Coldfire re-read: When True Night Falls - chapter 38

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

It's chapter 38 - a cautionary tale for gardeners everywhere who thought about acquiring carnivorous plants.



Chapter 38
Damien, Hesseth and Jenseny are attacked by carnivorous trees, which is a lot scarier than it sounds. With a lot of effort they manage to escape, but not before a tree has snacked on Jenseny and has left happy little roots inside her. They spend a day running away from man-eating plant life, until safety is reached on rocky ground. Tarrant catches up with them, and Damien enlists him in the effort to heal Jenseny. For reasons obvious to the reader but unknown to Damien, Tarrant balks at the idea of letting Damien get anywhere close to his mind, and so the Healing happens in less than ideal ways. Afterwards, they do a bit of plotting before Damien keels over and gets to experience Tarrant's bedside manners.

• He was seeing in his mind's eye the piles of bones they had passed, not sheltered by the bleached white trunks like he had thought but wrapped around them, invaded by them. And he knew what kind of creature would need to immobilize its prey, first lulling it to sleep and then invading its dreams, its mind, and at last its very flesh . . .



• He gave himself reasons for that, like the fact that he was stronger and taller and more capable of bearing her for long periods of time . . . but he didn't really know the limits of either rakhene strength or rakhene endurance, and was aware that the two might well surpass his own.



• "We need Tarrant," he whispered hoarsely. Clinging to the name like a lifeline. Tarrant would be immune to the trees' power - or he would make himself immune, with much the same result. Tarrant would know how to excise the alien tendrils from the girl's flesh - and perhaps from their own - without killing them in the process. Tarrant would save them, as soon as night fell.



• You're afraid, he thought. Afraid I'll see something inside you that I shouldn't. Something you don't want me to know about. The concept seemed incredible.



• "The Prince isn't an amateur," he said quietly. "Any Working can be seen through, if one knows how to look."



• "You're a stubborn man, Vryce." The Hunter's tone was surprisingly gentle. "But you have real courage. That's a rare attribute."
  He could hear the Hunter rising. He could sense him standing, gazing at him. Studying him, for God alone knew what purpose.
  "Let's hope it'll be enough," the adept said.

• Damien's nightmare at the beginning of the chapter, of Tarrant in the fire in BSR - do you think Tarrant got to see that when he was feeding on Damien?



• That little thought Damien has about Hesseth's strength startled me. For someone who prepares as thoroughly as he does, it's a glaring omission that over the course of months he's never tried to find out what exactly she's capable of.



• Not even the slightest doubt anymore that Tarrant will figure out what is going on, not be affected by it, and that he'll save them from the evil plant life. Damien isn't even bothering to have little doubts anymore.



• It's a nice twist that Damien feels so strongly about Tarrant not wanting him to see his thoughts, but that he doesn't wonder why at this time, and later doesn't get the chance to do so.



• The prohibition on healing seems to have a very narrow definition. Technically Tarrant is only killing a plant, but the whole purpose of doing so is to save Jenseny. He's gotten around the compassion clause in similar ways a few times, too. Does the Unnamed not pay enough attention to the wording of its soul-selling contracts?



• Something that crossed my mind - Tarrant can carry things when in bird shape (I wonder how many coconuts he could transport), and he's managed two messenger birds. So could he have flown off to the river to refill the water canisters for them?



• All slashiness of the final lines aside, it's quite fascinating to see that Tarrant is being reassuring and considerate about more than just physical injuries.

We continue on Monday with chapter 39, when our heroes are once more under attack, this time in a more mobile fashion.

Comments

[devohoneybee.livejournal.com]

My heart just goes pitter patter at Gerald's tenderness towards Damien in that line -- and doubly so on the re-read, knowing what's coming -- not just the poignancy of Damien's suffering as he thinks himself betrayed, but the faith Gerald has in him to endure and prevail in the face of that suffering.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

not just the poignancy of Damien's suffering as he thinks himself betrayed, but the faith Gerald has in him to endure and prevail in the face of that suffering.

He really is gambling everything on his hope that he's made the right assumptions about Damien's reactions and willpower. It is the one chance they have, but it still takes quite a lot of conviction and trust for someone like Gerald, who isn't exactly likely to rely on others.

For me, this is where Gerald crosses from professional partnership to actually caring, in some way, for the person. Damien's done so a while ago, but now he's following suit.

[shadowystar.livejournal.com]

For me, this is where Gerald crosses from professional partnership to actually caring, in some way, for the person.
Exactly what I thought when I read it for the first time. Now, after many re-reads I can see he's done it a while ago as well but this is the first time he really shows it. Maybe because he's acknowledged his own feelings? ;-)

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

Does the Unnamed not pay enough attention to the wording of its soul-selling contracts?

You know, I don't think the Unnamed really pays much attention. It only exists sporadically in any real sense to begin with. I think Tarrant might've been able to get away with his little stunt at the end of the book if Calesta hadn't gone tattle-taling.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

*nod* I agree with you there. The biggest trap in the contract seems to be in Tarrant's mind anyway - he's bound himself into his strict definitions, and since he's decided what is required of him to maintain the contract, his own definitions decide what's a violation and what not. He's self-policing, and maybe the Unnamed only pays attention to whether he feels guilty or not.

[trobadora]

Good point about Calesta. I think the Unnamed would likely have picked up on Tarrant's own (rather OTT, if you ask me) reaction, but if not ... that's an interesting thought. *ponders*

Although the Unnamed does pay some amount of attention, if you think about the way it tricks Amoril. (Not that tricking Amoril is any kind of feat, mind you.)

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

*snort* Yeah, Amoril...man, see I want to ask, "What was the Hunter thinking?!" but you know, I've worked here for five years and seen a lot of otherwise intelligent managers make epically poor hiring decisions. It's hard to believe Tarrant would be one of them, but when you've got a position to fill, I guess sometimes you get desperate?

[trobadora]

It's the blood bond that throws me. Hiring someone, sure, but for Tarrant to actually enter into such a bond with someone like Amoril? And doesn't he even say Amoril's the only one he ever shared such a bond with, other than Damien? IT MAKES NO SENSE OMG.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it was when he focused on developing new beer? And one morning after a breakthrough there was a monumental headache, a new apprentice, and a blood bond?

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

IT'S THE ONLY EXPLANATION.

[trobadora]

ROFL OMG

The beer explains everything. :D

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

Yeaaaah, when you put it that way: urgh.