[act]slinks into thread[/act]
[act]flails and mutters incoherently[/act]
In Reticulum time, it's only been a month since I volunteered to do this chapter. [act]nods, unconvincingly[/act]
Oh well, better late than never, right? Right??? I'd like to claim Chapter 29 of TKP as well, although if it doesn't eventuate in the next month, I'm quite happy for someone more deserving to take it off me. Deal?
[ligne][/ligne]
The Keeping Place: Chapter 28Pages: 595-613 (Penguin, 1999)
Characters: Brocade,
Ceirwan,
Dameon,
Dardelan,
Elii,
Gevan,
Gordie, Elspeth,
Jakoby,
Kella,
Llewellyn, Brydda,
Lydi,
Malik,
Reuvan,
Serba,
Tomash,
Zamadi,
ZarakCharacters mentioned: Blyss,
Bodera,
Cassell,
Domick,
Duria,
Khuria,
Lina,
Merret,
Miky,
Orys,
Radost,
Seraphim, Rushton,
Swallow,
Tilda,
Vos,
Wila,
YavokLocations: SutriumLocations mentioned: Aborium,
Blacklands,
East Coast, the, Ford of
Rangorn,
Halfmoon Bay,
Morganna,
Murmroth,
Obernewtyn,
Port Oran,
Saithwold,
Suggredoon,
West Coast, the,
White Valley, theElspeth formally accuses Malik of treachery at a rebel meeting. Malik rebuts her claim, instead accusing her of lying. Brocade tempers Malik's accusation, saying that Elspeth had to have been mistaken since, at the time, she and her fellow Misfits were too exhausted to use their talents to work out what was going on. Struggling to remain calm, Elspeth explains that while the Misfits were indeed spent, the horses had been able to tell them that Malik was not in position.
Malik protests, saying that if he had been absent, it was because he had been occupied moving the Misfits assigned to him out of danger. Outraged, Elspeth prepares to accuse him again, but is calmed by Dameon's empathy. Soothed, she reminds the group that Malik's hatred of the Misfits is well known, and Elii agrees that it would not be out of character for Malik to betray them. Dardelan, hosting the meeting in his absent father's stead, requests that the argument be put to rest till after the rebellion is over, saying it is not possible at that moment to judge which of Elspeth and Malik are speaking truthfully.
Talk then turns to the gypsies, and Elspeth tells those gathered that Swallow had had a Truedream, which allowed him to travel to the cul-de-sac in time to aid the Misfits. Hearing this, Malik labels Swallow a Misfit as well, and insults Elspeth and her people, implying they are honourless and not 'true humans'. Jakoby speaks in Elspeth's defence and, as yet another argument is about to erupt, Dardelan is once again forced to call for peace.
He asks Elspeth whether she will continue to aid the rebellion and she agrees, but refuses to send any Misfits to Malik's side. Angry, Malik insults her again, but they are interrupted by the appearance of an injured Serba, assisted by Zarak. Serba announces that the Council knows about the rebellion, and that her band of rebels had all been slaughtered by a group of soldierguards wearing demon bands. Serba tells the groups that she herself escaped only because Blyss drew her and Merret aside, having had a premonition that they were in danger.
With tears running down her face, Serba tells the gathering how she then tried to contact other west coast rebels at various safe houses, but found that the soldierguards had struck there, also. Overcome, Serba faints and Brydda carries her away so Kella can tend her. Zarak adds that before accompanying Serba across the Suggreddoon, he had attempted to scry out other Misfits assigned to west coast rebels, but had been unable to do so.
Malik taunts the Misfits further and is supported by Brocade, who asks why they had been unable to foresee the treachery. Elspeth admits she doesn't know, suggesting that perhaps the traitors were wearing demon bands, or simply had not been tested yet.
While the rebels consider the implications of Serba's news, Jakoby heads out to organise some of her people to watch the Suggredoon's shores for council spies. After a time, Zamadi and his rebels head out to help her, while Malik offers to send scouts to more rugged areas of coastline and Reuvan volunteers to organise a watch of the wharves. The rebels also decide to send their own ships out in an attack on the Council.
The rebel's discussions then turn to the prospect of averting civil unrest, which is likely when the people of Sutrium finally grow suspicious and venture out to learn more about the supposed plague keeping them in isolation. Malik states that the best option is to dress people as soldierguards and make announcements in the streets that some citizens had broken containment, and so the plague is now rampant through the city. In a desire to forestall violence, Dardelan reluctantly agrees to this.
Elii then heads off to plan an infiltration of the Herder cloister, hoping to learn what the people inside know of the Council's trap and the demon bands. Tomash and Wila join him. Zarak asks to accompany his father back to Obernewtyn, and Elspeth agrees, suggesting several other Misfits return as well, to limit the number of people now working with the rebels. Dameon refuses to be one of those to go back, saying he will stay with Elspeth. Ceirwan escorts the blind empath to Kella, so he can lend whatever aid he sees fit.
As the other rebels depart also, Brydda apologises to Elspeth for Malik's betrayal. He tells her that all Malik had told the group when he returned from the cul-de-sac was that there had been an accident, and some Misfits had been killed. Brydda also tells Elspeth of Dardelan's plan to gain control of the city. The young rebel plans to set up a series of trials of soldierguards and Councilmen, to demonstrate the rebels' desire to rule without tyranny. They agree that while this might work on the east coast, the west coast overthrow is unlikely to succeed without civil war.
Their discussion is interrupted when Reuvan smells smoke, and Brydda realises the rebel's ships are on fire.