Flight of the Heron read-along: Part IV chapters 5-6

[regshoe]

I'm afraid real life is being stressful at the moment and I'm feeling a bit frazzled, so no comment from me today—but here's the post, so others can start on the discussion. :)

Next week we'll read chapter 7, the final chapter of Part IV.

Comments

[osprey_archer]

I think he takes Ewen's word over Greening's because he shares Ewen's Highland heritage - yes, they're from clans that hate each other, but they have the same "no Highlander would ever betray his chief EXCEPT UNDER DURESS." So he probably already had some Doubts when Greening insisted the confession was totally voluntary.

Ofc he immediately burns up his honorable Highlander bona fides by trying to interest Ewen in that "How about you... fall asleep again?" scheme. I guess the desire to find Lochiel has overwhelmed everything else for him.

And yes, Keith's near-instantaneous switcheroo from "I'm going to be prudent about my career from now on!" to "guess I'm going to burn my career to ashes for Ewen" is beautiful. He is MORE prudent that time, but still.

[sanguinity]

Well, he's offering the chance for Ewen to retain his good standing with Lochiel and Clan Cameron versus having his name smeared beyond repair to the same. We of course know that Keith and Ewen are both the kind of honour-bound characters who value the true honour held in their hearts above the mere semblance of honour among their fellows -- of course Ewen would turn it down! But if Loudoun's certainty that no Highlander would ever betray his chief comes from external factors -- from the inevitability of the irreparable ruin that would befall said Highlander if it came to be known that he had betrayed his chief... Well, I can see Loudoun thinking that he was offering Ewen a tempting deal.

Vs V pna whzc gb gur guveq abiry naq gur zna jub frpergyl orgenlrq Nepuvr Pnzreba... Gur gbezrag Znvgynaq tbrf guebhtu vagreanyyl, rira nf ur ergnvarq uvf tbbq anzr nzbat Wnpbovgrf, vf rffragvnyyl gur irel qrny gung Ybhqbha vf bssrevat gb Rjra urer: xabj lbhefrys n genvgbe, juvyr ergnvavat lbhe tbbq anzr. Naq bs pbhefr jura Rjra pbzrf gb haqrefgnaq jung Znvgynaq unf qbar -- naq rira gung ur qvq vg sbe cevapvcyrq ernfbaf, juvpu fubhyq unir orra va uvf snibhe! -- Rjra pna oneryl pbzceruraq ubj Znvgynaq pbhyq unir oebhtug uvzfrys gb qb vg...

[regshoe]

That is a very good point about internal vs external honour! Yes, Loudoun's behaviour makes a good deal of sense viewed that way—and, yes, true personal honour is the centrally important thing for Ewen just as it is for Keith.