MDDM Lambton Worm another Master/Slave tale

[Terrance]

> 
> Dixon tells the story to Zhang and Capt. Shelby, I think, Mason having gone
> to sleep. (587)

Yes, Dixon tells the tale and he is not interrupted by Mr. Mason.  Mason
says he wants to sleep till Spring. The men smoke some Chinese tobacco
too. Mason does wake up as the men are discussing the tale. 



> 
> I think "the heedless John Lambton" made the mistake of fishing on a Sunday
> and, compounding that particular misdemeanour, he chucks the ugly tiddler
> into a well rather than into the river.

Right. And I think Dixon suggests that the rule (and I think that the
law changed quite a bit, specifying particular fish and particular
seasons, just as we have today) was sort of a tradition or taboo before
the river was completely harnessed in the service of christian
labor. So the old taboo has been replaced by Christian law. Now, John is
not any old fishermen. He is heir to his Lordship Lambton. That means
that he is responsible for the people that live on his land. And, he is
the law. So, his breaking the law by fishing on Sunday is not simply a
crime, it is an arrogant abuse of power and privilege. 
John, with a knightly flourish, tosses the ghastly thing into a tenant's
well.  He doesn't care about tenants, the wells of tenants, the well
being of
tenants. But he is responsible for them. They are his tenants, serfs,
slaves. 
He is there political ruler and their defender from outside attack. He
holds court to decide disputes. He decides when and if custom has been
transgressed and what punishment fits the crime. And there is no appeal.
This seems to be a more serious offense than fishing on a Sunday. But,
being a young, rich heir, John thinks he can do whatever he likes. With
hubris and indifference he has created a monster. What's more, while he
has been off on his crusade (he will be forgiven any sins he might
commit while fighting for the Pope and since this is late in the game
and from what we can tell of his attitude toward christianity, his
motives are not simply religious motives, he goes for  adventure and
property )  the people have been forced to work even on Sundays and on
other days of rest so that they can stay alive.  



> 
> I think one point is that no mortal could have defeated the worm-dragon
> without taking the oath, and another is that Lambton eventually wakes up to
> himself and accepts his responsibility for being the cause of the Worm's
> reign of terror in his home county. It's a no-win situation for John
> Lanbton. If Lambton hadn't made his pact then the Worm would have been
> unstoppable, and would have devoured the whole world.

Right. Not sure he needs an oath, but he is the creator and only he can
destroy
it.  His buying a sight of the future and insurance or that he is free
of fortune's wheel recalls that Dxion and Mason go through this same
routine before they go (fishing) sailing on a Friday. 


Dixon, who tells the tale, says, Christ won that day. 

That's the moral of the story. While Mason, Wicks, even Shelby, can't
get it. That's it.

That day, Christ won. The worm was destroyed, the people were saved. The
father was not killed by the son and neither was the dog. Dogs being
members of the family (VL).