Quetzal in orbit

Charles Reed wrote: At the time Silk was enlightened, the whorl had been in orbit around the "short sun" for about thirty years, and therefore could not have been going faster than light at any time during Silk's life which, at the beginning of NIGHTSIDE, was 23 years long.

Good point. I, too, recall that the ship had been in orbit for several decades, but can't remember where in the text that information is found. In any event, we are given that Quetzal had been Prolocutor for 33 years. This raises two questions I don't recall having been addressed. 1) How could an inhumi have attained that position? From comments Quetzal made to Gulo, it seems that high positions in the Chapter were more a matter of politics than merit. It's hard to imagine an inhumi rising through the ranks as an ordinary augur. Six years in the schola for augurs would present too many opportunities for discovery (athletics, showers, dormitories). It's easier to imagine an inhumu assuming the human guise of an older man, perhaps even the identity of the heir apparent to the position, on the eve of his replacement. The convenient death of the sitting Prolocutor would present no difficulty for an inhumi. After that, the inhumu could use the power of his office to limit access by the public, minimizing chances of exposure. The second question follows close on the first. 2) Who was Quetzal's mama? That is, where and how did an inhuma get the human blood needed to pass human intelligence to her offspring? From information in the SS books, it seems that the mother would have to have spawned her offspring on Green. Did she get the blood from a human on Green or a human on the Whorl? If the former, who was he and what was he doing there? If the latter, how did she get aboard, then go back to Green, then get her child back to the ship? An inhumi can't just fly through the hull of the ship like the atmosphere of Blue. Scylla-in-Chenille told Auk that Pas was dead, had been wiped "out of core thirty years ago" (LS2; ch. 11). If true, this means that Quetzal was on the ship at least three years before Pas' demise in Mainframe. Given that Mainframe was the hub of intelligence on the ship, and that Pas was the ruling entity there, it's hard to believe that a lander could have either launched from or returned to the ship without his knowledge. Even if Pas had somehow been kept in the dark, Mainframe itself should have been aware of the comings and goings of landers. That seems to be what the Plan of Pas was all about. Someone in Mainframe had to know what was going on. Who? Why was there no announcement to the cities that the voyage was over? Why, for thirty years after Pas was dead, did the ship stay idly in orbit? Was the familial rebellion related to, as either cause or effect, the Whorl's inactivity? -Roy --

Good point. I, too, recall that the ship had been in orbit for several decades, but can't remember where in the text that information is found. In any event, we are given that Quetzal had been Prolocutor for 33 years.

This raises two questions I don't recall having been addressed. 1) How could an inhumi have attained that position? From comments Quetzal made to Gulo, it seems that high positions in the Chapter were more a matter of politics than merit. It's hard to imagine an inhumi rising through the ranks as an ordinary augur. Six years in the schola for augurs would present too many opportunities for discovery (athletics, showers, dormitories). It's easier to imagine an inhumu assuming the human guise of an older man, perhaps even the identity of the heir apparent to the position, on the eve of his replacement. The convenient death of the sitting Prolocutor would present no difficulty for an inhumi. After that, the inhumu could use the power of his office to limit access by the public, minimizing chances of exposure. The second question follows close on the first.

2) Who was Quetzal's mama? That is, where and how did an inhuma get the human blood needed to pass human intelligence to her offspring? From information in the SS books, it seems that the mother would have to have spawned her offspring on Green.

Did she get the blood from a human on Green or a human on the Whorl? If the former, who was he and what was he doing there? If the latter, how did she get aboard, then go back to Green, then get her child back to the ship? An inhumi can't just fly through the hull of the ship like the atmosphere of Blue.

Scylla-in-Chenille told Auk that Pas was dead, had been wiped "out of core thirty years ago" (LS2; ch. 11). If true, this means that Quetzal was on the ship at least three years before Pas' demise in Mainframe. Given that Mainframe was the hub of intelligence on the ship, and that Pas was the ruling entity there, it's hard to believe that a lander could have either launched from or returned to the ship without his knowledge.

Even if Pas had somehow been kept in the dark, Mainframe itself should have been aware of the comings and goings of landers. That seems to be what the Plan of Pas was all about.

Someone in Mainframe had to know what was going on. Who?

Why was there no announcement to the cities that the voyage was over?

Why, for thirty years after Pas was dead, did the ship stay idly in orbit?

Was the familial rebellion related to, as either cause or effect, the Whorl's inactivity?

-Roy

cilluff1 at optonline.net wrote: <<<Quetzal speaking "'...Before Kypris manifested here on Scylsday, the Windows of our city had been empty for decades. I can't take credit for that, it wasn't my doing. But I've done everything in my power to prevent theophanies. It hasn't been much, but I've done what I could. I proscribed human sacrifice, and got it made law, for one thing. I admit I'm proud of that.'" ...>>> This is something that has puzzled me, although I have only just started reading Green so perhaps it becomes clear. But, why did Quetzal try to prevent any more theophanies?

I have no real answer, or even theory, but only some musings that touch upon the subject. Pas chose Blue and Green as the destinations for the Whorl -- clearly the Whorl didn't arrive there at random, and Pas (or Typhon, I should say) must have been familiar enough with them to know they would be habitable to humans.

Presumably, then, he knew about the inhumi as well, yet he still chose Blue and Green as destinations.

Why? Was he "in cahoots" with the inhumi (and is that how Quetzal got on board the Whorl?)? After all, Quetzal speaks fondly of Pas (the type of person who loves a bird so much he sets them free) but not so nicely about the other "gods" (they are the type who cage those they love).

The other "gods" of the Whorl stymied Pas' Plan to bring humanity to Blue and Green for years, perhaps because they knew of the inhumi -- is this why they killed Pas, to prevent the delivery of humanity into the hands of the inhumi?

and is it also why Quetzal made such efforts to prevent theophanies?

knew about the inhumi as well, yet he still chose Blue and Green as destinations.

1) How could an inhumi have attained that position?

It's easier to imagine an inhumu assuming the human guise of an older man, perhaps even the identity of the heir apparent to the position, on the eve of his replacement.

From CALDE, Chapter 1 (The Slaves of Scylla): "For some while he [Quetzal] remained before the window, motionless, cosmetics streaming from his face in rivulets of pink and buff, while he contemplated the tamarind he had caused to be planted there twenty years previously. It was taller already than many buildings called lofty; its glossy, rain-washed leaves brushed the windowframe and now even, by the width of a child's hand, sidled into his bedchamber like so many timid sibyls, confident of welcome yet habitually shy. Their parent tree, nourished by his own efforts, was of more than sufficient size now, and a fount of joy to him: a sheltering presence, a memorial of home, the highroad to freedom."