Kevin's Watch

White Gold Wielder: CH 15 Enactors of Desecration...better

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...late than never! (this is by A Gunslinger)

I apologize for my lateness! I will not bore you with excuses, or tarry any longer....Here is my dissection:

With the Law of Life now broken , Hollian resurrected and Caer-Caveral's (CC) death, Thomas Conenant, Linden and the rest of the party are parting ways with the now earthpower effected trio (Hollian, Sunder, and her unborn). Linden was hit hardest by this parting as it symbolized her seperation from Andelain itself. She wants to leave IT less than she wishes to part from S & H. TC, on the other hand was more conflicted as he understood the price associated with the passing of CC.

Andelain's sole protector was gone, and now the Sunbane would undoubtedly have some effect on its health. HE himself could try to save Andelain, but the price would be the Arch. TC loves Andelain as it too holds symbolic relevance to HIM. Andelain is the promise and proof of health that only a leper can truly appreciate.

At their parting, Linden asks why the CC bothered to bury the knowledge of the One Tree deep in TC's mind, knowing that TC would have to expose himself to the scrutiny of the Elohim. She wonders why the time was allowed to be wasted. Sunder's reply insinuates that the presence of the Appointed was the end that needed to be acheived as much as finding the one tree.

TC then questions S & H as to the nature of the rending of the Law of Life, and there a KEY, a cornerstone of all the constructs of SRD's tale is uttered...the paradoxical and yet sympathetic and complementary nature of the relationship between the Laws of life and death. TC notes that Elena broke the Law that kept the dead and the living from reaching out to one another, and CC broke the law which prevented the dead from coming back to life. "It is sooth... It is a fragile and uncertain (thing)...were are sustained by the sovereign Earthpower of the Andelain Hills...should we depart...we would not long endure". Which, without a staff of Law would be true.

With that TC & Linden from S &H with very little other fanfare other than a last look at the inert Krill.

Upon leaving to reunite with Vain & Findail and the Giants, TC & Linden find Findail, and shortly realize that Findail has made another attempt on Vain's life, presumably in an attempt to avoid the doom associated with his Wurd/purpose as the appointed. This time, he has imprisoned Vain in an ancient oak tree, though it kills the tree.

Linden is apalled, but Findail in typical Elohim arrogance simply cites the fact that Vain was borne of the Ur-Viles and must be destroyed, lest he (Findail) but made to suffer his doom. Vain naturally escapes, but the tree dies in agony. TC rages at the Elohim never to do such a deed again but Findail replies "I will do what I must. ...I will not sufffer his purpose. The curse of KASTENESSEN will not impel me to that doom"

Lamenting the loss of beauty the party departs, catching up with The First and Pitchwife who have obviously spent their time alone together not playing tiddly-winks (if you know what I mean). They travel until evening where they wait for the dead to appear. Linden in particular is trepidatious over meeting Covenant's dead...in fact, she is terrified. She feels unworthy, "loathe to meet these POTENT REVENANTS" (wow what a quote given the title ot the 2nd book of the final chronicles, no?).

Eventually the paradox between her glee for the health of Andelain and her fear of her own self-doubts, and fear of her own "grim shade" drives her from camp, in fact she flees camp.

In her flight, she indeed raises a grim shade, though it is not of the kind she had expected. The power of it drives her to the earth. The sheer magnitude of the power that stood over her, in her, all around her was so great that she was literally crushed. Its despair and outrage was so ancient and powerful, its disdainful wrath so extreme, that Linden cannot move. She can only moan in despair. She was now confronted by none other than Kevin Landwaster. The orignial enactor of desecration.

He tells her of their kinship in the fact that they are two victims and enactors of despite. As such she MUST heed him.

He tells Linden Avery, Sun-Sage, and Prover of Life that she MUST end TC's mad intent. That she MUST prevent TC from destroying all the Land. She must in fact slay TC, as it is TC's intent to place the white gold in the hand of the despiser. SHE MUST.

A Gunslinger wrote:

He tells her of their kinship in the fact that they are two victims and enactors of despite. As such she MUST heed him.

He tells Linden Avery, Sun-Sage, and Proover of Life that she MUST end TC's mad intent. That she MUST prevent TC from destroying all the Land. She must in fact slay TC, as it is TC's intent ot place the white gold in the hand of the despiser. SHE MUST.

Because listening to madmen who have been Foul's dancing puppet is ALWAYS WISE!

If Kevin told me the sky was blue, I'd go have my eyes examined.

The first time that I read this chapter I did not believe Kevin's rant. I still thought Covenant had some other plan other than giving the ring to Foul. I also thought it strange that Linden's presence in Andelain summoned Kevin in the first place. But his powerful presence was awesome, wasn't it?

Thanks, AG!

A Gunslinger wrote: the nature of the rending of the Law of Life, and there a KEY, a cornerstone of all the constructs of SRD's tale is uttered...the paradoxical and yet sympathetic and complementary nature of the relationship between the Laws of life and death. TC notes that Elena broke the Law that kept the dead and the living from reaching out to one another, and Caer Caveral broke the law which prevented the dead from coming back to life.

Incredibly important concept of the entire series-ties up (and destroys) all sorts of loose ends and

Spoiler

(without it Runes makes no sense)

.

These petty attempts by Findail to "slay" Vain are so useless and...childish. Did he really think imprisoning Vain in a tree was going to do anything? If Findail had really wanted to kill Vain, he would have done so a long time ago.

Okay, I admit I'm dense. Can someone enlighten me on the distinction between the Law of Death and the Law of Life? What's the difference between the dead coming back to life, and the living and the dead reaching out to each other?

The way that SRD describes the powerful presence of Dead Kevin makes me appreciate better why he was so seductive to Elena. Funny thing is, he didn't seem that powerful of a presence in TIW when Elena summoned him. Linden here is crushed to the ground by his might, but in TIW I don't recall Covenant being knocked to the ground by Kevin's aura. Is it the concentrated Earthpower in Andelain that "amplifies" Kevin's presence?

What SRD said about Kevin at the Elohimfest interview has stuck with me. The notion that Kevin was basically a megalomaniac. I had never actually disliked Kevin before, merely pitied him. But now...Kevin's stature has diminished a fair amount in my eyes.

Too bad Kevin is always in an uptight state when he shows up. If he were in a calmer mood, just think of the great stories he could tell about the Bloodguard and his thousand year reign as High Lord.

In WGW was wrote:"The Law of Life." His eyes were hot and gaunt on the Stonedownors. "Elena broke the Law of Death — the barrier that kept the living and the dead from reaching out to each other. The Law Caer-Caveral broke was the one that kept the dead from crossing back into life."

Simple, no?

I guess, before this, the Dead could appear to you, beat the tar out of you, and even rave at you. But it's dangerous if they help you. And they can be dismissed, too. (Elena must have forgot to dismiss Kevin that day! )

Now that the LOL is broken, the dead can become alive again. They can appear to you, beat the tar our of you, even rave at you. But it's no longer dangerous for them to help you. And they cannot be dismissed, either.

The way I look at it, the dead still have one foot in the grave -- they're still dead; when they cross over, they're alive again, subject to the whims of life, like dying.

Now, if I can only figure out how this helps Covenant ...

Thanks for your thoughts, Wayfriend. (And for putting up with us big avatar freaks. )

Lord Wombat wrote:Because listening to madmen who have been Foul's dancing puppet is ALWAYS WISE!

If Kevin told me the sky was blue, I'd go have my eyes examined.

But Kevin was correct in that Covenant was going to surrender to Foul, which surely leaves the possibility of the Land being destroyed. Had Foul thought about it, he could have banished Covenant's shade and then done whatever he wanted.

Furthermore, Linden could have read with her percipience that he was telling the truth, or that he believed it was the truth. He is one of the Dead, so how could he be mistaken about something like this?

This is why I believe that Linden is so angry with Covenant's Dead in the next chapter. Because they are Dead she reasons that they can't have made a mistake, and she actually felt the truth of what Kevin said. This leads her to the belief that Covenant's Dead were misleading him.

And when she spoke to him, Covenant didn't deny anything, and I'm sure she could read with her sight that she had guessed at his plans. That's a lot in Kevin's favour.

Sum sui generis
Vs

Kevin, shut up! He basically sends Linden into a state of panic telling her that Convenant intends to give his ring to Lord Foul and that if he does she needs to slay him. You would think after all this time dear Kevin would have learned the futility of despair. I can understand his fear, but geez, man have a little hope.
-Avy

(Finally catching up after my mad dash at re-reading all chrons before Runes)

You are so right Avataya. It's not Linden's fault but Kevin's. He's Dead. He should no better.

Sum sui generis
Vs

Ahh Kevin. Just think what he could have done if he would have stayed on the optomistic side. =P

I think I would faint if he appeared to me. So much power... yeah... I would faint.

To me, it almost seems that Kevin just knew up to where Covenant was going to give Foul the ring... but just fell into despair again and didn't look at what would happen because of that.