Chapter XXVI: A battle royal
Mr. Vane follows the Shadow and the spotted leopardess to a street building and shortly after finds the woman who had helped him a day thrown outside onto the pavement. Children’s crying is heard. He attempts to rescue the baby, which the spotted leopardess is carrying in her mouth, but the white leopardess got to it first. A battle between the two ensues and the white one wins this round.
Thoughts: I’m now confident that the Shadow and the spotted leopardess are the bad guys, as is the princess herself, whereas I’m convinced the white leopardess really is friendly. What greatly confused me with this chapter was the princess’s sudden appearance after the fight. I didn’t expect her in the field of battle, so to speak.
Chapter XXVII: The silent fountain
Mr. Vane realises one of the room’s he’s entered is the princess’s mindt. [Yeah, alright ...] The princess urges Mr. Vane to get her something which will heal her wounds, which is at the top of a tree and she cannot get herself (not even when transformed into a dove, because a snake would bite her, which would be fatal). He climbs up the tree, up the branches and finds himself falling and getting tossed this way and that way and tumbling now.
Thoughts: I’m guessing the princess is having fun playing mind-games with Mr. Vane.
Chapter XXVIII: I am silenced
Mr. Vane wakes up, and finds Mr. Raven infront of him, in a fountain which his father had constructed. He’s back home. The raven hits Mr. Vane with the truth and he [Mr. Vane] realises that leaving the Little Ones wasn’t helping them at all, it was doing nothing. He had wandered around for a long time and accomplished more or less nothing.
Thoughts: Uhm, what’s going on? I’m lost as to what’s actually happened, what’s been real, what’s he been dreaming and what’s he actually experienced and encountered. It’s no surprise to see Mr. Raven appear again, he’s odd enough to pop up when you don’t expect him to. I’m confused.
Chapter XXIX: The Persian cat
Long story short: Mr. Raven is Adam, his wife is Eve and the spotted leopardess (or rather, the leopardess covered with spots) is the lilith, the princess, the woman Mr. Vane saved. The lilith thinks that the birth of children is the death of their parents. It’s a power seeking creature and fled from Adam because he would not obey nor worship her.
Thoughts: I didn’t see this coming, at all. I’m slightly clueless as to what the deal is with this spotted leopardess — the whys and hows remain unclear. Alright, so, the lilith is a power seeking creature with an appetite for being (or feeling) superior to the rest. I think the whole “birth of children, death of their parents” deal has to with her not possessing the will or ability to … accept herself. Something along those lines.
Chapter XXX: Adam explains
Mr. Vane and Mr. Raven escape from the clutches of the spotted leopardess (the princess, the lilith) by going into the “secon realm” (by going through the mirror). They are rejoined by the white leopardess, which turns out to be Mara, the desert-woman, and Mr. Vane is sent on his way to Mrs. Raven to get some sleep and rest.
Thoughts: Good and evil is hard to tell apart, at least when they are eluding one another. And no, shapeshifting abilities does not increase the ease of picking them both apart to see “the big picture”. Elusive. Eluding. Confusing. Good stuff.
