Welcome back to my re-read, recap, and reaction to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. This post will only have spoilers through the current chapter.
You can find my previous chapter recaps HERE.
Chapter 18: A Taste of Solitude
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Rand al’Thor
Rand decides that Mangin will hang tomorrow, then heads off to see the school he set up in Cairhien. He is met by Idrien Tarsin who heads the school, and many of the students and researchers. Idrien leads him on a tour, showcasing many of the inventions and research produced by the school so far, including a way to make finer paper, a better printing press, a wheeled plow capable of making six furrows at a time, a hay harvester, a loom that was easier to use, viaducts, a new sewer system, a new way to pave roads, a telescope (made by Kin Tovere), something for collecting and burning methane from cow dung, the beginnings of a hot air balloon or glider (made by Maryl Harke), and an attempt at a steam engine (made by Mervin Poel). After the review and a speech, Rand seeks out Herid Fel, a historian and philosopher. Fel rambles on about the Wheel of Time and how the battle with the Dark One must go in cycles as the Wheel turns. Rand hopes to get some insight as to how to fight the Last Battle or escape Alanna‘s Bond, but doesn’t appear to get anything this trip.
Point of view: Egwene al’Vere
Egwene is wandering the palace in Cairhien, disgruntled because she couldn’t talk to Aviendha before Amys and the other Wise Ones. Sorilea sees her and questions her purpose, which is to find Rand. Eventually, she leads Egwene to where Rand will come after his visit to the school. Niella, a gai’shain and Aviendha’s sister, is tidying up Rand’s room. Egwene questions her, but gets no useful information. Rand arrives and Egwene asks his help with the Wise Ones. Egwene wants to return to Tel’aran’rhiod as soon as possible. He asks her where Elayne and Nynaeve are and his ta’veren nature almost makes Egwene give away what she promised to keep secret. He refuses to help her since she won’t help him.
Point of view: Rand al’Thor
Rand is disappointed that Egwene is acting more like an Aes Sedai than like a friend trying to help him. He has meetings to arrange with the nobles, the Wise Ones and the clan chiefs and he is very tired.
Point of view: Sulin
Sulin is upset that Rand will only allow two Aiel to guard him in the palace. Instead, they are communicating whenever he moves around so they can keep watch out of his sight. This is a challenge for Sulin, but she is determined to not fail at it.
REACTION:
I like that Rand wants to leave schools in the major cities as his legacy. I need to re-read the earlier books again and look for signs that something like this might be near and dear to his heart, though. It feels kind of out-of-the-blue. Maybe this is an indicator of Lew Therin’s memories bleeding through.
The school has a machine that makes paper and another that is a printing press. Given the prevalence of books, printing presses have to have already existed to some degree. Altogether the school is more of a gathering of would-be inventors than a place of learning in a modern sense.
Kin Tovere and his looking glass technology seems to be the most important person we meet here. This seems like an update to spy glass technology as well as the beginning of telescope technology. I can guess this will be used for military purposes.
Mervin’s invention hints at maybe being a steam engine, but it doesn’t work yet. I’d guess something like that would bring about a New Age. The world post steam engine and the world before it are vastly different.
Herid Fel is more along the lines of a traditional scholar. He’s Rand’s go-to guy for understanding the world around him. It’s unfortunate for Rand here that Fel doesn’t know that Aes Sedai are capable of releasing a Warder from their bond, or passing it on to someone else. I’d say he could ask Egwene or Nynaeve, but I’m not sure they know, yet, either. This probably secures Alanna as a long-term problem.
Fel’s take on the Last Battle was interesting, and it should have been obvious to any people who believe they live on a Wheel. If they really do live on a Wheel, then the Dark One’s prison has been opened before, patched, and made as new. And then so much time goes by that nobody remembers the Dark One even exists – so that the Age of Legends people can punch the hole in it again via ignorance. This should give Rand some assurance.
Rand asks Fel about breaking the Seals and this startles him. I’d guess we’ll come back to that.
Sorilea trying to find out who Egwene was interested in was really funny.
Egwene doesn’t realize that Aviendha and Rand have something going on between them. She should know, though, right? Lanfear nearly murdered her while bellowing out an accusation that those two had gotten together.
I find Rand and Egwene’s bickering to be endearing. I know that’s not a universal sentiment. She asks him for help in a way wherein she is kind of demanding it, but trying her best not to sound like she is. He recognizes what she’s doing and asks for something in return. These are two people that probably should be married but have been pulled apart by the tangles of the Pattern. They go well together, if they could only be permitted to be on the same team.
There is some subtext here, too. I think this is the first moment wherein Egwene really believes that Rand loves Elayne. Prior to now, I think she believed he was infatuated, or that Elayne was, and that any guy would be attracted to Elayne. Ironically, she misread his need for Elayne. He needs the weight of rulership off of his own shoulders, and he needs Elayne to make that happen. He needs Egwene to be his friend, loyal to his needs. But she’s not – in service to what she believes his needs are. I think Egwene really believing that Rand loves Elayne motivated her on some level to storm out. If she’d told him what he wanted, his love for *her* probably would have been evident on his face.
None of Rand’s friends seem to realize that he needs help and support, not an assumption that he’s incompetent. It’s crazy. (This is a well-named chapter.)
Sulin’s ferocious loyalty to Rand doesn’t really add anything, but it’s awesome. After the chapter before it indicating how alone Rand seems to be, the reminder that he’s not is a relief for the reader as much as it would be for Rand if he knew and understood.
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