"some with their wives beside them; for the peasent women often follow the peasants; in Vendée, pregnant women served as spies." Interesting detail, although that’s followed by Lantenac equating "the baggage, the women, and everything of no use."
It’s really not a great battle, at least at first; Gauvain’s standing there, but the peasants are running around like crazy and shooting each other. Not very heroic.
First introduction of Captain Guéchamp: he’s described as “brave” and will eventually be famous in-universe, although he too is a fictional character.
"Only half a battalion, it will be remembered, had been exterminated at Herbe-en-Pail, and Radoub had the good luck not to form a part of it." It was definitely not remembered at the time—when we came to that and everyone was like "aw, poor Radoub," I had glossed over the part where only half of them died. Anyway, he’s alive! One upside.
So, then Gauvain comes up with some very tropey plot to scare the peasants into panicking despite their outnumbering his troops about four to one, it works perfectly, and the peasants aren’t able to fight any kind of great battle at all. Maybe the fact that people aren’t killed is what’s so great about it? But even the fact that the Bretons are so unenlightened and creatures of the underground dark doesn’t help them in any way, despite the fact there is “No light anywhere.”
"L’Imânus killed two or three of the deserters to no purpose" Exactly L’Imânus’ style. This guy doesn’t even kill with a purpose, he just likes being cruel.
…I’m still not over the ridiculousness of the chapter title. Is this supposed to parallel the stealthy Claymore, which was all about disguise and false allegiance? Gauvain’s being the sneakiest, with his twenty men faking an enormous army.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-06-10 03:45 pm (UTC)It’s really not a great battle, at least at first; Gauvain’s standing there, but the peasants are running around like crazy and shooting each other. Not very heroic.
First introduction of Captain Guéchamp: he’s described as “brave” and will eventually be famous in-universe, although he too is a fictional character.
"Only half a battalion, it will be remembered, had been exterminated at Herbe-en-Pail, and Radoub had the good luck not to form a part of it." It was definitely not remembered at the time—when we came to that and everyone was like "aw, poor Radoub," I had glossed over the part where only half of them died. Anyway, he’s alive! One upside.
So, then Gauvain comes up with some very tropey plot to scare the peasants into panicking despite their outnumbering his troops about four to one, it works perfectly, and the peasants aren’t able to fight any kind of great battle at all. Maybe the fact that people aren’t killed is what’s so great about it? But even the fact that the Bretons are so unenlightened and creatures of the underground dark doesn’t help them in any way, despite the fact there is “No light anywhere.”
"L’Imânus killed two or three of the deserters to no purpose" Exactly L’Imânus’ style. This guy doesn’t even kill with a purpose, he just likes being cruel.
…I’m still not over the ridiculousness of the chapter title. Is this supposed to parallel the stealthy Claymore, which was all about disguise and false allegiance? Gauvain’s being the sneakiest, with his twenty men faking an enormous army.