Donaldson's Fatal Revenant part one chapter eight, part one

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I actually read this chapter a couple of days ago, but have lacked time to get anything typed up. Again, like chapter three, there is so much going on, and so many important things covered, that it is really hard to try to summarize it in a few words...

And since I do not have much time again today (right now I should be heading into Ann Arbor with my older son, who is home for "fall break" from his university), I do not know if I can get through everything I would like to say about this truly awesome chapter in one or even two (maybe even three) sittings/postings.

So if anyone would like to jump in and start talking about things I have not gotten to yet, that would be fine. There is a huge amount of stuff to talk about here! Just remember to not spoiler for any chapters after chapter eight, if you are further along in the book.


and here we go!!








[spoiler]

I suppose I could start with meeting Berek and Damelon, and how very cool both men are, despite the differences in their personalities and outlooks. But that would be too easy.

Linden has made it past the scouts, and is now riding into the camp. She can feel the pain and suffering coming from the hospital tents.

Now, in chapter seven, the Theomach told Linden that Berek is actually trying to give care to the sick and wounded from both armies. The Raver led army dumps their sick and wounded and dead, and Berek stops to pick them up and do his best to take care of them...another reason to love Berek.

But it means that Linden must be truly feeling and carrying a world's weight of misery on her shoulders through her health sense.

Berek's soldiers challenge Linden - they have undoubtedly seen magic - particularly of the evil variety before. But Berek has not yet come into his knowledge of the Earth Power, so they are unfamiliar with Lord's staffs and Lord's fire....

Linden manages to get through the warriors by more or less begging to be allowed through to help the wounded, and by telling them to let her pass or kill her. She also throws Berek's name around.

The hospital tent itself sounds like one of the levels of hell...or something out of old wars in our world, before people realized what miracles hygiene and basic cleanliness can create. I have read accounts of wars 100 or more years ago, where the hospital areas sound a lot like this one - where more patients die from nosocumial or camp bourne infections than die from battle or wounds. About the only thing Donaldson misses here are rotting frost bitten hands and feet, which surely would have occurred in Lord Foul's nuclear winter, which he has created in support of the Raver King.

[begin side ramble]
A historical side note: nursing became a true profession out of hellish field hospitals like this one. A handful of brave and caring women in American and British field hospitals in war zones led the crusade for cleanliness and hygiene, and their standards and practices led not only to a revolution in the entire field of medicine, but led to the establishment of nursing as an accepted and honorable profession. We still remember some of the names of these brave leaders - such as Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton. May their memories always be honored in the names of all of the saved lives their changes led to, and all of the expressions of love and comfort and decency and care that have come to the sick and wounded of the world since then.
[/ side ramble]

Linden first heals one of the healers, and he in turn saves her life when the warriors try to cut her down. They are not malicious - they are just ignorant of what she is doing, and believe they are protecting the wounded from the mysterious and dangerous stranger...

When Linden is about to drop from exhaustion, Berek arrives. I find it interesting that, even now - long before he is a Lord - the Earthpower is so strong in him that he is compared to Anele - and we already know that Anele is so strong that his reflection can be seen in Glimmermere. Berek is...wonderful. Just wonderful!

And I think I will stop at this point.

To be continued.


[/spoiler]

Tags: Stephen R. Donaldson, Fatal Revenant

Donaldson's Fatal Revenant part one chapter seven, part two

to see the spoilers, run your cursor over them...

Well, back to the second half of chapter seven....










[spoiler]

The Theomach walks with Linden. He says that he cannot tell her many things, but hints around confirming her suspicion that Covenant is lying to her - but he will not tell her what that is all about, other than telling her that with cleverness and wisdom, she might be able to wrest truth from her companions. Yeah - Covenant and Jeremiah are liars! He also helps Linden with her cold travels through the snow. The Theomach tells her that she serves his purpose, and therefore he must serve her.

They are on their way to Berek's war encampment. What does the Theomach want with Berek? How can Linden serve him with Berek?

And the Theomach will not even tell Linden his real name...

And he tells her that Covenant's intended plan (the one he interfered with) would have destroyed the Arch of Time, had Damelon and the original Staff of Law met up with Linden and her Staff of Law. He tells her that if he had not disturbed Covenant's plans, the Elohim would have stepped in and interrupted them instead...

They reach the scouts of Berek's army. Linden walks right up to them, over the objections of both Covenant and Jeremiah. But those two have objected to so many things...even Linden's going to Andelain and calling the Ranyhyn to aid her in their journey. Why are they so determined to keep Linden away fromplaces and people with the potential to see them for what they are (in this case Berek?)

The scouts are all injured and suspicious. You can tell that they have been in the field for quite sometime and have seen truly terrible things.

Questions to my fellow readers? Why does Linden keep thinking about how much she hates war? When has she ever seen an actual war? Yes, a few battles in the Second Chrons, but when has she ever seen an actual full scale war? The way she goes on, you would think she has personal experience... Or is it the very idea of war that she hates so much? I fthe latter, I can certainly understand that.

Linden tells the scouts that she is a healer, here to help and talk with Lord Berek. She is quite arrogant with them, and if I had been one of them I would have been tempted bitch slapped her. Yes, I am bad. (And yes, I know that she feels the wounded, and is desperate to get to them and help them, which is why she is being so pushy. ) Linden has Jeremiah use his mysterious and unexplained powers to push them away so they can go on towards the camp, and the wounded in the hospital tents whose agony Linden can detect. One of the scouts claims that he can now detect truth, and says that Linden is truthful when she says that she wants to help. Linden tells them she wants help from Berek, but she intends to earn it by helping the wounded.

And Covenant gets all whiny. And the Theomach tells Linden (and us) as clearly as he can without breaking any agreements or confidences that this is not Covenant.


The Earth is too wide and rife with mystery to be saved or damned by such as you...

No one really wants to let a mysterious stranger carrying unknown powers to get into the camp...so Linden offers her three companions as hostages while she works on the wounded. Covenant and Jeremiah complain (what else is new?) but the Theomach fully approves. One of the scouts gives Linden her horse.

Linden rides into the camp of Berek Halfhand.


[/spoiler]

Tags: Stephen R. Donaldson, Fatal Revenant

Donaldson's Fatal Revenant part one chapter seven part one

to read the spoilers, run your cursor over them...

 

Well, today I had time to read the first half of chapter seven....










[spoiler]


Man, Covenant and Jeremiah get nastier all of the time, don't they?

And Covenant, talking about how the Old Lords were all about despair, and that they pulled their power from it. Say what?

Lots more info dumps about the far past history of the Land - again, from unreliable sources (I do not consider Esmer, Covenant, or Jeremiah to be reliable sources... I think that the Ramen and the haruchai do tell the truth as they know it, however. And strangely enough, I think that Jeremiah and Covenant are more truthful when the Theomach is there... ).

Strangely enough, I think I trust the Theomach to a degree. He obviously knows bad things about Covenant and Jeremiah that he is not telling Linden...but he does not seem to have any personal malice, the way the other two do. In fact, he pretty obviously dislikes them and the way they treat Linden. He seems to be a reluctant ally to them. But why? What does this mysterious and powerful figure want with Berek?????

And speaking of which,



WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO MEET BEREK HALFHAND!!!!!

Tags: Stephen R. Donaldson, Fatal Revenant

Donaldson's Fatal Revenant part one chapter six

to see the spoilers, run your cursor over them...

I thought that this chapter sounded really familiar when I started reading it and it was !

Danlo once heard Donaldson read from this very chapter at a convention and his report can be found here:
http://ahirashangar.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=259

However, I can tell Danlo right here and now that Donaldson only read a part of this chapter - and the least important part - at that convention.

Hang on to your seatbelts!

[spoiler]


At the end of chapter five, Linden has been sent somewhere and somewhen through the power of the fake Covenant and the fake Jeremiah (and yes, I will have lots of egg all over my face if they turn out to be the real deal! ).

At the beginning of chapter six, Linden is reeling. She finds herself in the middle of a brutal winterscape, in an unknown place and time, though she can "feel" that she is still in the Land.

An increasingly nasty Covenant and a powerful stranger called the Theomach are with her, and there is no sign of Jeremiah.

Covenant and the Theomach (who I think must be of that mysterious race of wizards that Jeremiah was talking about in chapter three) argue, and the Theomach makes Covenant give Linden quite a bit of information, under threat of revealing him to Linden (who Covenant still forbids use of the Staff - which is obvious weirdness in that he and Jeremiah just used an amazing amount of power themselves).

Linden learns the history of the early coming of humans to the Land, and the war between the kings and the forrestals of Garroting Deep.

And she learns of the bloody civil war that Berek now fights in.

Yes, she is back in the time of Berek. :faints: And he is nearby. :faints: In fact, she is standing on a huge number of war dead, entombed under the snow...

Berek has faced his test in the slopes of Mount Thunder, but the war continues...

Jeremiah joins them at some point, like Covenant becoming nastier all the time. He says that Esmer had tried to keep him as a prisoner, but that he had defeated Esmer.

So you really want me to believe that someone powerful enough to defeat Esmer cannot be touched by Linden, or endure the use of the Staff of Law? Spare me!!! This thing is lying its head off!

It turned out that the Theomach has diverted their time gate. They were supposed to come into the Land in the time of High Lord Damelon. Covenant was sneak into Melenkurrion Skyweir after Damelon, hide there after he leaves, and drink the Earth Blood so he can encase and imprison Lord Foul and Kasty in a time tomb.


Like I believe what Covenant says about his motives to travel to Earthroot. Oh, I believe the Earth Blood part of it. But this fake Covenant surely will not use the power to hurt Kasty or Foul...

Esmer told Linden that she must be the first to drink the Earth Blood. he knows exactly what the Covenant thing has in mind. Esmer serves two masters - Linden and Kasty. Is this further proof (along with all the references to fire in Covenant's eyes and the way he effortlessly warms up the freezing Linden in the snow) that this Covenant imposter serves Kasty?

When he told her that he was clearly good Esmer. And the ur-viles are painfully faithful to Linden. SO what was the interference with the time gate all about by the ur-viles. Protection for Linden against the nasty duo? And why did Esmer interfere this time? Aid or betrayal?


[/spoiler]

Tags: Stephen R. Donaldson, Fatal Revenant