Biography:
Wooden Heart: Dermot emanates in 3603, the last of the Atlas branches; until the growth of Goliath, it is assumed that he will be the last emanation of Ashtara. He appears in Tara’s bed unexpectedly and she is overwhelmed by his preternatural beauty. He tells Tara that he is Ash’s covenant with her that no emanation will be considered expendable.
Eden Blues: The book opens with Dermot and Davy on trial by the rest of the emanations. It emerges that Dermot and Davy are behind the creation of Goliath. Dermot has left a letter for Tara telling her that Ash is going to be gone for a long while, and reassures her that he did not fall prey to malice. The story evolves as a result of the Goliath emanations being unable to communicate with the ones from Atlas.
When the situation is resolved, Tara celebrates a wedding with Goliath; Dermot emanates briefly on the wedding night. He explains that Davy approached him for help creating Goliath because Tara would require more branches. However, in the course of their discussion, Dermot became aware of the vision of Tara’s Destiny, something which has always been apparent to Davy. Dermot was troubled by the thought that in order to attain the vision, Ashtara was subtly guiding Tara along a path which would lead to that destiny. In order to assure her free will, Dermot arranged a situation where the manifestation of Goliath would require Ashtara to be out-of-touch with Tara and the Atlas emanations. This would give Tara several years on her own. After being free of influence for this time, the vision was to be revealed to Tara – and it was to be her choice whether to accept it. Since she did, Dermot, who is being accused of treason by the other branches, throws himself on her mercy. The other emanations do not find it so easy to forgive – Dermot and Davy’s actions left Tara unprotected for two years.
Tara’s reaction is different. She puts the blame on Ash, not Dermot, saying that there is no way he could’ve created Goliath if it wasn’t the will of Ash to do so. Tara complains that Ash is the only one she can trust, but he is constantly betraying that trust, even if he believes it for her own good. Dermot then predicts that the final emanation of Goliath will be the covenant of perfect trust between Ash and Tara.
During the investigation by the SongLuminants, Dermot reveals several important pieces of information. He explains that I and I – Ashtara – functions more like a superconscious than a subconscious mind. He argues in favor of Sloan being allowed to retcon his own history, and that Lorcan, being non-expendable, must evolve to serve some essential function. He is able to infer that Ash knew that Tara had not really died in the shuttle accident – which is why there was no intervention to help Suibhne. He explains that the emanations are always digressing inefficiently because Cu’enashti lifespans are indefinite – so they are designed to come up with the best solution, not the most obvious one.
The Poison Garden: Although Dermot does not take direct action, he is instrumental within the pleroma in solving the mystery surrounding Lilith’s emanation and Esau’s telepathic powers. In “The Prophecy of Towers,” it is Dermot who suggests that Tara take the amrita accompanied by Hurley.
The Perpetual Rose: Cillian, Dermot, Patrick and Lorcan have formed a literary circle. Dermot secures the locket from Tara to pass on to the first emanation from the colonization project. He’s lying – he intends to give it to the first Yggdrasil emanation, but Tara is being kept in the dark about the possibility of war with the Denolin. He does this immediately after Tara entreats him to never lie to her again, prompting Lorcan to remark that Dermot will be banished by her forever.
When Tara returns to Nightside with Lens, he encourages her to drink nau’gsh juice. She downs a bottle of Dermot’s juice, which gives her insight into both Lens’ and Ash’s state of mind. Later in the story, Dermot is also instrumental in deducing who is behind the assassination attempt.
The Portable Grove: Dermot participates in the focus group in experiment 7. He explains that the mothman wants to change his energy form – that the standard form taken by Cu’enashti is in some ways inconvenient (especially when it comes to sex) and that he is looking for a more imaginative, effective body. After the experiment, he has a conversation with Tara where he admits that he knows she is not in love with him. This triggers a conversation about the nature of human love, which inspires the next experiment.
Correspondence Chart Entries from The Portable Grove
| Denotation | Dermot McRath (Gaelic: from the hero Diarmuid, of uncertain etymology which could mean either free man, without envy or without enemy – the latter which is, of course, ridiculous considering the legend. Dermot shares a hidden beauty spot with his namesake. Gaelic: son of grace. Rath is also an Etruscan deity identified with Apollo.) |
| Numeration | 25th Emanation of Ashtara; 25th branch of Atlas; 85 in the correspondence chart. |
| Age | 25 |
| Hotness | 11/10 |
| Vital Statistics | 1.765 meters tall, cock size 15.75 cm when erect. |
| Description | Achingly beautiful – full lips and graceful profile, dark brown and silky hair. Perfectly proportioned; lightly muscular. Wears simple, elegant tunics and trousers, but he’d look good in anything. |
| Skills | Philosopher. Able to see implications that others cannot. |
| Sexual Prowess and Kinks | Makes vanilla sex seem glamorous. |
| Average Duration of Play | 10 minutes, 37 seconds. |
| Totem Tree | Laurus nobilis, the Grecian or sweet bay laurel. |
| Fixed Star | HD 140283, the Methuselah Star (as representing Libra). |
| Color |  |
| Esoteric Symbol | The Minchiate trump La Bilancia, Libra . |
| Function | Creative attainment. |
| Official Title | Minister of Aesthetic Affairs. |
| His Prophecy | The most beautiful one is always lonely. |
| Dessert | Nau’gsh Belle Tara (nau’gsh poached in honey and brandy with chocumber syrup and ice cream.) |
Persistence of Weeds Addendum
| Branch Growth Characteristics | Natural branch growth forced by Ailann because he needed more power to stop the singularity. Used as a template for his half-brothers on Goliath, Malachi and Jonah. |
| Nul-history | Joined with Davy and Daniel before becoming a part of the Atlas entity. |
| Proto-conscious Root Concept | Seduction, designated Beauty. |
| Prime Number of Energy Resonance | 439 |
| From Self-Portraits Not-of-Me II: Baby Pictures by Driscoll Garrett |  |