Inheritance Spork, Chapter Forty-One

[pangolin20]

Kyogre wrote in Antishurtugal, 2012-08-01 21:11:00

Inheritance Spork, Chapter Forty-One

Welcome to Chapter 41: DEPARTURE!


So, Eragon is (we assume) setting off to go to Vroengard. He gets someone to get someone else to get provisions for him. He’s really moved up in the world, hasn’t he? Keep in mind this is supposed to be top secret, hush-hush. I’m of two minds. On the one hand, fewer people knowing anything would be better. On the other, Eragon is a pretty recognizable figure, so pretty much anything he does will draw attention…
Also, special note is made that Saphira ate, but didn’t gorged herself because she thought she might need to fight. Now, does that mean that Saphira gorges herself otherwise? Anyway, the point is, she can fly there, but will need to eat at Vroengard, which might be a problem, since they have no idea if there’s food there. ….Except that Saphira thinks she can fly back hungry. Eragon doesn’t believe her.
Look, my point is, we have an entire paragraph of this back and forth. And it’s stupid. I don’t know where this goes, but Paolini should, and he should have just left in the relevant foreshadowing/set up (if necessary).
Eragon then gets Jörmundur and Blödhgarm and explains.
We get this gem:
Blödhgarm was the easiest to win over to their point of view, whereas Jörmundur objected vociferously.
Two points. One, I don’t think “easiest” should be used when there’s only two of them. Second, “objected vociferously?” That sounds so stupid.
Jormundur express several concerns – the Varden would be without leadership, Galbatorix might actually get off his throne and do something send Murtagh and Thorn to attack. They come up with a solution: the elves would create apparitions of Eragon and Saphira. But those illusions wouldn’t be perfect, so the other leaders and the Nighthawks need to be told. Because they wouldn’t have told Orik or Orrin otherwise.
Orrin complains, apparently at length, but we don’t get to hear it. Eventually, we’re told that Eragon convinces him. Eragon and Arya also go talk to others, which takes them until dawn. Eragon complains about how long this takes, and I agree. This is just a waste of words. We know Eragon’s going. Do we really need to spend this long talking it over?
Meanwhile, the elves are prepping their spell. We learn in detail just what it takes. Again, this is pointless. The elves can do the spell. That’s good. Unless it comes up again, we don’t need to know the exact how.
This is all totally breaking up the flow.
Before leaving, Eragon has to address the Varden as leader.
Therefore, soon afterward, once the army was assembled, Eragon found himself standing in the back of an empty wagon, looking out over a field of upturned faces—some human and some not—and wishing he were anywhere but there.
First off, is a wagon the best they could do? Couldn’t Saphira give him a boost or something? Also, note how humans are separated out. We already know that there are non-humans in the army. Are we supposed to assume that they don’t normally come to army-wide rallies? Also, “field of upturned faces?” Usually, it’s a sea. And the entire Varden army is only a “field?” I would have thought there would be more of them.
Eragon asks Roran for advice, which is kind of cute. I won’t comment on the substance of Roran’s advice. I always get terrible stage fright, and I honestly don’t think it’s very helpful.
Here it is for your consideration:
“Remember, they’re not your enemies. You have nothing to fear from them. They want to like you. Speak clearly, speak honestly, and whatever you do, keep your doubts to yourself. That’s the way to win them over. They’re going to be frightened and dismayed once you tell them about Nasuada. Give them the reassurance they need, and they’ll follow you through the very gates of Urû’baen.”
Eragon is nervous, which is a rare show of his “farm-boy” background. He also thinks he’s rather fight a hundred enemies, but given that Eragon is a killing machine, that’s… not really saying much. He also totally fails to come up with anything beforehand. I generally find this to be a very bad idea. (Of course, Eragon is naturally eloquent. Of course.)
Then he just blabs. He can’t remember what he said, which is just Paolini’s cheap way of copping out. Which would be… okay, I suppose, except that there are no actual problems and nothing really happens, which raises the question of why this was described in this much detail. I think it would have sufficed to just mention that Eragon had settled things with the Varden without describing every single action in detail.
There are goodbyes, which are pretty nice. The crowd cheers, the elves watch. Eragon actually recaps the plan. I feel like everything up to this point could have been cut.

Yup. What do you think are the chances we’ll actually get to Vroengard next chapter?

16 comments

[1]

pipedreamno20
August 2 2012, 02:47:44 UTC
Now, does that mean that Saphira gorges herself otherwise?

She does here in 'Aftermath': They parted, and Eragon and Saphira made their way to one of the mess tents close to the Varden’s cookfires. There they gorged themselves on meat and mead while the wind howled around them and bursts of rain pummeled the sides of the flapping tent.

Not that that really proves anything, but I don't know if it's ever been mentioned before how much Saphira has to eat before flying becomes a real struggle.

They come up with a solution: the elves would create apparitions of Eragon and Saphira. But those illusions wouldn’t be perfect, so the other leaders and the Nighthawks need to be told.

Reminds me of when Roran asks (human magician) Carn to create a fake Saphira. Naturally, he freaks out.

The spellcaster’s thin cheeks drained of color. He shook his head, his expression panicky. “Maybe. I don’t know, I’ve never tried before. I’d be creating an image of her from memory. It might not even look like a living creature.” He nodded toward the line of galloping horsemen. “They’d know something was wrong.”

Naturally though, since the AWESOMELY BETTER THAN THOU elves are trying this time, it'll actually work. -_-

I actually felt a little cranky when Paolini completely brushed over the 'epic' speech and didn't actually have a go at writing one. He's written short pep talks for his characters beforehand. We get the whole gist of the farm-boys (since Roran has since gone the way of Eragon and become an awesome leader for some reason) turning into 'literary geniuses' with 'the gift of the gab'. It's ridiculous and stupid, of course, but nonetheless, we get it. So there's no reason for Paolini to balk at this one. Besides, the best speeches are the short ones - leave the audience wanting more.

[1A]

ana0119
August 2 2012, 03:04:11 UTC
"Gorging herself" just sounds unhealthy. And pretty stupid since they're basically perpetually in a state of alertness (or should be).

Naturally though, since the AWESOMELY BETTER THAN THOU elves are trying this time, it'll actually work. -_-

There are descriptions of how the elves need to prep for a long time to cast the spell (including creating a very complex "image" of Eragon and Saphira), but I am honestly so sick of Paolini's bizarre magic system that this magi-babble does not interest me in the least. I usually like things like that, but by now...

As for the speech, I rarely find them particularly rousing, and I don't really want to read Paolini's attempts. I feel like, if you know you have a weakness in this area, it's better to do a sort of "take our word" for it thing. This speech isn't even important. This isn't the "final confrontation" storming Uru'baen speech. It's pretty meaningless, aside from a housekeeping sense. It's just another in a list of loose ends that Eragon ties up with the Varden before leaving. Like most of those tasks, I think it could have been cut.

[1A1]

syntinen_laulu
August 2 2012, 08:19:30 UTC
"Gorging herself" just sounds unhealthy. And pretty stupid since they're basically perpetually in a state of alertness (or should be).

Mm, well, raptors and all other hunting creatures - carrion-feeders too - are hard-wired to gorge themselves whenever they get the opportunity. 'I make kill/find dead animal: I stuff myself to bursting: I sleep it off: when I wake up hungry I go looking for my next meal'. And when they have gorged, short of an actual threat to their lives they simply won't fly. If you take a well-fed falcon out, no matter how many rabbits you show it it'll simply sit on your fist and burp, quite uninterested. A lot of a falconer's skill lies in judging when your bird is 'sharp-set' - i.e. enough that when you take it out it'll be keen to hunt prey, but not hungry enough to weaken it and slow it down. No doubt Paolini is groping towards this concept, he just hasn't thought (or at least written) it through.

[1A1A]

ana0119
August 2 2012, 22:15:07 UTC
Alright, I'll concede this one. But I still feel it's a pointless detail that's dragged out for too long.

[1A1A1]

syntinen_laulu
August 3 2012, 07:31:52 UTC
I agree. It would be pointful if Paolini had established early on that Saphira's digestive economy, if that's the phrase I'm looking for, was a limiting factor in her flying and fighting capacity that always had to be taken into consideration. But he hasn't, so it isn't. It reads as though he has just heard somewhere about falcons not flying after gorging, thought 'Cool new angle!' and stuffed it in.

[1B]

Anonymous
August 2 2012, 19:18:28 UTC
Well, you're in luck, because one day when I was emptying the trash for Christopher Paolini's editor, I just happened to run across the discarded Epic Speech by Eragon! Here it is!

Eragon stood before them all and tried to gesture gracefully, as is the custom among the elves. "Sons of Du Weldenvarden and Surda and Farthen Dur, and felines of various manifestations, and men of Carvahall, my brothers!" he intoned. "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! There may come a day when the courage of men (etc., etc.) fails . . . when we forsake our oaths and break all bonds of fellowship--but it is not this day. An hour of wolv . . . I mean large dogs . . . and shattered shields, when the age of men (and all y'all) comes crashing down--but it is not this day! This day, we fight!
"By all that you hold dear on this good . . . erm, Alagaesia, I bid you stand, men (oh, I give up) of the Varden!"
Then, as the crowd roared their approval, Eragon turned to Saphira and smiled slightly. "For Frodo!" he whispered.

[1B1]

ana0119
August 2 2012, 22:16:01 UTC
And the poor Urgals are left out yet again. Isn't it sad.

[1B2]

pipedreamno20
August 3 2012, 01:03:51 UTC
Epic win :D

[2]

mage_apprentice
August 2 2012, 03:01:57 UTC
What do you think are the chances we’ll actually get to Vroengard next chapter?
Little to nothing considering that the Vault of Souls chapter is in the 70s.

[2A]

ana0119
August 2 2012, 03:06:55 UTC
Wait. So what does he do for... 30 chapters? What kind of sidequest could possibly be that long?! And anyway, sidequests should really be cut from adaptations. They only artificially extend the length of the game....

(Well, in all seriousness, I am going to assume at least half those chapters will be from other points of view. Like Nasuada and Murtagh. Urgh.)

[2A1]

mage_apprentice
August 2 2012, 06:05:38 UTC
*sigh* Tell me about it . . .

[2B]

torylltales
August 2 2012, 09:43:11 UTC
Vault Of Souls is actually chapter Fifty Four, so we only have 11 more chapters of filler and other-character-viewpoints (including one chapter that made me throw the book against the wall and then stomp on it. Can you guess which?)

[2B1]

mage_apprentice
August 2 2012, 12:17:53 UTC
That makes things sound SO much better . . . Really, it's a relief.

[3]

torylltales
August 2 2012, 09:41:40 UTC
Great analysis of this chapter, ana.

Next up:

Chapter Forty Two: The Torment of Uncertainty - dibbed by stealingvowels
Chapter Forty Three: The Hall of the Soothsayer - 7th_y
Chapter Forty Four: On the Wings of a Dragon - dibbed by jair_greycoat

[3A]

jair_greycoat
August 2 2012, 17:35:02 UTC
I'm wondering what I'm going to do when I get to my chapter. On my first read through it I didn't notice anything glaringly contradictory ... but maybe I will when I read it again. Because otherwise I'll probably be reduced to complaining about the soullessness of the writing and Paolini's magic blue-screens-of-death.

[3A1]

ana0119
August 2 2012, 22:17:18 UTC
In a book with this many chapters, at least a few are bound to lack any distinguishing characteristics. Good luck!