Atdtda28: There may not be a 'mission' anymore, 786-787

[Paul Nightingale]

Prance continues to offer the voice of authority, explaining Ssagan's
departure and then borbanngadyr. A transition takes place with Prance's
subsequent embarrassment. He has decided to stay, presumably when Kit moves
on alone, and insists "[t]his is the heart of Earth". Kit's response ("all's
I see's a bunch of sheep") might or might not be taken as argumentative; and
then he offers "that time back in the woods" as elaboration of "our
differences". At the beginning of 55.8 Prance has just been shot at, again
(783); here, we discover that Kit, accidentally or otherwise has shot at him
(786). The earlier passage suggests that locals think Prance a Japanese spy;
there is no indication there of Kit's involvement in shooting incidents, so
we might infer other disagreements. Or "differences": the term used here is
significant, given that the double act is one that builds character on
reaction and a conflict over readings. Until, as the section concludes, and
with it the relationship between Kit and Prance: for once the dialogue
exchange is one that features complementary statements as they discuss
parting (787).

The writing of character-as-traveller here perhaps echoes Mason/Dixon, as
does the subsequent reference to those to whom the traveller must report
back. That Kit/Prance are out in the middle of nowhere ("another part of the
taiga" on 782; "a strangely tranquil part of Siberia" on 786) is confirmed
by the shadow of imperialism: what should happen ("[o]rdinarily", 787) is
that a report would have to be written, one that normalised relations
between metropolitan centre and wherever influence extended. The
traveller-as-tourist?