Atdtda28: Guardian deities, 787

[Paul Nightingale]

>From Prance's pov the Chums appear as "animated youngsters". The first time
Randolph ventures away from the Inconvenience to visit Nate Privett, the
"young lady typewriter" refers to him as "sonny" and "kid" (24). A realist
reading might well insist that 'fifteen years' have 'passed' since the novel
opened.

Prance himself has been described as "young" (783); and here Darby refers to
him as "Kid ..." (787). What we are offered here are first impressions; and
Prance automatically assumes the Chums might be "guardian deities" (787).
They in turn are said to "[regard] him with great curiosity": this is a
reading of them from his pov, one that Darby's response will then go some
way to undermine. 

Earlier sections in this chapter introduced us to the crew of the Bol'shaia
Igra (779-782); such writing necessarily drew attention to the Russian
airship's similarities/differences to the Inconvenience. Having recalled the
Chums, then, the narrative produces them; they replace both the Russians
and, for Prance himself, Kit. Prance continues to speak as an authority
("According to the classical Tibetan sources ...", 787). The previous
section draws attention to "that time back in the woods there" (786); and
here we find "Darby looking around in some distraction, as if for a firearm"
(787).