Stung by a momentary panic, Xerius looked from the approaching Conriyans to the flutter of wings above. As always, sparrows wheeled and jousted beneath the dim vaults. As always, they calmed him. For a moment he wondered what an emperor was to a sparrow. Just another man.
Something warm and viscous struck his cheek. Stunned, he slapped at his face, then studied the muck on his fingers. A premonition of doom struck him, gouged his breast of all breath. What was this? Some kind of omen?
As though walking across the back of roiling smoke and dust, a Schoolman drifted toward them. He slowed, floating the height of a tree-top above them. His black silk robe boiled in the mountain wind, its gold trim undulating like snakes in water. White light flashed from his eyes and mouth. A barrage of arrows winked into cinders against his spherical Wards. The ghost of a dragon’s head ponderously ascended from his hands. Cnaiür saw glassy scales and eyes like globes of bloody water.
Aurang (as a Synethse) is among those birds, and I'm fairly certain he shat on Xerius for his dumbass Indenture. We find out that the Consult want the Cishaurim destroyed and Aurang probably wants it done quickly. This isn't even crackpot, just what I think every time I read this scene.
The first time I read this series, this passage is what got me hooked. It was unlike anything I'd read before, and was struck by terror and wonder all at the same time. I love this description of a Earwan schoolman.Every time I reread this series I find more affirmations as to why it is my absolute favourite. I'll never forget the first time I read about Skafra and Seswatha duking it out above a burning city. Ahh memories.. (feel free to capitalize Som ;))
Now it suddenly struck him (Xerius) that he’d never looked into any of their eyes—not once. Matching the Emperor’s gaze was forbidden to those without Imperial Blood. The thought horrified him. Save for Skeaos, I know none of these people.
QuoteNow it suddenly struck him (Xerius) that he’d never looked into any of their eyes—not once. Matching the Emperor’s gaze was forbidden to those without Imperial Blood. The thought horrified him. Save for Skeaos, I know none of these people.
I now remember noticing this bit on my first read, thinking that this must be significant, and then forgetting it. But on rereading, the revelation that Xerius has been isolated from his entire court besides "Skeaos" is beatifully ominous.
He sensed something odd in her manner, something bottled.
A splendid idea, Uncle.” Conphas glanced to his right and finally saw his grandmother. She wore a green silk gown crisscrossed by a form-hugging sash of blue. As always, she looked an old whore playing the coquette. But there was something in her expression . She seemed different somehow.
H, you could very well be right about Skeaös, but, from the first time we meet Istriya there are hints the something is different. Here is what Xerius said the first time we meet her.QuoteHe sensed something odd in her manner, something bottled.
When Conphas comes back from Kiyuth:QuoteA splendid idea, Uncle.” Conphas glanced to his right and finally saw his grandmother. She wore a green silk gown crisscrossed by a form-hugging sash of blue. As always, she looked an old whore playing the coquette. But there was something in her expression . She seemed different somehow.
So both times something is different about Istriya, enough that it is remarked upon.
Lol, I just edited my post to the same effect. Ninja'd!!
I am thinking that the Consult probably didn't realize how dangerous Xerius could be, in the sense that he would be so greedy in subverting the Holy War and also that Mallahet (Moe) would completely out think them by going direct to Xerius.
I think the Quorum will allow it.
As always, she looked an old whore playing the coquette. But there was something in her expression. She seemed different somehow.
Istriya had always goaded him, but never had she pressed her banter so close to sedition.
“I’ve never known you to be impolitic, Mother . . . Only to appear so.”
But Istriya’s gaze had drifted to the Prime Counsel. “You’ve been awfully silent, Skeaös.”
“It’s not m-my place to speak, Empress.”
“No? But this mad scheme is yours, isn’t it?”
“It’s mine, Mother,” Xerius snapped, irked by her assumption. “The wretch has spent tedious weeks trying to talk me out of it.” Even as he gave breath to these words, he knew he’d blundered.
“Is that so? And why’s that, Skeaös? As much as I despise you and the inordinate influence you have over my son, I’ve always found your thinking sound. What insights have you to shed?”
Skeaös stared at her helplessly, said nothing.
“You fear for your life, don’t you, Skeaös?”
On previous reads I felt that Istriya was replaced only after Skeos was ousted. But I noted as you all did, that every time she shows up it is mentioned in some way or another that she appears different.
Going back to some earlier notes though, it doesn't appear that mhyrr every comes up with her or skeos.
I might mention this in my other post about potential sons of Moenghus, but I'll note jere that conphas is 27 years old (mentioned at the end of this section) and his father is unknown. Cnaiur mentions "29 years ago" is when moenghus passes through his tribe. So about 1 year in the wilderness before he meets the Utemont... that leaves about 15 months of unknown whereabouts before Istriya's half sister is impregnated with Conphas. So there's that.
Incandescent white cracked the sky, and for an instant , he saw the entire world: the desolate horizon, the sweep
of distant pastures, the surrounding yaksh of his kinsmen, and the lone figure standing not more than a dozen yards away, watching...
When several thousand Tydonni who’d contracted his ships defaulted on their payment, he sent them to the island of Pharixas, an old pirate stronghold of King Rauschang of Thunyerus, demanding they storm the island in lieu of monies owed. They did, and with abandon. Thousands of innocents perished. Inrithi innocents.
But this plan of your uncle’s—to deliver a Holy War to its destruction! A Holy War! I fear for my soul, Ikurei Conphas. My soul!”
“No. I care nothing for Maithanet—or Shimeh, for that matter . . . You’re young. You wouldn’t understand my motives. The young can never see life for what it is: a knife’s edge, as thin as the breaths that measure it. What gives it depth isn’t memory. I’ve memories enough for ten men, and yet my days are as thin and as shadowy as the greased linen the poor stretch over their windows. No, what gives life depth is the future. Without a future, without a horizon of promise or threat, our lives have no meaning. Only the future is real, Conphas, and unless I make amends to the gods, I’ve no future left.”
“It’s not the feast we dispute,” Skeaös replied, “it’s the price! Surely you can see this!”
He stood and looked down on the wizened man. “Lead on, old father.
H, and right before Skeaös leads him up the stairs and Conphas is trying to get him to succumb to the clutch, Conphas says,QuoteHe stood and looked down on the wizened man. “Lead on, old father.
There are just too many references to the Consult in there. Plus, the fact that Skeaös isn't winded at all, and lies to Conphas. Its pretty clear he is a Skin-Spy now.
Wilshire, right before the "I am your end" speech, which as a Cnaüir fan is the greatest, I noticed something. When Yursalka first spots Cnaüir outside the yaksh.No. See above reference to second soulQuoteIncandescent white cracked the sky, and for an instant , he saw the entire world: the desolate horizon, the sweep
of distant pastures, the surrounding yaksh of his kinsmen, and the lone figure standing not more than a dozen yards away, watching...
While this might be nothing other than descriptive purposes, any other time its been used to describe sorcery. I have to wonder if this is the first time Cnaüir was inhabited by Gilgoal.
Locke, could you please elaborate? I have no idea what reference your speaking about. No, as in its not Gilgoal inhabiting Cnaüir?Whoops I reread the almanac chapter 6 thread as well and got it mixed up with this one.
His uncle was like those uncommon drunks who slurred and staggered day after day yet became lethally alert when confronted by danger.
“No. I am your end. Before your eyes I will put your seed to the knife. I will quarter your carcass and feed it to the dogs. Your bones I will grind to dust and cast to the winds. I will strike down those who speak your name or the name of your fathers, until ‘Yursalka’ becomes as meaningless as infant babble. I will blot you out, hunt down your every trace! The track of your life has come to me, and it goes no further. I am your end, your utter obliteration!”
I give him far more credit than this. He came up with many great plans and Skeos , and/or the thing called Skeos, opposed him much of the way.
Maybe your opinion will change as you read it again. I know I felt like he was hapless on my initial read. But, maybe not. As you say he gets help along the way, and it's hard to say exactly what was or wasn't his own idea.
Right, but does it really matter if it was his idea or not? Nothing goes on without his consent. Also, the replacing of Conphas's soldiers was his idea,
Especially after the farce at the Forum the previous day. Xerius needed only to glimpse at his nephew’s face to know that Skeaös had been right. There had been murder in Conphas’s eyes.
Really his whole plan to engineer the defeat of the holy war at shimeh is brilliant. First the bid to desteoy the scylvendi so that they can later not worry about their norther boarder. Then the Indenture, then replcing cophas's guard to prevent assassination. Then the vulgar holy war, forcing Maithanet to accept Conphas and thus the indenture. The deal with Shigek, his deals with other cities along the way to raise his standard before defeat. Then the desert, forcing the war to march without water, weakening them. Then the fleet showing up to crush what remained of the Inrithi at the gates of Shimeh.
The whole plan is utterly brilliant and even despite all that comes after, nearly successful, vying against not only 2 dunyain and a half blood, but also against the consult.
He outsmarted nearly everyone in the game. Yes, his servers help him through specific encounters, but I think he shows far, far more depth than and unwitting simpleton emperor.
Maybe your opinion will change as you read it again. I know I felt like he was hapless on my initial read. But, maybe not. As you say he gets help along the way, and it's hard to say exactly what was or wasn't his own idea.
“Impossible!”Skeaös spat.
Xerius whirled to face the old Counsel, stunned by his audacity.
“What’s this now, Ikurei? You let your dogs howl at your table?”
Xerius knew he should be outraged, but such an outburst from Skeaös was . . . unprecedented.
“But he lies, God-of-Men!” Skeaös cried. “This is a heathen trick, meant to extort concessions—”
He knows as well as we that these Men of the Tusk are fools, that they think the God himself has ordained the overthrow of the heathen. If I provide Calmemunis with everything he requests, he’d march in a fortnight, certain that he could destroy the Fanim with his paltry household alone. Maithanet will mime outrage, of course, but he’ll secretly applaud what I do, knowing it’ll purchase the Holy War the time it needs to gather. Why else do you think he commanded it gather about Momemn rather than Sumna? Aside from taxing my purse, he knew I would do this.”
But none of this makes Maithanet’s Holy War your instrument. You hold no hammer above us.”
“But I do, Skauras. The Men of the Tusk know nothing of your people—even less than Maithanet. Once they understand they war not only against you but against your Cishaurim, the leaders of the Holy War will sign my Indenture. The Holy War requires a School, and that School happens to be mine.”
“Even we know more of your accursed Shriah’s plans than you.”
Xerius glanced at Skeaös’s face, saw concern rather than calculation furrow his crinkled features. What was happening?
Quick question, it may have been addressed somewhere else but if it has I can't recall it. How does Moe recognize skin-spies? I might be mistaken but I thought the explanation for Kellhus recognizing them is more or less that he physically sees them, that they form a simulacrum of a face that is incongruous with everything he has been taught and that difference betrays them. But how does Moe recognize them with his eyes put out? I wouldn't doubt that he knew Skaeos was a skin-spy from espionage and intellect, but can he recognize a new one? Can he perceive the absence of a soul much the way the Few perceive the bruising of the Onta?Quick answer is that moe didn't blind himself until the encounter with kellhus
Quick question, it may have been addressed somewhere else but if it has I can't recall it. How does Moe recognize skin-spies? I might be mistaken but I thought the explanation for Kellhus recognizing them is more or less that he physically sees them, that they form a simulacrum of a face that is incongruous with everything he has been taught and that difference betrays them. But how does Moe recognize them with his eyes put out? I wouldn't doubt that he knew Skaeos was a skin-spy from espionage and intellect, but can he recognize a new one? Can he perceive the absence of a soul much the way the Few perceive the bruising of the Onta?Quick answer is that moe didn't blind himself until the encounter with kellhus
The emissary drew back his cowl, pulling it wide over his shoulders... His bald scalp was pale, shockingly so, and his face was dominated by the black sockets beneath his brow. Eyeless faces always unnerved Xerius
That emissary could have been someone else. I think Locke’s theory is that Moënghus learned the Psûkhe without being blinded as a parallel to Kellhus learning the Gnosis without grasping Seswatha’s heart.
Well, I would tend to disagree with this as I don't believe that learning the Gnosis is dependent on Grasping the Heart, where-as I do believe that the Psuhke is dependent upon the blinding.
It's a huuuuuge stretch imo. No doubt. I see two ways for it to be possible. He either manipulated another into being his Mallahat or as a Dunyain he could do the minor spells without being blinded. I will say when I read that scene, to me, I have the feeling Moe blinded his self right then. To me, everything points to Moe being totally in control and every turn in Kyudea being conditioned.
It's a huuuuuge stretch imo. No doubt. I see two ways for it to be possible. He either manipulated another into being his Mallahat or as a Dunyain he could do the minor spells without being blinded. I will say when I read that scene, to me, I have the feeling Moe blinded his self right then. To me, everything points to Moe being totally in control and every turn in Kyudea being conditioned.
Upon re-read, it seems pretty obvious to me that Mallahat is Moënghus (why else describe him as pale and with Scylvendi scars?), and that he is at this point already a blind Cishaurim.
And even though he has lost his vision, the snakes allow the Cishaurim to see mostly normally. Or?
It's a huuuuuge stretch imo. No doubt. I see two ways for it to be possible. He either manipulated another into being his Mallahat or as a Dunyain he could do the minor spells without being blinded. I will say when I read that scene, to me, I have the feeling Moe blinded his self right then. To me, everything points to Moe being totally in control and every turn in Kyudea being conditioned.
Upon re-read, it seems pretty obvious to me that Mallahat is Moënghus (why else describe him as pale and with Scylvendi scars?), and that he is at this point already a blind Cishaurim.
And even though he has lost his vision, the snakes allow the Cishaurim to see mostly normally. Or?
Potential TTT and TAE spoilers.(click to show/hide)
[EDIT] Wilshire - Spoiler tags
Wilshire- there are those type of spoilers all throughout the Slog..... We agreed to them when we started it, because it was a re-read.
Wilshire- there are those type of spoilers all throughout the Slog..... We agreed to them when we started it, because it was a re-read.Ah, I read "The Almanac" and didn't realize it was a slog thread. my bad :)