Fatal Revenant, Part 1 Chapter 5 "I know what to do"

[SoulBiter]

We leave the last Chapter with Linden succeeding at destroying the caesure that the Demondim have been using to access the Illearth stone from the past.

Linden has sacrificed more than most realize. She has all along said that finding and saving her son are the foremost things on her mind and yet, her actions at this time contradict that assertion. While the gift of the loremaster held, she could have found the truth about Thomas Covenant who has claimed he knows what to do. She could have found out the truth about the urviles, she could have possibly been able to help Joan and keep more of these Caesures from erupting. But instead she chose to expend this gift to help Revelstone.

After extinguishing the fall she finds that many are 'astonished' at what she has accomplished. Liand and the Ramen are all in awe. This is definetly the stuff that legends are made from. What tale would be told 1000 years hence of this?

Anele starts speaking and its with a new personality.... He commends Linden but basically tells her nothing except that he will be challenging her and even if he fails to wrest her power from her, she will need his aid.Then he departs as quickly as he came. What really was weird about this was that right after he left she thinks “Oh Shit!”
I don’t think Ive ever heard her think such a thing.

She asks about TC and her son to see if her expendatures of earthpower have caused them to be banished.

"They were forwarned of your power and have endured it"

(Why does my BS alarm go off when I hear that). When they first arrived they didnt even want her to light her staff for fear it would banish them, but she uses enough earthpower to banish a Caesure from a long distance and they endure?????

They go to meet TC and Jeremiah and Linden is noticing whats going on between Pahni and Liand. Apparently they are making eyes at each other or something. But she also notes that he seems “Settled in his distrust of Covenant and Jeremiah.” She really should trust her friends.

As they near Furls Falls they find TC and Jeremiah and she notes some things that don’t seem right.
Again she realizes that she cant ‘see’ them.

“He and Covenant remained impenetrable to her senses”

“Her sons tattered pajamas were drenched, but he did not appear to feel the cold.”

And yet

“the wind had teeth now, biting through her cloak and into her clothes.”

Well after asking some tough questions of TC she gets some answers. But I find myself wondering about those answers. He mentions some forces:

Kastenessen
Esmer
Elohim

Everyone has been talking about the rain and the coming storm in the earlier dissection. It appears that SRD continues to use the weather as a way to describe whats going on with all of them.

“ By slow degrees, dawn leaked through the receding storm; dissolved the darkness over the plateau.”

The beginning of understanding or at the very least her fighting her way through the storm of and finding her resolve.

Then we find out more about the breaking of the durance from TC

“ You need to realize that he didn’t break his durance. He didn’t have that much actual power. No, he slipped out. Which he managed to do by becoming part skurj himself.”

Now that makes me wonder… if Kastenessen can ‘slip’ out of his appointment.. can Findail slip his, given the right conditions?

He gives her more warnings and they continue on toward Furls falls. On the way there she has some time to mull things over and try to figure out why her internal alarm bells are going off.

“In spite of Covenants warnings, however, Linden was only vaguely troubled by the possiblility of an attack. She felt sustained by vitrim. At need, she might find a way to defend herself and her companions without endangering Covenant and Jeremiah. Under the circumstances she was more afraid of Covenants manner--- and of Jeremiahs strange powers’

This says a lot to me. She doesn’t trust him but she also knows intuitively why she doesn’t trust them.

“ Neither the Unbeliever nor her son loved her.”

Damn.

When they get to Furls falls TC tries to dismiss the Ramen and Stave. He gets the response that I expect.

“You are the Unbeliever, “ the Manethrall rasped. “once you were the Ringthane. In this, we do not doubt you. But we stand with Linden Avery. That which falls to her will fall to us as well, for good or ill”

Damn right! The Ramen still are what I loved about the Land.

But then out of no where

“ Anele announced firmly, “ I no longer fear the urviles.”

Now what the heck does that mean?

Again TC shows us how much he has changed.

“Hellfire, Linden, This is important. I need your goddamn friends to get out of my way.”

I cant help but remember that these people (not these exact people) used to be his friends when he didn’t feel that he deserved any friends.

She finally convinces them to let TC try what he is going to try and they step back and then again Anele says

“ I have said that I no longer fear the urviles! Did you not heed me?”

And then a wedge of urviles approaches and they attack. TC sends the Masters to defend them.

But them Esmer shows up and starts attacking as well.

But TC has had time to get ready and yells

“Now Jeremiah”

And everything vanished.

“Lightning completed the arch over her head, striking like the devastation of worlds from Jeremiahs fingertips to covenants”

Lightning again. And in an arch.

[dlbpharmd]

Great dissection, Soulbiter!

[wayfriend]

I actually read the chapter in a timely fashion this week!

Great start, SoulBiter. As you've shown us, this brief chapter raises some interesting questions.

While the gift of the loremaster held, she could have found the truth about Thomas Covenant who has claimed he knows what to do. She could have found out the truth about the urviles, she could have possibly been able to help Joan and keep more of these Caesures from erupting. But instead she chose to expend this gift to help Revelstone.

There are lots of implications to this decision. And I think she made the right call, too.

For one thing, Linden understands the trust that the Demondim spawn have placed in her.

While their bestowed percipience had endured, she could have probed their deepest and most cherished secrets. They had trusted her -

She did not comprehend what motivated them; but she was no longer able to doubt them.

I'm glad that she didn't violate their trust. I think that the ur-viles and Waynhim are utterly necessary allies.

For a second thing, because no one can erase a ceasure except Linden. If she didn't do it then, it would not get done.

And finally, because it gave Linden confidence. She was able to strike a blow against the bad guys.

That was aid, she thought as she blinked at the rain.

That was aid!! As if addressing those that would naysay her choices, that she should be doing something for the people of the Land, she shoots a three pointer and talks smack. Linden's house!

"She has struck a blow." Indeed. And it's certainly good for her at this low point. It goes far to ease a sense of helplessness and loss.

The Waynhim chanted, summoning and concentrating their lore, in order to multiply the lenitive potency of the liquid in the bowl.

lenitive: means soothing. I had to look it up. Sometimes these strange words don't mean what you think it might mean from the context. Here, it does.

Anele starts speaking and its with a new personality.... He commends Linden but basically tells her nothing except that he will be challenging her and even if he fails to wrest her power from her, she will need his aid.Then he departs as quickly as he came. What really was weird about this was that right after he left she thinks “Oh Shit!”

No. What's weird is that this entity seems to know something about Linden's immediate future. "We will meet at our proper time - if you do not fail the perils which have been prepared for you."

The perils which have been prepared for you. Yet another member of the pantheon of powerful forces who know what's going on and won't tell Linden. But we should not get distracted ... instead, we should ponder, how does this mysterious possessor know?!?! I think that this speaks of an alliance, and that we should not subsequently forget this alliance.

"But he can't rage hard enough to stop the pain. No one can. Not for long, anyway. So he does what any lunatic does in his situation. He causes himself more pain, trying to make his rage more powerful. Being part skurj isn't excruciating enough, so he surrounds himself with them, he makes them carry out his rage. And when that doesn't work, he maims-" Covenant's voice trailed away.

"Maims what?' Linden asked at once.

"Himself, of course," the Unbeliever snorted.

Here in this valuable description of Kastenessen, did Covenant almost slip up?

As they near Furls Falls they find TC and Jeremiah and she notes some things that don’t seem right.

Did everyone notice how many different ways Linden is being coerced here? She's given this chance to save the Land. A chance which she also perceives to save Jeremiah. But then the Masters are here, ready to make sure she complies. And, to top it all of, there is this hope that Covenant and Jeremiah need her. Anyone who's ever been dumped knows that feeling. That there's still a chance for a connection, a chance for hope, that the need can be nurtured back into the relationship you seek. How could Linden refuse?

But there's more here than just looking for the truth.

If for no other reason than because Covenant was afraid of her, she wanted to call up Earthpower and Law. Then she would learn the truth in an instant -

This is the second time in two chapters that Linden has considered using power to get to the truth that otherwise eludes her. The first time was with the super-percipience, which she spent on the ceasure instead. It's almost like Donaldson is suggesting that Earthpower or percipience or both can be used to peel away deceptions and reveal what's really going on.

And then a wedge of urviles approaches and they attack. TC sends the Masters to defend them.

But them Esmer shows up and starts attacking as well.

Yes. Esmer attacks the ur-viles. Who seek to prevent Covenant and Jeremiah. So it seems that Esmer, in this instance, is pro-Covenant.

But anti-Haruchai. "Now bear the blame for the Land's doom!" he shouts. He wants the Haruchai to fail through Covenant's success.

"I have said that I no longer fear the urviles! Did you not heed me?"

Anele gets it. He's trying to tell her. Trust the ur-viles!

If the manacles were intended for Covenant, and the ur-viles were trustworthy, then he was not.

If. If. If.

But the Demondim-spawn could not tell Linden how to reach her son.

Linden! Even if she can figure it all out, events constrain her from acting in any other way than she's acting now.

Lightning again. And in an arch.

The lightning reminds me of Foul and the summoning, yes.

But Linden also tastes the power. Jeremiah's. And Covenant's, which is like magma.

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

I want to mention something revealed in this chapter that has significance to The Tale of Two Cosmologies:

Covenant says:

"[The Elohim are] afraid I might change the shape of the Arch. The shape of their Würd. They're afraid of what that might cost them.

The Arch is the Würd!

The Arch is the Worm.

And the Arch can be changed. Change the shape of the Arch. The Elohim would not fear it unless it were possible!

What does "changing the shape of the Arch" mean? Well, if the Arch is a metaphor for the system of rules set forth by the Creator which allows the Earth to exist (see GI (03/15/2006)), then changing the shape of the Arch would be changing the rules.

Covenant can change the rules.

Yeah, I'd freak out if I was an Elohim. They are part of creation itself - change the rules of creation and you change their Würd - you change them.

But there's more.

As far as [the Elohim are] concerned, the fact that I'm part of the Arch - that I can do the things I do - is a disaster. Time is too important to them. Their immortality depends on it. They don't want anybody who even remembers what death means to have the kind of power I do.

So the the Elohim are also troubled by Covenant, as component of the Arch, being mortal. Or even having once been mortal.

I wonder what that means.

[SoulBiter]

As I was reading the chapter and as I was reading Wayfriends post about the things that TC has let slip, I cant help but remember that the best lies are half truths or have some truth to them. So I do think that TC and Jeremiah have let a few things slip but how much of it is slips and how much of it is lies?

[lurch]

In the context of the motif,,not having enough Knowledge to make the decisions,,or naiveness talked about earlier..in that context, that which is Illusion,,holds no Truth,,except the Truth of it being Illusion. So,,I have little belief in the Kasternessen as he is being portrayed by TC. Yea, the skurj are free but now its two versions on how that happened. Slip?,,more like a worm on a hook wiggling,,to me. Again, the dimension of malice in every word hasnt left me.

Yea,,the lightening....Its timing,,just when Esmer shows up..Fascinating,,like a flash of realization.a transporting AAH HAA!...there is the Urviles coming at TC ( I believe anyway) and up pops Esmer who wants to ward them off..as if,,no..now is not the time.. Linden must go thru some " experience"..to possibly gain the Knowledge..to be more able,,to make decisions....The descendants of the Viles mean well, they have their wurd,,but they are all from the past.." what I can do" is based on the past.To the point of A review of it we have been brought to, in this chapter.

The hint here is in the idea of "change the rules" ( a line from season 4 LOST anybody?)..one is not held to ones past...one can change the rules,,create new futures once one is conscience of the price paid for living in the past..once one is free of the past. A new perspective can be discovered only when one realizes how much the old perspective limited ones potential.

[Stutty]

Yes. Nicely done SB. I must mull over these things before posting a proper response.

After the first time through though, my stongest thoughts, "yeah, just what was that about fearing urviles thing about?"

stutt

[wayfriend]

After the first time through though, my stongest thoughts, "yeah, just what was that about fearing urviles thing about?"

If Anele is warning Linden to side with the ur-viles against Covenant, Jeremiah, and Esmer - which is what I feel he is doing - then the question becomes:

How does Anele know what's going on? Does he, like his latest possessor, know about the perils which have been prepared for her? Is he merely warning her that Esmer is coming, and he's up to no good?

So I do think that TC and Jeremiah have let a few things slip but how much of it is slips and how much of it is lies?

I tend to believe most of what he claims are facts, but I ignore most of what he provides as opinion. E.g. Covenant says that Kevin invoked the Ritual of Desecration because he wanted to be punished ... that's going to be false. But I tend to believe what he says about Kastenessen and Foul.

[Cleburne]

Soulbiter good job on the Dissection here is a little bit of input from moi.

How does Anele know what's going on? Does he, like his latest possessor, know about the perils which have been prepared for her? Is he merely warning her that Esmer is coming, and he's up to no good?

.

The question I have is whom is the person who is possessing Anele at that moment ? The possessor seems to know whats going to happen and is quiet content not to tell Linden and use poor old Anele at the same time.Why does Esmer attack both the ur-viles and the haruchai When I read the book the first time Esmer was starting to annoy me the way he turns up and sticks his fingers into things and then disappears again when he has done his meddling. And from this and previous chapters I felt as if the ur-viles could be trusted more than Covenant and Esmer. Liand lack of trust for Covenant also made me more trust worthy of the ur-viles.

[Relayer]

Late to the party again... Wayfriend and I need to form a reading club so we can get up to speed

Something I noticed about Anele's new possessor is he calls Linden "Lady." Now, the only other person to use that term is the Mahdoubt... she and this new entity must be related in some way. Whatever that implies.

What does "changing the shape of the Arch" mean? Well, if the Arch is a metaphor for the system of rules set forth by the Creator which allows the Earth to exist (see GI (03/15/2006)), then changing the shape of the Arch would be changing the rules.

Covenant can change the rules.

Interesting! Good catch.

I tend to believe most of what he claims are facts, but I ignore most of what he provides as opinion. E.g. Covenant says that Kevin invoked the Ritual of Desecration because he wanted to be punished ... that's going to be false. But I tend to believe what he says about Kastenessen and Foul.

That's about how I see it.

Spoiler

The story ends up validating at least some of the "facts" that that TC tells her, by other people giving the same information. Unless they're ALL in this together, then those facts must be accurate.

But the interpretations he gives always seemed to be colored to get the desired response or emotion from Linden.

When I read the book the first time Esmer was starting to annoy me the way he turns up and sticks his fingers into things and then disappears again when he has done his meddling.

I happened to catch an episode of Next Generation a couple of days ago... Esmer is Q! (well, a tortured version of Q). While the character doesn't look like a Haruchai, I realized the personality is exactly how I picture Esmer. Show up at a random moment, mess with Linden, and leave while torn somewhere between haughty arrogance and childish embarrassment and contrition. Repeat on a whim.

[wayfriend]

Esmer is Q!

Of course!!!

[Cleburne]

Late to the party again... Wayfriend and I need to form a reading club so we can get up to speed ;-)Better late than never as they would say

]I happened to catch an episode of Next Generation a couple of days ago... Esmer is Q! (well, a tortured version of Q). While the character doesn't look like a Haruchai, I realized the personality is exactly how I picture Esmer. Show up at a random moment, mess with Linden, and leave while torn somewhere between haughty arrogance and childish embarrassment and contrition. Repeat on a whim.

Yes Relayer a almost perfect caracture of Esmer.Soulbiter mentioned about the best lies been half truths up to this chapter I believe TC has been quite good at the above in that Linden doesnt know where she stands concerning TC but she is willing to listen and sometimes obey TC for the sake of her son.

[Relayer]

Esmer is Q!

Of course!!!