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Summary
Chapter Seven: The Voice of Reason
Geralt and Dandelion encounter Falwick, Tailles, and several soldiers in the glade outside the boundary of the temple of Melitele. Tailles brandishes his sword and the soldiers surround Dandelion and Geralt, cutting off their path back to the temple. Falwick tells Geralt that he must fight a duel with Tailles because Geralt insulted him during their previous encounter. Falwick explains that if Geralt refuses to fight Tailles, he will be hanged. A dwarf named Dennis Cranmer introduces himself as the captain of Hereward’s guard. He explains that it isn’t a fight to the death, so Geralt just needs to let Tailles render him helpless. Falwick explains that, since Tailles is Hereward’s favorite, Geralt can’t harm him. If he touches him with his sword, Geralt will be arrested.
Falwick says that Tailles needs the fame that comes with defeating a witcher. When Geralt tells them that he has a choice and looks at the soldiers that surround him, Dennis Cranmer tells him that there will be great bloodshed if he chooses that path, like there was in Blaviken. Dandelion points out how terrified the soldiers look of Geralt. Geralt tells them all that he’d rather not waste time and agrees to fight Tailles. Falwick insists that, for fairness, Geralt use Falwick’s sword, which is the same as the one Tailles uses.
When they meet in the circle, Geralt asks if Tailles will accept an apology instead, but Tailles takes a fighting position. Tailles comes at him and Geralt easily defends himself. When Tailles holds his sword high, however, Geralt hits it so that Tailles hits himself in the face. Falwick is furious and calls for the guards to apprehend Geralt. Dennis Cranmer commands them to remain where they stand, however. He explains that he follows his order to the letter and that Geralt did not touch him. Falwick tells Geralt that he must leave Ellander immediately, and Dennis Cranmer agrees. Before they part, Geralt asks Falwick whether he would fight him, and Falwick grows pale. Geralt threatens to hurt Falwick if The White Rose Order bothers Nenneke or Dennis Cranmer.
Geralt and Dandelion prepare to leave the temple as Nenneke looks on. Dandelion thanks her for her hospitality and says that he knows she likes him deep down. She admits that she does, but that she doesn’t know why. She tells Geralt to look after himself but he tells her that looking after others works out better in the long run. Iola brings his chest to him, which Nenneke has replenished with elixirs. When he takes the chest from Iola, their hands touch and Geralt sees blood, broken bones, and the features of a monster. Iola falls to the ground convulsing. When she stops seizing, Nenneke has priestesses take her away carefully. Shaken, Nenneke tells Geralt that she, too, saw the vision. She asks him not to go, but he tells her that he must. Nenneke whispers a tearful farewell to him.
Analysis
The glimpse that Iola gets of Geralt’s future in the final scene of the book explains why he avoids prophecy. It also serves as a dire warning for what is to come. Though this is the final chapter of the book, it sets up a sequel centered on Iola’s prophecy. The vision she, Geralt, and Nenneke share is so bloody and violent that it causes Iola to have a seizure and leaves Nenneke shaken. When Geralt confesses he has seen this vision before, it explains his hesitation to have his future read in a trance. Geralt’s belief that the future is unchangeable means that he thinks he’s powerless to avoid the vision. A trance would only confirm what he already knows—that his future is filled with terror and pain. Moreover, Geralt doesn’t want the people in his life to know what’s ahead of him. This vision also helps to explain the regret and despair Geralt seems to feel throughout the book.
During his fight with Tailles, Geralt once again shows how clever he is by following a set of impossible rules. Falwick and Tailles have contrived a situation in which Geralt should not be able to win the fight. However, Geralt figures out how to win without actually hitting Tailles. Even more important than his technique was Geralt’s ability to read the situation. Although he has never met Dennis Cranmer before, Geralt decides quickly that Dennis Cranmer is honest and will not be swayed by Falwick. This helps him trust that Dennis Cranmer, who oversees the fight, would rule in his favor if he followed the rules “to the letter.” Geralt’s technical expertise and his ability to read people help him stand out as an adept strategist.
Dennis Cranmer’s comment about the events in Blaviken shows how seriously people take Geralt’s reputation. Dennis Cranmer’s statement about Blaviken comes as a warning, reminding Geralt how quickly a violent situation can get out of hand. More importantly, however, is that it reveals that Geralt’s actions there have made him infamous. Though Dennis Cranmer is arguably on Geralt’s side during the incident with Tailles and Falwick, he is also fully aware of what Geralt is capable of and he doesn’t hesitate to point it out. This short conversation makes it clear that Geralt is still being haunted by the choice he made there. Not only does he regret his mistake in Blaviken, but Geralt’s relationships with other people, including strangers, continue to be shaped by his actions that day.
The rules of the fight that Geralt is compelled to participate in with Tailles makes a mockery of knighthood and illustrates the ridiculousness of The White Rose Order. Geralt is baited into a fight with Tailles by a rule of their order that states that he will be hanged if he doesn’t participate in it. Even worse, if he touches Tailles with his sword, he’ll be executed. The rules for the fight set Geralt up to be humiliated because of arbitrary yet enforceable rules that favor Tailles. These rules demonstrate how the Knights of The White Rose Order warp the system of honor and chivalry that is traditionally associated with such groups. In this way, the book makes a strong claim for the kind of code that Geralt follows. It isn’t underpinned by flawed rules of form that can be exploited to force someone into a fight. Instead, Geralt follows his instinct and a sense of what is right. By contrast, the Order imposes strict rules and laws that do not support fairness and justice. By baiting Geralt into a fight he cannot win, the Order shows how systems can be exploited.
