TMOHD Chapter 24: The Beginning of the End

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Earthblood
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TMOHD Chapter 24: The Beginning of the End

Post by Earthblood »

Terisa & Geraden have failed to stop Elega from poisoning the resevoir.

Kragen's men are laughing and taunting the guards of Orison.

And Lebbick is stewing at a low simmer, waiting for something or someone to set off the explosion......and he can't wait for that someone to be Terisa.
Yes, the Castellan mused, she was an interesting woman.And her turn was coming. Someday soon he would have her in his power. Then she would learn what it really meant to be accused. He would teach her thoroughly.
Lebbick cannot bring himself to trust or believe a word Terisa says. He still blames her for all the problems they are having and believes she is behind this plot to overthrow Orison & the King.
That woman's turn was coming.
Lebbick seems to have a serious anger management problem...... :twisted:

Finally, the Alend Monarch's full might is upon Orison - ten thousand strong with massive seige engines readying for the attack.

Kragen & Elega ride out under a flag of truce, offering a meeting between Joyce & the Alend Monarch. Lebbick offers the King's response:
King Joyce asks me to point out to you - and your illustrious father - that neither of you understands hop-board. You wouldn't have gotten as far as a stalemate without help. Instead of waving your swords at us, you ought to remember what happened the last tie you went to war with Mordant.
Elega is infuriated:
"By the stars Lebbick," cried out the lady Elega, "is he still playing hop-board? Tell him to surrender!"
Lebbick responds with one of the best quotes from the book:
"I am sure that my daughter Elega has acted for the best reasons. She carries my pride with her wherever she goes. For her sake, as well as my own, I hope that the best reasons will also produce the best results."
With this and Joyce's threat to "unleash the full force of the Congery" any hope of a peaceful resolution are gone and the seige begins. Geraden goes to try to talk to Artagel & Terisa retreats to her rooms and finally falls asleep.

She wakes to the impetuous Eremis, making the "moves" on her and she finds herself not able to say no. His sway on her is great - he is still the only man to ever show an interest in her (in a physical sense) and she finds herself very attracted to that. She does find her internal struggle coming to a breaking point. Eremis' advances & physical interest in her are new & exciting & really make her feel alive & wanted, but Geraden's trust & emotional support are vital to her also.

Luckily, Eremis really helps her by spewing his usual arrogant, self righteous B.S., reminding her of just how clever & intelligent he really is & how he's got it all figured out. This guy really irritates me. :-x

And Geraden helps out by pulling another of his impeccable entrance timings and walks in on Terisa & Eremis, just as Eremis is beginning to "claim" her. This is one of the funniest scenes in the book. I can just see Eremis all revved up and Geraden pops in & says "hey, whats up?" (hehe)

Before Eremis & Geraden can kill each other, Gart shows up & tears the place apart. Eremis says an interesting thing when Gart appears:
"Gart!" Master Eremis shouted. "Whelp of a dog! Your timing is miraculous!"
Hmmmmm, what does that mean, I wonder???????

The chapter ends with yet another retreat into Terisa's wardrobe and yet another threat to Geraden by Eremis.
"You're afraid of yourself."
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Post by duchess of malfi »

Earthy said:
Luckily, Eremis really helps her by spewing his usual arrogant, self righteous B.S., reminding her of just how clever & intelligent he really is & how he's got it all figured out. This guy really irritates me.
Make that two of us, buddy! :wink: :roll: :lol:

When I read this chapter my first thought was how terrified I would feel if I went to sleep alone in my room and woke up with someone pawing at my chest. 8O 8O 8O
Love as thou wilt.

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Post by Revan »

duchess of malfi wrote:Earthy said:
Luckily, Eremis really helps her by spewing his usual arrogant, self righteous B.S., reminding her of just how clever & intelligent he really is & how he's got it all figured out. This guy really irritates me.
Make that two of us, buddy! :wink: :roll: :lol:
That would in turnmake three of us. I despise Eremis... though somewhat envy him... his confidence... The same way I would envy Holt Fasner (If he was real) for his brains. :?
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Post by danlo »

Arrogance irritates me more than meaness, almost more than evil-combine any of the two and SRD has very different yet as totally a despicable villian as Lord Foul...
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TMOHD Chapter 24: The Beginning of the End

Post by Cord Hurn »

In [i]The Mirror Of Her Dreams[/i] Chapter 24 was wrote:So quickly that his movement staggered her, he released Terisa and bounded to the bed. While Gart swung into motion, Master Eremis snatched down the peacock-feather canopy and flung it over Gart's head.

At the same moment, Geraden grabbed Terisa and jerked her away, thrust her into the sitting room behind him. She stumbled toward the fire, barely caught her balance.

With a wet sound like water on hot iron, Gart's sword swept the canopy to shreds. Feathers settled to the floor on all sides: their eyes watched everything.

Master Eremis jumped onto the bed.

As he faced the Monomach, firelight glared across his features. The red flash gave him a look of almost ghoulish glee as he pitched a pillow at Gart.

Snarling, Gart pitched apart the pillowcase from its stuffing with the tip of his sword so fiercely that the pillow appeared to explode. Feathers billowed toward the ceiling and came snowing down on him.

Instantly, a second pillow followed the first.

This one, however, he caught on the flat of his blade. Swinging his longsword like a bat, he sent the pillow back at Master Eremis.

It hit him in the chest hard enough to knock him back against the wall.

Gart turned on Terisa and Geraden.

"Guards!" roared Master Eremis before the High King's Momomach could strike. "Guards!"

For the second time, Gat was startled enough to hesitate. He stopped the driving swing which had carried him into the sitting room--the swing which would have carried Geraden's head from his body. Swiftly, the Monomach gauged the distance past Geraden to Terisa; he looked at the door as the latch lifted; he glanced over his shoulder at Eremis.

With his left hand, he reached to his belt and produced a keen iron dirk.

As the door pounded open and the first guard started into the room, Gart cocked his arm.

A third pillow thumped against his shoulder and spoiled his aim. He missed Terisa.

Master Eremis let out a cackle of laughter.

Now the Monomach had no time for hesitation. Cursing vehemently, he met the first guard's blow with his sword, then kicked the man's legs out from under him. While the second struggled to avoid trampling his comrade, Gart retreated into the bedroom.

Without a glance at Master Eremis, he dove into the wardrobe.
The inital reading of this chapter confused me, as I thought of both Master Eremis and High King's Monomach Gart as both being evil, yet Eremis is here opposing Gart. Still, I noticed that Eremis does nothing to directly harm Gart, only hamper him.
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Post by samrw3 »

Yeah SRD did masterful job of keeping us guessing how evil Eremis was. This reading also confused me. It is not until later we find out that Eremis was doing all this as a distraction trying to be patient to lay out his master plans. At this point he could not let anyone know his intentions.

You make a point that Eremis only hampers Gart - which is a good point. Upon review we also determine that Gart does nothint to try to kill off Eremis. Yes his primary target was Terisa but if he wanted to he could have disposed of Eremis first. Just another initial clue that there is something going on between those two.
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TMOHD Chapter 24: The Beginning of the End

Post by Cord Hurn »

samrw3 wrote:Yeah SRD did masterful job of keeping us guessing how evil Eremis was. This reading also confused me. It is not until later we find out that Eremis was doing all this as a distraction trying to be patient to lay out his master plans. At this point he could not let anyone know his intentions.

You make a point that Eremis only hampers Gart - which is a good point. Upon review we also determine that Gart does nothing to try to kill off Eremis. Yes his primary target was Terisa but if he wanted to he could have disposed of Eremis first. Just another initial clue that there is something going on between those two.
Strongly agree with you, Sam, that SRD does a terrific job at keeping Eremis an enigmatic figure. The earlier statement I made in this thread about both Eremis and Gart seeming evil yet apparently working against each other doesn't take into account that two people can be evil yet still be in opposition, I admit. But it's interesting that Gart doesn't even look at Eremis when rushing back towards the wardrobe. You'd think he'd want to keep an eye on Eremis until he was clear of that room!
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Post by samrw3 »

I contend that he didn't have to worry about Eremis because he knew Eremis would do nothing to follow him or try to kill/injure him. Gart and Fessten were part of Eremis plans.
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Post by Cord Hurn »

samrw3 wrote:I contend that he didn't have to worry about Eremis because he knew Eremis would do nothing to follow him or try to kill/injure him. Gart and Fessten were part of Eremis plans.

I promise that I will not contend with that contention. ;) :biggrin:
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