..Show Me The Truth.!

The next chapter delves into "Truth" more. Please be patient, okay.

[SoulBiter]

I'm a little confused by your post, Lurch. Are you saying that the truth is inside Linden's heart and intuition? If that is in fact what you are saying then how did she chose wisely by using the Earthblood to show her the truth when she already knew it anyway? Am I reading that correctly?

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

I would say that Linden did indeed know the truth. She just couldnt figure out how to prove it and Im not sure that she has admitted it to herself. I think in some respects this is another aspect of 'love being blind'. She see's whats going on, she feels that something is wrong and yet, for love she is willing to overlook it until she has ABSOLUTE PROOF. Thus she asks... 'show me' the truth. Not tell me the truth but show it to me. There is a HUGE difference there.

Oh and GREAT job on the dissection Jenn!

[lurch]

..So the Truth is..that which is before her is an Illusion. That which is presenting itself as one thing,,is actually another thing. Again.. the nature of the Demand, implies that basic understanding, by Linden..It also implies,,that Linden doesn't know any Truth beyond that basic..but has Desire to know.

Note TC's answers to some of her questions in this chapter..slowly painting himself into a corner he resorts to, " Its more complicated than that"..I bring this up,,because that phrase is the classic Dodge..the classic cast of more Illusionistic horse plop. No, IT is NOT more complicated; the Truth is in another direction,,that of reducing to basics, reducing to simplicity. The only Truth in the " real" subjective world is in the answer to the question, " Who Am I ?" This chapter brings Linden to that realization.

And yea,,its a slippery slope, difficult to get any footing on,,but Linden has her anchor, her Staff, her Knowledge of her " self',,to anchor her, give her " purchase" on the slick and nearly impossible surface.. What a great metaphor. At the core of herself,Linden empowers her self..takes full responsibility of her " self",,and begins to find the Truth of her self.

[IrrationalSanity]

Let us not forget, this is the Earthblood we are talking about. Yes, "Show me the truth" is a simple command - on the surface. And yes, it easily stripped away the veil of illusion hiding the natures of Covenant and Jeremiah. But is that enough? Nothing is ever that simple in the Land.

The only other utterance of Earthblood (that we know of) broke the Law of Death! There is a HUGE amount of power in this stuff. Popping an illusion is nowhere near enough of an effect to fulfill such a command. I don't think we have begun to see the ramifications of this.

[matrixman]

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[lurch]

The reveal of Jeremiah's " talent" is fascinating. His " magic" of building constructs that transport out of " just the right " stuff....strikes me as a metaphor of a painting or a piece of music, etc etc,,that hits a nerve..evokes a Truth or a feeling of Truth from the observer..Art! So that makes his little red car,,his muse.

[Relayer]

Hi all, back after an extended leave taking care of some family matters...

One of the first things that struck me in this chapter was... "the lofty spire of the Skyweir..." WHAT ??? Did I read that right, did SRD forget something? It turns out to be a non-issue, as it's soon explained that the earthquake hasn't happened yet, but nevertheless creates a sense of dislocation right from the start. We've been to the Earthblood before; we *think* we have some idea what to expect (in this we are not like Linden; she hasn't been here). But suddenly, everything's thrown into a new light.

TC says "Damelon will name this place Rivenrock." Perhaps we can assume that the quake will be massive enough to get his attention? Has there been a story about WHY did Damelon come here in the first place? (if there was, I've forgotten). Did he "know" about the Earthblood?

Metaphors -- as Lurch said, what is Truth if it is not reality? In the tunnel, the rock is so slippery that Linden cannot get her footing... a metaphor for the lubricious nature of the situation. But using Law, she is able to anchor herself and so take action. She also sees again how much apparent falsehood there is in TC... he can handle the immense power here, he is not banished.

Spoiler

I assume that the ability to build portals and traps IS actually Jeremiah's power, and is being used by the croyel. If not, they'd be doing stuff like that all the time. But what about the ability to create a force field, such as before Berek's camp? Can croyel do anything besides be a parasite? Or else, how does Jeremiah get the strength to hold down a man the size of Inbull?

Also, there's a comment that Jeremiah was "frantically" playing with the car in his hands. I now believe that's the instrument that the croyel uses to link to Jeremiah (or maybe to Foul). At that moment, the 'real' Jeremiah was trying as hard as he could to break free; the croyel had to work harder to keep him controlled.

Why doesn't TC try harder to stop Linden?

Spoiler

I think he should have attacked her at this point (I mean from his point of view, this is what he should have done. He's gotta know she's going to thwart his plans). Yes, she has the ring and staff, but he and the croyel have the element of surprise. And he has Kassy's hand

If he hits her full force right now, he can probably win his way to the Earthblood while she tries to figure out how hard to fight back. Though she absolutely doesn't trust TC, she doesn't actually realize who he is, and won't attack full-force; also she won't attack her son right away. If he did attack her, would the Elohim intervene? For that matter, what if she had let him drink first? Would they have done so then?

[wayfriend]

Hi everybody! I have finally caught back up.

Thanks for starting us off with a good summary, Jenn. I'll get to "Show me" later in the post. But I do want to say, you seem to have paid close attention to Jeremiah's powers. "One power from each list at the same time", etc.

But the idea that Jeremiah can blind the Elohim may be a lie. It may be that the Elohim simply are doing their thing where they stay away and let Linden deal. But then the question is, why would Covenant lie about it, I guess...

This chapter is called "Melenkurion Skyweir". So soon after learning the meanings of the seven words, we find ourselves at the mountain named for one of them. melenkurion: bastion, source. Bastion of Earth, source of Earth ... power.

"The whole mountain and its surrounding rock might have been a fane erected for and sanctified to the august beauty of the world."

fane: temple, church.

"The coming crisis would end her life. If other outcomes were possible, she could not see them."

Truth, or prophesy? She stands at the feet of the source church, the temple bastion, and the answer could be either. But this is Donaldson: we cannot be sure which crisis we're speaking of.

Jeremiah:

"That's what all this wood is for. It's one of the main reasons we had to make the Viles and Wildwood fight each other. So I could get enough branches.

"I'm going to build a door."

So: Covenant and Jeremiah stirred up all that trouble for a stack of kindling! But not really ... its a very specific and important pile of kindling.

Was the whole ordeal with the Viles just their plan coming together?

If so, what would they have done if the Theomach did not change their time destination, and it was five hundred years after the Viles and Wildwood fought?

Jeremiah:

"I'm going to build a door." Eagerness seemed to crackle and spatter in his voice. "Like the one in my bedroom that let me visit the Land. Like that one, it won't look like a door."

A door. Like the one in my bedroom. Jeremiah covered this before in chapter 2, that the racecar tracks became a door to the land. But I am reminded, here, as we see Jeremiah's power in action for the first time, of an important question. If the racecar track was his door to the Land, how did he build it, without a door to the Land? It's a chicken before an egg. Somehow, Jeremiah had magical power in the real world. With no connection to the Land, no Creator, he made his own way to the Land.

Surely this proves, beyond a shadow of the doubt, that the walls between worlds are breaking down, and the universe of the Land is leaking out. And we have to worry, what else can leak out. Who else can leak out?

"There's going to be an earthquake."

One of the coolest things in this chapter, and one of Donaldson's finer achievements, is how he worked the history of Melenkurion Skyweir into this whole series of events. Brilliant!

"At last, [Covenant] stopped with his boots on the jagged verge of the plateau."

Covenant? Standing close to a precipace? This isn't the Thomas Covenant we remember.

Covenant:

"That's the other thing. The Elohim. They're - I don't know how to put it." His mouth twisted in disgust. "They're vulnerable to certain kinds of structures. Like Vain. Maybe because they're so fluid. Specific constructs attract them. Exactly the right materials in exactly the right shape. Other structures repel them. Or blind them.

Valuable lore. Elohim lore. Vain lore.

Law has been equated with structure, since the beginning. Does Law attract the Elohim? Or repel them? Perhaps this explains so much more than just Vain. It could explain all of Creation.

A huge moment in a huge chapter.

There Linden reached her decision.

This is the huge moment.

Linden doesn't have the answers. But she is sure that this is not Covenant. She adds up everything. And adds one last detail.

More than once long ago, she had believed that he was wrong; that his actions would lead to loss and doom. More than once, she had tried to prevent him. And he had shown her that he had made the right choice. By the simple force of his courage and love and will, he had forged salvation from the raw materials of disaster.

But he had done so without imposing his desires on her. Nor had he ever - not once - suggested that she was responsible for his dilemmas.

It can't be Covenant. It can't be. She's sure. Therefore she did not hesitate. She will act. She had made her choice. Everything else that happens in this chapter, it was birthed at this moment.

Linden will sacrifice herself for Jeremiah. And at the end of The Final Dark, will the choice be the same?

"F*** the Theomach," Covenant muttered through his teeth. "F*** the Elohim. F*** them all."

These are the word of a man who was kept down. But now he thinks he's won. Obviously, there is some back story we've yet to have read. This is a man who has been treated badly by someone.

"At erratic intervals, the mountain's epitonic bones trembled."

Epitonic: Abnormally tense or stressed. (Not "epitomic", which is the adjective form of epitome, pinnacle.)

When they first appear inside the mountain, Covenant and Jeremiah wait for Linden to get up. Linden wonders, "Why had he and Jeremiah waited for her?"

Good question!

Linden:

"I only care about Jeremiah. I'm going to save him. The Land is your problem."

He should have known that she was lying. He and Jeremiah both should have known.

Should have known! He can't be Covenant. Can't be.

And the Linden is making the Land her problem. Never forget it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Show me the truth!"

I'm convinced that Linden knew that Covenant wasn't Covenant. But that's who he wasn't; she had know idea who he was. She needed to know, she was tired of being in the dark. She could not begin to guess what he was after if she didn't know what was going on.

"Show me the truth!"

Esmer pointed the way. He rescued her from the Viles. Now he rescued her again.

"Show me the truth!"

But in case you think it's all downhill from here, remember Amok's words.

"But there is another and subtler hazard. Here any soul with the courage to drink may give a Command - but there are few who can foresee the outcome of what they have enacted. When such immeasurable force is unleashed upon the Earth, any accomplishment may recoil upon its accomplisher. If a drinker were to Command the destruction of the Illearth Stone, perhaps the Stone's evil would survive uncontained to blight the whole Land. Here the drinker who is not also a prophet risks self-betrayal. Here are possibilities of Desecration which even High Lord Kevin in his despair left slumbering and untouched."

[Cameraman Jenn]

Very good points Wayfriend. In fact very interesting posts everyone. Way, the reason I paid so much attention to Jeremiah's power limitations/abilities was because SRD was SOOO specific about them that I think they are going to come into very serious play later in this series. Keep in mind, that is a guess and if I get any factual knowledge soon I'll be quitting the dissection discussions which makes me sad.

[moderator's note: Cameraman Jenn is an advance reader for Stephen R. Donaldson-she's indicating that she may have to distance herself from the discussion as soon she receives the raw manuscript of Against All Things Ending-d]

[High Lord Tolkien]

If so, what would they have done if the Theomach did not change their time destination, and it was five hundred years after the Viles and Wildwood fought?

I think if they had come when they wanted originally there would not have been need of haste. The Viles would not have been a threat.
They modified their plan to use the Viles.


They scope of power being used in the last few chapters is tough to take in on the first read.
THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN DROPPED ON LINDEN'S HEAD!
She pretty much created the path that Damelon would take hundreds of years later I think. She was grabbing pieces of the mountain and shaping it around her.

[Savor Dam]

Aye, HLT, but that is in the subsequent chapter. It has not happened yet.