D. T. Kane reads chapters 19 and 20 of his epic fantasy fiction novel, The Acktus Trials, and discusses the chapter with his audience.
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The Acktus Trials, an epic fantasy novel, available now:
https://dtkane.com/books/the-acktus-trials/
https://books2read.com/theacktustrials
Part II of The Spoken Books Uprising, Declaimer’s Discovery, now available!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09R18NZ5G/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
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Map of Oration: https://dtkane.com/resources/map-of-oration/
Characters in this Chapter:
Baztian (Baz): Our main character
Rox: Deliritous’s Harbour (bodyguard)
Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library
Below are my notes/script for the episode, not an exact transcription:
PERSONAL UPDATE
Welcome back to D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club. Today is Saturday, April 23, 2022 as I record this, Episode 15.
With release week behind us, it was back to writing and making good progress on Part IV of the Spoken Books Uprising. My first draft broke 50,000 words and I think I’m on track to have it finished before May 20. That’s my goal because May 21 I’m flying to Europe for two weeks, and don’t plan to be doing much work then! Ireland, Paris, and Brussels. It’s going to be awesome and I plan to be sharing lots of photos with all of you upon my return. I’m sure I’ll find some new inspiration for things to put in future novels as well.
Preorder Part III, Declaimer’s Flight: https://books2read.com/declaimersflight
I’ve also got my half marathon in two weeks that I’ve mentioned several times on here before. Just got back from an 11 mile run before recording today, so my legs are barking a bit. If those of you watching on YouTube see me fidgeting around more than usual, you know why!
ANAYLIS CHs. 19-20
Chapter 19
Who did Deliritous think he was?
We start just as we left off last week, with Baz in shock over Deliritous sacrificing himself to save Baz. Baz is actually angry: “Who did Deliritous think he was, putting Baz in his debt like that?” Why do we think Baz feels like this? Could it be because he sees that Deliritous is actually the better man than him? That he was willing to change where Baz hasn’t been so far? Tough way to learn that lesson.
Then Rox shows up, having pulled himself out of the bog. And we get some contrast here, first Rox cradling Deliritous like a child—once again, we see how much Deliritous appears to mean to Rox, despite the fact that Rox is essentially another of Deliritous’s slaves.
Then he punches Deliritous square in the chest. Baz laughs when Deliritous curses, showing he isn’t dead.
The tender moment quickly passes, though, when we realize Deliritous is severely burned and all the medicine they had with them was in his saddle bags, which have been cooked by the dragon. But even in his dire state, Deliritous isn’t willing to give up on his dream. We see even more growth here—recall back just about 10 chapters ago, Deliritous wanted to turn back with a broken leg. Now he’s suffered likely mortal burns and he still wants to press on.
Baz sees the impossibility of Deliritous going on and offers to finish the Trials for him on his own while Rox takes Delirious back to Hamlet. “He owed it to Deliritous now.” It continues to be unclear whether Baz has actually truly changed, or if he’s making this offer solely out of obligation. He’s certainly having an internal battle with himself.
He wanted to be furious at Deliritous for even suggesting that he be grateful to the man who had robbed him of his brother. That Baz knew he owed Deliritous his life only worsened the resentment he felt. But would he have rather died than be in Deliritous’s debt? The answer to that question seemed like it should be obvious, but in Baz’s mind it was clear as smudged ink.
Regardless, Deliritous won’t accept the offer. Instead, he suggests they go find some Citiless. Maybe they’ll help him, though Baz points out they’re just as likely to murder them and rob them of all the Spoken Books they have.
Waste is a lie
So they will continue on. But how are they going to transport Deliritous? Well, leave it to Rox. He hacks up the dead horse with his razor and turns it into a sled they can put Deliritous on. Not the most pleasant of scenes here. You know those horse bones can’t be that clean, and Deliritous is also blistered with oozing sores. “The whole thing stank worse than Rox had after crawling out of the bog.”
And it’s not particularly comfortable, Deliritous whimpers over every bump, and Rox is despondent at his charge’s pain. Has to wipe his arm across his eyes several times. Baz puts together that Rox must feel like a big brother for Deliritous. Interesting that maybe Baz is coming around to Rox more than Deliritous, why do we think that is? Rox is, after all, the one who actually tore Tax’s eyes out. But he even recalls staring into his brother’s eyes once when he was sick without connecting the loss of those eyes back to Rox.
Twenty-Seven
That’s how many Readers have died on the Trials in the past 50 years. And it seems Deliritous is preparing to become number 28. “I never really considered it a possibility it could happen to me. But I do now.” Even Baz can’t remain dispassionate in the face of such an admission, eyes burning. Could he really continue to hate this man? He’s just afraid, like any other person in his situation would be. But yet, he’s also brave, still pushing toward what now seems an impossible goal. Baz is glad when Deliritous passes out. At least he’s spared from the agony he’s suffered on Baz’s account for a little while.
Chapter 20
I can carry him.
And now, friends, I invite you to remove your reading glasses, put on your cardigans, and join me this week’s installment of D. T. Kane’s Epic Philosophy Book Club.
Right. So Rox and Baz carry on, dragging poor Deliritous along. Baz is trying to convince Rox that this isn’t working, but Rox isn’t having it: “It is a great Truth, giving your life for a promise. I am ready.”
Baz counters, “There’s no Truth in pursuing a hopeless path…. Anything has to be better than this.”
Rox, growing angry, responds, “We could do worse. We could give up. I will not…. I am no surgeon. I cannot heal him. But I can carry him to someone who may be able to help.”
OK. Who’s got the winning side of the debate here, do you think? Is dying for a promise noble? Or forget noble, is it the right thing to do? I think most of us can agree with the premise that keeping promises is a good thing. But to what point? If it will hurt someone to keep a promise, should you still keep it? What if it will hurt yourself? It’s tough to give exact answers to such general questions. But here, you’ve promised to keep someone safe and now they’re at the brink of death with seemingly no way out. Is sacrificing yourself worth it?
Well, I’m very thankful that I’ve never personally been in such a situation. But I think the key thing here is hope. I think if there was a 100% chance that Deliritous wasn’t going to make it, Rox, and most people in a similar position, wouldn’t sacrifice themselves. But the thing is, almost nothing is 100% certain. Death and taxes, right? And maybe Chuck Norris. Besides that, there’s always some chance. And the thing is, when you care deeply enough about a promise, even the smallest sliver of hope is worth keeping that promise. At least, that’s my theory. And that seems to be Rox’s too. Baz perhaps is more of a realist, but I’d love to ask Baz what he’d do if it was Tax on that sled instead of Deliritous. And who knows, maybe I will ask him that question in another book. *raises eyebrows*
Freedom to Choose
But Rox understands that Baz needn’t bind himself to Rox’s oath. Baz gets angry at that, since Rox insinuated the other night that he’d sworn an oath to Deliritous, but is now suggesting Baz break it after just lecturing him on the virtue on sticking to oaths. But Rox explains that he doesn’t really believe Baz swore a bind oath: “You must be free to swear an oath.”
Again, Baz initially takes offense, thinking Rox is saying Speakers can’t keep oaths. But what Rox means is a slave can’t be bound to an oath given to his master, because there’s no free choice there.
“They could die,” Baz replies.
A paradox, Rox says, one even Enigmans like him apparently can’t solve. It’s true, a man can always choose death. But is an oath sworn where the only alternative is death–the proverbial gun held to the head–a true promise? Rox doesn’t think so. Do you?
This is sort of the same question as before. Maybe modified slightly. Is your own personal truth worth dying for? I guess it likely depends on what you’re being asked to do, though I suppose we can assume that if someone’s holding a gun to your head, it’s something you would never consent to otherwise. Maybe that answers the question right there. I mean, there’s a reason “duress” is a defense to most crimes.
The even harder question is whether it’s actually the right choice to choose death instead of carrying out the coerced promise. You shoot her or I’ll shoot you. What’s the right choice there? I’d like to think I’d take the bullet, but man, I get nervous just thinking about it in the hypothetical.
Baz then modifies the facts a little: “What if it isn’t your own death that’s coercing you, but the loss of another? I’d never see Tax again if I ran.”
To me, this is almost an easier question. If the life of someone I care about is being threatened, there’s probably little I wouldn’t be willing to do to prevent it from happening. But again, tough, tough choices. Even Rox, who has proved to be our surprising moral compass on this journey doesn’t have an answer. But Rox does admit that he sees the injustice of Baz’s situation: Deliritous is better than most, but he still oppresses Baz. Man, Rox really is the best of the three–he cares for Deliritous despite knowing he’s deeply flawed.
OK, you can take your cardigan off now. Baz and Rox continue onward after that rousing debate and come to a blockage in the road. Rox dismounts to see what’s going on. There’s a bright flash! And when Baz’s vision clears, what does he see?
Another dragon.
CONCLUSION
Homework: We’ll read Chs 21 and 22. Baz’s last encounter with a dragon ended poorly. But we’ll see there’s something a bit different about this one. Then Baz makes a surprising deal. And lots of words get repeated. Repeated. What’s going on with that? Tune in next week to find out!
Listener Question:
Quest: What is the name of the dragon we met in the prologue?
Quote:
“We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream.”
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
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