In Calde, there is a (to me) pivotal scene in which we first learn that Quetzal is an inhumu. This is his meeting with Remora, during which he throws the Chapter onto Silk's side in the brewing civil war.
In this scene, he relates the story of the "cobra" in Al-lah's Garden seducing Wo-man into eating the fruit of his tree. Quetzal asks, why did the cobra do this? Remora suggests malice was the motive. Quetzal replies that perhaps the cobra merely wanted to get A-man and Wo-man into his tree. He recommends Remora devote a day a week to studying the Writings.
Later, after Remora has left, Quetzal does whatever he does to become a winged snake, and slithers out the window into his tamarind tree. The tamarind, by the way, is one candidate for what the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden "really" was.
By the way, I don't think there is anything supernatural in the books, unless you consider ESP and related areas supernatural, which for SF purposes I don't.
Dave Lebling
(david_lebling at avid.com)
Questions or problems to whorl-owner at lists.best.com