FOREIGNER: Discussion Post #3, Spoiler Edition

[krait]

If you have discussion points for Chapters 3-4 you wish to bring up but which include spoilers, please post them here. Then link your comment in the general post, so those who want to avoid being spoiled can do so!

Comments

[krait]

Well, since they have a larger body mass, it probably would take more stimulant to keep them going than it would a human -- one cup of tea might be the same, equivalently, for each species (one human-size cup of black tea = one atevi-size cup of atevi tea, in terms of mg of stimulant substance per pound of body weight)?

Some of their tea blends seem to be herbal (drunk solely for the taste, or for some other medicinal benefit than stimulation), though. And it's mentioned when they're headed off-planet that atevi actually need some alkaloids to live, so they probably metabolise them in different ways -- humans could definitely live without caffeine, so it seems a lot of the compounds in atevi foods and drinks are, even if tasty, probably doing something more -- or less -- than raising blood pressure.

Now I'm really curious how much biology Cherryh has in her background! This is all fascinating speculation to a bio-geek like me! (I totally want to be the paidhi... but I'd settle with only slight disappointment for being Ian's research partner who handles the animals/pollinators while he studies the plants/pollen!)

whether that should mean they need to sleep more deeply

Ooooh, there's a thought! Maybe they sleep for less time, but more, erm, intensely? REM-type state as soon as they drop below consciousness, perhaps with a shorter cycle (say, an hour)?

Wonder if Security gets lessons in things like taking one-hour naps while standing up in a corridor, so your partner can spell you and you don't have to go off-duty? (I keep thinking of Sam Vimes and his "policeman's sleep" in doorways, etc.)

[cheyinka]

I bet they must get lessons like that, even if they don't sleep more deeply / more heavily / more intensely / more somethingly. It seems like it'd make sense, if the base unit of a personal guard is four persons, and it's normally two on, two off, but sometimes all four go...