Oh, Memory! Basically, my thoughts on this post can be summed up as YES. And I have been known to reread the scene of Miles going to ImpSec, getting chucked out, putting all the medals on and going back to Gregor with intent - it's a wonderful, wonderful sequence.

And Illyan. That bit can still make me cry, when Miles goes in and finds him like that. Ow ow ow. That is just pure horror and tragedy. It also makes me deeply furious with everyone who's been complicit in treating him that way, but then, I'm a little partial when it comes to Illyan ;-).

To me the essential arc of the story is sin -> acknowlegement of sin -> confession -> penance -> redemption, which I freely admit is a very Catholic reading of it, but that's how it works in my head. And so in that reading, the wrestling with temptation is very much the climax, when he passes the test he failed the first time around. And it's also the moment the mystery is solved.

The only bit that stands out a lot for me that you don't mention here is the lakeside conversation with Harra - 'you just go on'. That, to me, rings incredibly true and is something that I repeat to myself from time to time.

So yes. Memory ♥.