Legends & Lattes

The Scalvert’s Stone is both a symbol and a motif related to Viv’s dreams—and the way they change. She fears the loss of the Stone, a symbol of her fortune, would mean the loss of everything she’s worked for in Thune. However, when the true nature of the Stone is revealed, it becomes a motif for The Value of Keeping the Right Company. Throughout Legends & Lattes, whenever Viv attracts a new friend to the coffee shop, she thinks about the power of the Stone. Before Tandri answers her advertisement, Viv considers, “The idea that an applicant would arrive on the first day was, of course, ludicrous. But the Scalvert’s Stone…well. She either trusted its power, or she didn’t” (48). However, Tandri, the perfect applicant and Viv’s future love interest, shows up, validating the idea that the Stone has power. Viv thinks about the Stone again when Amity the dire-cat arrives, and when Pendry puts on his first successful performance. Though she isn’t aware of the exact nature of the Stone, she recognizes the fortunes it bestows on her.

On a personal level, the Scalvert’s Stone represents Viv’s dreams. She plants the Stone in the foundation of the shop before she begins building it, and pleads with it whenever she fears something is wrong.