Midst Toil And Tribulation – Snippet 07
.V.
HMS
Destiny, 54,
Sea of Justice
“Oh, my!”
Princess Irys Zhorzhet Mhara Daykyn shook her head as the small, wiry, sunburned-but-tanning-quickly youngster squealed in delight. The ten-year-old stood at the back edge of HMS Destiny‘s quarterdeck, leaning back sharply with bare feet braced hard against the taffrail, while he clung to the wildly bent rod with both hands. He wore no shoes, only a pair of cutoff shorts enormously too big for him, but a canvas harness — the type the Imperial Charisian Navy used with deckside safety lines during hurricanes — was fastened about his bare torso. The harness was firmly anchored to the binnacle beside the ship’s double wheel, and two burly, seasoned-looking petty officers (either of whom weighed four or five times as much as the boy in question) stood alertly to one side, grinning hugely as they watched him.
“It’s a kraken! It’s a kraken, Irys!” the youngster shouted, managing to hang onto the rod somehow.
One of the watching petty officers reached out as if to lend a hand, but he visibly thought better of it. The boy never noticed; he was too busy having the time of his life.
“It’s not really a kraken, you know, Your Highness,” a voice said quietly, and Irys turned her head quickly. Lieutenant Hektor Aplyn-Ahrmahk (known on social occasions as His Grace, Duke Hektor of Darcos) smiled at her. “A kraken would’ve already snatched the rod out of his hands,” he said reassuringly. “He’s probably got a forktail or a small neartuna. Either of which,” he added with a reminiscent smile, “will be more than enough of a challenge at his age. I remember my first neartuna.” He shook his head. “I was only a year or so older than His Highness is now, and it took me over an hour to land it. And I might as well admit I needed help. The damned thing — pardon my language — weighed more than I did!”
“Really?” Irys gazed at him for a moment, then gave him a smile of thanks. “I know he won’t really go overboard, not with that harness. But I still can’t help worrying,” she acknowledged, her smile fading slightly. “And I can’t say I was very happy about the thought of his actually landing a kraken with all those teeth and tentacles!”
“Well, even if I’m wrong and he has hooked a kraken — and he and the petty officers manage to land it, which they probably wouldn’t without a lot heavier line — someone’s going to hit it smartly between the eyes with an ax before it’s allowed on deck.” He shrugged. “The kraken may be the emblem of the House of Ahrmahk, Your Highness, but nobody wants to feed a hand or an arm to a real one.”
“I suppose not,” she said in a suddenly softer tone, looking away, and his sun-bronzed face turned darker as he realized what he’d just said.
“Your Highness, I –” he began, but she reached out and touched his forearm lightly before he could finish.
“It isn’t your fault . . . Lieutenant. My father should’ve thought about that. And I’ve been forced to . . . adjust my thinking where the blame for his death is concerned.” She turned to face him fully. “I don’t doubt Emperor Cayleb would have killed him willingly in combat, but, then, Father would just as willingly have killed Cayleb. And after what Phylyp’s learned, there’s no longer any doubt in my mind that it was Zhaspahr Clyntahn who had Father and Hektor murdered. I won’t pretend I’m reconciled to Corisande’s conquest, because I’m not. But as for Daivyn’s safety and my own, I’m far safer swimming with a Charisian kraken than waiting for an offal lizard like Clyntahn to have us both murdered at the time that suits his purposes.”
“You are, you know,” he said quietly, laying one sword-calloused hand over the slender, long-fingered one on his forearm. “I don’t know how this will all work out, but I know Cayleb and Sharleyan, and I know Archbishop Maikel. Nothing — nothing — will happen to your brother under their protection. Anyone who wishes to harm either of you will have to fight his way through the entire Imperial Army, Marine Corps, and Guard. And” — he smiled suddenly, wryly — “past Seijin Merlin, which would probably be harder than all the rest put together, now that I think about it.”
“I’m sure you’re right about that!” Irys laughed, squeezing his arm gently. “I may still worry about whether or not he got away safely, but when it comes down to it, I think Daivyn’s right. I’ve come to the conclusion there are very few things Seijin Merlin couldn’t do if he put his mind to it. And I might as well admit that knowing a man like him serves Cayleb and Sharleyan did almost as much as Phylyp to convince me how wrong I’d been about them. Good men can serve bad rulers, but . . . not a man like him.”
“You’re right about that, Your Highness.” Aplyn-Ahrmahk pressed down on her hand for a moment, then blinked and took his own hand quickly away. For a moment, he seemed remarkably awkward about finding somewhere else for that hand to go, especially for a young man who was so perpetually poised and composed, and the tiniest trace of a smile flickered across Irys’ lips.
Her brother’s fresh squeal of delight drew her eyes, and she released the lieutenant’s forearm and reached up to adjust to her wide-brimmed sun hat. The brisk wind of the Sea of Justice grasped at it with playful hands, flexing and pulling, bending all its cunning towards snatching it away, and her eyes gleamed in pure, sensual pleasure. It was summer in Safehold’s southern hemisphere, but the Sea of Justice was a brisk place any time, and the wind had a crisp edge, despite her brother’s eagerness to shed his shirt at a moment’s notice. But there was a sense of freedom, of life, in that wind. Intellectually, she knew the ship was bearing her to another sort of captivity — one she had no doubt would be genteel, kind, and as unobtrusive as possible, yet captivity nonetheless. Somehow, though, that didn’t really matter at the moment. After the endless, dreary months confined in King Zhames of Delferahk’s castle above the waters of Lake Erdan, the blustering wind, the sunlight, the smell of salt water, the play of light on canvas and rigging, the endless rushing sound of water, and the creak of timbers and cordage all swirled about her like life itself. For the first time in far too long she admitted to herself how bitterly she’d missed the rough, feathery hand of the wind, the kiss of rain, the smell of Corisandian grass as she galloped across the open fields.
She felt the lieutenant at her side, her assigned escort here on Destiny‘s deck. She was the only female member of the galleon’s entire crew, and she wondered how the Charisians had come to overlook that minor fact. In a way, it was comforting to know they could overlook things, and she was no shrinking violet. It was . . . an unusual experience to find herself without a single maid, female body servant, or chaperone, and she had no doubt three quarters of the court back in Manchyr would have been horrified by the very thought or her suffering such an insult. Or as horrified as they could have been over mere insult to her station given how much of their horror quotient would have been used up by the notion of any nobly born maiden of tender years, sister of the rightful Prince of Corisande or not, finding herself with her safety and virtue alike unprotected aboard a Charisian warship!
Yet not a single one of those Charisians — not a seaman, not a Marine, not an officer: not one of them — had offered even the slightest discourtesy. True, men who’d been at sea for months on end, some of them even longer, without sight or smell of a woman, watched with almost reverent eyes whenever she came on deck. Despite that, she was convinced that even without knowing what their officers would have done to anyone who’d dared to lay so much as a finger upon her, they wouldn’t have anyway. Oh, some of them might have; they were human beings, and they were men, not saints. But the instant anyone tried, his own fellows would have torn him limb from limb. Which didn’t even count what Tobys Raimair or the rest of her own armsmen would have done.
I am a little surprised at the degree of physical intimacy that Irys and Hector are sharing, but only a little. They are both smart, courageous, and have been through their own share of hardship. He probably has more in common with her than anyone else on the ship, but that’s not in itself sufficient for their friendship.
With the SNARKs, Sharleyan is seeing all this. Is she going to take a hand, encourage it? Or will Michael tell them all to leave the kids alone?
So when does Merlin sail past them on a windsurfer? (G)
— Bob G
74 comments on the last snippet may be a record as we debate what will happen with Merlin’s mortal soul.
This snippet, everybody saw coming, and everybody knows where it is going.
Grumble, grumble. I still contend that Daivyn would be happier, as, say, a midshipman, and Irys would make a most interesting (troublesome) Prince. Apparently not to be.
The single advantage of hereditary rule is that you know who the prince is going to be. What possible advantage is there is in deposing the legitimate prince of Corisande and destroying Irys’ standing in the eyes of the people of Corisande? The only feasible explanation is that Clyntahn has bribed you to post this idea to the thread.
So they’re presumably headed back to Tarot, and from there on to Tellesberg.
I’m guessing our lovebirds bonded a bit on the boat ride down the river. After all, Hektor HAD just saved her and her dear little brother’s lives. And Hektor is so adorably shy! And an adopted member of the Royal Family, oh my…
Since we’ve seen this coming since the last book, I’m pretty sure the MWW is gonna toss us a curveball at some point. Irys and Daivyn will be taken back to Corisande eventually, after swearing fealty to Cayleb and Sharleyan. There’s no hurry – BUT WAIT! The Go4 suddenly realizes the Harchonese AoG can’t make it to Siddarmark this year, so why not load them aboard Thirsk’s fleet and invade Corisande instead? Our royal twosome race home to rally their countrymen against the foe, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Charisian Marines in defending their homeland.
Golly, a totally unforeseen plot twist, and Corisande gets neatly cemented into the fold as a voluntary member of the EoC. We get land battles, sea battles, romance, and there’s got to be some swashbuckling in there somewhere! (See how easy this writing thing is?) Bleek!
Of course Hector is a bit shy around Irys. How old is he in earth years? Perhaps 15-16. Irys is around 18 earth years old. Women usually mature a bit faster than men. How many women has Hector dated? He was a kid in the navy then has been mostly at sea since he got his title and eligible (someone nobles want to marry their daughters). I think Iry is lonely and did not date much either. The will probably fall in love with each other and marry or perhaps change into best friends like brother and sister. All Irys and Hector have to do is acknowledge Cayleb as their liege and they can run Corisande under the Charisian Empire. They don’t have to stay captive in Charis.
@5 Nimitz13: Looking at the map (with tem being somewhere (south of the equator) in the Sea of Justice):
http://infodump.thefifthimperium.com/images/safehold.jpg
they may actually be headed for Tellesberg directly instead of via Tarot. It is somtime in spring or summer below the equator (therefore winter in Chisholm) so the EoC court is most likely there (nobody wants winter in Chisholm if they can avoid it).
Yes we all saw Hector and Irys coming (that or a TOTAL CRUSH on Merlyn), and MWW loves them curveballs; my idea is he will play it straight-faced until we ALL are just aching for the other shoe to drop – then avoid climax/closure deftly (causing us to throw books, slap our heads, slap our own faces to get it together and then go pick up the book and continue reading ruefully!).
@2 Anonymouse: Last I looked it was past 74 already.
What I would love to see is Merlin/Nimue (not Merlin the Seijin) scissored between Irys and Anzhelique?sp? (both with aggressive agendas) while Sharleyan?sp? looks on beatifically with her daughter in her arms. (Imagine any five more feminine-archetypes together at once I dare you!) (And yes I DO have an EVIL EVIL mind!!!(G))
/Rob
Foreseen or not, this was good. After hearing so much of Clyntyn’s line of lies, it is nice to be reminded that even in fiction there are nice people.
Oh Maggie, do I hear “Caro Nome” or “O Mio Babbino Caro” playing in the background? Perhaps “Celeste Aida” instead? Do you think “La Donna e Mobile” will be playing the next time Clyntahn discusses Irys and Daivyn with Rayno?
What do you think?
@9, the Duke of Mantua from Verdi’s “Rigoletto” is offended at the (indirect) comparison to Zhaspar Clyntahn.
Seriously, though, so far this is a lot less hamfisted than some of Mr. Weber’s other efforts at writing romance plotlines. Maybe working with Mr. Flint is rubbing off on him…
@10 Let the Duke be offended. The aria fits such a scene I think.
I called this back in BSRA. DW may toss in some curveballs going forward to spice things up, but I got 1 right so far! I am not batting .000 anymore! Booyah!
1. 10 year old boys do not squeal. Shout – but not squeal. This is a fifth grader we are talking about here.
2. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Just think of all the (named) Furies the CoGA is lining up for itself.
@7 Thou hast been led astray by a wiley and twisty sort of author, Rob. The relationship between Irys and Merlin won’t center around her, but around Daivyn.
The boy will be srrounded by many people yet only two will carry the boy’s unalloyed and idealized love and adoration; Merlin and Irys. All the others may be pleasant and likeable, perhaps even worthy of love but only those two will be bigger than life to Daivyn. So, Merlin will end up being Daivyn’s father figure. Merlin will become that template every boy needs to begin forming his own character. Those two will become Merlin’s adoptive family in a deeper sense than Cayleb, Sharley and Ahlanah. Nimue may end up raising a child after all.
Merlin as a father figure? Talk about a tough act to follow!
This is definitely a good development. I was sort of worried that Corisande would end up being the Ireland of the Charisian Empire, but it looks like they’re going to avoid that.
(On an unrelated note, does anybody else wonder what goes through Safeholdians’ minds when they say names like “neartuna,” “nearcod,” “nearoak”? Or do these things really have other names, and these are just the names Weber inserted for our benefit?)
Why would they think anything about it? As far as the people of Safehold are concerned, human speech sprung fully formed from nothingness when the world was created, and has remained very little changed since then. There is no linguistic variation to speak of, and very little linguistic drift. How would they even develop a study of languages with that background to wonder where words came from or how they developed? At best, we’re looking at something like a little kid wondering if it’s called a “fork” because it has four points.
An alternative is that the real thing for at least a few such items made it to Safehold, and they recognize that it’s called a “nearoak” because it’s similar to a real oak tree like they see sometimes. In that case, the likely conclusion is that the real tuna and cod and whatever died out – probably killed by the traitor Kau-yung when he was busy murdering his fellow archangels. Anything that doesn’t make sense on Safehold can safely be blamed on Shan-wei and Kau-yung.
‘neartuna’ good call. Perhaps it is explained by the COGA as ‘this fish is but a poor simulacrum of the heavenly perfection of ‘tuna’ and it’s degraded status is yet another effect of the fall of Shan Wei’
@4, agreed, deposing the 10 year old Daivyn in favor of his sister might be the stupidest single move possible other than publically exacuting them or surrendering to Clynton’s mercy.
@3, there’s nothing stopping the prince from being a midshipman as long as he’s a minor even if they let him take the throne on his majority. There’s no downside other than the risk of death in battle to learning about ships for the boy who will be the prince of an island nation. Majority for potential rulers in our world frequently came as late as 25. He can have a 15 year career at sea if he wants it, and still be the heir.
OTOH I’m not seeing why Irys expects captivity of any sort. She’s supposed to be smart. It’s blindingly obvious that if she agrees that Cylnton was the one who had her father killed and her brother is willing to accept an alliance with or to swear fealty to the EoC that the best place for her is in Corisande with her own guards and freedom to move and talk as she likes. Caleb NEEDS everyplace he’s conquered as a cooperating ally providing troops, not a sinkhole that he needs to garrison. This is exactly why Clynton wanted her dead, in the hope that it would inspire more resistance.
From her point of view captivity might still happen, since she knows of no reason Caleb should trust her or Daivyn. But she should be aware that there is an excellent chance that if she and Daivyn swear fealty to Caleb and Sharlyn that they’ll be on their way home, with their own armed guards, ASAP.
@17 Sorry Doug, but Irys is right. No matter that they may swear allegiance to Charis, the safest place for them to be is under Cayleb’s eye. That’s where merlin spends his time afterall. Anywhere else will be seen as less safe by Irys. That means to honor their oath to her to keep Daivyn safe, it means that Daivyn at least will be under Cayleb’s protection. Irys isn’t going to let him out of her sight any time soon and so she will be under that same protection.
A protective ring that powerful is indeed another form of captivity.
@5 I don’t know if the Go4 have the resources to mount an invasion of Corisande anymore. Before the religious war broke out in Siddamark it would have been fairly difficult if not impossible without Thirsk (or whomever) first having shell-armed warships. I don’t think the Church munitions factories will be able to ramp-up and provide enough before Spring comes and the land campaign to take Siddamark is in full-swing.
At some point Merlin and company, via Snarks should realize that the Go4 is manufacturing exploding shells. This should prompt the ICN to launch as many raiding expeditions to destroy the shipbuilding facilities and infrastructure of Harchong, Dolhar and the Temple Lands to prevent the Church from reclaiming numerical superiority. But, I guess it’s depends on how quickly Charis can manufacture shells and its ability to deploy a fleet or fleets large enough to do the job properly.
In one of the previous snippets someone commended on what appears to be a recon skimmer overflying a battlefield. In past books the artwork has shown Merlin next to a skimmer (BHD and HFAF) or using a holo-projector (AMF), but this is is the first bookcover artwork that also includes Safeholdians who can clearly see a high tech object. The soldiers in front of Merlin (Charisan Marines or Army?) don’t’ seem fazed by the sight. I’m wondering if somehow they’ve been forewarned that ‘God would be sending them a sign’, thus encouraging them that their cause is ‘righteous’.
Otherwise, this is one of the most ‘blantantly’ misleading covers I’ve seen in a while.
On another note, I agree these longer snippets are great and the longer time between them does seem to encourage a lot more comments. Thanks to everyone, they are quite interesting and often fun to read as well.
PeterZ, IMO you’re forgetting the political situation in Corisande.
IMO the people and nobles of Corisande wouldn’t “buy” the idea that even though Daivyn (and Iyrs) had sworn allience to Cayleb that it would be “safer” for them to remain under Cayleb’s protection.
I’m not saying (quick look at snerk collar) what will happen but if Daivyn swears allience to Cayleb, he will return to Corisande.
Politically, Cayleb would no choice but to allow him to do so.
@20 You are probably right, Drak. Even so, I doubt that Cayleb and Sharley will push the issuue of swearing allegiance. The Prince of Corisande is but a boy and any oaths taken now would appear forced. Besides, if Cayleb and Sharley truly wanted Irys and Daivyn’s complete trust and allegiance, it will take a bit of time to win that level of trust. Irys will accept the facade of greater safety in order to delay swearing allegiance rather eagerly, I suspect.
So, I am comfortable with my view that the youngsters stick with Cayleb, Sharley and Merlin for some time yet.
@18 Right,PeterZ. Irys’ concern, above any other, is her brother’s safety. And she is smart enough to know that in Charis there is, as you put it, a ring of protection for him (and for her). It will be interesting to see what develops politically between Irys, her brother and the members of the Empire’s council. Maybe even more interesting (but less exciting) than what develops in Siddarma as winter passes to spring in the north.
As all of Clyntyn’s plans come apart, and all he has going for him is blustery propaganda and terror, will he be brought down from within or without, or even before the whatever-the-heck it is under the Temple wakes up? Or will it be just the wrecked economy that his stupidity has created that brings his downfall? That’d be Weber at his most ironic, all right.
re: Soldiers seeing skimmer. @19
At some point in time, there is an assault shuttle, many assault rifles and LOTS of ammo that will have to be used in this series. I am not saying it will be in THIS book, but it will happen. That means that at some point, there are going to need to be a couple thousand soldiers familiar enough with the truth that they won’t freak out the moment they see such high tech “demonic” items.
That having been said, recall please that the skimmer has stealth capability. It could be hovering directly above the battle field and no one would notice due to the smoke, etc. (not to mention the distraction of dodging bullets, shells, etc.)
Another thought. How many folks can Cayleb and Sharly provide safety and succor for? I am sure that Thirsk and his family will soon be joining the Corisande contingent. Who else? Is the Palace big enough? Will a new wing be needed? Inquiring minds want to know…
One possible solution with regard to Corsinade.
Duke Hector of Darcos convinces Irys to consider his plan. First Cayleb cannot afford to leave Corsinade unoccupied in his rear, but as an ally Corsinade would be more than capable of defending itself. The plan install Princess Irys as regent and head of the regency council. The install Prince Dahvin as Prince of Corsinade, subject to the regency council. Corsinade joins the war against the Go4 willingly, in return when Daihvin reaches his majority Corsinade becomes a free independent Princedom and an ally of Charis.
A final touch would be for Caylebs younger sister to eventually marry Daihvin and for Hector Aplyn-Armack to marry Irys cementing the alliance.
The advantages are at least a majority of Corsinades population becomes willing allies of Charis, the resistance takes another body blow
(one psychological and moral)and frees up a large number of Charis/Chisholm troops and ships for action elsewhere. A further idea is for Cayleb & Sharelyn to present this plan as their own to Irys and Daihvin as their own idea on their first meeting together. This would further enhance Caylebs reputation for wisdom, thinking long-term,
generosity, etc
@19 & @23 For some reason the cover artist(s) for the Safehold series seem to LOVE the recon skimmer, as it’s been on the cover in 5 of the 6 books. OAR showed it flying over the palace at Tellesberg at sunset(sunrise?) when in the book the only time it’s used over Tellesberg is in the dead of night, once in a thunderstorm. BSRA has it in orbit (An accurate cover!), while BHD shows Merlin exiting the skimmer outside the abbey where he saves Sharleyan from the assassination attempt, but in daylight instead of nighttime in a thunderstorm. HFaF shows the skimmer hovering at a distance from the naval battle of Iythria in daylight, which didn’t happen at all. Now MTaT shows it flying over a battlefield on land.
If ALL the covers were accurate representations of the text, the skimmer could have been seen by mere mortals in OAR, BHD, HFaF, and now MTaT. Suffice it to say, NONE of those covers is accurate to the novel! The two covers that show the skimmer in a location true to the text and not in orbit (OAR and BHD) show it in daylight – obviously so the details of the landscape can be seen.
The lone exception that doesn’t show the skimmer is AMF, which shows Cayleb watching the Battle of the Gulf of Tarot using a hologram, which actually happened. (Although the hologram was most likely projected on his contact lenses, not out where everyone could see it.)
So it’s obvious that the artist takes GREAT liberties with the cover art – and really has no choice if the scene (s)he’s elected to portray is to be visible without night vision goggles. (Except in HFaF, where the scene was simply made up!) So in EVERY case we’d have to assume the skimmer’s stealth mode was on so no Safeholdians saw it. It’s pretty much guaranteed that the same is true for MTaT IF the scene depicted happens AT ALL! We’re going to get one land battle at least, but I doubt Merlin will be flying his skimmer right through the flying shells and bullets, which would result in the “miraculous” bouncing away of projectiles in midair as they hit the skimmer’s shields, presuming it has them, plus a probable MASSIVE wind as the skimmer passes by at low altitude at hundreds of miles per hour. Perhaps that could be hidden in the smoke from all those guns, but it doesn’t show on the cover which indicates it’s flying relatively slowly, hence the impacts on the shields.
The skimmer has become an icon on the covers of the Safehold series at this point. Since it’s shown in a scene that never happened at least once, and twice in daylight instead of night, if you see it on the cover you can bet that nobody in the scene depicted does.
Referring to the cover art of MTaT, the weapons illustrated have sparked some debate. I see field artillery like that used in the invasion of Corisande, and rifles that could still be rifled flintlocks, although we know breech loaders have been invented. There’s no information on what sort of cartridges they’ll use in the field – I’m guessing something better than the wax ones that foul the bore quickly that were being used in the R&D version, but I HIGHLY doubt the brass cartridge has been invented yet, nor produced by the millions that would be necessary in wartime.
There’s some conjecture that the artillery on the cover is an early version of a machine gun, or an organ gun like those in the 1632 series. It doesn’t look like that to me, plus you can see smoke from artillery shells in the distance. I doubt it’s a breech loading canon, since there’s been no discussion of producing them in the books, although the inner circle can produce a working blueprint. I expect they’ll be high priority once we see ironclad steam or sailing ships. (And it appears the man crouching to the right of the cannon might be holding a ramrod, indicating that it’s muzzle loaded.)
The strangest thing in the scene for me is the pickle helmets (helmets with spikes on top) that the troops are wearing. These have been made from materials ranging from paper to metal historically. I wasn’t aware that any armies issued metal helmets yet, although if the inner circle researches how effective they are against artillery, Charis might be doing it. But why spikes? Useful in using them as an entrenching tool I suppose… Bleek!
@27 Nimitz13, we do know that they are working on a breech loader. At the battle of the Gulf of Jahras the captain of the bombardment ships was lamenting the death of Baron Seamount’s exec. In that mental monlogue he was thinking about how to make a breeching mechanism. We also know that their rifled test bed was a their 12 punder field piece. So, odds are that there are rifled muzzleloading field pieces available. Those may be breechloaders depending on how DW wants to lay it. There is some foreshadowing in text.
DW did spend some time lovingly describing the advantages and disadvantages of rifled shell firing canon. Air burst is deadly, IF one has a workable fuse. Funny thing is that the gunpowder fuses seemed to work very nicely in te ACW. Whether that was for rifled shells or smoothbores, he was careful not to say. He can be very particular in that way, you know.
@24 I dunno, robert. I am probably wrong but I do not see Thirsk defecting. He either survives to aid in the counter reformation or dies.
I can’t remember, does Irys even know that Hektor is a royal duke. What is he sixteen. He would not normally be addressed or introduced as his grace while on active duty and I can’t imagine there have been many social occasions.
I wonder who is going to be in the reception committee when they dock in Tellesberg?
Randy, when he introduced himself in the last book Phylyp knew him as Duke Hektor of Darcos even though he introduced himself as “Lieutenant Hektor Aplyn-Ahrmahk”.
Even if Iyrs didn’t know “Lieutenant Hektor Aplyn-Ahrmahk” was Duke Hektor of Darcos then, by this time Phylyp would had informed Iyrs of that fact.
As far as the cover art is concerned, I think it is a breech loading cannon. The man kneeling behind it appears to be holding a rifle. The rifle actions look like either muzzle loaders with percussion caps OR something like the rolling block Sharps breechloader.
The pickle helmets could just be so that soldiers had a distinctive look to make them easier to identify as friend or foe on the battlefield, or it could just be poetic license.
The metal helmet was a WW I invention that came into being AFTER it was noted how many soldiers received serious head injuries from air burst artillery, a type of artillery shell that Weber discusses at some length on his site.
Man am I looking forward to this book!
Does anyone know why the flags are showing a green dragon looking thing with blue and white checkerboards to each side? I thought the Charisian flag was red and black with the blue and white of Chisholm on it. I could reread the books (again) I suppose, but someone on here must know already.
TIA
@33 Damon, that’s supposed to be a golden kraken on a quartered field of Ahrmahk black and Tayht blue and white.
PeterZ,
Thank you for the prompt reply. I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers, even if my name isn’t Stella.
Blanche, I mean Blanche.
@36 One Debusey is as good as another…(wink)
What about Merlin becoming Daivyn’s bodyguard. Caleb doesn’t need the attention he had earlier. Merlin could become the Captain of his Guard. Present but unobtrusive, with many SNARCs. There to aid and inform Irys and her brother. Hector is another important factor. That would allow Merlin more freedom to flit here and there than at the side of C&S no matter how that may ‘hurt’. Those in the know know he can be anywhere in a matter of hours if needed. Sooner if he’s willing to test the limits of the orbiting annialator.
@30 Hector is 16 Safehold years old (16*301/365 = 13.2 earth years) also Iyrs is 20 Safehold years old (20*301/365 = 16.5 earth years) and for compleatness Dayvin is 11 safehold years old (messenger wyverns were delivered 1 week before his eleventh birthday and 11*301/365 = 9 earth years). Those 301 day years make it hard to keep track without a calculator.
However crucial to seamlessly uniting the Empire, Daivyn is still a secondary character–for at least the next ten years of plot line. Merlin will stay close to the center of the action–though I would hardly be surprised to see Irys quickly become a member of the Inner Circle, even an Imperial Councilor.
@ Doubting Thomas the days on Safehold are longer than on Earth. You end up with a Safehold year that is about 90% of an Earth year. That would make Irys 18 earth years old and Hektor around 15 (depending on were in the year he is at).
@38 Another drawback to Merlin being assigned to Daivyn: If Merlin needs to vanish without notice, it REALLY helps if he has ppl “in the know” to cover for him (like Cayleb during the Abby Assassination.) If he were to disappear from “on station” guarding Daivyn, it will be immediately noticed and commented on. The people around Cayleb and Sharley are already used to his quirks.
OTOH, if Merlin could get the 2nd PICA up and running, assigning it to Daivyn’s guard (perhaps off the record and behind the scenes) might not bee a bad idea.
Which gets me to wondering: How selective can you be in making an analogue recording of a personality. Would it be possible to set up one in the VR suite as JUST Nimue, as Merlin, as Abrahm, or others? Then based on who is needed, they would decide who “goes out” into the world… (Talk about split personalities……)
@43 KenJ: IIRC the danger in copying/redownloading Nimue’s personality-overlqy in the original PICA is the software/hardware hacks to disable the 10-day limit/etc. makes it an iffy proposition that might destroy the overlay in whole or in part (and remember that one of the first thing effected was her high-speed/digital upload capability).
And Nahrman’s personality-overlay into the VR shell is of insufficient complexity (AFAIK only acheivable with a NEAT implant from infancy) as it would be for anyone currently on Safehold.
In additon IIRC OWL is missing equipment/parts neccessary for PICA production and/or a sufficient PICA upload/download. (I still love that Merlin/Nimue has an OWL (maybe a female PICA arrangement can be called Athena/Minerva)!)
/Rob
@23 I suppose the skimmer (if that’s what it is) could be in stealth-mode and not visible to the Safeholdians on the battlefield, but only visible to Merlin. Then again @26, Nimitz13 makes the excellent point that most of the covers don’t exactly depict a particular scene/event in their respective book.
As for all the threads regarding keeping Irys and Daivyn close where Cayleb can best protect them, Drak is right in that both need to be back home in Corisande moving about and speaking freely. Their physical presence is required to reassure the average Corisandian that even though they’ve been ‘conquered’ Charis has no real desire to rule them directly. At the very least Charis needs to be free of the burden of ‘garrisoning’ Corisande. Unless, something goes terribly wrong, I can see Corisande even actively joining Charis militarily in the war against the Go4 at some point. Especially, if Irys and Daivyn can convince their people that Clyntahn had their father and older brother assassinated and was planning the same for them. But, without ‘solid’ proof, at this stage of the war I think quite a few Corisandians, even if they dislike the Go4 might not be willing to believe the Church is capable of such a horrific deed. Maybe some evidence from Aivah (I think that’s her name – curse stupid Safeholding name spellings!) will help speed things along.
@27 The helmets do look like the German WWI Pickelhaube (spiked helmets) worn in the early years of that war before they were replaced with the Stahlhelm version around 1916. Likewise can’t tell if they are made of metal, but given Charis’ vast advantage in foundries I won’t be surprised and they will help reduce battlefield casualties a little. Can’t recall if any Safeholdian army equipped troops with metal head-wear on a mass scale, but I can see them being worn by ceremonial guards like those of the Temple.
@44 Even if OWL could build another PICA and upload Merlin’s current personality, I won’t be surprised if over time Merlin’s clone will develop it’s own ‘personality’ and possibly see or pursue a different strategy to achieve the goal of breaking the power of the Go4. That could lead to interesting clashes and maybe even put them at odds with each other. In the worst case it could think of itself as a god (or something close to one) and unlike the current Merlin, actively guide and chart the Safeholdian’s future in a tyrannical way.
The pickle helmet is a 19th century invention, per Wikipedia:
“The Pickelhaube was originally designed in 1842 by King Frederick William IV of Prussia,…” It was worn by soldiers, police, and even firemen.
It is still worn today by some militaries for ceremonial purposes, e.g., the Swedish Royal Guards. I have some photos I took last year at the changing of the guard at the Palace in Stockholm and even with automatic weapons and comm gear, they wore the pickle helm.
@3 Irys is going to be being troublesome, all right–just not for Charis. And the people of Corisande aren’t going to let Daivyn out of arm’s reach again for a very long time. No way he gets to go play sailor–that’s the “captivity” that Irys was referring to.
@5 I’d guess that they are heading to wherever Cayleb and Sharleyan are. after all, that couple may even be in Tarot–formally welcoming it into the Empire. Of course, they could simply pop off to Darcos Keep–where Clyntahn’s assassins would never think to look!
@17. Captivity in that she and Daivyn will always be under the watchful and protective eye of endless guardsmen and armsmen, restricted to a castle rather than going out to go riding or fishing when they like.
@18. Daivyn may not be going home before he swears his oath of fealty, but the moment he does, he’s headed home. This isn’t about the “safest” option, Corisandians need their Prince, and even moreso, they need to see that he is acting of his own free will, rather than any kind of compulsion.
@24 They have whole unoccupied wings of the Palace just awaiting renovation. (wink)
@25. Corisande is and will remain a part of the Empire of Charis. Sharleyan won’t allow it to be otherwise, considering the historical enmity between Chisholm and Corisande, and what might happen down the line. Beside, effectively Charis is the core of the reborn Terran Federation. :)
@44 Is it canon/DW that Nahrmann’s personality wouldn’t be “complex” enough–or just your guess?
@45 Great post!
I think that both of them will quickly realize that Corisande, as a vital part of the Empire, will be even more prosperous than as a mere neighbor and ally.
A little geography: I always marvel, looking at the map of Safehold. Where is the Destiny right now? Where might she be bound? Who knows? It does strike me that any time a ship is sailing from the East to Charis, that it makes no sense to circle all the way to the west, then come back though Rock Shoal Bay, the Throat, and pass the length of Howell Bay. Lots of extra sailing.
Looking at the map, I had thought of a Panama-style Canal connecting Howell Bay with the Cauldron, but given pending technological innovations, why not a rail line from Tellesburg due east to White Church or West Harding? The bay there looks like it should be a good anchorage. For that matter, an eventual tunnel north through the mountains to Margaret Bay would also seem wise–not least from the new foundries and industrial center (which I can’t place on the map-High Rock?).
For that matter, some place on Emerald (North Bay?) makes more sense for the functional capital of the Empire of Caris, as the geographical center of the Empire, than Tellesburg does.
BTW–Do you suppose that the Destiny will sail through the Strait of Iris?
@47 JeffM: IIRC it was an implication that that the analogue download done for Nahrmann to go VR was a pale imitation of the widechannel digital NEAT download that a PICA requires. I can’t give you textev as it has been a while since I have reread the series.
As for a RR/Canal connecting Howell Bay to the Cauldron; the Styvven Mountains (IIRC very stark vertical terrain (think Himalayas/Rockies not Apalachians and especially not Ozarks)) are a MAJOR obstacle.
As for a new capitol for the EoC; IMO Chisholm and Old Charis will continue to share that honor at least until after the deaths of Sharleyan and Cayleb. AFAIK a geographical centering has almost nothing to do with the placement of a Capitol and everything to do with political realities (look at US progression with NYC/Philly/DC)!!
/Rob
IIRC to download a personality at all requires neural implants, which Nahrmann didn’t have. There is no mention of any technology that could accomplish a personality download any other way (even a lesser imitation). Unless the author wishes to introduce the new tech then Nahrmann will nopt be returning in any fashion.
I’m curious as to why Merlin hasn’t introduced canning techniques to the Charisian Empire. This would go a long way to supplying armies in the field, and would even enable to help with the starvation in Sidarmak. An excuse for the basis of the technique would have to be created (not having any knowledge of bacteria), but something could be made up.
@49 Anthony: As to Nahrmann, his analogue download not being PICA capable was kinda my point.
As to canning techniques, IIRC they are already part of the Safehold mythos (part of the Book of Pasquale I think; like using metal containers and distillation for water supplies).
/Rob