Dragonsdawn - Chapter Four
Jan. 30th, 2023 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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i_read_whatSo last time, Sallah snooped, Bitra schemed, and Sorka and Sean made a pretty big discovery. (And I'm sticking to my bet about Sorka, though I expect we won't find out for a while.)
Chapter 4 opens back with Sorka, and the narrative tells us that despite her parents' disapproval, she continues to see Sean Connell as a friend. It's weird to say, but I'm actually kind of happy to see this. McCaffrey tends to be very black and white with her characters, and I'd gotten the impression, at least, that Red Hanrahan was one of the characters that she wants us to think is a mostly decent person. So I'm delighted to see that he has an actual flaw.
I'm also intrigued again by the implication of classism as well. (Sean's parents also aren't terribly happy with the friendship between the children either.)
That said, Sorka's motives aren't entirely friendly, as she's also there to watch the nest and be sure that Sean never succeeds in capturing the queen. She does, at least, bring snacks while they watch the lizard.
“Just like a lizard,” Sean murmured, his breath tickling Sorka’s ear.
“Not at all,” Sorka protested, recalling illustrations in a book of fairy tales. “More like a little dragon. A dragonet,” she said almost aggressively. She did not think that “lizard” was at all appropriate for such a gorgeous being.
They continue to watch when:
A subtle crooning alerted them as they sprawled, half-drowsing in the midday heat. The little golden dragonet spread her wings.
“Protecting them,” Sorka said.
“Nope. Welcoming them.”
Sean had a habit of taking exactly the opposite line in any discussions they had. Sorka had grown used to it, even expected it.
“It could be both,” she suggested tolerantly.
Actually, she ends up agreeing with Sean when the little queen starts singing. And then disagreeing again when predators start charging the nest. And...oops, Sorka pulls a Menolly:
A bolder snake, emerging from the sand where it had hidden itself, attempted a rush up the rock face toward another hatchling. It braced its middle limbs as it raised its head, its turtlelike mouth agape, to grab its prey. Instantly the snake was attacked by the airborne dragonets. With a good sense of preservation, the hatchling lurched over the damlike ramparts of seaweed, toward the bush under which Sorka and Sean hid.
“Go away,” Sean muttered between clenched teeth. He waved his hand at the keening juvenile, shooing it away from them. He had no wish to be attacked by its adult kin.
“It’s starving, Sean,” Sorka said, fumbling for the packet of sandwiches. “Can’t you feel the hunger in it?”
Well, only one. And Sean ends up feeling the same hunger. He's hesitant, but she starts to feed hers and urges Sean to feed the others. He helps, once he reassures himself that the mother is busy with feeding the other hatchlings. Eventually, the mother leaves.
So Sean has two fire lizards while Sorcha has one. But we know which of the two characters is the TRUE favorite, because Sorka's is bronze. Sean's are brown. Sean's a bit skeptical that Sorka's mother will let her keep a "wild thing", but Sorka says that they're not wild. And this bit is actually a little sad to me:
Sean was pacified. He had put the browns in his shirt, one on either side, and tightened the leather belt he had dared requisition. The ease with which he had accomplished that at the Stores building had encouraged him to trust Sorka. It had also proved to his father that the “others” were fairly distributing the wealth of materiel carried to Pern in the spaceships. Two days after getting his belt, Sean began to see proper new pots replacing discarded tins over the campfire, and his mother and three sisters were wearing new shirts and shoes.
I feel like we're supposed to see this as a sign of Sean's family being distrustful, but really, even if the boy skipped out on classes, how does an entire family not know how requisitions is supposed to work? Even if it's just a mistake/misunderstanding, how do the record keepers not realize that there's at least one family who isn't getting any provisions?
And honestly, there's something really heartwrenchingly sad about seeing a little boy so happy to get a belt.
There's still some problems too:
Porrig Connell had been upset because the other members of the expedition seemed not to understand how urgent it was for his people to have dogs. The animals were not pets — they were necessary adjuncts of his folk’s lifestyle. It was proving the same on Pern as on Earth: the Connell’s were the last to get anything useful and the first to be given the back of the hand. But he had had each of his five families put in for a dog.
Yeah, that's not cool. If there are dogs, then they should go to the people who need them first. But maybe I spoke too soon about McCaffrey, because this seems like a genuine conflict where we're not supposed to dislike either side. And that's rare for her. At least in my experience.
Sorka thinks Sean's dad will be happy because of the way the fire lizard went after snakes (Sorka could feel her hatred of them, supporting my Hears-All-Dragons prediction), and I guess, but I think they'll need more fire lizards for that to be a workable solution.
But then the kids get a kind of harsh lesson in nature:
“Oh, look!” Sorka cried, pointing wildly just as something pulled the tattered body of a hatchling under the water. “Oh, oh, oh.” Sean watched impassively. Sorka turned away, clenching her fists. “She’s not a very good mother after all.”
Aw. Sean's a bit more pragmatic, noting only the best survived. He wonders if Sorka's hatchling will be safe at the Landing, because apparently folks have been after the Travellers to trap and snare hatchlings. Sorka has faith in her father, but Sean, cynically, notes that her dad isn't the head of his group.
Aw. I think I worry a little about Sean. He seems really jaded for a little kid. And I appreciate that McCaffrey's been able to get that across without him being mean. And he even ends up asking to see her tomorrow, even though their mutual vigil is over with.
And...okay, it sounds like the Travelers DO have it rough:
Are you sure these creatures will hunt the snake?” Porrig Connell asked as he examined one of Sean’s sleeping acquisitions. It remained motionless when he extended one of the limp wings.
“If they’re hungry,” Sean replied, holding his breath lest his father inadvertently hurt his little lizard.
Porrig snorted. “We’ll see. At least it’s a creature of this place. Anything’s better than being eaten alive. One of the blue mottled ones took a huge chunk out of Sinead’s babee last night.”
Is the baby okay?!
Sean notes that the settlers are safe, because plastic keeps the snakes out. Porrig just nods at the hatchlings and says they're Sean's problem.
Of course, Sorcha's family is far more enthusiastic about her creature. They make it a nest in a basket of reeds. Apparently it feels like suede. And as soon as Sorka reminisces about how it wolfed down sandwiches, her mother realizes that she missed lunch and gets her some food. It's a pretty effective contrast, I have to admit.
Red and his colleagues are thrilled with the creature, and we get to see, again, some of the societal conflict:
“Were you the only lucky one?” her father asked her in a low voice while the two biologists were engrossed in photographing the sleeping creature.
“Sean took two brown ones home. They have an awful time with snakes in their camp.”
“There’re homes waiting for them on Canadian Square,” her father reminded her. “And they’d have the place to themselves.”
All the ethnic nomads in the colony’s complement had been duly allotted living quarters, thoughtfully set to the edge of Landing, where they might not feel so enclosed. But after a few nights, they had all gone, melting into the unexplored lands beyond the settlement. Sorka shrugged.
And I appreciate this a lot. It would be easy to just look at the traveller segments of this chapter (and earlier) and draw conclusions that the Travellers are being impatient or stubborn (given Porrig's general demeanor), but I think this shows us that the problem is at least as much because of the settlers.
The settlers are being generous, as they see it, but it's a weighted generosity. They're being offered a settlement to themselves, thoughtfully set on the outskirts so that they don't feel enclosed. Okay. But it's a settlement and they're nomadic. Their entire culture revolves around moving around. They've had plenty of opportunities to take on a stationary life, why would they be interested in doing that now?
If the settlers truly intend to provide for everyone, they should be tailoring their provisions to accommodate the nomadic people's lifestyle. Dogs. Not houses.
They ask Sorka a lot about how she bonded with the lizard, then the scientists ask to borrow it. They promise not to hurt it, but Sorka's anxious. Fortunately, Red's got her back and suggests they let the baby get used to Sorka first. The scientists back off and agree. (Though Pol would like to know how much it eats.)
Oh, and "Red" is indeed a nickname. Sorka's father's full name is "Peter Oliver Plunkett Hanrahan." His wife uses it to remind him that they're not Irish anymore, they're "Pernese". Which is, again, an interesting contrast with the Travellers, who seem intent on keeping their own ethnic culture.
Anyway, that night, Sorka gets the honor of lighting the bonfire. (Her brother is jealous and disgusted.) Even Admiral Benden and Governor Boll are there. She makes a point of saying that it wasn't just her, Sean was there too, and he had found the nest. She knows he wouldn't care about whether or not he received credit, but she cared. I like that.
So, we're told it takes about a week for other people to start acquiring lizards. And Sorka gets to learn more about her own. It's the usual stuff about feeding and cracking and oiling. Nothing new, but it's cute. We're told that the male designation is arbitrary, because as of yet, they weren't able to determine sex. (They note that the gold "dragonets" seem more feminine, but the biologists point out that on Earth, some species do have males tending the eggs.)
Sorka's is named Duke, by the way. And soon, they discover that he can teleport. Woo. It does make scanning him difficult though.
Sorka eventually takes Duke out to his birthplace, where Sean is snoozing with his two. Apparently, he'd been made to bunk in with the "babees" to see if they'd scare off snakes. They did. Sorka fills Sean in on the teleport/telekinesis ability, which Sean isn't really surprised by. He points out that they've both seen the "disappearing act". He is legitimately tired though, so Sorka offers to "play gold and guard him".
Aw, I do like these kids.
--
We switch scenes to Sallah Telgar, watching Drake Bonneau do some aerial acrobatics in an air sled. Apparently, he wants to name an inland lake after himself, and everyone's on board, but he's showing off anyway. Sallah is unimpressed.
Oh, hey, envious rival woman alert.
Seeing Svenda Olubushtu coming to join them, Sallah hastily turned and headed for the main shelter of the small prospecting camp. She did not care to listen to Svenda’s snide, jealous remarks. It was not as if Sallah encouraged Drake Bonneau. On the contrary, she had emphatically, publicly, and frequently made her disinterest plain enough.
Maybe I’m going about discouraging him the wrong way, she thought. Maybe if I’d run after him, hang on his every word, and ambush him every chance I get, the way Svenda’s doing, he’d leave me alone, too.
Of course. Damnit, McCaffrey, can we go back to the kids? I like the kids! Even if I think Sorka will hear-all-dragons eventually!
So who DOES Sallah like?
In the main shelter, she found Tarvi Andiyar already marking the day’s findings on the big screen, muttering to himself as he did so, his spidery fingers flicking at the terminal keys so fast that even the word processor had trouble keeping up with him. No one understood him when he talked to himself like that; he was speaking in his first language, an obscure Indic dialect. When asked about his eccentricity he would respond with one of his heart-melting smiles.
“For other ears to hear this beautiful liquid language, so it will be spoken even here on Pern, so that there will be one person alive who still speaks it fluently, even after all these centuries,” he always told those who asked. “Is it not a lovely language, lilting, melodic, a joy to the ear?”
Tarvi's a mining engineer who likes to make self-deprecating jokes about his age:
As Tarvi Andiyar had only reached his sixth decade, that remark generally brought the reassurances he required from the kindly, or hoots of derision from those who knew his ploys. Sallah liked him for his wry and subtle wit, which he generally turned on his own short-comings, and would never think to use to offend anyone else.
So Sallah's into Tarvi, like Drake is into her, but she hasn't had much luck getting closer to him. Everyone chats about geology, which is interesting in a world building sense, but boring to me. But we also see some interpersonal dynamic:
“So,” Svenda asked, “this site is viable?” She looked about her with an air of possession that struck Sallah as slightly premature. Charterers had first choice, before contract specialists.
“I shall certainly recommend it,” Tarvi said, smiling in the avuncular way he had that always annoyed Sallah. He was not old. He was very attractive, but if he kept thinking of himself as everyone’s uncle, how could she get him to really look at her?
It doesn't help that after Svenda storms off, he pats Sallah on the shoulder "as one would pat an obedient child". Um, Sallah, maybe just find someone your own age? He really doesn't seem to be into you.
Drake returns, with news: They'll be heading to Landing for a Thanksgiving. It's meant to be an auspicious start to their new lives, as the last load from the starships have finally arrived. They are landed. Everyone's a little disgruntled to hear that. Apparently this is a really nice place. I suppose I can't blame them
Sallah had taken this assignment (flying the miners and geologists) because she wanted time to think about the things she'd observed. For example, when returning for a tape she'd left aboard the Mariposa, she ends up seeing Kenjo and following him to his stash of purloined fuel.
She's also heard a conversation between Avril and Stev Kimmer about gemstones on a nearby island:
“That island’s not on the schedule for years,” Stev pointed out.
Avril gave a low laugh. “I can navigate more than spaceships, Stev. I’m checked out on a sled and I’m as free as everyone else on this mudball to look for the measly amount of stake acres I’m entitled to as a contractor. But you’re charter, and if we pool our allotments, we could own the entire island.”
Sallah heard Kimmer’s intake of breath. “I thought the fishers wanted the island for that harbor.”
“They only want a harbor, not an island. They’re fishermen, dolphineers. The land’s no use to them.”
...okay, but is this really that bad? I mean, she's got knowledge she probably should share with the whole group, but does it really matter if she takes a valuable claim that she already knows about when there seems to be a lot going around?
Oh, but hey. Let's do some slut shaming.
“Of course,” Avril agreed easily. “I’m not going to live out the rest of my life in this backwater, not when I’ve discovered the means to live the style of life I very much prefer.” Again there was that rippling laugh and then a long silence, broken by the sound of moist lips parting. “But while I’m here, and you’re here, Kimmer, let’s make the most of it. Here and now, under the stars.”
Sallah had slipped away, both embarrassed and disgusted by Avril’s blatant sexuality. Small wonder Paul Benden had not kept the woman in his bed. He was a sensual man, Sallah thought, but unlikely to appreciate Avril’s crude abandon for long. Ju Adjai, elegant and serene, was far more suitable, even if neither appeared to be rushing a noticeable alliance.
I love, again, how Benden gets no judgment for sleeping with this horrible immoral woman. Even though it takes two to tango.
Sallah did pick up on what Stev didn't. (We're told that Sallah had already been aware of Pern's gemstone wealth and the Shavva ruby, so it stands to wonder exactly what Avril's doing that's so evil by using her grandmother's survey notes to make a claim.). She's more concerned with Avril's plan to leave.
Avril’s plot would hardly deplete Pern’s resources. What worried Sallah was how Avril would contrive the fuel for such a journey. Sallah knew that there was fuel left in the Admiral’s gig, the Mariposa. That was not common knowledge, but as a pilot, Avril would have access to that information. Judging by the computations Avril had made during her time on the Yokohama, Sallah knew that the woman could actually make it to an uninhabited system. But then what?
Okay, obviously, Avril shouldn't be allowed to siphon these resources herself. But if there are people who want to leave Pern, and if there are resources enough for them to do it, even if it just means going to an uninhabited system, why is it a terrible thing if they go?
Maybe that will be clearer in context later, but right now, I'm team "let people get the fuck off the death world".
Sallah is torn. She wants to report Bitra, but if she does, then she also has to report Kenjo, and this is a bit of mental gymnastics:
Sallah had liked surveying with Ozzie, Cobber, and the others, and she had been kept too tired to think of her dilemma. But with return to Landing imminent, her questions came flooding back. While she had no compunction about reporting Avril, she realized that she would also have to mention Kenjo’s activities. She wished she knew why Kenjo had held back fuel. Did he have some crazy notion about exploring the two moons? Or the wayward planet which was expected to cross Pern’s orbit in roughly eight years?
It was impossible to imagine Kenjo being involved with someone like Avril Bitra. Sallah was certain that the obvious animosity between the two was not feigned. She suspected that to Kenjo flying was both a religion and an incurable disease. But he did have all of Pern to fly over, and the packs that powered the colony’s air sleds would, if used circumspectly, allow for several decades of such flight.
I think you could make the argument that Kenjo's hoarding is considerably worse than Avril's plans. The fuel he's siphoned could be useful for everyone. Avril's staking out gemstones, which are pretty and valuable, but not a resource anyone depends on for survival.
But Avril's the Bitch-ra, of course, so Sallah isn't worried about Kenjo's plans so much as Avril discovering Kenjo's stash. Because THAT would be evil.
Damn! Sallah’s fists clenched at her sides. Pern was supposed to be above petty schemes and intrigues. We’re all working to a common goal, she thought. A secure, bountiful future, without prejudice. Why must someone like Avril touch that beautiful vision with her sour egocentricity?
Give me a fucking break.
Anyway, Sallah gets offered a dance from her colleague, and decides she'll make a report to Ongala when she gets back to landing. Ozzie then, slyly, pairs her with Tarvi:
Tarvi gave her a look of rueful assent, not having much choice, Sallah realized, with so many witnesses and without a chance to prepare an excuse. But she was grateful to sly old Ozzie.
So, question. Bitra's evil for having sex, right. Among other things. But Sallah wanting to bang Tarvi is a-ok, right? Just checking.
So everyone returns to landing for the party, and to be fair, it does sound swanky:
By the time the mining party returned to Landing, the fire was well started in Bonfire Square and the party was gathering momentum. From her high vantage point as she swung the sled to the perimeter and down to the strip, Sallah almost did not recognize the utilitarian settlement. Lights were on in almost every window, and every lamp standard glowed. A dais had been erected across one side of Bonfire Square, and colored spotlights strung on a frame above it. Drake had said that there was a call out for anyone who could play an instrument to take a turn that evening. The white cubes of old plastic packers dotted the dais to serve as stools for the musicians.
Tables and chairs had been brought from residences and set up in a freshly mowed space beyond the square. Firepits had been drug to roast huge wherries; on smaller spits the last of the frozen meats brought from Earth browned along with several other carcasses. The aroma of roasting meat and grilling fish was mouth-watering. The colonists were all dressed in their best clothes Everyone was bustling around, helping, toting, arranging, and fixing the last of the delicacies brought from the old worlds and saved for one last gorge on the new.
Sallah leaves the others behind to report to Ongala, who is surprised and concerned at the size of Kenjo's hoard. But because McCaffrey built this world, we get this gem:
“Could Avril know of Kenjo’s hoard?” Ongola sat up so quickly that she realized he found her suspicions of the astrogator far more worrying than Kenjo’s theft. “No, no, he corrected himself with a quick wave of his hand, “their dislike of each other is genuine. I will inform the admiral and the governor.”
Fucking seriously? Yes, the dark sexy woman might use the hoard for nefarious deeds if she knew about it. But why are you okay with the fucking hoard to begin with?! Why are you not asking questions?!
They make comments about Eden being corrupted by human greed and they mean Avril, not Kenjo. Even though Kenjo is the one with the fucking hoard of fuel.
Oh, but Ongala's a fucking moron too. On Sallah's advice, they won't report to Benden and Boll tonight, and:
Ongola opened the door, gesturing courteously for her to precede him. No one locked doors on Pern, even doors to official administrative offices. Sallah had been proud of that fact, but now she was worried.
“We’re not that stupid, Sallah,” Ongola said, as if he had read her mind. He tapped his forehead. “This is still the best memory bank ever invented.”
Okay, what's the over-under on Ongola dying somehow before the night is over?
So back at the party, musicians are switching out. Sexy sexy Tarvi Andiyar plays a haunting melody on the pan pipes. Emily Boll takes a turn on the keyboard. Ezra Keroon fiddles.
Sallah gets to dance TWICE with Tarvi, but then an earthquake c-blocks her. They go off to discover what's going on. Though later, she does get to finish the dance (because the disappearance of too many specialists would cause alarm.)
Tarvi wants to investigate the epicenter, and Sallah volunteers to pilot. The chapter ends here.
Chapter 4 opens back with Sorka, and the narrative tells us that despite her parents' disapproval, she continues to see Sean Connell as a friend. It's weird to say, but I'm actually kind of happy to see this. McCaffrey tends to be very black and white with her characters, and I'd gotten the impression, at least, that Red Hanrahan was one of the characters that she wants us to think is a mostly decent person. So I'm delighted to see that he has an actual flaw.
I'm also intrigued again by the implication of classism as well. (Sean's parents also aren't terribly happy with the friendship between the children either.)
That said, Sorka's motives aren't entirely friendly, as she's also there to watch the nest and be sure that Sean never succeeds in capturing the queen. She does, at least, bring snacks while they watch the lizard.
“Just like a lizard,” Sean murmured, his breath tickling Sorka’s ear.
“Not at all,” Sorka protested, recalling illustrations in a book of fairy tales. “More like a little dragon. A dragonet,” she said almost aggressively. She did not think that “lizard” was at all appropriate for such a gorgeous being.
They continue to watch when:
A subtle crooning alerted them as they sprawled, half-drowsing in the midday heat. The little golden dragonet spread her wings.
“Protecting them,” Sorka said.
“Nope. Welcoming them.”
Sean had a habit of taking exactly the opposite line in any discussions they had. Sorka had grown used to it, even expected it.
“It could be both,” she suggested tolerantly.
Actually, she ends up agreeing with Sean when the little queen starts singing. And then disagreeing again when predators start charging the nest. And...oops, Sorka pulls a Menolly:
A bolder snake, emerging from the sand where it had hidden itself, attempted a rush up the rock face toward another hatchling. It braced its middle limbs as it raised its head, its turtlelike mouth agape, to grab its prey. Instantly the snake was attacked by the airborne dragonets. With a good sense of preservation, the hatchling lurched over the damlike ramparts of seaweed, toward the bush under which Sorka and Sean hid.
“Go away,” Sean muttered between clenched teeth. He waved his hand at the keening juvenile, shooing it away from them. He had no wish to be attacked by its adult kin.
“It’s starving, Sean,” Sorka said, fumbling for the packet of sandwiches. “Can’t you feel the hunger in it?”
Well, only one. And Sean ends up feeling the same hunger. He's hesitant, but she starts to feed hers and urges Sean to feed the others. He helps, once he reassures himself that the mother is busy with feeding the other hatchlings. Eventually, the mother leaves.
So Sean has two fire lizards while Sorcha has one. But we know which of the two characters is the TRUE favorite, because Sorka's is bronze. Sean's are brown. Sean's a bit skeptical that Sorka's mother will let her keep a "wild thing", but Sorka says that they're not wild. And this bit is actually a little sad to me:
Sean was pacified. He had put the browns in his shirt, one on either side, and tightened the leather belt he had dared requisition. The ease with which he had accomplished that at the Stores building had encouraged him to trust Sorka. It had also proved to his father that the “others” were fairly distributing the wealth of materiel carried to Pern in the spaceships. Two days after getting his belt, Sean began to see proper new pots replacing discarded tins over the campfire, and his mother and three sisters were wearing new shirts and shoes.
I feel like we're supposed to see this as a sign of Sean's family being distrustful, but really, even if the boy skipped out on classes, how does an entire family not know how requisitions is supposed to work? Even if it's just a mistake/misunderstanding, how do the record keepers not realize that there's at least one family who isn't getting any provisions?
And honestly, there's something really heartwrenchingly sad about seeing a little boy so happy to get a belt.
There's still some problems too:
Porrig Connell had been upset because the other members of the expedition seemed not to understand how urgent it was for his people to have dogs. The animals were not pets — they were necessary adjuncts of his folk’s lifestyle. It was proving the same on Pern as on Earth: the Connell’s were the last to get anything useful and the first to be given the back of the hand. But he had had each of his five families put in for a dog.
Yeah, that's not cool. If there are dogs, then they should go to the people who need them first. But maybe I spoke too soon about McCaffrey, because this seems like a genuine conflict where we're not supposed to dislike either side. And that's rare for her. At least in my experience.
Sorka thinks Sean's dad will be happy because of the way the fire lizard went after snakes (Sorka could feel her hatred of them, supporting my Hears-All-Dragons prediction), and I guess, but I think they'll need more fire lizards for that to be a workable solution.
But then the kids get a kind of harsh lesson in nature:
“Oh, look!” Sorka cried, pointing wildly just as something pulled the tattered body of a hatchling under the water. “Oh, oh, oh.” Sean watched impassively. Sorka turned away, clenching her fists. “She’s not a very good mother after all.”
Aw. Sean's a bit more pragmatic, noting only the best survived. He wonders if Sorka's hatchling will be safe at the Landing, because apparently folks have been after the Travellers to trap and snare hatchlings. Sorka has faith in her father, but Sean, cynically, notes that her dad isn't the head of his group.
Aw. I think I worry a little about Sean. He seems really jaded for a little kid. And I appreciate that McCaffrey's been able to get that across without him being mean. And he even ends up asking to see her tomorrow, even though their mutual vigil is over with.
And...okay, it sounds like the Travelers DO have it rough:
Are you sure these creatures will hunt the snake?” Porrig Connell asked as he examined one of Sean’s sleeping acquisitions. It remained motionless when he extended one of the limp wings.
“If they’re hungry,” Sean replied, holding his breath lest his father inadvertently hurt his little lizard.
Porrig snorted. “We’ll see. At least it’s a creature of this place. Anything’s better than being eaten alive. One of the blue mottled ones took a huge chunk out of Sinead’s babee last night.”
Is the baby okay?!
Sean notes that the settlers are safe, because plastic keeps the snakes out. Porrig just nods at the hatchlings and says they're Sean's problem.
Of course, Sorcha's family is far more enthusiastic about her creature. They make it a nest in a basket of reeds. Apparently it feels like suede. And as soon as Sorka reminisces about how it wolfed down sandwiches, her mother realizes that she missed lunch and gets her some food. It's a pretty effective contrast, I have to admit.
Red and his colleagues are thrilled with the creature, and we get to see, again, some of the societal conflict:
“Were you the only lucky one?” her father asked her in a low voice while the two biologists were engrossed in photographing the sleeping creature.
“Sean took two brown ones home. They have an awful time with snakes in their camp.”
“There’re homes waiting for them on Canadian Square,” her father reminded her. “And they’d have the place to themselves.”
All the ethnic nomads in the colony’s complement had been duly allotted living quarters, thoughtfully set to the edge of Landing, where they might not feel so enclosed. But after a few nights, they had all gone, melting into the unexplored lands beyond the settlement. Sorka shrugged.
And I appreciate this a lot. It would be easy to just look at the traveller segments of this chapter (and earlier) and draw conclusions that the Travellers are being impatient or stubborn (given Porrig's general demeanor), but I think this shows us that the problem is at least as much because of the settlers.
The settlers are being generous, as they see it, but it's a weighted generosity. They're being offered a settlement to themselves, thoughtfully set on the outskirts so that they don't feel enclosed. Okay. But it's a settlement and they're nomadic. Their entire culture revolves around moving around. They've had plenty of opportunities to take on a stationary life, why would they be interested in doing that now?
If the settlers truly intend to provide for everyone, they should be tailoring their provisions to accommodate the nomadic people's lifestyle. Dogs. Not houses.
They ask Sorka a lot about how she bonded with the lizard, then the scientists ask to borrow it. They promise not to hurt it, but Sorka's anxious. Fortunately, Red's got her back and suggests they let the baby get used to Sorka first. The scientists back off and agree. (Though Pol would like to know how much it eats.)
Oh, and "Red" is indeed a nickname. Sorka's father's full name is "Peter Oliver Plunkett Hanrahan." His wife uses it to remind him that they're not Irish anymore, they're "Pernese". Which is, again, an interesting contrast with the Travellers, who seem intent on keeping their own ethnic culture.
Anyway, that night, Sorka gets the honor of lighting the bonfire. (Her brother is jealous and disgusted.) Even Admiral Benden and Governor Boll are there. She makes a point of saying that it wasn't just her, Sean was there too, and he had found the nest. She knows he wouldn't care about whether or not he received credit, but she cared. I like that.
So, we're told it takes about a week for other people to start acquiring lizards. And Sorka gets to learn more about her own. It's the usual stuff about feeding and cracking and oiling. Nothing new, but it's cute. We're told that the male designation is arbitrary, because as of yet, they weren't able to determine sex. (They note that the gold "dragonets" seem more feminine, but the biologists point out that on Earth, some species do have males tending the eggs.)
Sorka's is named Duke, by the way. And soon, they discover that he can teleport. Woo. It does make scanning him difficult though.
Sorka eventually takes Duke out to his birthplace, where Sean is snoozing with his two. Apparently, he'd been made to bunk in with the "babees" to see if they'd scare off snakes. They did. Sorka fills Sean in on the teleport/telekinesis ability, which Sean isn't really surprised by. He points out that they've both seen the "disappearing act". He is legitimately tired though, so Sorka offers to "play gold and guard him".
Aw, I do like these kids.
--
We switch scenes to Sallah Telgar, watching Drake Bonneau do some aerial acrobatics in an air sled. Apparently, he wants to name an inland lake after himself, and everyone's on board, but he's showing off anyway. Sallah is unimpressed.
Oh, hey, envious rival woman alert.
Seeing Svenda Olubushtu coming to join them, Sallah hastily turned and headed for the main shelter of the small prospecting camp. She did not care to listen to Svenda’s snide, jealous remarks. It was not as if Sallah encouraged Drake Bonneau. On the contrary, she had emphatically, publicly, and frequently made her disinterest plain enough.
Maybe I’m going about discouraging him the wrong way, she thought. Maybe if I’d run after him, hang on his every word, and ambush him every chance I get, the way Svenda’s doing, he’d leave me alone, too.
Of course. Damnit, McCaffrey, can we go back to the kids? I like the kids! Even if I think Sorka will hear-all-dragons eventually!
So who DOES Sallah like?
In the main shelter, she found Tarvi Andiyar already marking the day’s findings on the big screen, muttering to himself as he did so, his spidery fingers flicking at the terminal keys so fast that even the word processor had trouble keeping up with him. No one understood him when he talked to himself like that; he was speaking in his first language, an obscure Indic dialect. When asked about his eccentricity he would respond with one of his heart-melting smiles.
“For other ears to hear this beautiful liquid language, so it will be spoken even here on Pern, so that there will be one person alive who still speaks it fluently, even after all these centuries,” he always told those who asked. “Is it not a lovely language, lilting, melodic, a joy to the ear?”
Tarvi's a mining engineer who likes to make self-deprecating jokes about his age:
As Tarvi Andiyar had only reached his sixth decade, that remark generally brought the reassurances he required from the kindly, or hoots of derision from those who knew his ploys. Sallah liked him for his wry and subtle wit, which he generally turned on his own short-comings, and would never think to use to offend anyone else.
So Sallah's into Tarvi, like Drake is into her, but she hasn't had much luck getting closer to him. Everyone chats about geology, which is interesting in a world building sense, but boring to me. But we also see some interpersonal dynamic:
“So,” Svenda asked, “this site is viable?” She looked about her with an air of possession that struck Sallah as slightly premature. Charterers had first choice, before contract specialists.
“I shall certainly recommend it,” Tarvi said, smiling in the avuncular way he had that always annoyed Sallah. He was not old. He was very attractive, but if he kept thinking of himself as everyone’s uncle, how could she get him to really look at her?
It doesn't help that after Svenda storms off, he pats Sallah on the shoulder "as one would pat an obedient child". Um, Sallah, maybe just find someone your own age? He really doesn't seem to be into you.
Drake returns, with news: They'll be heading to Landing for a Thanksgiving. It's meant to be an auspicious start to their new lives, as the last load from the starships have finally arrived. They are landed. Everyone's a little disgruntled to hear that. Apparently this is a really nice place. I suppose I can't blame them
Sallah had taken this assignment (flying the miners and geologists) because she wanted time to think about the things she'd observed. For example, when returning for a tape she'd left aboard the Mariposa, she ends up seeing Kenjo and following him to his stash of purloined fuel.
She's also heard a conversation between Avril and Stev Kimmer about gemstones on a nearby island:
“That island’s not on the schedule for years,” Stev pointed out.
Avril gave a low laugh. “I can navigate more than spaceships, Stev. I’m checked out on a sled and I’m as free as everyone else on this mudball to look for the measly amount of stake acres I’m entitled to as a contractor. But you’re charter, and if we pool our allotments, we could own the entire island.”
Sallah heard Kimmer’s intake of breath. “I thought the fishers wanted the island for that harbor.”
“They only want a harbor, not an island. They’re fishermen, dolphineers. The land’s no use to them.”
...okay, but is this really that bad? I mean, she's got knowledge she probably should share with the whole group, but does it really matter if she takes a valuable claim that she already knows about when there seems to be a lot going around?
Oh, but hey. Let's do some slut shaming.
“Of course,” Avril agreed easily. “I’m not going to live out the rest of my life in this backwater, not when I’ve discovered the means to live the style of life I very much prefer.” Again there was that rippling laugh and then a long silence, broken by the sound of moist lips parting. “But while I’m here, and you’re here, Kimmer, let’s make the most of it. Here and now, under the stars.”
Sallah had slipped away, both embarrassed and disgusted by Avril’s blatant sexuality. Small wonder Paul Benden had not kept the woman in his bed. He was a sensual man, Sallah thought, but unlikely to appreciate Avril’s crude abandon for long. Ju Adjai, elegant and serene, was far more suitable, even if neither appeared to be rushing a noticeable alliance.
I love, again, how Benden gets no judgment for sleeping with this horrible immoral woman. Even though it takes two to tango.
Sallah did pick up on what Stev didn't. (We're told that Sallah had already been aware of Pern's gemstone wealth and the Shavva ruby, so it stands to wonder exactly what Avril's doing that's so evil by using her grandmother's survey notes to make a claim.). She's more concerned with Avril's plan to leave.
Avril’s plot would hardly deplete Pern’s resources. What worried Sallah was how Avril would contrive the fuel for such a journey. Sallah knew that there was fuel left in the Admiral’s gig, the Mariposa. That was not common knowledge, but as a pilot, Avril would have access to that information. Judging by the computations Avril had made during her time on the Yokohama, Sallah knew that the woman could actually make it to an uninhabited system. But then what?
Okay, obviously, Avril shouldn't be allowed to siphon these resources herself. But if there are people who want to leave Pern, and if there are resources enough for them to do it, even if it just means going to an uninhabited system, why is it a terrible thing if they go?
Maybe that will be clearer in context later, but right now, I'm team "let people get the fuck off the death world".
Sallah is torn. She wants to report Bitra, but if she does, then she also has to report Kenjo, and this is a bit of mental gymnastics:
Sallah had liked surveying with Ozzie, Cobber, and the others, and she had been kept too tired to think of her dilemma. But with return to Landing imminent, her questions came flooding back. While she had no compunction about reporting Avril, she realized that she would also have to mention Kenjo’s activities. She wished she knew why Kenjo had held back fuel. Did he have some crazy notion about exploring the two moons? Or the wayward planet which was expected to cross Pern’s orbit in roughly eight years?
It was impossible to imagine Kenjo being involved with someone like Avril Bitra. Sallah was certain that the obvious animosity between the two was not feigned. She suspected that to Kenjo flying was both a religion and an incurable disease. But he did have all of Pern to fly over, and the packs that powered the colony’s air sleds would, if used circumspectly, allow for several decades of such flight.
I think you could make the argument that Kenjo's hoarding is considerably worse than Avril's plans. The fuel he's siphoned could be useful for everyone. Avril's staking out gemstones, which are pretty and valuable, but not a resource anyone depends on for survival.
But Avril's the Bitch-ra, of course, so Sallah isn't worried about Kenjo's plans so much as Avril discovering Kenjo's stash. Because THAT would be evil.
Damn! Sallah’s fists clenched at her sides. Pern was supposed to be above petty schemes and intrigues. We’re all working to a common goal, she thought. A secure, bountiful future, without prejudice. Why must someone like Avril touch that beautiful vision with her sour egocentricity?
Give me a fucking break.
Anyway, Sallah gets offered a dance from her colleague, and decides she'll make a report to Ongala when she gets back to landing. Ozzie then, slyly, pairs her with Tarvi:
Tarvi gave her a look of rueful assent, not having much choice, Sallah realized, with so many witnesses and without a chance to prepare an excuse. But she was grateful to sly old Ozzie.
So, question. Bitra's evil for having sex, right. Among other things. But Sallah wanting to bang Tarvi is a-ok, right? Just checking.
So everyone returns to landing for the party, and to be fair, it does sound swanky:
By the time the mining party returned to Landing, the fire was well started in Bonfire Square and the party was gathering momentum. From her high vantage point as she swung the sled to the perimeter and down to the strip, Sallah almost did not recognize the utilitarian settlement. Lights were on in almost every window, and every lamp standard glowed. A dais had been erected across one side of Bonfire Square, and colored spotlights strung on a frame above it. Drake had said that there was a call out for anyone who could play an instrument to take a turn that evening. The white cubes of old plastic packers dotted the dais to serve as stools for the musicians.
Tables and chairs had been brought from residences and set up in a freshly mowed space beyond the square. Firepits had been drug to roast huge wherries; on smaller spits the last of the frozen meats brought from Earth browned along with several other carcasses. The aroma of roasting meat and grilling fish was mouth-watering. The colonists were all dressed in their best clothes Everyone was bustling around, helping, toting, arranging, and fixing the last of the delicacies brought from the old worlds and saved for one last gorge on the new.
Sallah leaves the others behind to report to Ongala, who is surprised and concerned at the size of Kenjo's hoard. But because McCaffrey built this world, we get this gem:
“Could Avril know of Kenjo’s hoard?” Ongola sat up so quickly that she realized he found her suspicions of the astrogator far more worrying than Kenjo’s theft. “No, no, he corrected himself with a quick wave of his hand, “their dislike of each other is genuine. I will inform the admiral and the governor.”
Fucking seriously? Yes, the dark sexy woman might use the hoard for nefarious deeds if she knew about it. But why are you okay with the fucking hoard to begin with?! Why are you not asking questions?!
They make comments about Eden being corrupted by human greed and they mean Avril, not Kenjo. Even though Kenjo is the one with the fucking hoard of fuel.
Oh, but Ongala's a fucking moron too. On Sallah's advice, they won't report to Benden and Boll tonight, and:
Ongola opened the door, gesturing courteously for her to precede him. No one locked doors on Pern, even doors to official administrative offices. Sallah had been proud of that fact, but now she was worried.
“We’re not that stupid, Sallah,” Ongola said, as if he had read her mind. He tapped his forehead. “This is still the best memory bank ever invented.”
Okay, what's the over-under on Ongola dying somehow before the night is over?
So back at the party, musicians are switching out. Sexy sexy Tarvi Andiyar plays a haunting melody on the pan pipes. Emily Boll takes a turn on the keyboard. Ezra Keroon fiddles.
Sallah gets to dance TWICE with Tarvi, but then an earthquake c-blocks her. They go off to discover what's going on. Though later, she does get to finish the dance (because the disappearance of too many specialists would cause alarm.)
Tarvi wants to investigate the epicenter, and Sallah volunteers to pilot. The chapter ends here.
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Date: 2023-01-31 02:02 pm (UTC)Oh, and I don't know if you've read the later book - The Renegades of Pern - yet or the short story "The Girl Who Heard Dragons" - but both feature the ninth pass version of the nomadic groups. They're called "traders" or "trader clans" instead of travelers and seem to be a mix of the traditional ethnic nomads and long-haul truckers by the ninth pass.
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Date: 2023-02-01 08:55 pm (UTC)I think where Ms. McCaffrey faltered was by not saying something about the placement of the travellers on the list. She makes it sound like the Travellers don't understand the process or are far down the priority list. Where if, instead, it was noted that they would be the first to receive the new puppies once born, then it'd read differently.
I haven't read either, but I'm looking forward to them. It'll be interesting to see how their lifestyle accommodates Thread.
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Date: 2023-01-31 07:52 pm (UTC)As for wanting to leave, I would've written it as the colonists having to sign so many consent forms in paper and e-form stating "yes, I know this is a one-way trip and I'll never see the rest of the universe or family or friends ever again and I'm okay with this" that they would barf electrons and ink. Presumably, the colonists knew what they were getting into (aside from the Red Star), and it's way too late for anyone to change their mind. I can't recall if that was implied at all, though.
As for the fuel, I also can't remember if that's ever explained. Maybe Kenjo thought it'd be needed in emergencies, but that's just a theory. I'd hope that he would've shared if anyone had said anything.
= Multi-Facets.
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Date: 2023-02-01 09:01 pm (UTC)Kenjo's motives may have been good, but the hoarding it without telling anyone seems at least as criminal as anything Avril has done. But she's the massively disliked villainess, and he's...possibly still adversarial, but less so. So her crimes are magnified. (see, also: Kylara)
I get the idea behind the consent/one-way thing, but if the resources are available and/or if the people can figure out how to leave without screwing anyone else over, then I can't villainize them for it. Rescue Run, I think, was the story I vaguely remember where someone actually DOES make it off Pern and is inexplicably shunned for it by his rescuers.
Honestly, McCaffrey reminds me a bit of Marion Zimmer Bradley here (disclaimer: I've seen nothing to ever indicate that McCaffrey is as vile a person. I just mean in terms of writing a plot point.) Bradley never could seem to understand that the love for Darkover's particular aristocratic/agrarian society would not be universal. I kind of get that sense with McCaffrey here too, though I may be jumping the gun. (I'm basing my predictions on past patterns, but she can always have improved)