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A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)

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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by wyrm   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:58 am

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runsforcelery wrote:“You really are very good,” Aivah Pahrsahn — who had once been known as Ahnzhelyk Phonda, among many other names — said approvingly. “Why, you could almost — almost, I say — convince me. But you can’t, you know. I’ve been watching you for too long.”


This phrase - among many other names - is very interesting. Is Aivah a mistress of disguise, or does this carry other implications that RFC will torment us with?
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by PeterZ   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:19 am

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wyrm wrote:
runsforcelery wrote:“You really are very good,” Aivah Pahrsahn — who had once been known as Ahnzhelyk Phonda, among many other names — said approvingly. “Why, you could almost — almost, I say — convince me. But you can’t, you know. I’ve been watching you for too long.”


This phrase - among many other names - is very interesting. Is Aivah a mistress of disguise, or does this carry other implications that RFC will torment us with?


Yes
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by n7axw   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:34 am

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I agree with the sentiment that the price of her trip to Zion is that Aivah has a lot of explaining to do.

Given her wit and sense of humor, I bet she finds the whole situation delicious, especially after Abrahaim identified her as Nynian back in Zion. Talk about turn about being fair play...

Don
When any group seeks political power in God's name, both religion and politics are instantly corrupted.
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by PeterZ   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:44 am

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pushmar wrote:"I've been watching you too long."

Oh, she has, has she?

Let the cruel teasing begin! Mr. Weber, thanks, and I expect I'll speculate a bit about this. Too bad books take so long to write, but its beginning to look like it'll be worth the wait.


That's the key sentence. Watching is the key word.

watch [ woch ]

1.observe: to look at and keep your attention on something or somebody over a period of time
2.keep lookout: to keep a lookout for something that might appear or happen
3.monitor something or somebody: to keep something or somebody under observation as a protective measure, to gather information, or to exert control

Does RFC mean 1 or 3 and does it matter? -rubs hands-

If he means 1, then Aivah personally has observed Merlin/Ahbraim/et al for a long time. This is the obvious interpretation.

If he means 3, then someone or something has been watching Merlin's seijin crew. Trouble is that Aivah wouldn't use watching in this context because Safehold doesn't have the tech to see things beyond the observer's physical visual range. The connotation wouldn't occur to a Safeholdian to use under observation synonymously with personally watching.

Yet, Aivah did use watching and not under observation to describe her source of knowledge. Even if she knowingly used the term to mean under observation, it implies she has knowledge that other means of viewing from a distance are possible. Sure, rumors credit Merlin with visions of far away things. Unless she had those capabilities it wouldn't be wise to tweek a seijin's tail who does have those skills. Her crew might be subject to more intense scrutiny.

All of this conjecture suggests Aivah does have knowledge of Terran Federation Tech. That suggests she belongs to a group like Shan-wei's seedlings or Schueler's progeny. I doubt her group has many doodads, but she has access to some.
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by BobG   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:22 am

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runsforcelery wrote:“You really are very good,” Aivah Pahrsahn — who had once been known as Ahnzhelyk Phonda, among many other names — said approvingly. “Why, you could almost — almost, I say — convince me. But you can’t, you know. I’ve been watching you for too long.”

It suddenly came to me that her "too long" is substantially longer than when she met Ahbrain for the first time. Just my intuition, but...

-- Bob G
SF & Fantasy: The only things better than Chocolate.
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by Dalin   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:16 am

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I think Inquisition has a lot of learning to reach RFC's level of torturing.
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by DrakBibliophile   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:32 am

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I'm sure you'll enjoy the fun of our speculation getting things wrong. :twisted: :twisted:

runsforcelery wrote:All right. I'm not ready to being posting spoilers yet, and I won't be for quite some time, given how far I am from completing the book and the fact that I'm moving events around even in the portion I've already finished. Having said that, I decided to give you a tiny snippet. :lol:


-----------------------------------

Merlin Athrawes Chamber,
Charisian Embassy,
Siddar City,
Republic of Siddarmark.


The angry, shingle-lifting background bluster of snow-laden wind roaring about the eaves only made the sudden, profound silence in the modest bedchamber even more complete. The slight sound as a coal settled on the hearth seemed almost deafening, and Merlin Athrawes stood very still, shoulders against the door he’d just closed behind him, sapphire eyes gazing intently through the fire-flickered dimness at the slender woman in the single chair beside that hearth.

The woman who had just called him “Ahbraim.”

Which, he reflected, made the question of how she’d managed to get by the alert sentinels guarding the Charisian Embassy here in the heart of Siddar City rather secondary.

The firelight struck subdued highlights from her dark hair, and the heavy, utilitarian coat hanging from his coat tree — like the boots and heavy woolen stockings she’d slipped from slim, pedicured feet and set before the fire — was soaked with melting snow. She was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever met and he could smell the subtle sweetness of her perfume, but neither of those were what held him so still.

“Why,” he asked after a moment, in a tone which sounded considerably calmer than he actually felt, “did you call me that, Madam Pahrsahn?” He cocked his head, expression puzzled. “I assume it’s a reference to Master Zhevons?”

“You really are very good,” Aivah Pahrsahn — who had once been known as Ahnzhelyk Phonda, among many other names — said approvingly. “Why, you could almost — almost, I say — convince me. But you can’t, you know. I’ve been watching you for too long.”
*
Paul Howard (Alias Drak Bibliophile)
*
Sometimes The Dragon Wins! [Polite Dragon Smile]
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by jtg452   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:39 pm

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Sounds to me like an extremely intelligent, very observant woman noticed mannerism or nuance of speech in Mr Zhevons while in the Temple Lands with him and then ran into it again in Siddarmark while with Merlin and the wheels in her mind started turning. Being extremely intelligent and not given to flights of fancy, she pondered over while continuing her observations and noticed other facets of the two that weren't just similar but identical. Having done so, she came to the only logical- if apparently impossible- conclusion and was open minded enough to accept that it is in fact correct. She may not know the "How" and "Why" of how he does it but she knows that he and Zhevons are one and the same person.


And I think that Drak is absolutely right.
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by pablopinzone   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:40 pm

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Surprised no one pointed this out:
the heavy, utilitarian coat hanging from his coat tree — like the boots and heavy woolen stockings she’d slipped from slim, pedicured feet and set before the fire — was soaked with melting snow

So where are the wet footprints outside Merlin's door? Why did she not shake the snow off downstairs?

Did she come in via the window?
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Re: A Teeny snippet from HFQ (spoiler)
Post by Taurus2   » Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:00 pm

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wyrm wrote:
runsforcelery wrote:“You really are very good,” Aivah Pahrsahn — who had once been known as Ahnzhelyk Phonda, among many other names — said approvingly. “Why, you could almost — almost, I say — convince me. But you can’t, you know. I’ve been watching you for too long.”


This phrase - among many other names - is very interesting. Is Aivah a mistress of disguise, or does this carry other implications that RFC will torment us with?


Well, she is a mistress of disguise, but I'm also pretty sure we have textev that she used a variety of names in various parts of her old business empire. I hesitate to read any more into it than that.
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