The Host--Chapter 8

Wanderer finds out that Healer Fords (...is it bad that I'm thinking Harrison Ford every time his name is mentioned?) is in Tuson, not Chicago, and so she decides to drive.

The Seeker berates her, belittles her, teases her and is generally a...*sigh* horrible person.

I know I'm not supposed to use the B-word anymore, but GOD would it fit this woman. Old habits die hard.

Wanderer also calls the Seeker on being manipulative, and says she wants to have ALL the facts before she decides to have Melanie killed. See, this is the problem with talking to the little voices in your head, kids. You start liking them and listening to them, and that never really ends well.

I would like to point out the obvious here: The Seeker is stalking Wanderer. And not in the sort of uncomfortable way we can't legislate against because it's not illegal. Wanderer is glad when the Seeker decides to take a shuttle to Tuson instead of drive because otherwise Wanderer wouldn't even be allowed to go to the bathroom alone.

This brings up a question unaddressed in the text...if the souls are deeply affected by the host body's thoughts and feelings, what happens if a rapist becomes a host? How about a murderer? Somebody who gets their thrill through being bad? I assume eventually the host would be disposed of--and if we're talking predatory shitbag I'd be all for it--but what about in the in-between time? If Wanderer is covering this much for a host that, other than being snarky is pretty much an okay human being, what about a soul that gets somebody like Gary Ridgeway? I have seen his interrogation tapes. I do not think a soul would have trouble dominating his personality, so their problem would be more "Oh dear, I can't control these drives". And it would probably not end well.

Of course, this is never brought up because souls are shiny perfect, even when they are fucking stalkers. 

Wanderer packs up her apartment, tells the Seeker to go fuck herself without actually using those words, and drives to Tuson slowly. She checks every car that passes her to make sure that it isn't the Seeker changing her mind, and is in absolutely no hurry to get to where the Seeker's going to be. Don't souls have ways to complain about harassment? This is not a good thing, guys.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch Melanie's head, Melanie has accepted that she's going to die and is now daydreaming about memories. Wanderer looks in because the desert is, well, a desert.

So apparently there was this time when Melanie, Melanie's brother Jamie and Jared were all living in a house unafraid of the souls because this was a crazy survivalist's cabin and they don't know it's there. And Jamie was asleep and Melanie wanted to seduce Jared but Jared won't because he is twenty-six and Melanie is seventeen.

EW.

But hey, Jared's a standup guy. He's going to wait until Melanie turns eighteen. He's already head over heels in love with her, and he's taking care of her brother. All this affects Wanderer deeply, she starts crying and...end of chapter.