I Read What?!

So last time, Piemur met up with other people, which means the survival part of the story is pretty much over. However, for once, McCaffrey actually recognizes that the book should end soon, and thus, this is the final chapter.

I might be a little disappointed by that. The ending snuck up on me.

By the way, there's a dubious consent warning for this chapter.



So now we join Sebell and Menolly, who are finally heading south to find Piemur. I'm not sure why it took so long for Robinton to bother to send them, but better late than never.

Anyway, it soon becomes obvious that something's off with Sebell. He's snappish and irritable, and given that Sebell is normally one of the very short list of Pernese men who aren't dicks, this quickly gets Menolly's attention.

At first she thinks that it must be about Piemur, that Sebell may know something that she doesn't. He snaps at her, then apologizes, saying he doesn't know what's gotten into him, but that he honestly believes they'll find Piemur.

It's also not about the sailing: Sebell is very happy to be sailing alone with Menolly. But then Menolly observes something that makes things much much clearer:

Menolly started to respond to his oblique apology, but then stared at his face, her eyes widening. Suddenly, she glanced skyward, where the fire lizards were aerially following the skiff in swoops and glides. She watched them for a long moment, frowning slightly as she saw one dive into the waves. Sebell, puzzled by her abrupt curiosity, identified the fisher as his own Kimi and smiled indulgently as she brought the neatly captured yellowtail back to the prow of the ship. Oddly, the others stayed aloft while Kimi tore savagely into the flesh of her still-struggling prey.

Sebell wondered why the other three fire lizards didn't come to share the feast, but the thought didn't absorb him long. The ferocity with which Kimi ate fascinated him; he felt as if he were somehow involved in tearing the strips, as if he could savor the warm salty flesh in his mouth, as if,

“I'm sending Beauty to Toric at Southern Hold. She can't stay here now, Sebell.”

Sebell hears her but it's not really registering. He feels unbearably hot and starts stripping down. Oh dear. I'm horrified, and maybe just a little delighted at the gender subversion.
(The Ur-example of this kind of thing is Pon Farr of course, but most of the time when I encounter this trope, it's with the woman being overcome by sudden sexiness, not the guy.)

Sebell pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. The coolness of the day seemed to have no effect on the heat that consumed him. Then he noticed the two bronze fire lizards, crouching on the roof of the small cabin. They made no attempt to join Kimi in her feast. She was growling, too, her eyes glowing orangely at the two impertinent bronzes, and she seemed to be glowing in the sunlight.

Glowing? Unwilling to share food? What had Menolly mumbled about sending Beauty away? And to Toric? Why would she send Toric another message? What was the matter with Kimi?

He wanted to reprimand her but could frame no message in his mind. And why were those bronzes waiting? Why didn't they go away and leave Kimi? Why...?

There is an uncomfortable aspect here though. As much as I enjoy the gender subversion in the scene (and enjoy imagining it extending to every man with a queen lizard), I'm not sure this is entirely consensual. Sebell very clearly has NO idea what's effecting him, at least at first, and by the time he figures it out...well:

The 'why' suddenly penetrated Sebell's fire-lizard linked confusion. Kimi eating alone, savagely; Menolly sending Beauty, another queen, away; Kimi, glowing golden and taunting the bronzes, her good friends, with her staring, whirling orange-red eyes! Kimi was about to fly. And it was Menolly's bronzes who would fly her. A surge of elation swept Sebell, who could scarcely believe his good fortune. And yet...

“Menolly?” He turned to her, hands outstretched, palms up, pleading with her and apologizing for what he knew was about to happen since there were only the two of them on this becalmed boat in the middle of the windstill sea. He hadn't wanted Menolly coerced, as she now must be; he'd wanted to be in full command of himself, not overriden by the mating instinct of Kimi.

“It's all right, Sebell. It's all right.”

Smiling, Menolly put her hands in his and let herself be drawn into his arms where he had so yearned to have her.

a) I'm appreciating the novelty of a Pernese romantic hero actually thinking about consent and consciously worried that there is coercion.

b) That said, I don't think Menolly is the one being coerced here. It is very clear that Sebell isn't entirely in his right mind. I don't get the impression that fire lizard mating is quite as strong an urge as dragon mating, Sebell and Menolly are able to actually talk briefly after all. But I wish McCaffrey would make it clearer whether Sebell could actually say no, if he were truly opposed to sleeping with her.

Would he be able to fight off the urge with a bad case of blue balls? Or is he completely out of control?

c) On the other hand, if there is a risk to health and well-being, I suppose Menolly could feel obligated to consent. That's not the impression I get from the scene, but I wouldn't blame anyone for feeling uncomfortable about that either. In which case, I'm especially glad that Sebell is acknowledging the possibility.

The climax of the scene (I'll be here all week) doesn't really reassure me:

As if their contact had been a signal, Kimi uttered a shriek and flung herself skyward from the prow, the two bronze fire lizards a length behind her. Sebell wasn't standing on the deck with Menolly in his arms; he was with Kimi, exulting in her strength, in her flight, determined to outsmart those who pursued her. Just let them try to catch her!

Never had her wings responded so fully to her demands. Never had she flown so high, soaring, veering, gliding. The sun flowed across her body, its rays burning into her eyes as she flew on and ever upward. The heat was unendurable. She glided obliquely to the right, caught movement below her and, sweeping her wings back, dropped down, screaming with delight as she fell between the two startled bronzes.

One of them tried to entangle her with his lashing tail and fell, his flight rhythm disrupted. She beat upward again, calling defiance and deliberately cutting across the path of the second bronze. But, in her desire to flaunt her flight superiority, she brushed just too close to him, and he veered, jamming his wing tip against hers. Her forward speed was momentarily checked. Before she could get away from him, he had caught her, neck twining hers in that instant. Locked together, they fell toward the shimmering sea so far below.

On the tiny bright oblong that was but a mote on the glistening water, Sebell and Menolly, too, were together, lips, bodies, hearts and minds as they, linked by and in the love of their fire lizards, experienced and repeated the joy that enveloped Kimi and Diver.

...so does this mean Menolly pegs?

So anyway, the morning after is quite pleasant:

The flapping of the untended sail roused Sebell first, the rising sea breeze cooling his cheek. He moved aside, shaking his head, trying to orient himself. Menolly stirred against him, awakened by the same sea sounds. Startled, she opened her eyes and saw him, propped on his elbow above her. Surprise, and then memory, changed the color of her sea green eyes. Holding his breath, Sebell watched, fearful of her reaction. Her smile was tender as she lifted her hand and brushed his hair back from his eyes.

“What chance did you have, dear Sebell, with Rocky and Diver so determined?”

I am DEFINITELY taking that to mean Menolly pegged. Anyway, Sebell is quick to say that it wasn't just Kimi's need here, and her response is kinda...

“Of course, I know, dear Sebell.” Her fingers lingered on his cheek, his lips. “But you always stand back and defer to our Master.” She did not hide from Sebell then how much she loved Master Robinton, nor would that ever come between them since they each loved the man in their separate ways. “but I have so wished…”

...don't worry, Sebell, she's going to try to fuck Robinton soon enough and you'll be an afterthought.

Anyway, there's some cute banter that I'd enjoy more if I wasn't thinking about White Dragon. Kimi and Diver are asleep together, Rocky's gone off to find some wild green lady. Sebell asks if Menolly would know, but apparently she was too caught up with the Kimi-Diver flight.

That's probably for the best, I can't really imagine the confusion of mentally bonding with multiple fire lizards if this is normal. But on the other hand, if there's a way to block that kind of thing out then Menolly really ought to have told Sebell. You know, instead of fucking the poor guy.

Suddenly Beauty appeared, chittering a wild welcome. Rocky arrived more sedately, settling on the tied boom. Menolly scooped him from his perch and caressed him, murmuring loving reassurances until Sebell heard her laugh.

“What's so amusing?”

“He must have found a green. He looks far too smug, but he's trying to make me feel guilty.”

“Not your fault Diver lived up to his name!”

...okay, I did laugh at that.

So anyway, apparently they've now reached the Southern Hold. I wonder what would have happened if they arrived with Kimi still in heat. That would have possibly been quite awkward. Anyway, Toric invites them in.

I still love Toric and we get some good description here:

Toric had been able to keep the lush vegetation of the south only so far from the entrance to the cool white caves by strewing the area deeply with seashells. The crunch and break of shell also served to warn the hold of visitors. Toric awaited them just inside the hold's entrance, gripping each by the arm with fingers that threatened to leave bruise marks.

“You were mighty short on words with that message Beauty bore me,” he said as he escorted them to his private quarters.

The Southern Hold differed from northern ones in many respects, and, at this time of day, was uninhabited. The large low cavern was used for mealtimes, bad storms or Threadfall. The Southerners preferred to live apart, in shelters set in the shade of the thick forest of the bluff. When the wind was from the wrong quarter, this cavern could be breathlessly hot. Today, however, as Toric handed them each long tubes of cooled fruit juices, the temperature was a distinct drop from the heat without.

So Sebell updates Toric: Meron's dead and Deckter doesn't intend to continue his old arrangements. Toric says he expected that, though T'kul and Mardra won't like that. (I wonder if T'ron's already dead at this point, or if he's just been supplanted.) Apparently Mardra was very angry at Meron for the half-empty sack he'd sent her.

That gets Sebell and Menolly's attention, and Toric proves again that he's no slouch:

“Yes, the sack arrived with the top loosened and she's certain some of the shipment, some materials she's been plaguing the Masterweaver for, dropped out between. Why?” Toric caught the significant glances between the harpers. “Oh, that missing lad you queried me about several sevendays back? You think he came south in it?”

HOW many weeks back? God, Robinton sucks. I suppose it's possible that they were deployed earlier and the ocean voyage just took a long time, but really, Robinton's got an in with the Weyrs. I'm pretty sure N'ton would have been willing to sneakily fly Menolly and Sebell south earlier to look for the poor kid.

So Robinton sucks.

Anyway, Sebell mentions that a queen egg was involved:

“Oh ho,” and Toric's eyes crinkled with satisfaction. “Then it's not a possibility anymore, but a probability that your lad got here.” He stressed the word 'got', strangely, but went on before Sebell could question his emphasis. “Four, no three Threadfalls ago, weyrmen went after a wherry circle. Most of the time that means fire lizard hatchings so they do stir themselves to investigate.” Toric gave a sour laugh. “Not that that energy will profit them now if this Deckter fellow won't follow Meron's ways. The strange thing was that when they reached the area, the wherries flitted away through the forest, and they found only a queen's shell on the beach. They spent a good deal of time going up and down that strand, but there wasn't any trace of a full clutch.”

I love how well-informed Toric is. And honestly, I completely understand why he was not impressed by "I haven't thought of my Hold in nine chapters" Jaxom.

Then we get an exchange straight out of Roberson's book:

“That was when he'd hidden in the sack,” Menolly said. “Oh, that wretched, that clever rascal.”

“More clever than he knew, or could guess,” Sebell continued, for Toric's expression told him that he didn't think so highly of Piemur's escapade. The harper explained to Toric all that had occurred after Piemur's daring theft. The fear of the main contenders for the Holding that Benden Weyr would discover Meron's dealings with the Southern Oldtimers. The heirs apparent now wanted no part of the succession, nor did they want the Hold in contention, so they pressured Meron to name a successor, who would then try to placate the Benden weyrleaders. But Meron had collapsed, and both the Master Healer and the Masterharper were summoned, for the Harper could act as mediator. He convoked other Lord Holders and the High Reaches Weyrleader to force Lord Meron to name his successor. About the methods, Sebell remained discreet. Nor did Toric inquire, since Sebell's recitation was limited to facts rather than story-telling embellishments.

“So we think,” Sebell finished, “that since Kimi specifically said it was too dark, as in a sack, and she couldn't 'find' Piemur, or room enough to get to him, he did secrete himself in a sack, which the Oldtimers collected that night, I saw the dragons, and brought here. That would also explain why none of our fire lizards could find a trace of him anywhere in Nabol.”

...I like you Sebell, but I don't understand what that interlude about the successors has to do with whether or not Piemur was clever. There's really no connection between the egg and the heirs.

My guess is that Meron had intended to give the egg to his chosen heir, as a sign of his favor. If that had happened, the succession crisis would have been resolved to Meron's liking. But McCaffrey never stated that clearly.

Anyway, Toric hears them out, and then plays Debbie Downer a bit. While it sounds like Piemur did come south, he would have also encountered Thread that day. The wherries could have gotten the hatchling. Menolly's insistent though, and asks Toric to have his queen take their lizards to the location.

This is interesting too:

Toric was dubious, but he called up his queen. To the surprise of both harpers, the queen didn't, as Kimi or Beauty would have done, land on Toric's shoulder, but hovered awaiting his pleasure. Toric issued the sort of order one would give a stupid drudge. She chirped at Kimi and Beauty, disdaining the two bronzes, and flitted out of the cavern, the other four fire lizards right behind her.

I feel like this is an indicator that we're not supposed to like Toric. Instead, I just get the sense that he's better at training his flying cats than they are.

Also, I'm not sure what I think about the idea that a "stupid drudge" should be treated less respectfully than a fucking fire lizard. Wait, I do know what I think. It's bullshit.

Anyway, Toric moves on to his own concerns: he'd prefer to keep the Oldtimers happy and supplied with what they want. He also doesn't want to jeopardize his own arrangements with Lessa and F'lar. The Harpers agree to assist.

Ugh, though, I'm still annoyed by this:

“Has any one of Meron's people figured out just how many green fire lizard eggs got foisted off on 'em?” Toric plainly thought little of people who would be taken in by such a deception.

“You forget that the small holders don't know much about fire lizards,” said Sebell. “In fact, the enormous fire lizard population at Nabol is one of the reasons why Piemur and I were there, to make certain Meron was the source of so many green fire lizards.”

Toric half-rose, his usually controlled expression showing anger. “No one suspected me of cheating traders?”

“No,” Sebell said, though that had been one of his problems. “Don't forget that I collected the clutches you've sent north in barter, but it was necessary for the Harper to find the real culprit. Green clutches could have been brought in by sailors who have been so conveniently losing themselves in southern waters.”

“Oh, all right then.” Toric subsided, his honor unchallenged.

I like Toric's defensiveness as a trader, and that he uses fire lizards as barter. That's fine. But I'm still annoyed by this perpetual idea that green fire lizards are somehow lesser than other ones. I don't even think that's true for dragons, given that greens' comparative small size and speed make them the most maneuverable thread fighters. But it's absolutely not true for fire lizards.

Fire lizards are vanity pets! We've seen nothing to indicate that golds or bronzes are smarter or more trainable than greens or blues. Per White Dragon, Mirrim had been known for training her lizards well and they're green and brown. They don't fight thread. They carry messages at the most, and a lot of people don't even have them do that.

There is no reason to value one color over another! Just be happy you have a cute flying kitty!

Conversation shifts to the Northerners adapting to life in the Southern Continent. Toric is pretty scornful, but he admits that some have adapted well. Unfortunately, around this time, the lizards return. No sign of Piemur:

Menolly hid her face on the pretext of reassuring her fire lizards, who were imaging to her endless distances of forest and deserted stretches of beach and sandy wastes.

“You sent them west,” said Sebell, grasping at any theory that would give them hope, “to the place where the egg shells were discovered. If I know Piemur, he wouldn't have stayed anywhere that he had left clues. Could he have worked his way east? And be further down this side of the Southern Weyr?”

I really do love how much they care about Piemur. Toric is skeptical of this theory, most people don't survive well holdless. Menolly points out that SHE did quite well, which he acknowledges. Sebell points out that Piemur knows the trick of avoiding fire lizards, and he'd have no way to recognize which ones are trying to find him.

But Sebell does know one way to contact him: drums!

There's a catch though. Southern Hold doesn't have drumheights! They only send messages by lizard or ship! There are a few drums around, used for dancing, but they're not going to work. The harper of the Hold does comment that drumming could be very useful. It's easier than sailing if they need to discuss something, and the Oldtimers don't know it. He himself hasn't used any drum talk since he came with F'nor.

Wait a second. They sent a HARPER ten years into the past too?! WHY?!

Toric has an idea. He asks if the drums had to be metal. There was a very large tree that had come down during a recent storm. Sebell is skeptical that a tree could be that big, but indeed, when they trek out to find it, it's big enough to make drums for every holding Toric has. It's apparently SEVERAL queen dragon lengths long.

Wow.

So they end up cutting one drum for Sebell today, with plans to cut more. In a nice contrast to Robinton's apathy, Sebell is determined to get it done quickly:

By the time they had arrived, Sebell and Menolly were dripping with sweat, tortured by scratches and insect bites, which did not seem to bother the tougher, tanned hides of the Southerners. Sebell wondered if he could find the energy to cover the drum that day. Toric had firmly assured him that there were hides large enough, since herdbeasts also grew larger here in the south, to fit this mammoth drum. But the journeyman was determined to work as long and hard as the Southern Holder if he had to. And he had to, to find Piemur.

I am so so glad that Sebell will be taking over for Robinton soon. So so glad.

Anyway, Toric convinces them to finish in the morning. He invites them to wash, though with some skepticism that Harpers swim. Menolly is annoyed that he seems determined to forget that she not only lived holdless, but also is a sea-holder's daughter and can outswim him. I mean, it does seem like they're all acquainted, but I wouldn't expect the guy to remember your entire backstory, Menolly.

They wash up and rest, and it's about this time that the numbwood harvesters return! Yay!

Sharra appears, and we're told that she's only a head shorter than Toric is. And then they hear something else: someone is thudding his hand against the new drum round. Piemur!

REUNION:

Sebell cupped his hands about his mouth. “PIEMUR! REPORT!”

“Beauty! Rocky! Where is he?” gasped Menolly, half angry with Piemur for that heart-stopping shock.

“SEBELL?”

The harper's name echoed and re-echoed coming from the cavern. Sebell and Menolly were halfway there when a tanned, bare-legged, shock-haired figure ran straight into them.

Menolly, Sebell and Piemur were entangled in mutual cries and thumpings of rediscovery when a tiny fire lizard queen began attacking Sebell, and a small runner beast tried to butt Menolly's knees from under her. Beauty, Rocky and Diver immediately drove off the little queen, but it wasn't until Piemur, dashing tears of relief and joy from his eyes, called Farli to order and reassured Stupid, that any sort of coherent conversation was possible. By that time, Sharra, Toric, and half the Southern Hold were aware that the lost had been found.

This is a much nicer reunion than Piemur got with fucking Robinton in White Dragon. And yes, I am going to compare Sebell to Robinton at any opportunity. Because Menolly's taste SUCKS.

So Piemur fills them in. It's very cute, but I'll spare you the recap. There is a pretty amusing exchange between Toric and Sharra though:

“You went alone to the marshes?” Toric was not pleased.

“I know the marshes, Toric,” said Sharra firmly, as if this were a continuation of previous arguments. “I had my fire lizards and, in fact, I had Piemur, Farli and little Stupid. And I'll add one thing,” now she turned to the harpers, your young friend is a born Southerner!”

It's probably a good thing that I didn't read this before White Dragon, because it seems pretty clear that these two actually do get along and have mutual respect. There was so little suspense in the "climax" of White Dragon as it is, but this makes it clear that Toric wouldn't have been able to hold Sharra for long. She would have just left eventually.

There's also a resolution of Piemur's fate here:

“And I'm not really a harper right now, either, am I, Sebell?” asked Piemur, suddenly collecting his wits. “I was only good as a singer, and I have no voice. Is there really a place for me at the Harper Hall? I mean,” and he rattled on, his eyes going from Sebell to Menolly, “I know you and Menolly thought you could get me to help you two, but a fine help I turned out to be, getting sacked up and sent south without even knowing it. It's not as if I was good at anything except getting into trouble.”

“Useful trouble, as it turned out,” said Sebell, “but I just had an idea... to keep you out of trouble for a while.” The journeyman turned to the Southerner. “You rather like the idea of message drums, Toric? And, Saneter, you say you've forgotten most of the measures you learned. Well now, Piemur hasn't.”

“I could be drum messenger here?” Piemur was suddenly Open-mouthed with shock.

...so look, this isn't a bad notion. I like it a lot more than the idea of just sending a fourteen year old to roam a continent alone. There is an older Harper to supervise him, and Toric and Sharra are here as well.

But I hate that Piemur doubts his role as a Harper. I hate that he doubts his place at Harper Hall, and there really isn't an answer to that. Piemur never DOES go back to Harper Hall.

And I mean, fair enough, Harper Hall is an awful place. But I would like a bit more emotional satisfaction in this conclusion! Are his attempted murderers still at the fucking school?

Toric is on board, once reassured that Piemur isn't really a troublemaker. He normally wouldn't accept another Northerner, but since Piemur has proved his ability to survive, Toric will make an exception.

Of course this is contingent on Robinton's approval, but Menolly, Sebell and I have no doubts that he'll grant it. They, because they have faith in his wisdom. Me, because I think he doesn't like doing his fucking job, and one less kid is one less responsibility. Which is probably how Piemur ends up roaming the continent alone in White Dragon.

Anyway, Robinton DOES grant him permission and even promotes him via message to "drum-journeyman." I'd rant about that nonsense, but whatever, Menolly got journeyman after about a week of classes. Journeyman status is fucking meaningless.

Ranting aside, the ending isn't bad. Piemur does seem better suited to the wild Southern Continent than the Harper Hall. He had a nice survival plot and recognition for his talents. I'm not really sure we needed the "so Menolly and Sebell fuck" interlude, but well, I guess it brings the Harper Hall trilogy to an end for Menolly as well.

(At least until she tries to fuck Robinton in White Dragon, because she "loved him first", and no, I'm NOT going to let that bullshit go!)

Anyway, verdict will be up soon!