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

There’s some physical abuse in the present chapter.

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The thirteenth chapter of Shaman’s Crossing, “Bessom Gord,” opens on Nevare’s third month of study and the continued adjustments to prevailing patterns of study and life. Political concerns make themselves felt at the Academy, increasing tensions between older and newer noble families even as it offers the cadets unexpected leave-time. Plans for the spending of the same are noted and much in mind as classes proceed.

As the legislative meeting approaches that had occasioned the tensions, Nevare and his cohort are made to stand aside and wait for another group of cadets to arrive at the Academy mess. It is tersely explained that the other group, from Chesterton House, are particularly noble-blooded, Corporal Dent rebuking the cadets in his charge for presuming to equal footing with them. The harangue continues at the mess table, Dent upbraiding putatively upstart youths and focusing on Gord, whose status as a soldier son is called into question. The cadet answers as he can, and Dent finds himself very much the center of his cadets’ ire.

Despite their unity against Dent, tensions remain in place among Nevare’s cohort. Spink and Trist become increasingly antagonistic, and Nevare considers his doubts of Gord, who continues to endure insult to Spink’s frustration. Those tensions culminate in a brief altercation between Trist and Spink in which the latter subdues the former, to the surprise of all assembled and despite attempts to defuse the situation. Matters are put to rights before Dent can arrive and administer punishment, however, and Gord’s absence is suddenly noted.

Nevare works through implications of Gord’s absence as Trist and Spink trade barbs. He also considers the stone Dewara had left in him and the lessons Sergeant Duril had taught him until his reverie is broken by the intrusion of Caulder into the dormitory. He conveys a summons to Nevare and Spink, bidding them come to the infimary to retrieve Gord and occasioning a small outburst from Nevare. Arriving at the infirmary, they confer with campus physician, Dr. Amicas, who reports that Gord appears to have been beaten in what seems a string of assaults on the sons of newly appointed nobles. No reports that he can act on reach him, however, and Gord’s refusal to offer such leaves him frustrated as he discharges the cadet into his comrades’ care.

Returning to their dormitory with Nevare and Spink, Gord offers a cursory summary of events and his reasoning for having left the dorm in the first place. He also upbraids Spink for engaging Trist at his own level, laying out his philosophy regarding people and their cruelties. Nevare reconisders Gord and approaches to leadership, but his reverie is broken again by the appearance of Caulder, trumpeting the assault of another student. Nevare has Spink convey Gord back to the dormitory and moves to investigate, finding Tiber beaten and reeking. Nevare attempts to render aid; Jaris and Ordo join, and Nevare grows wary. Before more can happen, Amicas arrives, taking Tiber into his care and dismissing Nevare back to his dormitory.

Arriving at Carneston, Nevare reports in to Sergeant Rufet, who lets slip an opinion he chokes back suddently before sending Nevare to his rooms. In the dark, he and Spink confer about events, and Nevare slips into a dream of the tree woman. She quizzes Nevare about his progress and is answered with confusion. She then notes moving to act, warning Nevare not to resist the coming call of magic. He wakes in the dark and looks forward to a poor day to come.

To address the chapter-length issue: the present chapter, in the edition of the novel I’m rereading, runs 39 pages in length, approximately 6.76% of the novel. It is the longest yet; if, as has been motioned toward previously, the amount of text bespeaks importance, then the present chapter would seem to be the most important yet in the novel, and by a significant margin. Admittedly, it remains the case that “if” does a lot of work in that assertion, but there are several things going on–almost more than seem as should be yoked together; I have to wonder if the interlude with Tiber wouldn’t’ve worked better in a later chapter than in the present one, for example. It’s somehow rushed, to my reading, although I will acknowledge that that might well be a matter of my own taste rather than one that is an issue of craft.

Also, for indexing purposes, the following: Bejawi, Bessom, Cadet Lieutenant Tiber, Caleb, Carneston House, Carneston House Riders, Carsina Grenalter, Caulder Stiet, Chesterton House, Colonel Stiet, Corporal Dent, Council of Lords, Dewara, Dr. Amicas, Garin, Gord, Herdo, An Introduction to the Houses of King’s Cavalla Academy, Jaris, Keft Burvelle, King Corag, King’s Cavalla Academy, Kort Braxan, Lieutenant Geeverman, Natred Verlaney, Nevare Burvelle, Old Thares, Ordo, Oron, Plainsfolk, Rory, “Selecting Strategy in Uneven Terrain,” Sergeant Duril, Sergeant Rufet, Sharpton Hall, Skeltzin Hall, Spinrek “Spink” Kester, Stone, Tobacco, Tree Woman, Trist Wissom, Varnian, Writ, Yaril Burvelle. Despite the length of the chapter, more of it seems to be more narrowly focused than a number of previous portions of the novel.

A note prompted by the indexing items: I note citations by cadets of seemingly standard texts, the Introduction to the Houses of King’s Cavalla Academy and “Selecting Strategy in Uneven Terrain.” I’ve commented before in rereading the present novel (here and here, as well as in the immediately previous chapter) on the importance of writing within the milieu. As previously, it makes sense that an author, earning a living from writing, would hold to the idea that writing is important and would present such an idea in her work. The more often it appears, after all, the more likley it is to be taken up and believed, and engendering such belief works to an author’s advantage; it’s not only lies that seem more true the more often repeated, after all, and there are truths to be found in fiction. And there is Hobb’s push for verisimilitude to consider, as well. Standardized curricula, with presumably standardized sets of texts, are nothing new, and the West Point after which I contend the Cavalla Academy is modeled used to have a single course of study; it stands to reason that cadets would make reference to works with which they could well consider their comrades to be familiar, and that they do so, that they act in a way that corresponds to readerly experience, does a little bit more to make Gernia an accessible milieu for the reader.

Another note, although not prompted by the indexing items: the thirteenth chapter might well be considered unlucky. Given what happens to several characters in the chapter, I’m not sure “unlucky” is an appropriate descriptor, although “unfortunate” does seem to apply; neither Gord nor Tiber seem to be facing Sajak or Seacrest. How deliberate a thing this is is arguable, of course; authorial intent is chimerical at best, and I’m in good company in having not seldom stated that intention matters less than effect.

An additional note: Gord’s explication of his approach to life, his assertion that the cruel should be made to change more than those upon whom they perpetuate cruelty and that his refusal to engage with his bullies on their own terms serves his purposes and his own ethos, stands out for me. There is nuance in his stated perspective; he does acknowledge that, at root, any military organization is inherently concerned with the application of force and the enactment of violence, even as he argues that he and his comrades ought well to be something more than blunt instruments to enable to enactment of brutality. The discussion touches on deeper ethical issues of the purpose of a military at all, something that has been and remains a fraught issue, and not only in the United States. Violence would seem at some level to be necessarily available; there are always situations that will not admit of reasoned debate, always some things in the world that will not be persuaded by informed discourse. But making it the sole or even primary determiner of right…there is a reason ad baculum has been recognized as folly for a long, long time, and Gord is right to point out the error of such thinking. That Nevare seems to consider it closely should probably not be taken as a comment on the author’s perspectives on the matter; again, authorial intent is not something to pursue much if at all, and the idea that any character, even a narrating protagonist, is necessarily the same as the author is…not one to entertain.* But whether or not Hobb adopts any particular position, the position Gord presents and Nevare considers is certainly one worth considering.

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*I’ve discussed this kind of thing before, here and elsewhere.

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