Kevin's Watch

For Duchess

The chapter starts with more 'pearls' of wisdom from our favorite concubine, Saddith. I am never sure whether I really like her or not, but she surely knows what she wants & how to get it, in the walls of Orison.

I think this passage sums up Saddith for me:

"They are the highest ladies in the land," explained the maid, "They have position and wealth, rich gowns and rare jewels. All the finest men of Mordant are theirs by right. But what use do they make of their opportunities? The lady Elega scorns suitor. She does not wish a man - she wishes to be one. And the lady Myste will not leave behind her nursery girl's dreams of romance and adventure."
Saddith laughed softly. "They are properly clad and placed to be who they are. But they are too bloodless for it. Neither of them is woman enough to rule the King's court as it should be ruled.
"Some day my lady," she added confidently, "I will stand among them. I will be as high as any of the ladies of Mordant."
"The contrast will not be to their advantage."

Terisa is baffled by this woman, who uses sex and flirtation to her advantage (taking advantage of those poor, defenseless men of Orison), slowly improving her station so she can someday be a "lady" and come to have power in the court.

[I always enjoy how SRD can write from a female perspective and make it believable and accurate.]

The next day bring Eremis & Geraden, to escort Terisa to a meeting of the Congery. Of course, she & Geraden aren't invited, but in all his concieted glory, Eremis ushers them in and commences to offer Geraden the chasuble of a Master! Needless to say, this is not exactly met with enthusiasm (I think he may be onto something in regard to Geradens abilities, but we'll have to keep reading to find out....).

After much discussion & arguement, they re-examine the augury. In te end, they decide to summon the Champion, which is a direct violation of Joyse's orders.

It is an interesting moral dilemma - to save your own live, would you risk that of another? Drag a person to a strange place, facing unknown dangers - all to save your own skin? But then there is the question of whether the person actually has an existence, that the person was 'created' in the glass. Is there a dilemma now? Isn't it now like using a weapon, like a gun or spear - a tool to be used?

After they agree to Eremis' delay 6 days, they break up & go their separate ways.....

Then comes the comic relief (IMO). Eremis & Terisa retire to his sumptuous rooms, complete with a modest, discrete marking on the door, identifying it as his (what, a life size portrait isn't modest?). As Eremis tries to put the moves on our innocent heroine, Geraden decides that now would be a good time to knock on the door, walk into the room and generally make a pest of himself. I can't help but laugh when I read these pages - can't you just see Eremis fuming at Geraden? And good old Geraden saying:

"I am in your debt. For no apparent reason, you proposed me for the chasuble of a Master. I'm done now with my other duties. I want to repay you somehow"

GET OUT YOU EXCREMENT OF A PIG!!!! (or something like that). LOL!!!

Finally, they are left alone for a while and just when Eremis is ready to "begin exploring the territory of her womanhood." - who breaks in but Saddith - sent to find her for lady Myste - poor Eremis...

Thank you Earthy!

And I laughed myself silly at the whole scene between Eremis and Geraden! Geraden is one very persistent young man, is he not?

The whole thing with Eremis suggesting Geraden be raised to a Mastery is interesting to me. Its as if, all at one time, Eremis is attempting to both create a debt of gratitude in Geraden and also trying to subject him to extreme humiliation.

"GET OUT YOU EXCREMENT OF A PIG!!!!" Right on! I LOVE it!!!hahaha Very good job Earthy! Yes and all this augury stuff really re-negates Terisa's existence doesn't it? Eremis reminds me of a sexual Lord Tywin (wouldn't THAT b scary) and Saddith is in the same "sex-4-power" dilemma Cersie seems 2 b in due 2 the lack of a female's power in both ASOIAF & MN. Cersie get the titles, however, but still no real power...

Right Danlo - I think that is the trap of the sex for power equation - it usually isn't real power, just cosmetic (as it were) and also short lived..

I do not know if Saddith is all that wrong in her quest for personal power, at least not at the level she right now.

Remember that what is trivial to one person can have great significance for others, and by getting on the good side of the powerful of Orison she can probably gather quite a lot of influence at the lower levels, simply because that kind of influence is so insignificant to the people she sleeps with that they think nothing of doing her that kind of favors.

While there is a certain humor value in Geridan's interruptions--indeed, he managed it with an outward innocence nobody else could have pulled off--I was not at all amused by Eremis' behavior. Between her complete inexperience, and the fact that self-effacement is so ingrained in her that she barely has a will--let alone knowledge of what that will is--Terisa really isn't emotionally capable of any kind of consent. Add that to the fact that Eremis doesn't even believe she had any existence of her own before translation, and what we have is a man treating a woman as an object and taking advantage of vulnerability in the worst possible sense. Thank GOD Geraden and Saddith were finally able to put a stop to it. At this point in my reading, I don't like or trust Eremis one bit.