Impossible Creatures

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death.

Christopher and Mal continue by themselves toward the dryad island of Tār. When they arrive on the island and begin to walk to the forest where the dryads live, Christopher realizes that Mal “walk[s] with the look of a moveable battleground. She [i]s a one-girl army” (277). Mal won’t eat, so Christopher forces her to at least drink something to sustain herself. When they enter the forest, the flowers and trees overwhelm Christopher with their beauty. Using formal language, Mal asks Erato, the leader of the dryads, to come to the aid of the Immortal. The dryads emerge.

The dryads all donate a branch, and Erato uses the branches to light a fire and heat the potion of remembering. Mal drinks the potion and becomes so sick that she vomits multiple times. She then drops into a fitful sleep, and Erato tells Christopher to watch over Mal. He embraces his role of guardian, understanding that his ancestral calling has ignited a “burning to keep watch, for that which need[s] to be watched. It mean[s] burning to keep it safe. It mean[s] a ferocious and careful love” (282-83). Christopher holds a careful vigil all night.