Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series soon.

Note that the present chapter contains a scene of torture and the commentary therefore discusses it.

---

An account of a particular prophecy precedes “Clerres,” which opens with Bee considering her approach to the titular place. The city and its environs are described as she, captive, approaches it, and she muses on her situation and the changes it is making within her. She begins to harden her heart against her situation, and she makes preparations with Dwalia and Vindeliar to disembark the ship that has carried them.

The three head through the city into the stronghold of the Servants, and Bee takes in her surroundings, noting the people she passes. Dwalia’s attitude changes as they approach, growing haughty as they come to the stronghold’s entrance and are, after some discussion, admitted. Bee recognizes her surroundings from dreams recalled, and the three find themselves held aside until they are summoned by the Four, who lead the Servants.

The Four are described as Bee sees them, and they demand a report of Dwalia, from which Bee manages to piece together much. What Dwalia gives is unsatisfactory, and after division among the Four is observed, she is punished for it. Bee considers the punishment and why neither she nor Dwalia had foreseen the eventuality. And Bee alone marks the words Dwalia says after her punishment: “Your turn now” (474).

That the novel hastens toward its end is clear with the present chapter, in which one deuteragonist arrives at the foretold destination. The descriptions provided offer useful exposition, and I’m sure there’s another one of my many scholarly somedays to be found in reading the color-coding of the Four for insights; one thing that springs to mind swiftly for me, despite my assertion that Hobb moves away from the Tolkienian tradition in many ways, is a distorted echo of the Istari in the Legendarium, the five color-coded wizards. I am sure there are other interpretations to find in such descriptions, as well.

The passage in which Dwalia is flagellated at the whim of the Four is of interest, less because of the violence itself (although I do note that torture is something of a regular occurrence in Hobb’s work; I will eventually deal with “The Triumph” in my rereading, which offers one of the more extended examples) than because of the way in which it is prescribed. Each of the Four almost casually asserts a number of lashes to be administered to Dwalia, offering in a matter-of-fact way a punishment that could well prove fatal. The blithe disregard for possible fatality is telling. The easy assignment of a heavily-coded-for-US-readers punishment–whipping is particularly associated with chattel slavery in the US–also works to reinforce the evilness of Clerres, something already asserted in the novel and here made clearly not an exaggeration for effect on the part of the characters who have offered as much.

I remain uncertain how I feel about the matter. That it is as bad as it sounded like it would be seems at odds with much of the rest of what Hobb does, even as it does make sense in context (and, admittedly, aligns more fully with prevailing expectations; people want a clear “bad guy,” even if the “good guy” doesn’t always have to be really good). So it sits…strangely with me. But that’s not a bad thing for a book to do, admittedly, or even a single chapter in one.

Scant days remain, but there may still be time to get your bespoke writing for the holidays!

Or you can send your support along directly!