I have a feeling all the good and bad they have both done, both together, separately, and in opposition to one another, has gotten all mixed up in back ally gossip and then separated again by the kind of hopeful legend makers who see everything in terms of Black and White, quite literally here, blind to the underlying tapestry of complex Shades of Gray.
While we know they are Grey, Vane’s obsession has made her bloodthirsty and cold hearted. She is using a Gatling gun, she doesn’t care who else gets hurts.
Hunter has no hatred or intentional cruelty in his heart; a complete absence of guile is his one constant virtue. I mean, if you can tacitly forgive a man for killing your dog, you can forgive ANY wrong. I have a hunch that total control over one’s sense of anger is an essential skill for a pyromancer. The only reason he isn’t a hero is that he is too cynical and jaded by all the hateful, deliberately cruel assholes out there to believe in anything, except wealth and the wonder in innocent eyes. It must be DAMN hard on him to go without The Prestige for so long, the true lifeblood of the stage magician. Still, he seems to be naturally naive about what pisses people off. He underestimated what effect having a fling with his first boss’s daughter would have on him, and he GROSSLY misunderstood how being turned into a unbound Elemental Wight would make Vanity feel. I am convinced that she felt so GUILTY for making the plague worse, (accidentally or not), that she ordered him to leave her dead, that she doesn’t deserve a second chance, and violating that command is half the reason she wants him dead, the other being that her life force as a wight is bound to his, so the only way for her to die is for him to die. He still doesn’t get it, that’s why he still tries to reason with her. Hate in general makes no sense to him, self hate least of all. He wants her to forgive both him and herself and allow them both to return to their old work together unlocking the secrets of the cosmos while basking in the awe of children as they see these wonders for the first time. It is going to take a very DIFFERENT sort of fire to melt HER particular kind of heart of stone before that happens. For now, finding peace in her grave is all she cares about….
I think it’s less that he doesn’t know, and more that he’s uncaring. Uncaring of the lives of the people that get in his way, uncaring of the people caught up in the war between him and Vane. Uncaring of the people he personally maims and murders.
He’s more personable, but he’s equally as much of a monster as Vane. Completely willing to drag innocents in to be killed, for the sake of indulging his pleasures..
And we still don’t know what his ultimate goal is, do we?
I don’t think he is uncaring, or rather, he doesn’t so much care for others less, as he cares for himself more. He has never found a cause to believe in besides Vane when she was human. He underestimated her self loathing from her failure, which is why this is happening.
Why do they stop shooting? She’s obviously NOT human, must have an impressive rep circulating through the frontier, and the wanted poster not only mentions ‘dead or alive’ but specifically calls out for the immediate use of deadly force!
Under those circumstances the only reason to stop shooting is to reload, and if you weren’t smart enough to bring more bullets then you proceed to beat her with your empty gun while your friend (you did bring a friend, right?) starts chopping her into pieces small enough to fit into the individual lock boxes your brought.
Scholar, why shot at all. They are both living dead here. Kill them, and they just come right back again, and more pissed off! This novel has become an obsession to us who follow it. When will our thirst for closure be quenched? When we we see Vane and John deliver the truly fatal blow to each other? Why does Erin go on tormenting us? WHY, WHY, WHY!?
I don’t know why, but I feel really afraid for the clerisy here. Why? They’re killers using blood magic. Why, oh why? Also, I’m still rooting for Vane, God help me.
Well Vane IS a revenant, and I have the feeling that if she did finally kill Hunter, she’d just rest. Hunter on the other hand, is pretty much a charming sociopath. He’s the one who actively gets innocents involved in their little war.
I was thinking last week, “Erin’s so mean, she read all those comments a wile back about how awesome the outfits are and then she went and dirtied them up with blood and bullet holes.”
But now I can’t wait to see that hellfire. For those of us who think your work is some of the best on the frontier, that’s a heck of a cliffhanger, Erin.
I have a feeling all the good and bad they have both done, both together, separately, and in opposition to one another, has gotten all mixed up in back ally gossip and then separated again by the kind of hopeful legend makers who see everything in terms of Black and White, quite literally here, blind to the underlying tapestry of complex Shades of Gray.
Ry, This is very profound what you write here. “It’s gray Jack. ALL GRAY!” (Name the Movie.)
While we know they are Grey, Vane’s obsession has made her bloodthirsty and cold hearted. She is using a Gatling gun, she doesn’t care who else gets hurts.
Hunter has no hatred or intentional cruelty in his heart; a complete absence of guile is his one constant virtue. I mean, if you can tacitly forgive a man for killing your dog, you can forgive ANY wrong. I have a hunch that total control over one’s sense of anger is an essential skill for a pyromancer.
The only reason he isn’t a hero is that he is too cynical and jaded by all the hateful, deliberately cruel assholes out there to believe in anything, except wealth and the wonder in innocent eyes. It must be DAMN hard on him to go without The Prestige for so long, the true lifeblood of the stage magician.
Still, he seems to be naturally naive about what pisses people off. He underestimated what effect having a fling with his first boss’s daughter would have on him, and he GROSSLY misunderstood how being turned into a unbound Elemental Wight would make Vanity feel. I am convinced that she felt so GUILTY for making the plague worse, (accidentally or not), that she ordered him to leave her dead, that she doesn’t deserve a second chance, and violating that command is half the reason she wants him dead, the other being that her life force as a wight is bound to his, so the only way for her to die is for him to die. He still doesn’t get it, that’s why he still tries to reason with her. Hate in general makes no sense to him, self hate least of all. He wants her to forgive both him and herself and allow them both to return to their old work together unlocking the secrets of the cosmos while basking in the awe of children as they see these wonders for the first time. It is going to take a very DIFFERENT sort of fire to melt HER particular kind of heart of stone before that happens. For now, finding peace in her grave is all she cares about….
Perhaps.
It’s plausible.
I think it’s less that he doesn’t know, and more that he’s uncaring. Uncaring of the lives of the people that get in his way, uncaring of the people caught up in the war between him and Vane. Uncaring of the people he personally maims and murders.
He’s more personable, but he’s equally as much of a monster as Vane. Completely willing to drag innocents in to be killed, for the sake of indulging his pleasures..
And we still don’t know what his ultimate goal is, do we?
I don’t think he is uncaring, or rather, he doesn’t so much care for others less, as he cares for himself more. He has never found a cause to believe in besides Vane when she was human. He underestimated her self loathing from her failure, which is why this is happening.
But in westerns… The Good Guy wears black.
tell that to Roy Rogers
The only thing to tell that man is his hamburger joints suck.
Well this is one unexpected turn. *grabs popcorn*
Wait is that embroidering on his cassock actually stylized red blood cells? If so… *slow clap*
Looks more like a DNA pattern to me.
…or a row of red thorns perhaps?
I feel like you might want to rethink this theology, guys…
Why do they stop shooting? She’s obviously NOT human, must have an impressive rep circulating through the frontier, and the wanted poster not only mentions ‘dead or alive’ but specifically calls out for the immediate use of deadly force!
Under those circumstances the only reason to stop shooting is to reload, and if you weren’t smart enough to bring more bullets then you proceed to beat her with your empty gun while your friend (you did bring a friend, right?) starts chopping her into pieces small enough to fit into the individual lock boxes your brought.
The same for JHH, just more so.
Scholar, why shot at all. They are both living dead here. Kill them, and they just come right back again, and more pissed off! This novel has become an obsession to us who follow it. When will our thirst for closure be quenched? When we we see Vane and John deliver the truly fatal blow to each other? Why does Erin go on tormenting us? WHY, WHY, WHY!?
And make sure the lock boxes are each Steel lined thick with asbestos. You don’t mess around with fire wights.
I need that frickin’ poncho. I need it now.
I take it you mean Vane’s poncho? (Theme from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” here.) BA-E-AH-E-AH, WA-WAAAA-WA.
Yes indeed. Those 8-bit looking skulls are basically all I want to wear ever again.
Something tells me these two are a little misinformed…
I don’t know why, but I feel really afraid for the clerisy here. Why? They’re killers using blood magic. Why, oh why?
Also, I’m still rooting for Vane, God help me.
Well Vane IS a revenant, and I have the feeling that if she did finally kill Hunter, she’d just rest. Hunter on the other hand, is pretty much a charming sociopath. He’s the one who actively gets innocents involved in their little war.
I was thinking last week, “Erin’s so mean, she read all those comments a wile back about how awesome the outfits are and then she went and dirtied them up with blood and bullet holes.”
But now I can’t wait to see that hellfire. For those of us who think your work is some of the best on the frontier, that’s a heck of a cliffhanger, Erin.
It’s not a cliffhanger, we’ve seen said “hellfire” in every shot that has shown her eyes.
God how your minions love you Erin.
What’s in the basket, hmmmmm?
Another excellent page Erin! 🙂