MDMD(5)---Chap 15 Plot Summary

[Eric Alan Weinstein]

Chapter 15----Reason’s Translocation to The Other Side of Windward
One of Maskelyne’s academic interests, "The Attraction of Mountains", 
and his constant practical interest in his no-darn-good plum line ("My 
career, my Life,--hanging from a damn’d Pin!") conspire to  have him 
and Mason shift over to the Other Side of the island, a position sane 
Waddington never would take up. This shall prove to be the chilling 
Other Side in several respects, for what the Wind does to people, or 
brings to people, is outside of Reason’s firm-seeming boundaries. [p158]

Between the Devil’s Garden and the Gates of Chaos lies the Pynchon Farm 
Bus, driven by three-eyed Johnny M, who seems to prefer this place to LA-----
{no,  I’m sorry, the peculiar atmospheres of this part of the island is
affecting my 
perception most Strangely}------the British East India Company Fort at Sandy 
Bay, "silent windward  side companion to  the great Fort at James’s Town,"
[p159]. Of this place, a ghostly German soldier (formerly) of John’s Company
tells Nevile:
"The Wind owns this island (
) What awful Pride, to keep a Station here.
Who would ever invade, by way of this mortal coast?" [p161] 
   The soldiers of the place seem to know this is a fool’s position, but
they play their parts, firing guns into the wind, while taking massive bets
upon each other’s rate of decline into madness.
   Nevile takes a walk among the Cliffs, where he meets Dieter, who at this
point he thinks is just a sad, disgruntled living soldier. Dieter knew not
of what or where he was going to and getting himself in for  when he took
the Company’s £20.[160] Deserving of sympathy, Nevile wishes to buy the poor
boy out of service [162], but, alas, things will prove to be Other than as
they seem. Charlie asks Nevile if Clive, of In-di-a will pay, but it seems
the answer is always No. Charles has an elaborate day-dream about being back
in London society, and receiving the thanks of Clive for his brother-in-law
in the form of a beautiful envelope full of  Thanks for Watching Nevile.
Mason also day-dreams "Mishaps for Maskelyne, many of them Vertical in
Nature." [162]
   Then comes Mason’s ghostly visitations. His beloved wife Rebekah returns
to him. 
He runs out of doors in the middle of the night, Past Maskelyne’s oddly
coloured Obs
suit, "down onto  the floor of a ruin’d ebony forest, where among fog-wisps and 
ancient black logging debris polished by the Wind, (where) she accosts him."
[p163]
But he seems  to tell more of his world to her than she divulges of her world 
to him and us. Pity. However, we do learn that Rebekah calls her husband 
Mopery, which is nothing I’ve yet knowingly committed. [p165]

    The scence abruptly shifts to the time of Dixon’s return. Mason confides 
to him about his Visitations in a way he could not with Maskelyne. Dixon
seeks to both confort Mason and to keep a safe distance at the same time.
Here we have an isnstance of "approach and avoid" which is not just
foolishness, but is near the essence of friendship. Dixon tries to listen
and offer advice; and thus encourages Mason to tell him of his wife,
and how they came to be together. [p166]



   
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Eric Alan Weinstein
University of London
E.A.Weinstein at qmw.ac.uk