The Fifth Season: Chapter 19 Summary & Analysis

Alabaster and Syenite have now been in Meov for three days. Syen still hasn’t learned any of the language, which is called Eturpic, and Alabaster has convinced her that they can’t return to the Stillness. As they walk together on one of the cliff-tops one day, he argues that it would be suicidal to return to the Fulcrum without knowing exactly why the Guardians are trying to kill them. Syen also realizes that everyone probably already thinks that they’re dead, destroyed in the massive eruption that used to be Allia.

Alabaster seems delighted to finally be free of the Fulcrum, even if it means staying on Meov. He assures Syenite that neither of their Guardians can find them unless they manage to get near enough, and that back on the Stillness, he and Syen are surely wanted criminals, with one or the other made out to be the new Misalem. Syen realizes that he’s right, as the destruction at Allia contradicts everything that the Fulcrum is supposed to offer, so the orogenes of the Fulcrum will need to make them scapegoats or else risk being murdered by mobs themselves.

Syenite still feels guilty, though—she can now sess further than before, oddly, and so can appreciate just how terrible things are in Allia. The broken obelisk has seemingly buried itself all the way down into the earth’s mantle, leaving a gaping hole of magma behind that has destroyed everything. Because of this, Syenite feels especially angered by Alabaster’s apparent joy. He again assures her that their Guardians can’t track them, because of whatever he did to his and because when Syen’s orogeny was negated, her Guardian lost his connection to her until he touches her again.

Syen continues to be angry, and Alabaster then reminds her how many times they’ve had sex even though neither of them wanted to. Her rage grows, forming a torus of ice that Alabaster immediately blots out with his own. He apologizes and says that he was just trying to make a point, but Syen already knows what it is—that roggas are slaves with no control over even their own bodies. She feels like she hates Alabaster because he gives voice to these terrible truths—truths that every orogene at the Fulcrum chooses to ignore so that they might remain comfortable and safe.

Glaring at each other but then walking together again, Syenite and Alabaster head back down to the village, where a large ship called the Clalsu arrived two days previously. Its captain, Innon, is technically second-in-command to the headman, Harlas, but he is clearly a leader and beloved by all. A huge, dark man with an outsized personality, Innon is a “feral” orogene like Harlas, and Syen feels herself entirely confused by him.

As Syenite and Alabaster enter Meov’s caverns, they can immediately hear Innon’s booming voice where everyone has gathered for their evening meal. He greets them both and loudly invites them to sit by him—he is a huge man, with his hair in braids and wearing garish clothing. Syenite can’t help smiling as they join him. As he continues to talk, Syen thinks about what is confusing about Innon—he clearly desires her, but he also seems to want Alabaster, who appears to be interested in Innon as well. After flirting with both of them, Innon launches into a story in Eturpic, dramatically telling the tale using his entire body.

Alabaster translates Innon’s story some for Syenite, and finally asks her directly if she wants Innon for herself. She asks him if he wants Innon, and Alabaster asks if she would really back off if he asked her to. When she is silent, Alabaster leaves the story circle. When Innon’s tale is over, Syen leaves to go find Alabaster. He’s in their shared room, sitting on the floor in the dark. Syen snaps at him, and he finally asks her if she ever just wants to be a human being. Syen responds that roggas aren’t human, and Alabaster fiercely says that they are—their classification as non-human is just a justification for the way people treat them.

Syenite says that Alabaster can have Innon if he wants him. Alabaster recognizes that Syen wants Innon too, but he says that he can’t be as unselfish as she is. Sadly, he tells her that it’s been so long—and she knows that he means since he had a lover that he really wanted. Syen asks if Alabaster wants her to go get Innon for him, and after a long while he nods and thanks her.

Syenite leaves and finds her way to Innon, who leans against the wall beside her. She quickly admits that she likes Innon, but she says that she’s here on Alabaster’s behalf. Innon asks if they mean to share him, which throws Syen off until Innon shrugs away the suggestion. He tells Syen that she is a good friend, and the stronger of the two—Alabaster has been broken and is barely holding himself together, he says, while Syen is bruised but still intact. Innon then kisses her and promises that he will look out for her, and he leaves to go find Alabaster.

Syenite stands looking out at the sea, now that her bedroom is occupied. She remembers one of Meov’s women explaining to her that they all survive only because of orogenes. The woman then suggested that Alabaster and Syenite should have a baby and give it to Meov so that they don’t have to steal one from the mainland. Syenite doesn’t like this idea, but she does prefer it to their child becoming a node maintainer.

After a few hours, Syenite goes back into her room where she can hear Alabaster crying very quietly. She passes through the curtain that’s been put up for privacy and sees Innon holding the weeping Alabaster, both of them naked and clearly having just had sex. Innon beckons to her, and to her surprise Syenite finds herself undressing and getting into bed with them as Innon continues to hold Alabaster. Eventually she falls asleep beside them until the next morning, when she wakes up, vomits, and realizes that she is pregnant.