Post to Discuss "Destruction"

[hazelwillow.livejournal.com]

I thought this story merited its own discussion post, like the big grown up awesome story that it is. So here one is!

Note if you haven't read the short story at the end of the Conspiracy of Kings paperback yet, beware of spoilers lurking below.

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My own thoughts:

Personally I loved this story, more than the other two short stories we've seen so far, actually. This one stuck with me and it's still sticking.

Part of why I liked it so much is because it seemed like a temporary what-if: what if the rest of the world was let into Gen's private world for a few days, and then we got to go back to normal after? Gen's faith is usually a private, intimate thing. In The Thief, he doesn't speak to the Magus about what happened in the maze, but he cares enough about it to shed tears when he realizes it's gone. It strikes me that the destruction of the Gift probably didn't need to be shown in The Thief because the destruction of the maze was. Only Helen and later Irene, Costis, and Sophos share Eugenides's knowledge that the gods are real, as far as we know. But while everyone's in the presence of the Gift, for a while they all share the same understanding of an impossibility. That was neat, to me. Because usually Gen knows a lot more than everyone else, and they find out what he knows at the end. Here, it's kind of the opposite of what usually happens.

My favourite part was the ending, I felt it had a weight and *almost* a sadness to it, as though Gen was searching from face to face for something soon lost. He's shut back away from everyone else in that moment when they all lose their belief again. I was reminded of Relius's words in KoA: "there are other words for privacy  and independence. They are isolation and loneliness." I never actually saw those emotions, myself, in Pre-King!Gen, but I can see where they might exist here.

Of course, he's not really alone, because Helen believes, too. Interesting that he looks to Attolia, not her. Well, I know he wouldn't be able to see the change in Helen's face, so there's that. But still. Maybe the isolation I'm sensing is not about faith, but about something else. I don't know.

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Some questions/observations to start things off:

1. Why was Attolia watching Gen so obsessively? What could be going on in her head?

2. drashizu pointed out that everyone was referred to by their titles, even the Thief. Name Game....?

3. Is this the first time we've been inside OldMan!Sounis's POV? My dislike of him is solidified! (I guess that's not really a question!)

4. When exactly does this take place in terms of Gen's feelings for Attolia...?

5. There's lots of light, fire, and darkness mentioned --being able to see or not see, torches making them night-blind, and then the light of day, and the unseen fire below. Any parallels to the belief and lack of it that also goes on?

6. Same as the disappearing faith in the Eddis short, the Gods seem to like it that most people don't remember how real they are. Aren't gods supposed to *want* you to believe in them? Or maybe they want faith without knowledge? The way people forget strikes me as more like the fairies of Celtic legends than Gods. Anyone know how the Greek gods were about this topic?

7. I wonder how Helen feels about giving up her immortality?

8. A Crossbow? It seems disposing of small objects in volcanoes is kind of awkward! I guess that's why we don't do it all the time. Frodo was lucky with that parapet thing in Lord of the Rings.

That's all I can think of. I want to hear what you all thought/felt and I'm sure you'll come up with better questions to ask, anyway. :)