> > > S > P > O > I > L > E > R > > S > P > A > C > E > > > > > > > I've just finished Castle Black and have some = > questions/comments/speculation. In no particular order: > > What is the difference between a Viscount and a Count/Countess? = > Shouldn't Zerika have asked Daro for permission to enter the city? It may be that Zerika technically ought to have asked Daro for permission to enter Whitecrest County. But perhaps this was not practical (if her link to the Orb had not yet been renewed, or if Zerika didn't know her well enough for pyschic communication). Or perhaps it *was* done, but was sufficiently uninteresting that Paarfi omitted it. > Tukko: Who is he? Well, Tukko may not actually be a name, but just a colloquialization of part of his title (which contains the word "Tukknaro"). > What is he? He's clearly a servant. Yet, as of LoCB, he's clearly also some sort of advisor to Sethra. He is "bound" in some manner that he prefers not to discuss. He does not seem to have any direct link to the gods, though he is capable of discussing their motives intelligently. >How old is he? Well, he gets to call Sethra *freaking* Lavode "young one". That sure made *my* eyebrows shoot up! > Does the Dzur in his title = > (title?) have to do with the house or the mountain? I'm betting mountain. >What does he do = > exactly (besides serve klava)? As a minor note, in one book he was = > called Chaz; we find that Chaz is indeed part of his name/title. If Dzur Mountain is the Jenoine equivalent of NORAD HQ, maybe Tukko is part of (all of?) the "maintenance staff". He could be a creation of the Jenoine (he refers to them as "Makers"), and "programmed" to carry out the wishes of the current "owner" of the mountain. I'm betting that his title translates to something like "Servant of Dzur Mountain" in some suitably ancient and obscure language. > Did Morrolan's main chapel get turned into the ballroom or library? The = > private rooms seem to suggest it's the ballroom after all. Well, M has already changed his mind once, and the castle isn't complete yet :-) > There seems to be a fatal flaw in the plot against Pel: Zerika can = > question him under the Orb to clear his name.=20 If she thinks of it (instead of reacting emotionally immediately). If Pel consents (risking every plot the Yendi has ever come up with). For that matter, questioning someone under the Orb might make the whole affair (pun intended) a matter of public record; something that Zerika might well be hesitant to do. Or, maybe the plotters are idiots; stranger things have happened. > Will the inter-house relationships come to a happy ending of any sort? = Well, the Dumas model never got a happy ending from his romance (though the parallels here are quite weak). It does seem unlikely that they can marry while remaining part of the aristocracy of the Empire. Of course, as of the end of LoCB, "aristocrat" is no longer part of Piro's self-image... > Is Paarfi just trying to make a point about outdated custom (law?)? Well, he mentions in FHYA (pages 68-69 of the hardcover) that Empress Norathar has passed legislation to try and better the treatment of half- breeds. And also that this legislation had (so far) little effect on public opinion. > Does Grita know that she has a half-sister? Possibly, but it's hardly certain. She was busy looking for Aliera's soul when Ibronka was born, and was busy following Our Heroes for much of the time following. It is possible that she learned of it after hooking up with Kana (and Habil's) forces. They could certainly have revealed it to her, but probably only inadvertently (assuming they don't know Grita's origins). Alexx Alexx Kay Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of my employers alexx at world.std.com http://world.std.com/~alexx An onomatopia is a social-political system that just sounds good. [Seen on a Nancy Button, http://www.nancybuttons.com/]