A rather long observation...
Feb. 26th, 2009 02:32 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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queensthiefSo I'm re-reading The Thief and every three pages or so I say, Wait a second, what's this all about? I should ask the nice people at Sounis!
And then I forget what the hell I was talking about.
But here's something that puzzles me that I do remember. I hope I'm not being repetitive, but I didn't see this on any older posts. Gen stole Hamiathes's Gift, right? Twice. And then he's saved by it when they are captured by the Attolians... and yet, earlier in the book it was specifically said that Hamiathes's Gift was useless unless it was given to the bearer.
" 'When a usurper stole the stone and soon thereafter died, it was understood that the power of the stone was lost unless it was given to the bearer, and so a tradition grew up that allowed the throne of Eddis to change hands peacefully when another country might have had a civil war. One person stole the stone and then gave it to his chosen candidate for the throne, in that way making him rightful king.' "
When Gen steals the stone he is paralyzed, hand extended, and though Eugenides repeatedly prompts him to take the stone he can't do a thing. But then this happens:
"And then, because I thought that if I were dying, I would do something that very few had done since the world was made, I looked again into the eyes of the Great Goddess, and for a moment she looked back at me. That was enough."
My theory here would be that he may have never been told outright to take it from Hephestia, but she still gave him permission of sorts.
So.
Gen surrenders the stone to the magus, for however short a time and here I'm divided. I mean, why not just let the magus think he never got the stone at all? But, that aside, this is what happens:
"I had meant to make him wait a little, but he sounded so bleak that without meaning to, I rolled my hand over and opened the fist so that he could see the Gift, resting on my palm.
His knees seemed to weaken and he squatted down beside me with his mouth open. I smiled at his wonder and my own delight. I was taken aback when he put his arms around my shoulders and hugged me like his own son, or anyway like a close relative.
'You are a wonder, Gen. I will carve your name on a stele outside the basilica, I promise.'
I laughed out loud.
'Where was it?'
I told him about the obsidian door and the stairway to the throne room, but I stumbled a little. When it came time to mention the gods, I passed over them. It didn't seem right to talk about them in the light of day, with people who didn't believe and might laugh. If the magus noticed, he didn't comment.
'The river came down just as you said it might,' he told me. 'And washed right across our campsite on the lower bank. So we owe you for our lives as well as for this.' He looked down at the stone he held in his hand."
And so while we weren't looking the magus managed to get the stone away from our thief. Since Gen hasn't had any dialogue at all in this exchange, it makes it seem as though he's being especially passive. It's never mentioned that he actively gives the stone to the magus, so does this mean that the magus took it? Is that why when Gen steals it back later he still won't die? Because he never relinquished it?
As an aside, when Attolia first visits Gen in the palace dungeons she turns to leave and her peplos sweeps across the back of Gen's hand. He winces because, "The velvet was soft, but the embroidery scratched."
I love this single line. It's Attolia in a nutshell. The velvet is naturally soft, but it's the embellishments that make it rough. The embroidery which is supposed to improve it, and does indeed make it prettier, makes it much less palatable up close.
Attolia herself is the same. She's a good person made harsh and cruel by her circumstances. She sacrifices her own emotions and well being (Since she's always trying to appear to be Hephestia, I could even go as far as to say she sacrifices her own self) in order to maintain the careful facade she requires to remain queen. And Gen, sees immediately past all that to the velvet underneath.
And then I forget what the hell I was talking about.
But here's something that puzzles me that I do remember. I hope I'm not being repetitive, but I didn't see this on any older posts. Gen stole Hamiathes's Gift, right? Twice. And then he's saved by it when they are captured by the Attolians... and yet, earlier in the book it was specifically said that Hamiathes's Gift was useless unless it was given to the bearer.
" 'When a usurper stole the stone and soon thereafter died, it was understood that the power of the stone was lost unless it was given to the bearer, and so a tradition grew up that allowed the throne of Eddis to change hands peacefully when another country might have had a civil war. One person stole the stone and then gave it to his chosen candidate for the throne, in that way making him rightful king.' "
When Gen steals the stone he is paralyzed, hand extended, and though Eugenides repeatedly prompts him to take the stone he can't do a thing. But then this happens:
"And then, because I thought that if I were dying, I would do something that very few had done since the world was made, I looked again into the eyes of the Great Goddess, and for a moment she looked back at me. That was enough."
My theory here would be that he may have never been told outright to take it from Hephestia, but she still gave him permission of sorts.
So.
Gen surrenders the stone to the magus, for however short a time and here I'm divided. I mean, why not just let the magus think he never got the stone at all? But, that aside, this is what happens:
"I had meant to make him wait a little, but he sounded so bleak that without meaning to, I rolled my hand over and opened the fist so that he could see the Gift, resting on my palm.
His knees seemed to weaken and he squatted down beside me with his mouth open. I smiled at his wonder and my own delight. I was taken aback when he put his arms around my shoulders and hugged me like his own son, or anyway like a close relative.
'You are a wonder, Gen. I will carve your name on a stele outside the basilica, I promise.'
I laughed out loud.
'Where was it?'
I told him about the obsidian door and the stairway to the throne room, but I stumbled a little. When it came time to mention the gods, I passed over them. It didn't seem right to talk about them in the light of day, with people who didn't believe and might laugh. If the magus noticed, he didn't comment.
'The river came down just as you said it might,' he told me. 'And washed right across our campsite on the lower bank. So we owe you for our lives as well as for this.' He looked down at the stone he held in his hand."
And so while we weren't looking the magus managed to get the stone away from our thief. Since Gen hasn't had any dialogue at all in this exchange, it makes it seem as though he's being especially passive. It's never mentioned that he actively gives the stone to the magus, so does this mean that the magus took it? Is that why when Gen steals it back later he still won't die? Because he never relinquished it?
As an aside, when Attolia first visits Gen in the palace dungeons she turns to leave and her peplos sweeps across the back of Gen's hand. He winces because, "The velvet was soft, but the embroidery scratched."
I love this single line. It's Attolia in a nutshell. The velvet is naturally soft, but it's the embellishments that make it rough. The embroidery which is supposed to improve it, and does indeed make it prettier, makes it much less palatable up close.
Attolia herself is the same. She's a good person made harsh and cruel by her circumstances. She sacrifices her own emotions and well being (Since she's always trying to appear to be Hephestia, I could even go as far as to say she sacrifices her own self) in order to maintain the careful facade she requires to remain queen. And Gen, sees immediately past all that to the velvet underneath.
no subject
Date: 3/9/09 02:04 am (UTC)I agree somewhat on this. I didn't get the impression that you need to be given or it's "useless."
You just need to be given the stone to *rule* Eddis. The properties work regardless.
*relurks*