Annotated 50-14
Frigg in panel 3: “Did…did you just ruin cursing for me?”
I was surprised by the smash cut back to Frigg’s school on this reread, and then I realized, as I imagine readers did: the reason we’re doing it like this is to show Ardaic’s circumstances just before his own arc concludes. He ends his story by entering the service of one whom he once employed. His sins in the name of government service are not erased, but neither are his good deeds. He was, in the end, the one who founded our band of heroes. True, they had one quest on their own first, but they might not have stayed together at all without him. Or they might’ve achieved far less if they did. So although he can expect no better than disinterest from Penk’s council…Frigg can be a bit more merciful.
FB: Frigg’s still sorting out things like a work-study program. Sometimes you have to create your own position in an organization.
I’m reminded of Soon’s words to the dying Miko in Order of the Stick.
“I’m truly sorry. Miko, but redemption requires more than simply the execution of your duty. even if you follow that duty to the end.
“True redemption demands that you seek forgiveness for your past misdeeds. That you atone for the actions that caused the Twelve Gods to turn away from you. That you even acknowledge that you could, in fact, be wrong. You have done none of this.
“Perhaps, if you had more time… but then again, perhaps not. Redemption is a rare and special
thing, after all. It is not for everyone.”
Ardaic may not have reached redemption yet, but it seems like he’s on the right path.
Unfortunately, when I read that quote for the first time, before I even had a chance to appreciate how deeply profound it might be, my inner Belkar intervened.
Ring, ring… Wait, is that redemption calling for the ex-paladin Miko? What does it say?
“It’s not you it’s me, I’m not the right metaphysical concept for you”?
Is redemption… breaking up with you? Is it using a cliché? Is it lying to protect your feelings? Aahahahaa! Oh, the glorious beauty of seeing a long-time antagonist reduced – to this! If only this moment could be immortalized in a medium worthy of the true pathos of this moment; perhaps a poorly drawn comic strip?
This reaction has, unfortunately, ruined any worthwhile insight the scene might otherwise have delivered. Was it deeply impactful for normal people?
He will have to learn to stop pointing out his achievements in the middle of his apologies. I found that totally okay the first time round but in this scene, after he’s had some time to calm down and consider his words to Frigg, it’s pretty much out of place.
Him saying he’s commanded and taught her before isn’t “pointing out his achievements”. It’s to say that he gives up his rank and is willing to lower himself in order to learn. For a man of his background, that’s a pretty big deal. It’s also the way he’s learn to express himself all his life, but I hope for him he can relax a bit.
Of course he gives that up, but if had just left out “…whom I once commanded”, he would have gotten his point across without making it even more (melo-)dramatic. Frigg knows that he used to be her boss.
Also, he’s not giving up the rank and lowering himself. He’s been stripped of that rank and tries to find a new one. Of course he’ll take some time to get used to that new position, and of course Frigg knows this, so why add the line? Maybe in order to point out how hard this is for him (and it probably is!), but with enough bad humour you could also read it as “hey, I was your boss, and I’m totally willing to let go of that, so now you have to do me a favour, too”. I’m sure he doesn’t *mean* it that way, but “dude, this is hard for me but watch me do it anyway” is also not something that “old” Ardaic would have said.
If the power of the Silver Centurion rests in that amulet, I wonder why they’ve let him keep it. I suppose none of the allied conquerors knew about it.
Maybe if his story went on, Ardaic eventually would have a Sailor Moon moment where he realized the amulet was inside of himself except for the bit where it was also inside of his boyfriend for some reason.
(please, correct me if I’m too way off)
As far as I can understand, only a truly devoted servant of Gastonia can use that amulet. That definitely meant that only a loyal servant of Gastonia was allowed to use it by the House of Houses, BUT that could also mean that only a true believer can activate the enchantment that transforms him into the Silver Centurion. If that’s the case, that could mean that the amulet would be useless on someone else’s hands
If your latter hypothesis is correct, then the amulet might become useless in the near future, depending on how Ardaic’s view of the world changes (and change it must!), or depending on whether such a thing as Gastonia keeps existing, and in what form.
I apologize if this isn’t the right venue for this, but i felt compelled to tell you and couldn’t think of a better way. I’m a long-time reader of yours, I just finished Traveller, it’s your masterpiece. It’s gorgeous and genuinely wise, thank you.
Aw, thanks!
Ditto. Can’t wait for Mr. T’s next comic