Subject: (whorl) The secret of the inhumi [SPOILERS for IGJ]

From: Adam Stephanides <adamsteph at earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:38:58 +0000

Josh Levitan wrote:
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> Alex David Groce wrote:
> 
> >1.  The inhumi's secret (maybe) becomes a little clearer, in some
> >aspects:  Krait's _mother_ drank from Sinew, and I believe it may be
> >that when the inhumi spawn their children take their spirit (in some
> >sense) from (a particular, I assume) victim of the parent.
> 
> I don't think that's the case.  

I don't think Alex's theory is the secret either, although it may be
true.  I don't see why the inhumi would see Alex's theory as more of a
weapon against themselves than the fact that they draw their nature from
what they feed on, which Krait told Horn without demanding he take a vow
of secrecy. (82)

>I do think it has become a bit clearer,
> although not crystal clear yet.  And unfortunately, all evidence seems to
> point to the "Do Unto Others Theory" as being extremely likely to being "the
> secret."

I don't think so.  As said above, Krait tells Horn freely that the
inhumi  take the nature of those they feed on, and Horn tells us,
whereas he remains coy about the secret.  And "Do Unto Others" is a
merely a logical (if impractical) deduction from this, moreover one that
Horn has explicitly stated.  So neither of these are the secret.

On the other hand, when Hide responds to Horn's socratic questionin:
"'They really do make themselves just like we are....Only they couldn't
do it if they didn't have us to copy.'" Horn replies "'I'd scarcely
hoped to take you this far without violating an oath, which I will not
do.'" (351)  This does suggest that the secret lies in this area (it
also suggests that Horn underestimates Hide's intelligence as much as he
does Sinew's character).

There are some other clues as to the secret in IGJ that I've noticed.

1. The inhumi believe that the secret is a weapon against them, but Horn
believes it is "a weapon too heavy for our [human's] hands." (125) 

2. The Neighbors knew the secret, but were themselves unable to "wield
it." (125)  So "wielding" the secret can't mean depriving the inhumi of
all intelligent blood for a period of time, since the Neighbors could
have done that by "going away" temporarily at any time before the humans
arrived.

3. The secret, along with the inhumi's desire to absorb humans' natures,
explains why they drink blood. (82)

4. The secret is somehow connected with "what had happened almost twenty
years ago" (presumably Krait's mother feeding on Sinew) (82).

5. Krait feels he has to tell Horn the secret before he dies. (82)

Maybe somebody else can put these clues into a pattern better than I
can.

--Adam

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---

From: Alex David Groce <alex_groce at gs246.sp.cs.cmu.edu>
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:57:03 +0000

Preserving spoiler space (didn't on my last post, sorry)

>what they feed on, which Krait told Horn without demanding he take a vow

Sorry if I gave the impression I think this is the secret.  I don't, but I

>years ago" (presumably Krait's mother feeding on Sinew) (82).

is somehow crucial--I don't think we have enough to figure out the
secret, but I'm betting the mother feeding on Sinew is at the heart of
the explanation.

Perhaps if we can put together all the chronology of the Neighbors
relationship with the inhumi that we have we can come up with
something more specific.

--
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
--
Alex David Groce (agroce+ at cs.cmu.edu)
Ph.D. Student, Carnegie Mellon University - Computer Science Department
8112 Wean Hall (412)-268-3066
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~agroce