Linden's accusation is apparent."You knew that would happen."
Clearly Roger knows something that Linden does not. Also, this seems to insinuate that Joan has been this way for some time."I'm her son. She raised me."
Also,
"I know exactly what's wrong with her . I know how to treat it. You can't justify keeping her now."
Linden obviously does not like Roger's assertion of knowledge."That's no answer."
Roger insists that he is the only one who can care for Joan. Linden is not about to give control of Joan over to Roger. She instinctually does not trust him. She senses something terribly wrong with him. Linden tells Roger to leave the hospital but not before he asks for his father's wedding ring, asserting that it is part of his father's estate and therefore, should go to him. Linden curtly tells him that it was a gift to her from his father before his death.
After Roger leaves, Linden goes on alert. She speaks to the kindly, senior security officer at the hospital who assures her that he will keeps his eyes out for Roger. He and his boys will be ready if anything "dangerous" happens.
Linden then calls Megan Roman, TC's attorney while he was alive. Linden asks if Megan has spoken to Roger and if she knows what he is up to. At first, Megan tells LInden of the conversations she had with Roger regarding his upbringing in the gruesome Community of Retribution. Linden tells her that Roger is a possible danger and Megan tells her to give her all the details if she is to bring suit against him or a restraining order. Megan suggests that she call good, ol' Sherrif Lynton.
Linden calls home to make sure that Jeremiah is ok. She has worried about his safety ever since she laid eyes on Roger. Sandy, her sitter, says that Jeremiah is fine and that she will call Linden if anything goes wrong.
Still troubled with Jeremiah's safety, Linden calls Sherrif Lynton and leaves a message for him. When he returns her call, she informs him of her concerns about Roger Covenant. Lynton had spoken to Roger and found him to be a "pleasant guy." Lynton, easily snowballed by Roger's charm, ignores Linden's worries and tells her that she has been working at the mental institution for too long. He hangs up on her.
This chapter raises many questions: Why is Linden so threatened by Roger? Is it really because she sees something evil in him? Or, is she simply jealous that he knows what is wrong with Joan and can help her whereas she, Linden, is helpless in alleviating Joan's torment?
Also, why is Roger so unpleasant? It seems that he is able to use his charm to get his way (with Lynton and Roman) but is he too much like his father in his unpleasant disposition?
Roger said that he could take Joan's place. Does he really want to take her place and release his mother? Does he want to see an end to her agony? Or, is he really evil and is this all just pretense to get Linden - and the white gold - back into the Land?
Linden also seems to be sitting back on her Sunsage laurals. She seems obsessed with being The Chosen.
She is no longer the underdog in the Land like she used to be. It doesn't really work that way in the Land. The Land has plenty of heros already. All the people in the Land are capable of great and good works. Linden seems too gung-ho to go to battle against anyone who opposes her.She was Linden Avery the Chosen, who had stood with Thomas Covenant agains the Land's doom. Men like Sherrif Lynton - and Roger Covenant - could not intimidate her.