Chapter One: With an Eye Toward Business
1 - Isn't it nice to be back with Mrs. K'ao? How is Sydney developing? and why did he come to Ch'em house?
I do like Mrs. K'ao. . . .didn't notice anything particular about Sydney
2 - Yu K'ang (as opposed to Yukon) has a dim echo of another Jade Owl villain. Who?
the nasty one who's name I've forgotten who abused Nick in the Old Sheep. . . .
3 - How is Canto becoming a more complex character?
well, at this point he's a drunk. . . .but I guess what he's seen would drive anyone to drink. . . .I expect he'll come into his own before long.
Chapter Two: Sisters of Circumstance
1 - What little otherwise inconsequential plot point turns this chapter.
. . . . .well, there's the mention of the fact that they actually never officially left China last time they were there. . . .
2 - Why are Simone and Rose sisters of circumstance here?
well, duh. . .they both have missing children. . . . .
3 - How can Nick be sure that Tadzio is alive?
He can be with him. . .and when he did the super glimmer the guy from the past saw that he could possess him. . . .
Chapter Three: Ch't-t'ang Again
1 - The ch'i-t'ang reunion is like walking on cracked eggs. Why?
I think at this point they don't quite know what they have to do. . . .beyond getting the boys back. . . .but that may not even be the most important thing in the grand scheme of things
2 - Canto and Simone become more integral to the doings, but are they ch'i-t'ang.
technically not, but because of Canto's expertise and Simon's connection to Nick I expect they'll be vital. . . .besides, I've figured out that you don't tend to have 'red shirts'
Chapter Four: Echoes
Surprise! One of the most important chapters in all five books, did it surprise you?
1 - What does this temporal breach allow the sotry-teller to do?
this is where Nick possessess Tadzio in the past. . . . it gives assurance that the boys are o.k. . . . .though one wonders at their mental state. . . . .and also how long they've been dragon wranglers.
2 - Did you need to rewind to The Third Peregrination to fill in . . . the balnks?
a little. . . .Rose was a flag for a long time but I gather she could still see things even though she was bound to the fabric. . . . .
Chapter Five: Rose's Secret
1 - The Lady of Silk has a surprising tale. How many time periods does it trespass?
. . .a lot? . . . . .I mean it was several centuries, right? . . . .I couldn't figure out if she knows now that what she saw then was Silky and Tadzio. . . .
2 - Why wouldn't Rose recognize Tadzio during her stay at Yu-shui-ch'ien?
well, she didn't know him yet when she first went. . . .but thinking it over it seems like she might have wondered after he disappeared. . . .it could be there was subconscious recognition which is why she became closer to Tadzio than Ezio. . . .
Chapter Six: Double Vision
1 - What does the chapter title refer to?
two minister Ch'ens. . .which I forgot there were and, even now, would like a short character review.
(definitely Dickensien: there are a hundred characters and they're all related.
)
2 - What is the ultimate quest that the ch'i-t'ang decide upon?
I guess to undo whatever's been done. . . .which I haven't figured out yet what that is. . . .
Chapter Seven: Cajoling the Weak of Mind
(Another one of my favorites - enjoyed writing this one).
1 - Yu K'ang works for a fat-cat? What is a fat-cat in this case?
well, in communism, it's "to each according to his need" but a fat cat gets way more than he needs, hence he's fat. Also corrupt and, unfortunately, powerful.
2 - The show of ch'i-tang strength and power is daunting. besides the constables, who is stuprised by it?
canto. . .and probably the Ch'en's. . .they'd sort of seen it before but not as anything more than parlor tricks. . . . it is nice to see the nasties routed
BTW: Gou P'i (the fat-cat) has a particularly bad name in Chinese. The name means pig-farts and is the Chinese equivolent to bull-sh** in coarse conversation.
Chapter Eight: Before the Light
1 - There seems to be conflict between two characters here. Which ones and what is the greater conflicting issue? What seems to be the root of conflict and how does it or could it change the "plot" of the previous book?
Well, there's a conflict between the Taoist and Buddhist way. . .Buddhist is more 'let it come, it can't really hurt me' and Taoist is more 'we must fix this or we'll all perish'. Both are useful in their own way. . .but the trick will be figuring out when which way will work best. Meng has eschewed the dark arts, but the Taoist monk apparently has studied them, rationalizing that one must know one's enemies.
Chapter Nine: Reflections & Chapter Ten: Triads
1 - These are extremely important chapters to consume - and complex, because it deals with tircky philosophical issues and a bunch of things that contradicts the previous warrants. So, in that light, what are Triads? To help, we have the world egg, the red stone, and the Jade Owl (or The Dark Warrior, the Black Killer and the Great Marshal), plus we have the Myrabalenes. So think in threes, if you please. Grin
Threes are sacred in a lot of languages. . . . .you need at least 3 legs to safely balance a chair or table, for example. . .even primitive people recognized that there was a minimum needed there for balance. And many primitive people counted none, one, two, three, many. . .there was no need to specifically enumerate more than that. Silky's fruit is going to be important to corral the relics and make them safe once more. . . . .
2 -What are your impressions of Liu Pang.
He's a bit superior. . .in that he figures the westerners really haven't a clue what they've gotten into. Also somewhat dismissive of Meng's Buddhist characteristics. I think he thinks they'll fail.
Now you know why I called this section Taking Instruction, as more than the ch'i-t'ang has undergone the course. Now that that's over, let the action begin again as you go to . . .Wei-tang.
moving right along now. . . .easy to keep reading. . . . .
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