Lymond reading notes – Game of Kings – Opening Gambit
Thoughts about how Dorothy sets up the story and the cast, and a basic summary of the story.
I won’t be detailing every single quote and reference in the book – that would take forever and wouldn’t achieve what I’m setting out to do, which is to allow new readers to grasp the essentials of the story and the plot in a way that makes them less likely to give up in confusion before they get an understanding of the nature of the book, and helps them enjoy and appreciate the wonderful multi-layered storytelling that will enrich their lives as it has mine and many others.
I don’t in any case believe it’s a good idea to spoon-feed everything, as much of the enjoyment comes in exploring the references when you are ready, and discovering the connections for yourself. A much more satisfying and educational approach; which Dorothy herself was very aware of.
Introductory paragraphs
This story will prove to be extremely complex and the characters many and multi-faceted, (and many of them will have multiple names), so for an author, how you start will be crucial in taking the readers with you. We have some subtle hints immediately after the opening “Lymond is back”.
“Only sometimes a woman’s voice would say it with a different note, and then laugh a little.”
already suggests Lymond has attractions for women.
“Lymond’s own men had known he was coming. Waiting for him, in Edinburgh they wondered briefly, without concern, how he proposed to penetrate a walled city to reach them.”
Again this already suggests brains and resourcefulness. By the 4th short paragraph we already have an initial mental image forming of Lymond’s attributes.
Rich Language
She knows that her rich use of language and description may be a challenge for some readers – it has to be introduced so they get used to it.
“friezelike on their ridge, towered the houses of Edinburgh”
A view I’ve known all my life and it does have a 2 dimensional quality on a dark night so “friezelike” is very appropriate.
“laying constellations on the water”
Is such a wonderful visual image without using the conventional descriptions.
“oriflamme” – some people will be reaching for a dictionary at this point!
“I, am a narwhal looking for my virgin. I have sucked up the sea like Charybdis and failing other entertainment will spew it three times daily, for a fee.”
is a reference to both the origin of the Unicorn’s horn myth – the Unicorn is the national animal of Scotland along with the Lion – as well as his swim across the Nor Loch.
We’ve had a glimpse of our author’s erudition, so we have some idea of what to expect, but it’s been done with a light touch and visual expression.
Sense of humour of both author and character
We’ll come to realise that Lymond and his creator have a fascinating sense of humour, but that also has to be introduced…
The pig
“Mungo’s great sow, the badge of his house, the pet and idiotic pig’s apple of his eye”
“The sow approached her water dish, sniffed it with increasing favour, and inserted both her nose and her front trotters therein.”
“trotters smoking”
“squealing thickly in a liberated passion of ham-handed adoration”
All these present a ridiculously funny set of descriptions which switch the reader into a mode that can visualise a farce, while marvelling at the juxtaposition of words. The last two quotes particularly are never to be forgotten.
I’ve heard new readers ask “But why is the pig drunk?” The situation is created by Lymond in order to induce chaos in case he needs an escape route, but it also shows that there will be humour in amongst the complicated interplay and politics of this story.
Characters
Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch – a major landowner in the Borders (Buccleuch is pronounced buch-loo and legend has it that it comes from an incident where an ancestor saved the life of the king in a place called Buck Cleugh – ravine of the Stag.)
Tom Erskine – younger son of Lord Erskine and a trusted adviser of the Queen Dowager.
Mungo Tennant – a minor character who is a wealthy merchant but who is also a smuggler when the opportunity arises.
Two additional plot points:
- Had he not inadvertently sneezed it’s quite possible that Lymond would not have revealed himself but simply continued to listen to what the three men are discussing. Information is always crucial for him.
- The fact that Lymond doesn’t really steal the contraband wine from Mungo, but instead pours it into the Edinburgh wells for the citizens to enjoy, also gives a little echo of Robin Hood – another hint of Lymond’s true character to contrast with the Midculter section where he looks more of a villain.
The final quote of this section:
“There was a lady lov’d a hogge”
was a traditional nursery rhyme which forms a lovely matching finale to the scene. Lymond has a poem for every eventuality!
Midculter
Here we have some exposition, but it’s short and direct and tells us more than it seems without breaking the flow of the action.
We have the background and education of both brothers and the first mention of a dead sister and we also have Lymond’s status explained as the younger brother.
Since new readers who aren’t familiar with Scottish nobility naming conventions often get confused, it’s worth explaining the family names.
The family surname is Crawford. Their territorial name is Culter, so Richard is Richard Crawford, Third Baron Culter, and Lymond is the Master of Culter (the next in line of inheritance – unless/until Richard produces an heir).
However Lymond is also a territorial name as he owns lands of his own (we’ll discover 14 books later that he was left them by his grandmother – it’s complicated!). So he’s Francis Crawford of Lymond and also the Master of Culter.
We have a description that subtly demonstrates the wealth of the family – if you’ve toured many castles or rich homes dating from this period you’ll know how few rooms outwith royal mansions could comfortably hold 40 women and tables of food for them. The Great Hall is clearly a sizable one, and few houses of the time had sufficient tapestries and plush chairs to fill such a hall.
More new characters
Mariotta – Richard’s new wife – is introduced concisely as a beauty – “walked on air decorated with compliment and envy.”
Then we have the conversation between Sybilla, Lymond’s mother, and Janet, wife of Buccleuch, who is historical and is neatly described in a way that shows Dorothy’s research. Janet was indeed extremely clever. Anyone who wants to know more about her real life exploits may be interested in this link:
Their conversation shows the depth of both their educations and touches on Janet’s stepson Will and also on Lymond – before Sybilla changes the subject.
Going down to deal with the gypsies who’ve provided entertainment, Marriotta has an unexpected encounter:
“an alien and unknown yellow head rose from the serpentine depths, a nautilus from the shell.”
gives a perfect picture of a spiral staircase.
This meeting of Lymond and Mariotta is a melting pot of edginess and flirting. Lymond makes quite the impact despite being somewhat drunk. She asseses his appearance well.
“So this was Richard’s brother. Every line of him spoke, palimpsestwise, with two voices. The clothes, black and rich, were vaguely slovenly; the skin sun-glazed and cracked; the fine eyes slackly lidded; the mouth insolent and self-indulgent. He returned the scrutiny without rancour.”
Mariotta is by no means dumb, but Lymond runs rings around her.
“The poem I know at least,” exclaimed Mariotta, chafing her wrist. “Red wise; Brown trusty; Pale envious-“
“And Black lusty. What a quantity of traps you’ve dropped into today.”
We switch scene to the approach to Boghall Castle, home of the Flemings, where we meet Buccleuch again, and in his mind we get a concise exposition of the political and military issues between Scotland and England over the recent years.
Inside we are introduced to Christian Stewart, goddaughter of the Flemings and a favourite of Buccleuch’s. We also meet Richard Crawford for the first time, on the roof of the castle. They are both economically described in a way that doesn’t get in the way of the flow.
Christian – “Comely and tall, with hair of fine dark red and a decisive air to her, she was pleasant and positive to talk to, and it was impossible to tell that she was blind from birth.”
Richard – “A sober, thickset figure with brown hair and reliable grey eyes, Richard Crawford in his thirties was a man of wealth and tried power.”
We get a typical Buccleuch rant which deftly describes the messy situation with shifting loyalties of different families.
We then get that most rare of things in Dunnett – a mistake. One of geography and direction which I discussed many years ago in a blog post. https://www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/blog/book-discussion/dunnett-directional-discrepancies.php
But it’s inconsequential and past in a flash as Christian smells smoke – from Midculter.
There the first confrontation between Lymond and Sybilla is becoming difficult. Lymond’s men have collected up the ladies’ jewellery and the silverware in a display of bravado, but Sybilla seems to see through the “playacting” that she says is taking place.
Janet suddenly attacks Mat with a blancmange and then his own knife but Lymond throws his knife and she collapses with a wounded shoulder.
Then in leaving he sets fire to the castle. For some new readers those two acts weigh heavily in their assessment of his character.
Richard arrives from Boghall shortly after and clears the burning wood which was set against the castle walls. After hearing the story he then has to tell his family that he is being called away to fight – the English have invaded.
Background history
This is the latest in what is known as The “Rough Wooing” – England has been ravaging the South of Scotland for some time under the now dead Henry VIII. Apart from wanting to take over Scotland – which they’ve been trying to do since the time of Edward I – the English fear having to split their forces to face the French and Scots at opposite ends of their kingdom in a coordinated attack, should all out war occur. A reasonable strategic concern, although reticence on both sides of the Auld Alliance means it never happens. The plan was to gain control of the infant Mary Queen of Scots and marry her to Henry’s son Edward, forming a de facto alliance and snuffing out the Scotland – France alliance for the foreseeable future.
Chapter opening quotes
A small explanation about the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They appear at first glance to be from William Caxton’s The Game and Playe of the Chesse, one of the earliest books to be printed in England, but there are some differences. They’re actually from a Scottish version of the same original source material which is a Latin manuscript by Jacobus de Cessolis. Caxton’s version was translated from French whereas the Scottish and other versions were directly from the original Latin. (Caxton was a better publicist so his version tends to be better known in English-speaking countries!)
Rather than being about how to play chess, although that is mentioned, it is actually an allegorical exploration of morality, ethics, and statecraft. This became a popular theme in other books of the period.