Intrigue! Deception! Suspicious feats of juggling! This Wheel of Time Reread Redux has got it all!
Today’s Redux post will cover Chapters 25 and 26 of The Great Hunt, originally reread in this post.
All original posts are listed in The Wheel of Time Reread Index here, and all Redux posts will also be archived there as well. (The Wheel of Time Master Index, as always, is here, which has links to news, reviews, interviews, and all manner of information about the Wheel of Time in general on Tor.com.)
The Wheel of Time Reread is also available as an e-book series! Yay!
All Reread Redux posts will contain spoilers for the entire Wheel of Time series, so if you haven’t read, read at your own risk.
And now, the post!
Scheduling Note: Labor Day is nigh upon us, y’all! Therefore, there will be no Redux Reread post next Tuesday, September 8th.
Onward!
Chapter 25: Cairhien
Redux Commentary
He stalked out angrily, not sure whether he was angry with himself, or with Cairhien and its Great Game, or Selene for vanishing, or Moiraine. She had started it all, stealing his coats and giving him a lord’s clothes instead. Even now that he called himself free of them, an Aes Sedai still managed to interfere in his life, and without even being there.
Hahaha. I feel sorry for Rand himself, but this whole Cairhien sequence was always one of my favorite parts of TGH—of the entire series, really. I’ve offered criticisms about overuse of tropes on plenty of occasions (my references to Jordan’s tendency towards Planet of Hats-ism in the original commentary to this very chapter, for instance), but tropes can be awesome as well. And I’ll admit that one of my bigger literary weaknesses is for this kind of thing, which I’m sure has a TV Tropes name but I’ve wasted an hour searching for it and am giving up now: not just the general enlordening thing, which I’ve already commented on, but delving into fictional intrigue and politics in general.
Emphasis on “fictional,” of course. Real political intrigue generally makes me want to bash my head into a wall, but contrariwise, I usually gleefully enjoy a well-executed fictional political imbroglio—as long as it works out in the hero’s favor in the long run, of course. As this particular-seeming debacle will eventually work to Rand’s advantage. I think it has something to do with how it gives the satisfaction of intricate pieces clicking into place, and the concurrent broadening of the world-building that intricacy engenders.
Or, you know, the satisfaction of seeing the farm boy trounce the snobby aristocrats at their own game. Even if, as in this particular case, he does it pretty much completely by accident.
And, speaking of fake politics:
“It was the Aiel War, Lord Rand.” [Hurin] looked to make sure none of the soldiers were close enough to hear. “Many of the farmers were afraid to go back to their lands near the Spine of the World, and they all came here, near enough. That’s why Galldrian has the river full of grain barges up from Andor and Tear. There’s no crops coming from farms in the east because there aren’t any farms anymore. Best not to mention it to a Cairhienin though, my Lord. They like to pretend the war never happened, or at least that they won it.”
[…] “I fear Galldrian keeps his people quiet by entertaining them. He gives gleemen and musicians the King’s Gift, a bounty in silver, to perform here in the Foregate, and he sponsors horse races down by the river every day. There are fireworks many nights, too.” [Loial] sounded disgusted. “Elder Haman says Galldrian is a disgrace.”
Well, he’s a disgrace at economics, that’s for sure. Importing all your food, and paying out to entertain the farmers who should be growing it instead? Sounds like a pitch-perfect way to bleed an entire national treasury dry in no time flat. I mean, obviously I’m not in support of Galldrian forcing those farmers to go back and farm on their original properties, but I’m pretty surprised he hasn’t tried it. Or, more humanely, at least tried relocating them to other arable land so they can be producing again.
Or, assuming that other arable land isn’t available (though judging by the general emptiness of most of Randland, I’d be surprised if that were the case), offer financial incentives to go back to their farms that are enough to overcome their fear of Aiel. Sure, that might take some convincing, but you’d be amazed at how convincing a large enough pile of cash can be. I mean, if you’re spending all that money anyway, why not give it to your farmers directly, instead of to a bunch of outlander bread and circuses, literally?
But then, that would be coddling the peasantry, I suppose. And we can’t have that! Better to help them party 24/7 and then sneer at them about it than help them construct a workable way to rebuild their former lives, right?
Of course, I’m sure there’s no few of those former farmers who have no interest in going back to the farm now that they’ve seen Paree, but someone would take that offer, if made, and grain is grain. I’m not claiming it’s a flaw-free solution, because an economist I most certainly am not, but it certainly seems like a better idea than this hot mess.
In other news, I still can’t remember whether I was surprised that Thom was alive when I first read this, but I’m willing to bet I was. Back then I had yet to develop quite so healthy a suspicion of any fictional death that didn’t produce a definite corpse. Ah, youth.
Chapter 26: Discord
Redux Commentary
In the original commentary, I was somewhat scornfully puzzled as to why Thom is so slow on the uptake here to realize that hey, farmboy + enlordening + Aes Sedai interest + Horn of Valere + asking about the Karatheon Cycle + grousing about not being used as a false Dragon = HEY MAYBE HE’S THE DRAGON REBORN OR SOMETHING. But several commenters later pointed out that it wasn’t so much that Thom was failing to connect the dots as it was that he was refusing to connect the dots, because Thom knew that Rand being the Dragon Reborn was a whole world of epic crazy that no one sane would want to be even remotely involved in. And, well, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks, much-more-astute-than-me commenters!
Although you’d think he’d have also realized his astronomically low odds of escaping a ta’veren’s sphere of influence, no matter how deliberately dumb he makes himself. Plus, that whole thing where the Dragon Reborn is eventually going to get everyone involved in his epic crazy; it’s kinda the nature of the prophetic beast, there.
But I suppose you can’t fault a man too much for trying to cling to his illusions of not being a supporting role in an apocalyptic saga. Generally speaking, those don’t tend to end well for the sidekick roles, and if anyone is in a better position to know that than a professional storyteller like Thom, I can’t think of them offhand.
So, nice try, I guess, Thom. Too bad it’s doomed to failure!
The slender woman sitting cross-legged on the bed with her skirts tucked under her was keeping six colored balls spinning in a wheel between her hands.
According to The Google, the world record for longest juggle of a six-ball shower (which is what juggling in a circle would be) is 135 catches. So okay, it’s clearly difficult, but doable for a professional for short periods, seems like. I have to say, though, that judging from the record-holder’s very badly framed video of himself doing it, the height on the throws you apparently need to get to keep that many balls in the air makes it pretty unlikely that someone could do it sitting on a bed in a (presumably) low-ceilinged inn bedroom.
In other news, this is probably the fourth or fifth time I have discussed Jordan’s juggling fail in a fannish context, which proves once again that nobody can nitpick like a nerd can nitpick. CRY ABOUT IT.
“Do you know what that lack-wit Seaghan’s done now, girl?” Thom said, looking down at her. “He’s taken on a pack of louts who call themselves ‘players.’ They walk around pretending to be Rogosh Eagle-eye, and Blaes, and Gaidal Cain, and… Aaagh! They hang a scrap of painted canvas behind them, supposed to make the audience believe these fools are in Matuchin Hall, or the high passes of the Mountains of Dhoom. I make the listener see every banner, smell every battle, feel every emotion. I make them believe they are Gaidal Cain. Seaghan will have his hall torn down around his ears if he puts this lot on to follow me.”
I guess Thom should be glad he won’t be around for when they (re)invent moving pictures. If the emergence of theater offends him this much, he’d have an absolute coronary about film. Heh.
When they came pounding through the common room, Rand winked at the innkeeper, then laughed at his startled look. Let him think I’m off to play his bloody Great Game. Let him think what he wants. Thom’s alive.
And of course, the fun is that it’s impossible not to imagine what zany Daes Dae’mar-y shenanigans the innkeeper now thinks Rand is up to, and giggling about it. Thom comments later in the chapter that all you have to do is be reminded of the existence of the Great Game to start thinking on its terms, and he’s absolutely right.
Also, it’s worth enjoying the moments in the early books like this one, where Rand is genuinely happy, as much as possible, because they are few and far between, and they will soon be gone for good.
Even after all is said and done and the day is won and Rand is incognito and one with the Matrix and free to do whatever, which should presumably make him happy again, or at least relatively content, there’s an element of innocence to Rand here that he’s never going to get back no matter how at peace he is post-AMOL. So, I guess, cherish it while you’ve got it, or something.
And that’s all the news that’s fit to post for now, my friends! Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend if that applies to you, and I’ll see you crazy kids again in two weeks! Cheers!
Two very good chapters. I was completely surprised to see Thom again. I thought he was dead. Leigh, you are right, it is good to see Happy Rand.
Poor Thom. One moment you’re desperately trying to ignore the obvious; the next you’re casually tossing knives into Black Ajah’s organs (in alphabetical order) on the slopes of Shayol Ghul while trying to write a song.
@2 and inbetween those times he indulges in a spot of regicide that kicks-off a particularly vicious civil war and results in the daughter of his ex-lover taking the throne he so helpfully emptied. Thom: Great player of Daes Dae’mar or Greatest player?
I thought Thom was a goner too….so glad he’s back to entertain us!
Good synopsis, nobelhunter@@@@@#3. Indeed, perhaps the Greatest.
Young Rand was a much happier guy. I hope he attains that again after the end.
Astute observations about Rand’s happiness and innocence, and I agree. I’ve often seen The Great Hunt maligned by super fans because of its relatively straightforward adventure plot (Get the Horn) and many standard tropes (planet of hats indeed, but nothing compared to the likes of David Eddings), just a speed bump on the way to the ‘deeper issues’ later in the series. But I’ve always enjoyed it for is: a great fantasy adventure and follow on to Eye that kept me hooked.
It won’t be too much longer before we start having serious problems cheering ‘innocent’ Rand along and can’t quite be all together in his corner, so–yes, enjoy it while it lasts.
Re: Thom and the Great Game.
Later on, he gets pardoned for his regicide too. I’m leaving it in the middle if Elayne knew about it or if she didn’t know what she was pardoning Thom for. But fact is that Elayne’s claim on the Sun Throne was made possible by Thom’s regicide.
That pardon always left a bitter taste for me. I like Thom as much as anybody, but this just feels wrong…
You know what I’ve always found interesting about Rand? From a narrative structure sort of viewpoint, I mean. He’s not the cunning rogue. He’s not the brilliant general or the quiet mountain of morality. He’s not the wise mentor or the stalwart knight or the naive farmboy- at least, not for long; not from this point onwards. He’s a schemer. His two main strengths lie in magic and politics.
He is, in fact, the Sorcerer-Emperor, a character archetype that is almost exclusively reserved for villains, and big bads at that. It’s pretty strange place to put your protagonist in.
So did rand just get that woman killed when he winked at the innkeeper
I think those are all farmers between Cairhien and the Spine of the World. Basically all the territory between the ‘savages’ and ‘civilization’. I think the lack of farming is exaggerated though. I mean, those two towns in the pass into the waste are still populated, and you’d think they’d be the MOST gunshy about Aiel. Then again, it’s possible the Aiel didn’t attack them during the war (they’d have the most chance of contact with Aiel, and might have made a good enough impression), with the Aiel basically just walking past them, and they all basically just tried to pretend they didn’t exist so the throne wouldn’t punish them for ‘letting’ the Aiel past…
Alternately, perhaps Cairhien specializes in dairy farming. Got to get all that cheese and milk somewhere. All the leather too.
I think this is the last appearance of Happy!Rand. Literally the last. After this, the horn gets stolen, he has Verin breathing down his neck, he gave everyone PTSD from the portal stones, and then he gets declared Dragon Reborn. Definiely the last scene where he’s explicitly happy. ‘Moments’ with Elayne in Book 4 reek too much of ‘I’m going to die’-sex and desperation to be unambiguously happy, and post-revelation Rand is a bit too Zen for it…
scmof2814@@@@@ 9
While Rand certainly doesn’t get much happiness from here on out, two instances do immediately stand out in my mind. One is at the end of TFoH when he sees Mat and Aviendha still alive, and runs down to hug them. It’s not a long moment, true, but it is a moment of pure joy, happiness, and relief.
The other is when Min turns up in Lord of Chaos, and again he does the almost innocent running down to hug her and swing her around thing. He’s genuinely happy there, and it’s all the more heartbreaking when you know it’s the last time you’re going to see him like this.
I think it’s Dumai’s Wells that truly and finally kills the last glimmers of Rand’s capacity for happiness.
Tiger Teeth @7- (Bel)Garion, too.
emuriya @10- I would say The Red Ajah instead of Dumai’s Wells.
In Europe Labour Day is May 1.
The Topless Towers of Cairhien are really topless after the Aiel war.
Where did Rand get the money he is spending? He is no Mat who can just win money, and recently had no chance to earn anything with his flute. Did he leave Fal Dara with his saddle bags full of money?
re: farming, lack thereof
What I don’t get is, okay old farmers had to flee from the Aiel. Bad shit went down. Alla that. But it’s been almost twenty years. Twenty. Years. Spine-crossing peddlers aside, no Cairhienin has so much as seen an Aiel in twenty years. WTF?
There is an entire “farmworthy” generation of people who can’t even remember the Aiel War from personal experience and there still isn’t any noteworthy farming going on? Cairhienin are a bunch of ridiculous cowards, me thinks.
And even so, a subsidy program should have young farmers out there in no time. Yet nothing. Nada. Niente. Zilch. All Galdrian can come up with is imports and entertainment? Worst. King. Ever. Epic Fail doesn’t even begin to cover it.
@3 Who is your favorite player of Daes Dae’mar and why is it Thom?
noblehunter @3: I think Moiraine is a better player of Daes Dae’mar than Thom. She is able to get Thom to leave Tear (and Rand) and follow Elayne. At that point, Moiraine manipulated Thom, not the other way around.
Fiddler @6. It would be nice to actually learn how Elayne learned that it was Thom who killed Galdrian. I have no doubt that her pardon was because (in part) she knew that Thom killed Galdrian. Speaking of Elayne, she turned out to be a pretty good Daes Dae’mar player herself.
Thanks for reading my musings.
AndrewHB
Leigh, would be interested in your take on Chris Lough’s article on time travel as it relates to WOT. I can’t wrap my head around why his solution would be relevant, since wheels of ages != inevitable reoccurrence, as far as I can tell in the storyline. Care to comment on it there?
My comment about Thom was mostly a joke. He is really good at the game but it’d be a bit much to think he was planning on Elayne (or Morgase at this point) taking Cairhien. It’s more like a long buried riff of Rand’s playing the game by refusing to play it. As a matter of politics, Thom has no reason to kill the king; there’s no foreseeable gain for him. But it a personal matter. Thom killed the king for revenge.
Not the first time Cairhien burned because its king failed to realize people can have non-political motivations.
Can’t discuss best Daes Dae’mar player in the series without mentioning Egwene. She ran laps around the Tower and Rebel Aes Sedai and it’s rumored that Aes Sedai created the Daes Dae’mar to start. I will never forget the scene in TGS(?) when she tricks the assembly into giving her full control over Rand/The Dragon Reborn.
Given that the Ogier are much older than humans, it’s possible that Loial is quoting the Elder’s speech from a decade or two ago, when Galldrian started this policy, and perhaps many people have returned to the farms and the border towns, but a lot are still in the city itself.
@6 – Ford pardoning Nixon… Elayne pardoning Thom… maybe for some of the same reasons? Ford wanted the country to be able to move on; maybe Elayne wanted the same? (BTW, moderators; this post and #14 don’t seem to be in the Index. Just a heads-up…)
@20 – Thanks for letting us know – I’ll alert the appropriate folks.
13. Randalator
I’d say you’ve got the cause and effect the other way around.
1) Aiel come, farmers flee, go to city.
2) Unrest in city, king starts distributing food, gains powerful following.
3) Other noblemen start distributing food, also gain followings. Civil war erupts.
Now it’s 20 years later. Each noble house has its own faction, maintained by patronage. You want men to leave the city and start farming? Fine! Send men from your faction. I’m holding on to mine.
Ah, Cairhien. We’re geared to dislike it even before we ever see it, thanks to what we were told about Laman and Taringail back in TEotW, not to mention the behavior of Candevwin and his men, and I can’t deny that all the backstabbing, plotting and scheming, and arrogance get on the nerves and are hard to stomach a lot of the time. But that doesn’t mean the people or the nation deserve what happens to them throughout the series (if anyone does, it’s Galldrian and some of the other nobles), and I can’t help thinking of how the Cairhienin were the ones who offered water to the Aiel when no one else would. It’s true that ended up backfiring thanks to Laman, but considering that was something the Pattern decreed had to happen so that Rand’s mother would come to the slopes of Dragonmount to give birth to him…and in any event, again that isn’t the fault of the Cairhienin at large. It was grossly unfair of the Aiel to generalize and hate them all as “treekillers”. (For example look at Loial: he shows nothing but contempt for Galldrian, and was upset by what Laman did to Avendoraldera, but did he reject all the Cairhienin for what these two men did? No. If he weren’t so kind and self-effacing, I’d imagine he’d be annoyed with the Aiel for applying a term so upsetting as treekiller to a whole innocent people.) And what Couladin does to them is even worse. Which is why I am still glad Rand saved them, and why Elayne was finally able to take the Sun Throne. Cairhien and her people deserved better, and maybe they can have happiness and peace again.
As for Daes Dae’mar? I want to compare it to Eddings (since we’re speaking of the tendency to use Planet of Hats in epic fantasy), in how Drasnians can’t help indulging in espionage and Tolnedrans can’t help being greedy and being distracted by money/the prospect of lucrative trade. Daes Dae’mar is just something the Cairhienin can’t help doing, something they just instinctively gravitate toward and enjoy. As much as it causes problems in the series, and as disgusting and ludicrous as it can get at times, I have to agree it’s fun seeing how such intricacy makes the world more complex and interesting, and even more fun seeing Rand use it (even when he’s trying not to!) to easily unseat and overcome surely disreputable and pompous nobles with his common sense, forthrightness, and refusal to play their game until they force it on him.
That said, what happens at the inn actually does make sense, if you accept the premise that the Great Game is something Cairhienin do instinctively and think is the be-all, end-all of gathering power and influence in the world. Because in that case, it would make no sense to them that someone actually wouldn’t want to play/get involved! And loudly proclaiming you don’t does rather sound like someone making a suspiciously specific denial–if you really weren’t interested, wouldn’t you show it by simply ignoring it without comment? The more Rand denies it, the more it sounds like he’s doing this for plausible deniability, and that he must actually be very interested (or he wouldn’t keep bringing it up) and wants to throw people off the scent from whatever he’s actually doing. (Which ironically he is, but it has to do with the Horn and dagger, not Daes Dae’mar.)
As for Galldrian…I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but he was an awful ruler. And while perhaps he didn’t deserve to die (although what his men do to poor Dena just to get at Thom for supposedly being involved in Daes Dae’mar with Rand does make me consider it deserved), he certainly deserved to lose his throne. The bread and circuses here and the clear contempt for the peasants and farmers clinches it. And from what we see of Toram, it seems to run in the family; the only halfway decent Riatin we meet is Ailil, and even she isn’t exactly a bastion of nobility and honor.
Side note: Hurin muttering about the puppetmaker not having seen Trollocs before makes me laugh out loud. It’s not often we get to see Hurin dare to criticize others, and even if he keeps his voice down (probably so the news won’t reach the king, since the puppetmaker isn’t someone of higher station for him to defer to), the fact he dares to speak up at all is nice. It shows he isn’t just the meek and humble thief-catcher but actually does have opinions and convictions.
I suspected Thom would be back–if not because of Moiraine’s assertion, Rand and Mat’s declaration he was dead (one of many moments where a WOT character is certain something is true only for it to turn out otherwise), or the series not seeming willing to kill off good guys yet, then because his staying behind to ward off a creature of evil while telling those he protected to run was so clearly a Gandalf moment–and we all know he didn’t stay dead! Still, it was such a relief to see him actually back. I do wish he’d gotten more to do in the series. In a lot of ways he reminded me of a more competent and serious Fflewddur Fflam.
Before I get to Thom not recognizing Rand might be the Dragon (or rather refusing to do so), I have to mention the more amusing bit where he refused to believe they really had the Horn. Aside from the idea of countless people producing fake Horns and trying to pass them off as the real thing, I can totally understand where he’s coming from–he’s sung about the Horn and the Heroes for most of his life, so the idea it could ever appear for real at all, let alone in the possession of a Two Rivers shepherd, and thus fall into his lap, is as silly and ironic as Faile meeting Mat the Hornsounder, and having the Horn brought to her for delivery on the eve of the Last Battle. Poor Thom, the joke’s on him.
Not that he’ll have much to be laughing about soon. I have to wonder, is what eventually happens to him and Dena due to the specific fact he tried to make this “clean break”, but Rand’s ta’veren effect (and his destiny to bring death and destruction wherever he went) made it happen to force them back together, or is it simply because by trying to abandon Rand he was fighting the Pattern itself and what it had woven for him? In the end it’s really a case of semantics and hair-splitting, since obviously Rand as a ta’veren and the Dragon is still an agent of the Pattern. I guess what I’m wondering is whether what happens would have occurred even if Rand were not ta’veren/the Dragon, simply because Thom was trying to resist where the Pattern wanted him to go (remember the discussion with Loial about making small vs. big changes in your life).
But either way, it’s sad that in his desperation to stay clear of anything connected with the Dragon and Tarmon Gai’don, and try not to become emotionally invested in Rand and his plight, Thom ended up suffering such a loss…that he ended up going where the Wheel willed, but only after bringing down Galldrian and plunging Cairhien into civil war in retaliation and vengeance. It’s understandable he wouldn’t want to be part of the apocalypse…but by fighting destiny, he just made it worse for himself in the end. Interestingly, despite being only a minor character, this is definitely an example of a hero’s Refusal of the Call…and the subsequent attack of The Call Knows Where You Live to punish him for that refusal.
Though I think it’s important to note that unless I’m mistaken, Thom doesn’t know yet that Rand is ta’veren; this revelation/discovery was made in Caemlyn, well after he was separated from the others, and in fact I’m not even sure when he does find out. (Tear?) So even if Thom could guess from Rand’s questions that he might be a false Dragon who can channel, without knowing he’s ta’veren he could have thought he still had a chance to escape what was coming. (After all, it’s not known if any false Dragons were ta’veren; Logain can see them but isn’t one, and in Guaire Amalasan’s time it was Hawkwing who was the ta’veren.) Of course again, if the Pattern wanted him involved, he would be even if Rand weren’t ta’veren, but this does make Thom’s actions and beliefs here a bit more plausible.
Amazing how those prophecies, so very important to the series, are introduced this early…and that one of them doesn’t come true until the very last book. And both show just how well planned out Jordan had the story.
Zera calling herself the Queen of Ghealdan: not just scoffing, but an impossible claim since the ruler of Ghealdan at this time was King Johanin. Also, funny since eventually Alliandre does show up, and swears allegiance to both Perrin and Rand.
I forgot Thom doesn’t like plays. In that case I have to say it’s also good he was busy with Mat, planning the trip to the Tower of Ghenjei, in ToM and thus didn’t see Elayne at that play with Ellorien. Otherwise they might have had words!
@6 Fiddler: Twice over even: if he hadn’t killed Taringail, thus destabilizing both Andor and Cairhien, Laman wouldn’t have cut down the tree. Thus no Aiel War, no death of Laman, no Galldrian taking the throne. Which also means, of course, that Thom’s actions made it possible for Rand to be born and even be the Dragon at all. Rather makes his claim of not being part of this even more ironic, doesn’t it?
@7 TigerTeeth: Considering Rand at one point almost becomes a villain due to his madness, and that many in Randland consider the Dragon Reborn to be one, it’s apt.
@10 emuriya: Agreed.
@12 birgit: Probably from Loial, although I wouldn’t put it past Moiraine or Agelmar to make sure he had some.
@15 AndrewHB: Must run in the family, considering Elayne is Moiraine’s niece.
@18 givemeraptors: ToM, not TGS. And yes that was awesome!
@22 JonathanLevy: It’s sad how realistic and likely that scenario is. :(