ACoK musings...
Sep. 28th, 2010 09:52 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
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I've just started re-reading A Conspiracy of Kings, and thought I'd post things as I thought of them.
I am thinking that the thoughts of Hyacinth, that loathsome little traitor, wherever he is now and assuming the people who kidnapped Sophos didn't just kill him out of complete disgust (there's no mention of what happened to him, is there?), are probably running along these lines:
"Um. So, the feeble useless guy I betrayed and who even in the midst of being kidnapped tried to strangle me with his bare hands and nearly succeeded, is now the King of Sounis; has just sent the Medes packing; is good buddies with the King of Attolia who we all *know* can slip in and out of anywhere he wants; is also on quite good terms with the Queen of Attolia, who frankly scares the liver and lights out of everybody who makes her cranky; and also apparently now has muscles that just won't quit.
"You know, I have always wanted to be an explorer who travels to the far, far, far, far, far, far, far, farfarfarfarfar reaches of the world..."
I am thinking that the thoughts of Hyacinth, that loathsome little traitor, wherever he is now and assuming the people who kidnapped Sophos didn't just kill him out of complete disgust (there's no mention of what happened to him, is there?), are probably running along these lines:
"Um. So, the feeble useless guy I betrayed and who even in the midst of being kidnapped tried to strangle me with his bare hands and nearly succeeded, is now the King of Sounis; has just sent the Medes packing; is good buddies with the King of Attolia who we all *know* can slip in and out of anywhere he wants; is also on quite good terms with the Queen of Attolia, who frankly scares the liver and lights out of everybody who makes her cranky; and also apparently now has muscles that just won't quit.
"You know, I have always wanted to be an explorer who travels to the far, far, far, far, far, far, far, farfarfarfarfar reaches of the world..."
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Date: 9/29/10 03:59 am (UTC)Also, "muscles that just won't quit." Love it!
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Date: 9/29/10 09:58 pm (UTC)Why does he seem cordial with Basrus? He certainly didn't owe him any favors after what was done to him. But Sophos was "unexpectedly pleased" to see him. pg 249.
What do you all think?
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Date: 9/29/10 10:29 pm (UTC)...and he sees Basrus, who was always very straightforward with him even though he was kidnapping him to sell into slavery, and who didn't lie or pretend to be a friend or do anything according to hidden political motives. Basrus was in it for personal gain from beginning to end, and that was something Sophos could trust.
That's not a perfect explanation, since there's a line later where Sophos admits to being uncertain about Basrus... "I wasn't sure if I had a wolf or a dog, but I knew how to tell the difference: a dog does what you tell it to," as he sends Basrus off to fetch somebody for a dressing-down. Basically, though, I think the idea is that whether Basrus is a wolf (and too much for Sophos to handle) or a dog (and able to be used as a tool), he only has one motive: his own survival and self-interest. That's comforting to Sophos amid all these other confusing political power games.
Sorry for the mini essay. Does that make sense at all? I'm sure it's only one possible theory.
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Date: 9/29/10 11:29 pm (UTC)What I don't understand is how he got Lady Hanaktia on his side. She seriously has no reason to love or respect him.
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Date: 9/30/10 02:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 9/30/10 03:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 9/30/10 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 9/29/10 04:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 9/29/10 03:30 pm (UTC)P.S. Another Princess Tutu fan! I love your icon. And now I think we should be friends :) Are you over at the PT community too?
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Date: 9/29/10 04:05 pm (UTC)"He's very good at poetry! No, wait, I can think of some other things about him, don't kill me!"
Aww, thanks. Tutu-ers unite! I'm not really in the fandom, though, I just adore it in my own little corner and frantically push it onto anyone that I can.
Yay new friend~!
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Date: 9/29/10 05:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 9/29/10 02:58 pm (UTC)I don't know where everyone in the comm is in regard to reading CoK, maybe everyone has indeed read it, but Hyacinth's role is something you don't want to spoil for those who haven't read it yet. Consider an lj-cut?
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Date: 9/29/10 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/1/10 12:13 am (UTC)Sophos thinks that his father despises him, but I'm sure his father loves him. He gets so angry about Sophos' poor abused face.
I do hope we get to see more of Ina and Eurydice.
"That lying little monster complained about everything: the food, the horses, the blankets, the company. He even found fault with the stories I told by the fire, but I cannot recall that he ever once complained about the climbing." Snicker. "Lying little monster."
"Eddis' slow, broad smile appeared. Sounis crossed his arms and bolstered himself against it." Hee!
"We do not, all of us, need to be throwing inkwells." So the stories of that traveled far and wide, did they? (And why inkwells and not inkpots?)
"She only ever gets angry at him." For which I'll bet the court is devoutly thankful.
And once again I have to chortle over "No doubt she had overcome her own rebels with ten men and a penknife."
"Eddis? What about Eddis?"
"It isn't pronounced that way."
"'You're being a fool,' said Attolia. She was sitting on a low-backed chair as Aglaia removed the pins from her carefully braided hair. There was more she would have said, but she held her tongue. Not because Aglaia was there..." Oh, I would so love to hear Attolia's attendants discussing what they've overheard in Attolia's apartments, since she and Eugenides basically ignore their presence and talk freely.
more later...
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Date: 10/2/10 02:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/2/10 07:48 pm (UTC)Ink pots and inkwells are more or less synonymous, although inkwell implies that there is a built in recepticle in the desk in which it fits, while an ink pot wouldn't necessarily have such spot.
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Date: 10/2/10 07:50 pm (UTC)