This is part of my ongoing series where I’m documenting the development of my serial novel, Razor Mountain. Be forewarned, there are spoilers ahead! You can start from the beginning here.
Last Time
I worked through what I wanted in each of the Act II God-Speaker chapters, but I didn’t get into detailed summaries. Time to get it done.
Names for Secondary Characters
As usual, I hate to have nameless characters for very long. If I’m going to write chapter descriptions, I at least need working names.
Reed Parricida – The disloyal servant who tries to kill God-Speaker. Reed is a sideways glance at papyrus, and he’s a bit of a bookworm. Parricida is a reference to his eventual murder of God-Speaker. (Parricide doesn’t feel like a very commonly used word to me, but may still be a bit heavy handed.)
Cain Dolus – The loyal servant. Cain to bring to mind the biblical betrayer and murderer, Dolus as a reference to the Greek spirit of trickery and guile. He’s meant to appear to be the traitor at first.
Sky-Watcher – The beloved. God-Speaker’s lover is an iron-age astronomer and mathematician who took the name for her love of studying the night sky.
Strong Shield – Friend/betrayer. The first person who betrayed God-Speaker. He earned his name by protecting Razor Mountain, but he comes to believe that God-Speaker’s desire to withdraw from the world is weak, and that they should grow their kingdom through conquest.
Chapter Summaries
- Chapter 20 – (GS) God-Speaker introduces a new group of ice-age migrants to the village build at the base of Razor Mountain, next to the cave. They eat a huge meal, to impress upon the newcomers how good life will be for them. He shows them fields of grain, orchards and livestock. He shows them a mine, a forge, and metal tools. He explains that this “great tribe” is superior to their small tribes. Finally, he tells them about himself and how he listens to the gods of the mountain, who teach him all of these good things.
- Chapter 23 – (GS) God-Speaker speaks with his military leaders about a small army that is approaching the mountain. He has better weapons and better tactics, and isn’t worried about losing. He dismisses them, telling one to stay behind – his friend, Strong Shield. Strong Shield suggests a counter-attack, to stop the threat for good. God-Speaker explains that he is thinking about stopping all interaction with outside groups, and hiding their knowledge and wealth from the rest of the world to avoid conflict. Strong Shield says this is weak, and tries to kill God-Speaker, but he is ready, and kills his friend.
- Chapter 26 – (GS) God-Speaker waits on the balcony of his home, which is now within a city inside the mountain. He watches excavations underway. He goes inside, to Sky Watcher, and they go to the chamber of the artifacts. He tries to guide her in listening to the voices and accessing their power, as he has been for some time. She has little success. He helps her up stairs, though she is very weak, and they go outside and look at the stars. They talk about the future. Even while they’re talking, he is worrying about her illness. She dies suddenly and quietly.
- Chapter 29 – (GS) God-Speaker sits in his modern office within Razor Mountain. He explains to Reed, a member of his inner circle, that he believes Cain may have plans to betray him, and asks Reed to keep an eye on him. Then he speaks to Cain, who has a plethora of ideas for improving Razor Mountain, but also pushes God-Speaker to reveal information that God-Speaker wants to keep solely for himself.
- Chapter 32 – (GS) God-Speaker tours Cain’s latest project, a geothermal borehole that provides heat and energy. They talk, and Cain apologizes for overstepping his bounds. God-Speaker realizes that the man isn’t a threat, just passionate about his projects. He returns to his office and calls in Reed, asking him to call off the surveillance, then telling him that his work has been poor while he’s distracted with this extra task. Reed unexpectedly attacks him. God-Speaker is hurt, and flees to the chamber of the artifacts. Reed kills him there, and he frantically sends his fading consciousness into a random person: baby Christopher.
Results
I finished the chapter summaries for God-Speaker in Act II!
Next time, I’ll begin working on Act III, and working toward the ending of the book.
Words Deferred 