The Quest enters the catacombs under mount thunder. Covenant is mentally in terrible shape - suicidal at times, even; confused - most of the time.
Then we have the Word of Warning. Why does Covenant see it, when no-one else does? Perhaps because of his ring? Any ideas, anyone? Anyway, Covenant saves the quest - reluctantly, perhaps - and his ring even asserts itself against the Word in some manner when he passed close to it.
Then Covenant performs another important act by releasing Birinair and allowing the 2nd Ward to be found. Here, his help is even more reluctant:
As the Quest nears its end, Covenant is forced to act again and again - use his power, make a stand for the side of good. And thus his conflict intensifies, as he sees a leper who believes himself powerful as on the road to madness and worse. In any case, in the eyes of the Quest Covenant must be showing himself more and more as a hero. But Covenant's own interests are elsewhere - during the chapter he feels he 'lost something' - which turns out to be his own clothes. And why does he care about them? Only because they can help him decide if the whole experience is a dream or not (if he wakes up without his new Land-clothes). He is totally self-absorbed.In the dazzling blue force, he saw a chance for immolation, escape.
in Chapter 22 we see the Quest achive its goal - the Staff of Law. And many more interesting events:
We are told how the ur-viles's ancestors despised their form, a fact borne out by that there are no more Viles or Demondim - each created a new race and passed away. More interesting, we are told how Covenant sees something of himself in them (as, indeed, in every thing in the land) - probably the self-loathing. The parallels continue when Covenant falls and becomes temporarily blind from the pitch blackness - precisely the trait the Demondim and Viles loathed about themselves:
The story continues, as always, parallel-wise both in Covenant's mind and out of it (if the Land is in fact outside him)....so strongly did they abhor their unseen eyelessness.
Then we meet Drool again, and Prothall takes the Staff of Law from him. This is quite and interesting bit, because it seems that he should have no chance - he is old and weak, and Drool is quite powerful (Covenant's staff is destroyed when it strikes Drool's hand). But Mhoram is so sure of Prothall's success that he does not help him... what an amazing scene: battle around them, Covenant and Mhoram are with Tuvor, uncaring but for their own interaction, while Prothall fights for the Staff. Totally surreal.
Why does Prothall succeed? Why is Mhoram so sure he will? I guess he knows that the Staff of Law is not an instrument that Drool can fully use, and that it suits Prothall more. Still, this bit is a little unclear to me... ideas?
Also,
Spoiler
" 'Despite my Oath-' he choked momentarily on a throat full of passion- 'I would crush Drool.' "
Mhoram is the Lord most in touch with his inner emotions, even the ill ones. He refers to the Oath here with good cause... and we know that in the end he oh-so-justly crushes someone...