Thomas Covenant 8 — The Fatal Revenant
Chapter 12: Part One — 11. Melenkurion Skyweir
by Donaldson, Stephen R.Linden Avery and her companions arrive at the towering Melenkurion Skyweir, a majestic peak that dominates the landscape with its sheer cliffs and glacial slopes. The mountain exudes an aura of timeless grandeur, standing as a sentinel over Garroting Deep. Despite her disorientation and the biting cold, Linden is struck by the mountain’s imposing presence, which seems almost sacred, like a temple to the Earth’s beauty. Hidden within its depths lies the EarthBlood, a power Covenant promises will end Lord Foul’s tyranny and free Linden’s son, Jeremiah, though it may cost Linden her life.
As Linden surveys the plateau surrounding the Skyweir, she senses an underlying warmth beneath the icy stone, hinting at the EarthBlood’s presence. However, her health-sense also detects a distant, growing tremor—a natural but catastrophic earthquake building within the mountain. Covenant and Jeremiah, seemingly unaffected by the cold or fatigue, urge Linden to press on, prioritizing their mission over her physical needs. Despite her exhaustion, Linden complies, driven by Jeremiah’s apparent concern and the urgency of their quest.
The group transports to the plateau’s center, where Linden kneels to connect with the mountain’s essence. She perceives the EarthBlood’s latent power but also the impending quake, which Covenant casually confirms will split the Skyweir open. His indifference to the looming disaster contrasts sharply with Linden’s alarm, highlighting their differing perspectives on the Land’s fate. The earthquake, while natural, symbolizes the immense forces at play, mirroring the upheaval in Linden’s own life as she grapples with sacrifice and loss.
Linden’s realization of the coming cataclysm underscores the chapter’s tension between hope and despair. The Skyweir’s impending destruction mirrors her inner turmoil, as she faces the likelihood of her own death to secure Jeremiah’s freedom. Covenant’s detached attitude suggests a deeper, perhaps calculated, understanding of events, leaving Linden to navigate her grief and suspicion alone. The chapter ends with a sense of inevitability, as the group stands on the brink of both geological and personal upheaval.
FAQs
1. How does the author describe Melenkurion Skyweir’s physical appearance and its significance in the landscape?
Answer:
The chapter paints Melenkurion Skyweir as a towering, majestic peak that dominates the mountain range with its sheer eastern face dropping 15,000-20,000 feet. Its northern and western slopes blend gradually with lower peaks, adorned with ancient blue ice. The mountain is portrayed as a defiant, almost sacred entity—like a “fane erected for the august beauty of the world”—with its plateau resembling an altar for worship. Its presence suggests permanence and watchfulness over Garroting Deep, symbolizing Earth’s unyielding strength and grandeur. The description emphasizes its role as both a geological wonder and a spiritual landmark in the Land.2. What internal conflict does Linden Avery face upon arriving at Melenkurion Skyweir, and how does the setting amplify her emotions?
Answer:
Linden grapples with disorientation, doubt, and grief over her son Jeremiah’s impending freedom and her own likely demise. The harsh, icy environment—air “sharp as augury” and cold like “shards of glass”—mirrors her emotional fragility. The mountain’s immensity and the plateau’s altar-like solemnity heighten her sense of insignificance and impending sacrifice. Additionally, the tremors of an approaching earthquake (a “mounting cataclysm”) metaphorically reflect her inner turmoil and the irreversible changes she anticipates. The setting thus intensifies her isolation and the weight of her choices.3. Analyze the contrast between Linden’s physical limitations and Covenant/Jeremiah’s supernatural abilities in this chapter. How does this dynamic affect their interactions?
Answer:
Linden suffers from hunger, thirst, and cold—human vulnerabilities starkly absent in Covenant and Jeremiah, who move effortlessly via “eldritch doorway” jumps and ignore the climate. This disparity creates tension: they dismiss her needs (e.g., Covenant’s peremptory “come on”) yet rely on her perception (e.g., her detecting the earthquake). Jeremiah’s fleeting concern (“She’s hungry…”) hints at care, but their impatience underscores Linden’s marginalization. The dynamic reinforces her isolation as the only mortal among them, forcing her to rely on her Staff and health-sense while they prioritize their mission.4. What foreshadowing exists in the chapter regarding the impending earthquake, and how does it connect to broader themes in the story?
Answer:
Linden senses “subcutaneous tremors” of a “massive” quake that will split the Skyweir, creating “Rivenrock”—a cataclysm Covenant casually confirms. This event foreshadows both physical destruction (like Kevin’s Watch’s collapse) and thematic upheaval: natural forces beyond human control, the cost of power (EarthBlood’s pursuit), and irreversible change. The quake’s inevitability parallels Linden’s resigned acceptance of her fate, while its scale hints at the Land’s fragility. It also sets the stage for Damelon’s future actions, linking past, present, and future in the Land’s cyclical struggles.5. How does the chapter use sensory details to immerse the reader in the environment of Melenkurion Skyweir? Provide specific examples.
Answer:
The text employs vivid sensory imagery: visual (“mottled ice and snow,” “blue ice”), tactile (“cold as irrefragable stone,” “shards of glass”), and even auditory hints (branches clattering). The “sharp and pointed” air and Linden’s “steaming breath” evoke the biting cold, while the plateau’s “swept clean” granite contrasts with the distant “throb” of EarthBlood. Sunshine heightens the mountain’s brilliance, making its eastern face a “precipitous” spectacle. These details ground the reader in the setting’s harsh beauty and Linden’s visceral experience, blending awe with physical discomfort.
Quotes
1. “Made brilliant by sunshine, it dominated the south. Indeed, it seemed to command the entire range… with its crown and chin raised to the heavens as if in defiance.”
This vivid description of Melenkurion Skyweir captures its awe-inspiring grandeur and symbolic significance as a natural monument of power and defiance, setting the tone for the chapter’s exploration of the mountain’s sacred role.
2. “Somehow the mountain appeared impervious to doubt or reproach; immune to time.”
This line underscores Melenkurion Skyweir’s timeless, unchanging nature, contrasting with Linden’s inner turmoil and foreshadowing the coming seismic changes that will test this apparent permanence.
3. “The whole mountain and its surrounding rock might have been a fane erected for and sanctified to the august beauty of the world.”
This poetic passage elevates the mountain to a sacred space, emphasizing its spiritual importance as a temple of Earthpower and the setting for Linden’s pivotal confrontation with destiny.
4. “She thought that if she extended her health-sense toward the mountain’s depths, she might draw some of its knowledge and permanence into herself.”
This moment reveals Linden’s desperate attempt to find stability and courage from the mountain’s ancient power, highlighting her isolation and the chapter’s theme of seeking strength in the face of impending catastrophe.
5. “The sensation reminded her of the damage which she had felt in Kevin’s Watch when she had first arrived in the Land… as natural as the world’s slow respiration, and as potentially destructive as a hurricane.”
This realization about the coming earthquake connects past and present while contrasting natural destruction with unnatural harm, encapsulating the chapter’s tension between inevitable change and personal crisis.