14 1983

TRANSCRIPT:

IPOLA: He is a powerful enchanter - yes, we need him, too. And we need you.
ZONN: What about my tribe, Ipola?
IPOLA: Any warriors - every one of your warriors willing to fight. I need them.
ZONN: I … How do we get them there? It’s fifteen hundred miles. They can’t all ride aburori.
IPOLA: Almost no one can. This was a one-time favor from a good friend.
ZONN: So how?
IPOLA: I can find a way. We can find a way. I just need to know if you will come. If I call, will you come?
ZONN: For you, Ipola … if it was just me … I can’t speak for everyone.
IPOLA: Of course. So please hold a council, get an answer. I have to leave in three days.
ZONN: We’ll have the gathering tomorrow.
IPOLA: Ah. All right, thank you.
ZONN: At that time I’ll ask them if they want to pledge fealty - or not.
IPOLA: Oh.
ZONN: We have something here of our own, Ipola. The young folk have never known Erogenia - or you. And it’s a long way away. Also - a lot of my warriors have never known real war. I do my best to train them, but … well, that thing you were talking about earlier? About finding a new way? We might have stumbled on it, accidentally. We live in peace with the Nassim. And we … we tend not to get into stupid fights like we did when I was young at home. We solve our problems most of the time without bashing each other. Our enemies are monsters and animals and the heat and sandstorms. It’s a harsh life, but ...
14 1983

The Real Question – Page 1100

TRANSCRIPT:   IPOLA: He is a powerful enchanter - yes, we need him, too. And we need you. ZONN: What about my tribe, Ipola? IPOLA: Any warriors - every one of your warriors willing to fight.  I need them. ZONN:  I … How do we get them there?   It’s fifteen hundred miles. They can’t all ride aburori. IPOLA: Almost no one can.  This was a one-time favor from a good friend.   ZONN: So how? IPOLA: I can find a way.  We can find a way. I just need to know if you will come.  If I call, will you come? ZONN: For you, Ipola … if it was just me …  I can’t speak for everyone. IPOLA: Of course.  So please hold a council, get an answer.  I have to leave in three days. ZONN:  We’ll have the gathering tomorrow. IPOLA: Ah.  All right, thank you. ZONN: At that time I’ll ask them if they want to  pledge fealty - or not. IPOLA: Oh. ZONN: We have something here of our own, Ipola. The young folk have never known Erogenia - or you.  And it’s a long way away. Also - a lot of my warriors have never known real war. I do my best to train them, but … well, that thing you were talking about earlier?  About finding a new way? We might have stumbled on it, accidentally. We live in peace with the Nassim. And we … we tend not to get into stupid fights like we did when I was young at home.  We solve our problems most of the time without bashing each other. Our enemies are monsters and animals and the heat and sandstorms. It’s a harsh life, but ...

14 thoughts on “The Real Question – Page 1100

  1. I give this man real credit.
    That he can think this clearly when faced with his heart.

    1. Not to mention her eyes and smile.

      … Oh yeah, and also that stuff slightly lower.

  2. He built a peace, with his people. Now he’s going to be leading them back into the years of hell.
    If he’s sane enough, he’s terrified, knowing he couldn’t have trained them enough for this. In
    the end, whatever he could train into them will have to be enough. He knows it, and it terrifies him.

  3. It’s so ironic that Zonn is the one finding the peaceful way of life.

  4. OH.MY.GOD. Zonn is so great. I love him…
    *JED you did it again, another favorite character…*

  5. Ipola looks rather like a siren from the old Silver Screen days in the last panel. And given how prominently she’s nippling, well, she likes the new Zonn. Maybe even more than before.

    1. Well, Zona has those nipples all the time; she had to have inherited them (in spades) from someone!

  6. Well spoken, Zonn. He knows they all have to make the choice; be fully part of Erogenia and swear fealty to Ipola as liege lady, or to choose to stay on their own as a tribe without being part of the homeland.
    It’s a tough choice to make.

  7. If he doesn’t join the fight now, the fight will find them later, when all allies are gone. He knows this. But does he remember this?

    1. There’s always a chance that Erogenia and Kivalia will pull through without the Sun tribe. It’s not like he feels he has a lot to contribute — kind of like, say, Iceland considering whether to join the Allies or not in World War II. They could make a contribution (no slight intended in the least to the valiant icelandic nation), but not a decisive one. (I just checked the Wikipedia page on the topic and actually, Iceland remained technically neutral throughout the war, got invaded by the British, who then transferred control to the then-neutral US, and generally collaborated with the Allies.)

      Besides, what Zonn explains here is that he doesn’t just fear for his people. If nothing else it’s their decision. But what he really fears for, is this way of life they’ve built here, even better than the erogenian one (already shown as nigh-ideal by the narrative). Can such a mindset survive a war? Doubtful.

  8. This is a complete asside but, maybe I didn’t notice before now, but are the models different recently …again?

    1. Now that you mention it, panel 1 doesn’t show Zonn’s love handles.

  9. I have on occasion had difficulty focusing on Ipola’s face (why yes, I’m a hetero guy, why do you ask?) but her expression in the last panel is a work of art. JED, I’ve gone fetch a ridiculous red plastic hat for the sole purpose of taking it off to you.

    Twice.

    With a flourish.

  10. Also, how do the rest of you understand Ipola’s “Ah. All right. Thank you” in response to Zonn saying there will be a gathering the next day? Surprise at the speed of the procedure? I don’t think so, a stateswoman her calibre knows it would be quite easy for such a small tribe. Surprise that it wouldn’t happen on that very day? Something else entirely? I’m puzzled.

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