Read Online The Dark Tower Companion: A Guide to Stephen King’s Epic Fantasy by Bev Vincent - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bev Vincent
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arrive in River Crossing, a humble town consisting of a few dozen buildings, a church and a jailâthe closest thing to civilization Roland has seen since he passed through, and eradicated, Tull. The townâs residents, when they decide to emerge from hiding, prove to be a handful of very old peopleâwell beyond being octogenarians. They invite the gunslinger and his companions to dinner and tell them what they know about the conditions in Lud, where a civil war that spread from a distant Barony has been raging for more than a century.
The Great Old Ones built Lud many centuries ago, but most of the technology has failed. What little might remain is beyond the abilities of the residents to operate. The two factions, the Grays and the Pubes, donât even remember what theyâre fighting over. The Grays were harriers who besieged the city and the Pubes are Ludâs former residents, who used the weapons of the Great Old Ones to fend the Grays off until they ran out of ammunition. The matriarch of River Crossing, Aunt Talitha, recommends that the
ka-tet
go around Lud rather than through it, because Jake will be an attractive prize for the people of Lud, since there are few children born there anymore.
Roland ignores this advice for two reasons. He doesnât want to get in the habit of making detours, prolonging his journey and taking him off the Path of the Beam. He also believes that they are meant to go to Lud and if they try to go around it,
ka
will push them back on track. He believes they will find a train that will take them closer to their final destination. Jake thinks that this train will be called Blaine, whose name he included in his term paper.
Aunt Talitha tries to discourage Roland from seeking the Dark Tower. For generations, anyone who pursued that goal never came back, she says. When she sees he wonât be dissuaded, she gives Roland her silver cross and asks him to lay it at the foot of the Tower should he ever get there.
During their visit, Susannah exhibits signs that she may be pregnant. Whether this is because of her relationship with Eddie or because of whathappened with the demon in the Speaking Circle wonât be known for some time.
Though the
ka-tet
is invited to spend the night, Roland knows that leaving wonât get any easier if they stay. Tull was a trap and he doesnât want River Crossing to be another, even if it is more benevolent. When Jake says he doesnât think itâs right to leave without helping, Roland says that if you look too hard at the small rights close at hand, you lose sight of the bigger ones that stand farther off. This is a lesson Roland will have to unlearn someday.
To get to Lud, they first have to cross the Send Bridge. The three-quarter-mile span is a thousand years old and on the verge of collapse. Another bridge farther up the Mississippi-like river has already fallen. They pick a pedestrian walkway as the safest route, but even that has gaps and the wind makes the crossing risky. A strong gust threatens to sweep Oy away. Jake leaps after him, and Eddie, who is afraid of heights, comes to their rescue. Roland assists, too. Seeing Jake dangling from another bridge strikes a sensitive chord.
When they recover from this near miss, a man is standing nearby with a live grenade. Though Roland could shoot it from the manâs hand, itâs too big a risk. The explosion might bring the bridge down, and the man who calls himself Gasher seems ready to die. He offers a deal: he will let the others go free if they give him Jake. Eddie canât believe Roland is seriously considering this, but the gunslinger knows a standoff when he sees one and he quietly promises Jake that he will find him. Jake, who now trusts the gunslinger with his life, steps forward and allows himself to be taken.
The
ka-tet
now has two missions in Lud. They have to get Jake back and find the train that will carry them out of the city. Roland divides the
The Great Old Ones built Lud many centuries ago, but most of the technology has failed. What little might remain is beyond the abilities of the residents to operate. The two factions, the Grays and the Pubes, donât even remember what theyâre fighting over. The Grays were harriers who besieged the city and the Pubes are Ludâs former residents, who used the weapons of the Great Old Ones to fend the Grays off until they ran out of ammunition. The matriarch of River Crossing, Aunt Talitha, recommends that the
ka-tet
go around Lud rather than through it, because Jake will be an attractive prize for the people of Lud, since there are few children born there anymore.
Roland ignores this advice for two reasons. He doesnât want to get in the habit of making detours, prolonging his journey and taking him off the Path of the Beam. He also believes that they are meant to go to Lud and if they try to go around it,
ka
will push them back on track. He believes they will find a train that will take them closer to their final destination. Jake thinks that this train will be called Blaine, whose name he included in his term paper.
Aunt Talitha tries to discourage Roland from seeking the Dark Tower. For generations, anyone who pursued that goal never came back, she says. When she sees he wonât be dissuaded, she gives Roland her silver cross and asks him to lay it at the foot of the Tower should he ever get there.
During their visit, Susannah exhibits signs that she may be pregnant. Whether this is because of her relationship with Eddie or because of whathappened with the demon in the Speaking Circle wonât be known for some time.
Though the
ka-tet
is invited to spend the night, Roland knows that leaving wonât get any easier if they stay. Tull was a trap and he doesnât want River Crossing to be another, even if it is more benevolent. When Jake says he doesnât think itâs right to leave without helping, Roland says that if you look too hard at the small rights close at hand, you lose sight of the bigger ones that stand farther off. This is a lesson Roland will have to unlearn someday.
To get to Lud, they first have to cross the Send Bridge. The three-quarter-mile span is a thousand years old and on the verge of collapse. Another bridge farther up the Mississippi-like river has already fallen. They pick a pedestrian walkway as the safest route, but even that has gaps and the wind makes the crossing risky. A strong gust threatens to sweep Oy away. Jake leaps after him, and Eddie, who is afraid of heights, comes to their rescue. Roland assists, too. Seeing Jake dangling from another bridge strikes a sensitive chord.
When they recover from this near miss, a man is standing nearby with a live grenade. Though Roland could shoot it from the manâs hand, itâs too big a risk. The explosion might bring the bridge down, and the man who calls himself Gasher seems ready to die. He offers a deal: he will let the others go free if they give him Jake. Eddie canât believe Roland is seriously considering this, but the gunslinger knows a standoff when he sees one and he quietly promises Jake that he will find him. Jake, who now trusts the gunslinger with his life, steps forward and allows himself to be taken.
The
ka-tet
now has two missions in Lud. They have to get Jake back and find the train that will carry them out of the city. Roland divides the
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