Question about the attendants

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

Rather rambling and unorganized thoughts:

• In KoA, I got the impression that Gen's attendants thought that he was weak and unqualified but that they reversed their opinion when Gen brought down Erondites.
• They try to protect the king when he's angry about Nahuseresh, so that Attolia won't hear that he was bitter about his missing hand.
• Didn't everyone who disbelieved Costis about Gen say that he sounded like the king's attendants, and no one believed them either?

I just reread ACoK, and what happened with Gen and his attendants?

• They thought Gen considered them less than his boots? Why? I thought they'd proven themselves once they weren't under Sejanus's sway.
• Ion thought he would be dismissed for one too many mistakes - does Gen think they're incompetent? Wouldn't he know better? Or are they really incompetent?
• He thinks they're "overelegant lapdogs", but why would he think that Sophos wouldn't want to hire one of them? Again, are they really incompetent?

Is this something that doesn't have much information to support a case either way? I'm thinking that maybe I'm just confused because the point of view is different in ACoK, because Sophos is more distant from the Attolian court than the Attolian king. But it's something that's been bothering me over the weekend, so I thought I'd ask. Thoughts?

Also: I just remembered - there's still sand in his food in ACoK? I thought that was taken care of in KoA! What happened?

Comments

[zumie-ashlen.livejournal.com]

I miss Costis like crazy.

I think Gen underestimates that people will care for him--hence his being all snitty towards Sophos in ACOK. He's a very passive-aggressive person with sort of low self-esteem. :D

He can be thicker than a brick wall about feelings sometimes, the poor git. *g*