The Book of the Long Sun Question

Sergei SOLOVIEV · 20 Sep 2011, 14:28 · from 2011-September.txt.gz

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From: soloviev at irit.fr (Sergei SOLOVIEV)
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:28:01 +0200
Subject: (urth) The Book of the Long Sun Question
Message-ID: <4E78A2F1.2000807 at irit.fr>

Remarks: a) the problem of relations between humans and "cattle" 
obviously deeply interests GW - all the speaking animals in the "Long 
Sun", the question of the many-generation
prisoners of the Antichamber, whether the animals do plead for life when 
they are
slaughtered, so it doesn't look strange if similar question is put about 
the relations
between humans and inhumi.

b) Inhumi (at least, those who are on speaking terms with Horn-Silk) 
often tell
that thay try not to kill humans they consider as their "cattle", better 
comparison
would be with milking, not slaghtering.

c) Subjectively, Quetzal may think that he will do good for humans 
(again, from
the dialogues between Horn-Silk and inhumi it looks like they often 
sincerely think
themselves much superior than ordinary human, and from the point of view 
of Horn-Silk they all the time try to invent sophisticated lies to 
justify their deeds).

Best

Sergei Soloviev


Le Mardi 20 Septembre 2011 10:08 CEST, Daniel Petersen 
<danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> a ?crit:

> Thanks for clearing that up about the Neighbours, Gerry.  I do recall that's
> what it was now.  Which is weird and disturbing in a way (from our fellow
> human perspective) - but I guess they were doing it benevolently -
> innoculation or something.
> 
> You also said:  'It is hardly unique to the inhumi.  The farmer is sincere
> in his concern for his cattle.  The slave owner may be solicitous regarding
> the comfort of his slaves.'
> 
> Yes, but the Inhumi/Human situation is a little more like one human using
> another, not as a slave, but as *cattle* - to be slaughtered and eaten.  To
> get caught up in the concerns of your food source in this way seems more
> complex than the examples you cite, and full of the tensions that can only
> come from sentient-to-sentient interactions in a morally dubious (not to say
> objectionable) scenario.  It's like the slave situation to some degree, but
> again, more like one of a tribe of cannibals finding himself concerned with
> the missionary they're preparing for dinner.
> 
> -DOJP
> 
> On Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 11:12 PM, Gerry Quinn <gerry at bindweed.com> wrote:
> 
> > **
> > *From:* Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com>
> >
> > > I think I remember hearing on this list the theory that the inhumi (be it
> > just Quetzal
> > > or others also in addition to him) boarded the Whorl (presumably by means
> > of the sort
> > > of 'space-flight' they're described as performing in Short Sun) for the
> > purpose of
> > > reconnoitring a potential food source.  That strikes me as fairly
> > straightforward and plausible.
> >
> > As I recall matters, we were told that it was the people who later became
> > known as the Neighbours who boarded the Whorl as it approached their system,
> > and infected it with inhumi as an experiment.
> >
> > This works better as it seems unlikely that the inhumi could have flown
> > that distance - they could only fly between the twin planets when they were
> > in close conjunction.  And also they would probably need some sort of
> > technology to get into the Whorl having landed on it.  Carrying a lot of
> > equipment would have made flight difficult.  And how could they have hit it
> > anyway?  The Whorl has little gravity to pull them in.  The Neighbours, by
> > contrast, had legitimate spacecraft.
> >
> >
> > > Quetzal, however, is the mystery.  I honestly can't decide if he's
> > sinister or sincere in his
> > > intentions and actions.  Maybe he can't decide either.  Maybe he has
> > lingered there this
> > > long, using them as his food source, but also finding himself caught up
> > in their politics
> > > and drama with some genuine concern.  Indeed, the tensions in his
> > character between
> > > exploitation of and empathy with his 'hosts' is perhaps inherent to the
> > form-shifting nature
> > > of the inhumi.
> >
> > It is hardly unique to the inhumi.  The farmer is sincere in his concern
> > for his cattle.  The slave owner may be solicitous regarding the comfort of
> > his slaves.
> >
> > - Gerry Quinn
> >
> >
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