I'm trying to remember if there's a scene where Merriman specifically rescues Barney...actually, Barney's rescue is more done by Will and Bran when he gets taken by the Rider into the past. Merriman does leave Barney behind in OSUS when they go out to the standing stones.
That's why this time it was such a change going from a Merriman who's so patient with kids and is always assuring them that they don't have to do what they don't want, and that they won't be hurt--to TDiR where he's short with Will (who's an Old One so that's okay) but asks Hawkin to risk his life for him. Hawkin was a boy once too, so you wonder if he treated him like the Drews back then. He seems to have been more open with Hawkin about what he was--I'm never quite sure exactly what the Drews make of Will, for instance. Like when Will says Bran lives on his Uncle's farm and Barney says, "You have an uncle here?" I was never quite sure if Barney was surprised Will had an Uncle in Wales (and why would that be so amazing, except for the coincidence) or that Will has an uncle, period. Even though he showed up with an uncle in Greenwitch and mentions his father to Jane.
We see the Drews wondering about what Bran is, but not working out how Will can be a regular boy and something else. We do get those little tantalizing conversations between Simon and Jane where she talks about his never liking Will (which originally is because he just thinks he's a nuisance, but we don't know about later on) and where Simon says he's never felt it was proper being mixed up with people like Will and Merriman.
Or is it actually in the text? It's been too long since I read these
I'm not sure what you mean here-definitely Will says the Old Ones can't choose one man over many. But Merriman saves Simon instead of going to the Lost Land with Bran and Will. I guess he does have to save Simon because he's one of the six, but it's still an example of him showing how valuable their lives are.
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That's why this time it was such a change going from a Merriman who's so patient with kids and is always assuring them that they don't have to do what they don't want, and that they won't be hurt--to TDiR where he's short with Will (who's an Old One so that's okay) but asks Hawkin to risk his life for him. Hawkin was a boy once too, so you wonder if he treated him like the Drews back then. He seems to have been more open with Hawkin about what he was--I'm never quite sure exactly what the Drews make of Will, for instance. Like when Will says Bran lives on his Uncle's farm and Barney says, "You have an uncle here?" I was never quite sure if Barney was surprised Will had an Uncle in Wales (and why would that be so amazing, except for the coincidence) or that Will has an uncle, period. Even though he showed up with an uncle in Greenwitch and mentions his father to Jane.
We see the Drews wondering about what Bran is, but not working out how Will can be a regular boy and something else. We do get those little tantalizing conversations between Simon and Jane where she talks about his never liking Will (which originally is because he just thinks he's a nuisance, but we don't know about later on) and where Simon says he's never felt it was proper being mixed up with people like Will and Merriman.
Or is it actually in the text? It's been too long since I read these
I'm not sure what you mean here-definitely Will says the Old Ones can't choose one man over many. But Merriman saves Simon instead of going to the Lost Land with Bran and Will. I guess he does have to save Simon because he's one of the six, but it's still an example of him showing how valuable their lives are.