Huntingtower · Chapter
Prologue explained
In January 1916, during World War I, a young woman named Saskia visits her friend Quentin, who is recovering from a leg wound, in a room of the Nirski Palace in Russia.
What happens
In January 1916, during World War I, a young woman named Saskia visits her friend Quentin, who is recovering from a leg wound, in a room of the Nirski Palace in Russia. They reminisce about their childhood in Paris and discuss her debut into society and her plans to nurse at the Alexander Hospital. Quentin, troubled by a sense of impending calamity, warns her of the fragility of security, using a jade casket balanced on small ivory figures as a metaphor. Saskia dismisses his fears, confident in Russia's strength. Quentin extracts a promise that she will call on him if she ever needs help, and after she leaves, two of the supports slip, leaving only the 'beast of burden'—an omen he finds foreboding.
Themes in this chapter
Romance and Sacrifice
The tender interaction between Saskia and Quentin hints at a deep bond and Quentin's willingness to sacrifice for her safety.
The Thin Crust of Civilization
Quentin's metaphor of the jade casket balanced on fragile ivory figures underscores the precariousness of the luxurious, secure world they inhabit.
Characters to notice
- Saskia
Introduced as a beautiful and spirited young woman making her debut in wartime Russia; she is eager to begin nursing at the Alexander Hospital.
- Quentin
A wounded young man recovering from a leg injury, haunted by war memories and a sense of impending doom; he warns Saskia about the fragility of her secure world.
Key passages
“I have saved you this dance, Quentin. You must be so lonely not dancing, so I will sit with you. What shall we talk about?”
Saskia playfully tells Quentin she has kept a dance for him, knowing he cannot dance due to his injury, and offers to keep him company.
Establishes Saskia's caring and lively nature.
“If you were living inside that box you would think it very secure. You would note the thickness of the walls and the hardness of the stone, and you would dream away in a peaceful green dusk. But all the time it would be held up by trifles—brittle trifles.”
Quentin uses the jade casket as a metaphor to warn Saskia that her seemingly secure world is actually supported by fragile, unreliable elements.
Highlights the theme of the thin crust of civilization.
“The priest and the soldier gone, and only the beast of burden left. … If I were inclined to be superstitious, I should call that a dashed bad omen.”
After two of the ivory supports slip, Quentin reflects that the priest and soldier have fallen, leaving only the ox, and considers this a foreboding sign.
Foreshadows the collapse of the old order and the coming upheaval.