Digest whorl.v001.n021

Jeff Meyers · 17 Jan 1997, 19:04 · from whorl-v0001.mbox · original

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From: Jeff Meyers <jeffmeyers at earthlink.net>
Subject: (whorl) Re: Digest whorl.v001.n021
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 97 19:04:28
Message-ID: <whorl-v0001-0047 at digest.urth.net>
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[Posted from Whorl, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

Just a few measly comments about Quetzal.

First, his disappearing does not seem to be due to any extraodinary=20
powers.  He's a shape changer, to be sure.  But shape changing and=20
disappearing are two different matters.  Remember how he demonstrated his=20
ability to Horne in the tunnels.  He simply pulled his black (fuligin?)=20
robe over his head and "disappeared."  Now, of course, this may have been=20
a trick, but Quetzal tells Horne that it was how he escaped from Spider=20
at Blood's. =20

Second, Quetzal does seem to be battling with his own nature.  At least=20
that's how Horne seems to see it.  In the tunnel as he is supporting=20
Quetzal during their flight, Horne offers to fall back and protect the=20
rear from whatever danger there might be.  Horne says he "offered to go=20
ahead if he [Quetzal] would tell me what to look for."  The narrative=20
continues with Quetzal's reply: "'I want you to sleep, my son.'  He=20
seemed to suck his gums and reconsidered.  'No, to keep watch.  Can you=20
stay awake.'" (p. 374).  Quetzal appears to be torn between his own need=20
for blood and his desire to see the little company to safety?  Maybe I'm=20
missing something here, but this is not a large group of people that=20
escape.  What?  At the most maybe a hundred (including the Sleepers)? Why=20
would Quetzal have an interest in taking such a small number of people to=20
his own planet?  Does it really make sense that he waited all these years=20
just to see to it that such a small group of humans are transported to=20
his home world?  To herd as a source of food?

Third,  are we ever really told that Quetzal attacked anyone?  Teasal may=20
have been attacked by an inhumi, but it doesn't follow that it was=20
Quetzal.  The other "victim" (if I remember correctly) was already dead. =20
Other than his appearance at the end, which frightens the bejesus out of=20
everyone who sees him, and the notoriously black behavior of his species=20
(as Horne tells it) what exactly does he ever do to indicate that he=20
himself has a sinister plan?  The very fact that Quetzal is categorized=20
as an inhumi would seem to indicate that there are more of them.  More on=20
the LSW or just more?  I don't know.  But if there are more lurking=20
around on the LSW then that would explain the attack on Teasal.  Does=20
anyone else in the story qualify as an evil inhumi?  Everything that=20
Quetzal does and says suggests benevolent purposes.   Is this plausible=20
or am I missing something?

On to another issue. . .=20

Jordan writes:

>On the other hand, he advises
>that the settlers go to the wrong planet -- or so it seems (never try to
>guess where Wolfe will go -- maybe Quetzal's advice was right!)

I have a question: how is it that the departing landers displayed only=20
two options to the crew: Blue and Green?  Did Pas program the landers? =20
Quetzal?  If the Green planet was the horror that Horne believed it to=20
be, why would it even be listed as an option by Pas?  If the Blue planet=20
was relatively safe, why would Quetzal program it as an option?  If both=20
planets were dangerous (as appears to be the case) why would anyone=20
except Quetzal program these two options.  But if Quetzal programed the=20
options, what difference would it make which one was chosen?  Why give=20
them a choice?   And, then, when Quetzal and Remora chose the Green, why=20
would the moniter overrule the decision and take them to the blue? =20
There's a mystery here.  I doubt if Wolfe has given us the information=20
that we need penetrate it yet.

Jeff Meyers

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