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Post by Daedalus on Aug 10, 2016 7:00:39 GMT
Uncertainty intensifies...So wait, Kat wandered down there without testing her prototype? Oh, lord. This isn't going to end well... You're supposed to be the smart one, Kat!
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Post by Fishy on Aug 10, 2016 7:02:49 GMT
Geez Kat I know it's a tense situation but you've gotta stop dropping all those quarters in the boat and get to finding that arrow.
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Post by Gulby on Aug 10, 2016 7:05:52 GMT
... maiiiis heuuuuuuuuu. I was too slow. XD
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Post by Nepycros on Aug 10, 2016 7:07:52 GMT
So when they get to the arrow, they are aware they'll have to pry it out of a skeleton that's been there for generations, no? It's not like it just dropped into the water somewhere and got stuck on a rock. Kat's about to pick her way through a corpse.
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Post by Daedalus on Aug 10, 2016 7:08:46 GMT
... maiiiis heuuuuuuuuu. I was too slow. XD I'm decently quick at this when I put my mind to it  |
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drdave
Junior Member
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Post by drdave on Aug 10, 2016 7:09:36 GMT
weeeeeell I don't know it it's a good idea to break jeanne free. this could have unforeseen consequences. she was put there for a reason
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pasko
Full Member
Objection!
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Post by pasko on Aug 10, 2016 7:18:40 GMT
No pressure, Kat.
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Post by TBeholder on Aug 10, 2016 7:19:30 GMT
No pressure.  |
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Pig_catapult
Full Member
Keeper of the Devilkitty
Posts: 171
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Post by Pig_catapult on Aug 10, 2016 7:41:35 GMT
weeeeeell I don't know it it's a good idea to break jeanne free. this could have unforeseen consequences. she was put there for a reason A very cruddy reason! |
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Post by arf on Aug 10, 2016 9:01:30 GMT
Well, at least we know there *is* a plan (even if it is only good in parts).
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pasko
Full Member
Objection!
Posts: 224
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Post by pasko on Aug 10, 2016 9:14:28 GMT
Uncertainty intensifies...So wait, Kat wandered down there without testing her prototype? Oh, lord. This isn't going to end well... You're supposed to be the smart one, Kat! Well, it is in no way implied that tests were not made. Anyway, how can she be sure that her tests were sound? After all, the device is completely unknown. |
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Post by arf on Aug 10, 2016 9:25:03 GMT
...Anyway, it was established last page that Kat's device *is* detecting something. So all's well.
...unless it's that damaged tic toc that Ysengrin might have thrown into the river? (Why is it always birds with you, Kat? Focus!)
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Post by Jelly Jellybean on Aug 10, 2016 11:09:49 GMT
I am really digging Kat's leaning forward, wind-in-her-face, yet slightly pensive look in the last panel. Determination tempered with acknowledgement of the risk.
Based on Annie's haircut and her positive attitude, the flashback is a relatively recent conversation. The ROTD confirmed that the arrow is a key part of freeing Jeanne. I am a little surprised the conversation didn't happen over the Summer before Anthony returned.
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Post by todd on Aug 10, 2016 12:42:24 GMT
weeeeeell I don't know it it's a good idea to break jeanne free. this could have unforeseen consequences. she was put there for a reason A very cruddy reason! I agree. Apart from the fact that a major part of the reason was Diego seeking revenge on Jeanne for turning him down (and I wouldn't be surprised if he'd subtly manipulated the Founders into believing that there was no way of solving their differences with Gilltie Wood peacefully - that way, he could cloak said revenge in "reasons of state" and get away with it, with the authorities as his accomplices), there have to b e other ways of solving the Court's problems with the forest - such as diplomacy and negotiation. And I still wonder this - *does* the Court have to live next door to Gilltie Wood in the first place? The evidence makes clear that it's not the sole island of humanity in a world otherwise coveed by the forest. There are other places to live. If they were fleeing trouble in the outside world, that trouble must be long over (and the hints that they've been working with the outside world on occasions - such as helping with the war effort in the flashback about Mort's death - suggests that they can hardly still be refugees in hiding). I suspect that the reason why they're living next to Gilltie is to pursue their research and experiments - presumably, the proximity of the Bismuth Seed is crucial to these - and Jones indicated that the outcome of those experiments could be dangerous, even disastrous. Is it right keeping a person trapped in Limbo as a raging killing machine, just to keep a Faustian project going? |
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Post by Nnelg on Aug 10, 2016 12:42:35 GMT
Ooh, I'm feeling the most excited about what's going to happen next than I have for many chapters... I think we're finally going to see Kat do more Mad Science.
I've got a strong suspicion that Kat's technical ability is more than just natural intelligence, that she's been subconciously doing something Ether-y like with Smitty and his probability warping. But it's been a long time since she made something as obviously way-out-there as her scrap-built antigravity device.
If my theory is correct, then she might not fully understand or be able to explain how whatever solution she came up with works. Also, a mysterious purple light may be involved. If either of these guesses are right, I'll take it as supporting evidence.
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Post by OGRuddawg on Aug 10, 2016 13:11:24 GMT
I love how determined Kat looks in the last panel. And it's good to see Annie's ingenuity again. When these two work together like this, GKC's writing is at it's best. I can't wait to see how this plays out *grabs 20 bags of popcorn*.
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Post by Nnelg on Aug 10, 2016 13:25:18 GMT
Apart from the fact that a major part of the reason was Diego seeking revenge on Jeanne for turning him down (and I wouldn't be surprised if he'd subtly manipulated the Founders into believing that there was no way of solving their differences with Gilltie Wood peacefully - that way, he could cloak said revenge in "reasons of state" and get away with it, with the authorities as his accomplices), there have to b e other ways of solving the Court's problems with the forest - such as diplomacy and negotiation. You saw Ysengrin's army, right? Calling them "savage beasts" would simply be putting it bluntly. They represent the face of the forest wich the old Court probably feared/hated the most. There's no way anyone could have a civilized discussion with them, and I doubt their ancestors were any less violent. Additionally, I wouldn't be so hasty to judge Diago without more information, remember Anthony? Right now we're measuring his level of spite by only two short comments from him. What if the plan to sacrifice an innocent was spearheaded by someone else, and there was a legimate reason why Jeanne was had to be it (say, a strong emotional bond to both the court and the forest, in addition to political expendibility). Diago may have been manipulated to heighten his emotional instability and blind him to alternative courses of action. How soon did he regret his actions? Was it only a year before his death, or only a day after Jeanne's? Perhaps he even came to his senses the night before, but could do nothing to stop the chain of events he had help set in motion. I'm not saying Diago's innocent of any crime, just that we shouldn't assume he's the arch-villian people seem to think he is. Why do the Israelis live next to half a dozen countries that hate them? Migration isn't easy, it takes a lot of time and effort, and migrants usually suffer much hardship along the way. |
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Post by ctso74 on Aug 10, 2016 13:37:42 GMT
"A really important part." *Annie's eyes bearing down on Kat* "So very very important!!"
I'm guessing Kat finds it, and etheric Annie extracts it. We've got to assume that there was a lot of behind the scenes planning. They must have an exit strategy of some kind, in case things go south, otherwise this is a deeply flawed plan.
I'm real curious as to the etheric state of the arrow, and the Green Man. Does a part of him still reside in the water? I've always wondered, if the Founders chose Jeanne solely on Diego's recommendation, or was the Green Man part of the situation and Jeanne just an incidental addition? Diego called him a traitor. He could be a rather important figure and necessary for the arrow.
It seems that we'll get answers (and probably more questions) soon. Hopefully, not at the cost of a main character. Annie finding an etheric tombstone saying "Here lies Gunnerkrigg" would be ideal.
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madragoran
Full Member
"If he trully does hurt you, I will rend the flesh from his bones on your word"
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Post by madragoran on Aug 10, 2016 14:22:09 GMT
Jeanne was waiting for yer fairy lover down there. I don't remember with what pretense Diego lowered her in the chasm but what happened is that he got murdered right in front of her eyes. So she was stranded physically in a chasm and probably added to her mental anguish. I am not sure why we assume the arrow is transmitting anything at all (yes Tom suggests as much) but Jeanne died a horrible enduring death. Isn't that usually enough to turn someone to a ghost?
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Post by tortoise on Aug 10, 2016 15:12:08 GMT
weeeeeell I don't know it it's a good idea to break jeanne free. this could have unforeseen consequences. she was put there for a reason She wasn't put there; it looks a little like the court used Jeanne as bait to draw out the green guy. www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=775Any target would probably have been good enough to work, but the Court obviously decided to kill a.) someone from the forest and b.) someone they could plausibly have killed anyway, such as a rogue fairy man swimming across the chasm. It's anyone's guess about what the arrow actually does. I doubt "Jeanne guards the river as a spooky spirit" was an intended side effect. |
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Post by Daedalus on Aug 10, 2016 15:13:01 GMT
It seems that we'll get answers (and probably more questions) soon. Hopefully, not at the cost of a main character. Annie finding an etheric tombstone saying "Here lies Gunnerkrigg" would be ideal. I will say that the name Gunnerkrigg has already been (somewhat) explained: Gunner's Crag, after the Artilleryman I too am curious what they will find down there, though! weeeeeell I don't know it it's a good idea to break jeanne free. this could have unforeseen consequences. she was put there for a reason She wasn't put there; it looks a little like the court used Jeanne as bait to draw out the green guy. www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=775Any target would probably have been good enough to work, but the Court obviously decided to kill a.) someone from the forest and b.) someone they could plausibly have killed anyway, such as a rogue fairy man swimming across the chasm. It's anyone's guess about what the arrow actually does. I doubt "Jeanne guards the river as a spooky spirit" was an intended side effect. The following pages appear to imply that the Arror trapped her as well, and caused her to become the rage-filled "sentinel of the Waters". I think the implication is strong that this was part of the plan as well. Not to mention that if the Lords of the Court only needed her to lure out the Green Man, they wouldn't have left Jeanne to die at the end of this fiasco (probably). Incidentally, has anyone else ever noticed that Jeanne has a tendency to speak in iambic pentameter? It can be seen on the page I linked and the following one. |
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Post by Per on Aug 10, 2016 15:20:14 GMT
Annie finding an etheric tombstone saying "Here lies Gunnerkrigg" would be ideal. "Here lies Gunrunnerrick" Forums explode. |
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Post by jda on Aug 10, 2016 15:47:04 GMT
So when they get to the arrow, they are aware they'll have to pry it out of a skeleton that's been there for generations, no? It's not like it just dropped into the water somewhere and got stuck on a rock. Kat's about to pick her way through a corpse. Who says it has to be a corpse? I can very well see the point in the Arrow being a temporal trap/alternate phase or dimension warper. I mean, the fact that Jeanne, in all her power, has not migrated nor has climbed out to enact white hot revenge on the Court tells me that not only is she trapped down ther on an etheric leash, but she will not leave her Lover in waiting for them to be rejoined. I. e. The GreenMan is alive. (or she thinks so). |
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Post by jda on Aug 10, 2016 15:49:36 GMT
So it all could end on finally Jeanne and GreenGuy simply meeting, so Annie makes a new very powerful ally on her Search for the truth, and Unavoidable Clash with the Court/Powers-to-be.
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Post by atteSmythe on Aug 10, 2016 15:49:36 GMT
Jeanne was waiting for yer fairy lover down there. I don't remember with what pretense Diego lowered her in the chasm but what happened is that he got murdered right in front of her eyes. So she was stranded physically in a chasm and probably added to her mental anguish. I am not sure why we assume the arrow is transmitting anything at all (yes Tom suggests as much) but Jeanne died a horrible enduring death. Isn't that usually enough to turn someone to a ghost? Oh man, all this! Annie's got a huge faulty assumption there. Based on the story, I'd reached the conclusion that Jeanne was transfixed by the light, but then trapped only by her anguish. I'd suspected that "all" the arrow does is trap her lover's soul, and that freeing him will allow her to transition as well. In that scenario, there's nothing about the arrow itself that's keeping Jeanne trapped - she has herself trapped, in a way. I'm sure I'm not 100% right, but the point is that there is at least one scenario that allows for the arrow to be a passive device. I hope these kids know what they're doing (they don't) |
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Post by Daedalus on Aug 10, 2016 15:51:29 GMT
I hope these kids know what they're doing (they don't) That's been somewhat true throughout the story. But now there are real consequences that could get them killed. |
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Post by jda on Aug 10, 2016 15:55:56 GMT
Annie finding an etheric tombstone saying "Here lies Gunnerkrigg" would be ideal. "Here lies Gunrunnerrick" Forums explode. "Here lies Link" Now, THAT's one think I may like to see. |
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Post by TBeholder on Aug 10, 2016 17:17:29 GMT
I'd suspected that "all" the arrow does is trap her lover's soul, and that freeing him will allow her to transition as well. In that scenario, there's nothing about the arrow itself that's keeping Jeanne trapped - she has herself trapped, in a way. After foreshadowing in the previous chapter? |
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Post by KMar on Aug 10, 2016 17:52:11 GMT
And I still wonder this - *does* the Court have to live next door to Gilltie Wood in the first place? The evidence makes clear that it's not the sole island of humanity in a world otherwise coveed by the forest. There are other places to live. If they were fleeing trouble in the outside world, that trouble must be long over (and the hints that they've been working with the outside world on occasions - such as helping with the war effort in the flashback about Mort's death - suggests that they can hardly still be refugees in hiding). I suspect that the reason why they're living next to Gilltie is to pursue their research and experiments - presumably, the proximity of the Bismuth Seed is crucial to these - and Jones indicated that the outcome of those experiments could be dangerous, even disastrous. Is it right keeping a person trapped in Limbo as a raging killing machine, just to keep a Faustian project going? When you put it that way... Sounds awesome high drama! (also, SO METAL.) Maybe the Court is Britain's primary defence line against the potential national existential threat that is 'Coyote'? "Keep him amused, keep him occupied with endless political intrigue... by any means necessary, never let him get bored and and start roaming the rest of the British Isles!" |
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Post by Gulby on Aug 10, 2016 18:18:08 GMT
Re-reading those pages, I have noticed a few points that are bothering me : Jeanne's look on that page, what she says here, "The useless shell of my body was ensnared by the green light and discarded over time", and Annie's choice of words here. A whole new world of wild speculations has opened ahead of me. Like, maybe Jeanne was perfectly aware of what she was doing. That her lover will be killed and herself too. Or at least that something was up that was no good at all. Otherwise, why would she get down there with the help of so many people ?... When you're secretly out to go see your lover, aren't you supposed to be alone or with only a close friend ?... And if you're retrieving that loved one, aren't you supposed to be happy, instead of frowning eyebrows ?... And apparently, the green light had the power to freeze her somewhat, that physically blocked her on the shore of the Annan Waters. Why Annie said that "She shouldn't have done that" ?... Well, if Jeanne didn't know about the plan, why SHE shouldn't have done that ?... "That" may stand for something along sacrifice herself and her own true love for the sake of the Court ?... Because she was one of the secret police guard ?... And one more thing bothers me. On that page, Tom wrote "30 chapters worth of exposition later", and it just occured to me that it was in the 30th chapter. So all the story is about that event, really. The main protagonist may be Jeanne. And the resolution of the story will involve Jeanne. So maybe this is the big big final scene of GKC that we're discovering page by page ? I'm not saying this would be the last chapter, but that it could be one of the few last. If you know what I mean. I'm hoping really strongly that everything and everyone will be fine. Antimony, Katerina, George, Andrews, Etheric Jeanne, Jones, and the rest of them. I do hope so very much. |
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