HFQ Official Snippet #5

isaac_newton wrote:

runsforcelery wrote:

Ah, the heady speculation!

words like 'ratbag' and 'meanie' spring to mind, for some reason!

While it would not be neither correct nor nice to associate those words with any author that may read us here.... I must say that you may have a point....

This is pure sadism!!! (where is this "Please another snippet" image again??)

We learn that the rakurai device can do high precision attacks and also that it was used more than once.

There is 2 reasons diarists write down things, pass something down, or for their own peace of mind. In the latter case, only the writer is supposed to have access ever. It is more a way of sorting ideas and feelings that leaving a story.

In that case, choosing Espanol could be just a safety measure so that someone finding the book cannot decipher it. As Kohdy started the book in English and switched only later when his disgruntlment had grown is a mark in favor of this hypothesis.

Now, why he knew a dead and forgotten language is the first mistery, protection from whom being the second.

I think the only credible possibilities are either the low ranked crew member of Spanish descent or that Spanish was used among Seijins as a battle language not understood by Safeholdians. But, in the latter case, the Seijin lore would then state that, a it is surprising, and Nynian would know it.

It is probable that the 'Demon' told Kohdy the truth of Safehold. Either the Archangels provided Spanish as a battle language or the Demon did via his NEAT. At least one English sentence in the Diary must have suggested the Adams and Eves came from some place other than Safehold but, did not outright say so, thus differences in interpretation among the Sisters of Saint Kohdy. Likely the Spanish portions contain the Truth as presented by the 'Demon.'

I agree with the speculation Nynian is the head of the action/intelligence arm of SoSK. She has suspected Merlin was more than his public face, but did not confront him with this knowledge until she needed quick transportation to Zion and back.

So why? Could the Sisters of Saint Kohdy be so divided in the differences of interpenetration in the English of the line(s) that hinted the Adams and Eves came from somewhere other than Safehold that conformation might break the order?

Kohdy trusted Schuler and the Stone of Schuler's mesaage does not jive with the Book of Schuler showing he was probably worthy of trust. We await more revelations in future snippets.

to clarify these points, or are you enjoying playing "I wonder what the fans will guess next," games too much?

Poker

I wonder who fought and then freed Khody? That seems important but elegantly not emphasized.

If Khody was a low level crew member who chose to live simply as a colonist, he might have received a less severe re-education program. IIRC, RFC mentioned that choice was available for crew that wished to live outside the tech enclaves. He might still have kept skills like martial arts and modern weapons knowledge. It is unlikely that he was given Spanish by those that re-educated him. How did he learn/retain Spanish?

If Khdoy was an Adam, he might have received NEAT training for combat. He still would not have been given Spanish. I doubt Sphanish was a combat language because it would have been referenced reverantly as some sot of holy tounge. Nynina never did that. She referenced Espanol as some sort of curiousity not an awe inspiring gift.

Also, Spanish would have raised many questions regarding the central genesis of man. If God created man, then surely He would have given man the optimal means of cimmunication? If there are more than one equally good means of communication, would that not imply that man was created to live in many diverse ways and think many diverse thoughts? Such beliefs would weaken the CoGA position that there is one true plan and way to live.

The notion that Khody was given Spanish by the demon that beat him and then spared him seems more and more likely, if Khody had no memory of his life prior to Safehold. Let us suppose for this post that Khody's demon knew him in his prior life. This works whether Khody remembers his prior life or not.

The demon might have had his memories returned to him or was part of the crew and kept his/her memories. For most colonists, their memories were lost. Suppose Dr. Proctor or someone else copied selected personalities of the colonists and saved them. Maybe that individual had all the colonists memories, but could not give them to all the colonists. It suffices that some memories were saved and returned to their owners. How selective this process is was open to speculation.

Now, let us suppose that Khody's demon knew him from pre-Safehold. Let us further suppose that Khody was related to this individual. It is through that relationship that this demon spent the time and effort trying to reach his/her lost friend/family member. So, if Khody was an Adam or crew that was re-educated, this demon gave him back some skills of his prior life including Spanish. If Khody was crew trying to live as a colonists, the individual he was defeated by offered arguments that persuaded him away from Scheuler and Chihiro and might well have planted fast growing seeds of doubt.

What matters most is that along with Spanish, Khody's demon planted supporting evidence that the SSK revere highly. If they learned to read Spnaish or believe Merlin's translation, even the most pro Writ will have their faith shaken to the core. Whatever Khody's demon told him will be as perusasive to the Sisterhood as it was to him, expecially after Jeremy Knowles letter and the documents he saved is revealed to the SSK leadership.

That's why I emphasize the verifier. It is essential for these characters to consider the facts available to them as truth and then to make heir minds about what to do about that truth. Presented any other way will turn the process of the Great Reveal into an argument by authority writ large. The archangels infallibility or that perception must be severely degraded and the ideas must be cosidered in their merrits. That's the potential Khody's diary represents.

So an enemy seijin whips Kohdy...but then half-asses revealing the truth to him? If said enemy seijin had a NEAT, he could have completely reeducated Khody and definitively proven how there is nothing magical about the Archangels or any of the implements Kohdy himself wields. The enemy seijin could have made his own version of the Brethren, hiding in the very forces the Archangels used. Instead, it is described that while Kohdy's faith was shaken, it was not broken, at least in so far as his general belief of the Church of God. That strikes me that Kohdy does not have significant knowledge of the real nature of what was happening on Safehold.

pokermind wrote:
Kohdy trusted Schuler and the Stone of Schuler's mesaage does not jive with the Book of Schuler showing he was probably worthy of trust. We await more revelations in future snippets.

Poker

'Kohdy trusted Schueler' - and ended up dead.

Time to possess our souls in patience, I think. We are getting ever more elaborate and ever more fanciful theories of everything, some of which just seem to ignore whatever in the snippets doesn't support them. The less evidence, the more passionately they seem to be held.

If publication isn't till April (or June!) next year we will be amazingly fortunate if we continue getting snippets every 8 days or so. There's certainly no point in calling for one after a couple of days.

DrakBibliophile wrote:Why would a crew member consider another crew member on the other side a Demon?

He might not consider the other crew member a demon, but he was writing somewhere that could be found. So he called the other crew member by the name that was supposed to be used. He could have thought that his journal would eventually be part of the Testimonies, so he was slanting it with that in mind. At least until he became disillusioned.

alj_sf wrote:Snip
Now, why he knew a dead and forgotten language is the first mistery, protection from whom being the second.

Consider that language of Kohdy as not dead and forgotten. Reading a classic novel in the original language is a joy. A crewman with NEAT could download Spanish just to read Man of La Manche for fun.

No Problemo!

Knowing Schueler and being comfortable enough to travel to the Temple to question an Archangel doesn't seem to me to be a Adam type activity. Being a Sejin and one of the main warriors in the WatF leads me back to my surmise that the Sejin was a Marine off one of the ships.

A soldier doing what is ordered until he sees that the whole operation is FUBAR and wants to ask some questions.

It was apparently a "dead and forgotten" language on Safehold.

dwileye13 wrote:

alj_sf wrote:Snip
Now, why he knew a dead and forgotten language is the first mistery, protection from whom being the second.

Consider that language of Kohdy as not dead and forgotten. Reading a classic novel in the original language is a joy. A crewman with NEAT could download Spanish just to read Man of La Manche for fun.

No Problemo!

Knowing Schueler and being comfortable enough to travel to the Temple to question an Archangel doesn't seem to me to be a Adam type activity. Being a Sejin and one of the main warriors in the WatF leads me back to my surmise that the Sejin was a Marine off one of the ships.

A soldier doing what is ordered until he sees that the whole operation is FUBAR and wants to ask some questions.