With that said, yes, that probably is a good idea. He does need to be monitered, and perhaps she’ll be able to give him a push in the right direction nect time he feels like… working at cross-purposes with others. Who knows, maybe he’s learned something. Probably has.
2nd! Again. I’m always just that wee bit too busy to check on Thurs afternoon (local time).
I know what Digger means, but life itself is a bit of a destiny thing, isn’t it?
Also, Murai should feel pretty chuffed that BCM rates her as being capable of handling Jhalim if he *does* look like he’s about to derail again.
Yeesh! I hope she is up to it after all that happened and how she is… Only a matter of time before someone like that does something like what he did again.
Recommendation from Boneclaw Mother? That’s about as good as you get, Murai. Smart move, taking her advice.
That said, I wanna commend Ursula for the characters’ endings so far. (Or, rather, their endings in the story; Murai, certainly, is going to have her own adventures.) Ed’s death was bitter and heartbreaking, but it fit so well with the story. And Murai’s future’s, well, worrisome, as good a man as Jhalm is he’s got a habit of using his goodness against himself–but again, it fits. It fits so perfectly with the story that looking at it, it’s impossible to see it going any other way.
So well done, Ursula, because good endings are tough. And so far this is playing out well.
I can’t help but feel that now the influence of the dead god has been lifted, maybe Captain Jhalm will turn out to be not so bad; after all, he was under outside influences, and as the effects wear off, he’ll realize he was doing wrong. But it’s good that someone will be there to watch him in case he backslides. Sort of like someone coming out of intense rehab. Yes, they’re clean, but it’s only the first step, really.
Jhalm needs a conscience that lives outside of his own skull. If it’s inside his skull, he can ignore it. He won’t be able to ignore Murai. She’s gained a lot in confidence. And I suspect got a bit of advice on ramming things through Jhalm’s thick skull from Boneclaw Mother.
@Jaynee and CJ: I think CJ’s got it. BCM isn’t saying that Murai could physically take down Jhalm, she’s saying that Murai is now the person most capable of doing The Thing to Jhalm if he needs it. “Hey, remember when you almost decided to kill me? Wasn’t that situation kinda like this one? Maybe you should rethink this.” Except, y’know, politer, ‘cos it’d be Murai saying it. 🙂
@ wombat32 Are you SURE he was under the influence of SGV? We never see anything to really imply that. He was a prick from day one, before SGV had fully flexed its…ah..muscles, as it were.
From what I recall of Jhalm’s attitude, he was extremely self-certain. Perhaps not self-righteous, but very convinced that he knows best, and that his decisions could not possibly be morally reprehensible, or more specifically, that his decisions could fail to serve the best interests of the gods and the community.
That’s the most dangerous thing about Jhalm, he can push any doubts he might have aside, and do what he feels MUST be done. And he won’t back down about it unless someone rubs his nose in his mess. Someone with a perceived frailty but an immense amount of inner strength…why hello there Boneclaw Mother, Murai. 🙂
I agree, I can’t see Murai turning away from this ending. She has learned a lot from Digger, but at her core she has not changed. She’s just willing to face what she is now.
A good human being. One who has suffered, one who has been broken, but one who remains good, and remains standing, and at the end of it all, when her own leader threatens to cut her down if she does not step aside…
Has anyone else noticed that Murai seems to be a lot more stable, mentally speaking, ever since she decided to stand up to Jhalm? It’s as though, by deciding where she stood in the conflict between the Veiled and the anti-SGV alliance, she regained enough strength to get a firm hold on reality.
well, what’s next for Digger?? I know we don’t get to find out in an extended story, which I mourn, but still I’d love to know! as for Murai–you rock, girl! oh, and my favorite frame today, number 2, and Digger’s ears–they are SO expressive!
(If it doesn’t work this time, somebody better give me instructions).
Whoa. Who saw that coming? I figured Murai would go anywhere except with Jhalm. But that may be the healthiest for both of them, and if it has Boneclaw Mother’s blessing, well…
*snort* I’d take advice from Boneclaw Mother regarding my future before I’d take it from a god; gods tend to be impractical and looooove famous last stands.
Well, Murai has always respected Jhalm, and he has previously shown concern for her – and if he didn’t respect her before, he should now. As Hawk says, he was extremely confident in his own righteousness before – the fact that he backed off means he’s had to re-examine that. Murai will always be a reminder, but a very gentle one, that he _can_ be wrong.
In addition to rubbing his nose in, “Hey, remember when you almost killed me?” I think there’s a dedication Murai’s proven that will give her enough cred with Jhalm now.
He only respects people who are as hardline as he is. Previously defined as “him.” People who compromise, he doesn’t know how to parse, and he reads them as weak. Murai has demonstrated that she’s willing to be just as batshit as he is over her convictions.
Remember that Jhalm is not a evil man, just stubborn, from his point of view what he did was not unreasonable, in his position if he didn’t suspect of Digger it would be close to negligence from his part and, most important, in the end he *did* the right thing. We have the advantage of being readers and so half-omniscient, things were not so clear from his point of view.
Heh, I can see it now… “Captain, do I have to stand in front of you again?” *stern look*
Though I still think that Murai either got cheated out of that grand destiny of hers by a certain wombat, or maybe was just crazy enough to fabricate one for herself. I suppose we’ll never know for sure.
rueyeet, maybe this was her destiny from the beginning. I mean, look at the impact she’s had here, just by doing something as simple as standing in a doorway with a sword in one hand and a sling around the other! And maybe Digger’s story is just an amalgamation of everyone’s destinies coming together into one big epic. I kind of like to think of it that way. 🙂
FIRST!
With that said, yes, that probably is a good idea. He does need to be monitered, and perhaps she’ll be able to give him a push in the right direction nect time he feels like… working at cross-purposes with others. Who knows, maybe he’s learned something. Probably has.
2nd! Again. I’m always just that wee bit too busy to check on Thurs afternoon (local time).
I know what Digger means, but life itself is a bit of a destiny thing, isn’t it?
Also, Murai should feel pretty chuffed that BCM rates her as being capable of handling Jhalim if he *does* look like he’s about to derail again.
Yeesh! I hope she is up to it after all that happened and how she is… Only a matter of time before someone like that does something like what he did again.
“No… this is a /duty/ thing.”
Murai is totally girl-Kristoff sometimes, and I love her for it. (:
Recommendation from Boneclaw Mother? That’s about as good as you get, Murai. Smart move, taking her advice.
That said, I wanna commend Ursula for the characters’ endings so far. (Or, rather, their endings in the story; Murai, certainly, is going to have her own adventures.) Ed’s death was bitter and heartbreaking, but it fit so well with the story. And Murai’s future’s, well, worrisome, as good a man as Jhalm is he’s got a habit of using his goodness against himself–but again, it fits. It fits so perfectly with the story that looking at it, it’s impossible to see it going any other way.
So well done, Ursula, because good endings are tough. And so far this is playing out well.
Well done, Boneclaw Mom.
I’ll have to agree with Allie Lewis. These are fantastic goodbyes.
I can’t help but feel that now the influence of the dead god has been lifted, maybe Captain Jhalm will turn out to be not so bad; after all, he was under outside influences, and as the effects wear off, he’ll realize he was doing wrong. But it’s good that someone will be there to watch him in case he backslides. Sort of like someone coming out of intense rehab. Yes, they’re clean, but it’s only the first step, really.
Jhalm needs a conscience that lives outside of his own skull. If it’s inside his skull, he can ignore it. He won’t be able to ignore Murai. She’s gained a lot in confidence. And I suspect got a bit of advice on ramming things through Jhalm’s thick skull from Boneclaw Mother.
@Jaynee and CJ: I think CJ’s got it. BCM isn’t saying that Murai could physically take down Jhalm, she’s saying that Murai is now the person most capable of doing The Thing to Jhalm if he needs it. “Hey, remember when you almost decided to kill me? Wasn’t that situation kinda like this one? Maybe you should rethink this.” Except, y’know, politer, ‘cos it’d be Murai saying it. 🙂
@ wombat32 Are you SURE he was under the influence of SGV? We never see anything to really imply that. He was a prick from day one, before SGV had fully flexed its…ah..muscles, as it were.
From what I recall of Jhalm’s attitude, he was extremely self-certain. Perhaps not self-righteous, but very convinced that he knows best, and that his decisions could not possibly be morally reprehensible, or more specifically, that his decisions could fail to serve the best interests of the gods and the community.
That’s the most dangerous thing about Jhalm, he can push any doubts he might have aside, and do what he feels MUST be done. And he won’t back down about it unless someone rubs his nose in his mess. Someone with a perceived frailty but an immense amount of inner strength…why hello there Boneclaw Mother, Murai. 🙂
I agree, I can’t see Murai turning away from this ending. She has learned a lot from Digger, but at her core she has not changed. She’s just willing to face what she is now.
A good human being. One who has suffered, one who has been broken, but one who remains good, and remains standing, and at the end of it all, when her own leader threatens to cut her down if she does not step aside…
…Murai remains.
Has anyone else noticed that Murai seems to be a lot more stable, mentally speaking, ever since she decided to stand up to Jhalm? It’s as though, by deciding where she stood in the conflict between the Veiled and the anti-SGV alliance, she regained enough strength to get a firm hold on reality.
well, what’s next for Digger?? I know we don’t get to find out in an extended story, which I mourn, but still I’d love to know! as for Murai–you rock, girl! oh, and my favorite frame today, number 2, and Digger’s ears–they are SO expressive!
http://topwebcomics.com/vote/10180/default.aspx Votey votey!
(If it doesn’t work this time, somebody better give me instructions).
Whoa. Who saw that coming? I figured Murai would go anywhere except with Jhalm. But that may be the healthiest for both of them, and if it has Boneclaw Mother’s blessing, well…
–Perfesser
*snort* I’d take advice from Boneclaw Mother regarding my future before I’d take it from a god; gods tend to be impractical and looooove famous last stands.
Well, Murai has always respected Jhalm, and he has previously shown concern for her – and if he didn’t respect her before, he should now. As Hawk says, he was extremely confident in his own righteousness before – the fact that he backed off means he’s had to re-examine that. Murai will always be a reminder, but a very gentle one, that he _can_ be wrong.
In addition to rubbing his nose in, “Hey, remember when you almost killed me?” I think there’s a dedication Murai’s proven that will give her enough cred with Jhalm now.
He only respects people who are as hardline as he is. Previously defined as “him.” People who compromise, he doesn’t know how to parse, and he reads them as weak. Murai has demonstrated that she’s willing to be just as batshit as he is over her convictions.
Remember that Jhalm is not a evil man, just stubborn, from his point of view what he did was not unreasonable, in his position if he didn’t suspect of Digger it would be close to negligence from his part and, most important, in the end he *did* the right thing. We have the advantage of being readers and so half-omniscient, things were not so clear from his point of view.
Hopefully Murai has been taking lessons in The Thing from BCM…
Somehow, while I was reading Sebastian’s post, the following sentence entered my head and would not be dislodged until I posted it:
“Jhalm is just a stubborn old goat who never figured out how to relax, turn into a troll, and enjoy life.”
I have no idea where that came from, but there it is …
😉
(A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Trust me, I know!)
I don’t want to say goodbye.
Heh, I can see it now… “Captain, do I have to stand in front of you again?” *stern look*
Though I still think that Murai either got cheated out of that grand destiny of hers by a certain wombat, or maybe was just crazy enough to fabricate one for herself. I suppose we’ll never know for sure.
So if the veiled goes who does Ganesh get to hang out with?
rueyeet, maybe this was her destiny from the beginning. I mean, look at the impact she’s had here, just by doing something as simple as standing in a doorway with a sword in one hand and a sling around the other! And maybe Digger’s story is just an amalgamation of everyone’s destinies coming together into one big epic. I kind of like to think of it that way. 🙂
@Duckwhisperer The oracular slugs, of course!
…the flying mice, the monks, the seers, the other librarians…
Actually it’s more of a density thing, Jhalm being the dense one.
So, I just found one of the cutest things ever…
http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2011/01/wombat-tales.html