So, here’s the part I was referring to, about feeling I was missing something during my first read. I thought Sophos was the victim here, subject completely to the Medes’s plans. On pg. 263, we learn that Sophos had instructed his troops to feint an attack, then scatter and reform a few times. They retreated with few casualties, and allowed Sophos to be captured and taken to Brimedius. Sophos could have faded away with the Magus, but chose to remain and be captured. Once at Brimedius, Sophos killed time until he was sure his mother and sisters were safe, and he’d given his father’s/the Magus’s/Gen’s troops time to get to Elisa. Even though Sophos was a captive, he was mostly the one pulling the strings here.
Remember in The Thief when you went back and read all those clues you’d missed the first time? A reread made me feel like that. Here’s the evidence I missed the first time around: Both of them had urged me to keep my plans to myself (p 211) I had prepared my Attolians and my Eddisians carefully. (p 212) It was an excellent place for a trap, and we had sprung it. (p 213) Without needing a signal, the Eddisian captain whistled a retreat. (p 214) The battle hadn’t been unanticipated or forced on me, as the raid in the villa had been. (p 215) (To the Magus) “You aren’t supposed to be here!” I shouted. “Get back!” (p 216) When the first men of Sounis reached the top of the hill, I shouted clearly, “I am the king of Sounis,” on the slight chance that the silvered breastplate with the Sounis colors in velvet underneath didn’t identify me clearly enough. (p 216) “What a surprise to see you here,” I said to him, not surprised at all. (p 217) And so by late afternoon I was in Brimedius, almost exactly as I’d originally planned. (217) I am not Gen. I cannot tell a convincing lie. He and I had agreed that I was foolish to try… (219) I practiced firing Attolia’s gun… (225)
So, how much of the plan do you think was conceived ahead of time, versus Sophos improvising as needed? Had he planned from the start to shoot Hanaktos if he could find no better way of convincing the barons that he should be king? And, once he got the barons to support him, did he have any hope that his army could stop the Medes?
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You Shot the Ambassador
Date: 5/7/17 03:40 pm (UTC)Remember in The Thief when you went back and read all those clues you’d missed the first time? A reread made me feel like that. Here’s the evidence I missed the first time around:
Both of them had urged me to keep my plans to myself (p 211)
I had prepared my Attolians and my Eddisians carefully. (p 212)
It was an excellent place for a trap, and we had sprung it. (p 213)
Without needing a signal, the Eddisian captain whistled a retreat. (p 214)
The battle hadn’t been unanticipated or forced on me, as the raid in the villa had been. (p 215)
(To the Magus) “You aren’t supposed to be here!” I shouted. “Get back!” (p 216)
When the first men of Sounis reached the top of the hill, I shouted clearly, “I am the king of Sounis,” on the slight chance that the silvered breastplate with the Sounis colors in velvet underneath didn’t identify me clearly enough. (p 216)
“What a surprise to see you here,” I said to him, not surprised at all. (p 217)
And so by late afternoon I was in Brimedius, almost exactly as I’d originally planned. (217)
I am not Gen. I cannot tell a convincing lie. He and I had agreed that I was foolish to try… (219)
I practiced firing Attolia’s gun… (225)
So, how much of the plan do you think was conceived ahead of time, versus Sophos improvising as needed? Had he planned from the start to shoot Hanaktos if he could find no better way of convincing the barons that he should be king? And, once he got the barons to support him, did he have any hope that his army could stop the Medes?