FOREIGNER: Discussion Post #5, Spoiler Edition

[krait]

If you have discussion points for Chapters 7-8 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

[cheyinka]

I really, really can't imagine a paidhi, even a more human-acting paidhi than Bren, being able to bring a wife. We don't even know that Tabini is married at this point; in fact except for the tourists, now, I don't think we ever see atevi paired off until we see Tabini with Damiri, and she might actually be the only spouse we ever meet. Huh. I mean, Cherryh explains that away, even this early, by saying that atevi spouses don't necessarily cohabitate, even if minor children are involved, but I guess it feels a little unsatisfying.

Apparently the idea of atevi having association with everyone is heretical because it used to be thought that naji (Chance, as opposed to Fortune) could flow through the deserving - presumably, someone with the psychological makeup of an aiji, who would feel no upward man'chi once an adult but would attract man'chi - like a lightning rod attracts lightning, maybe? Do we ever get an explanation of how Fortune and Chance (baji and naji) are different?

I had forgotten that "Babsidi" had a meaning! Lethal! Awesome. It makes me wonder whether Ilisidi's nickname of Sidi-ji has any meaning... :D

[pebblerocker]

I had the impression of baji being more like good luck, and naji being chaotic, nobody can predict which side the numbers would come down on, anything could happen, sort of a thing.

The glossary in the back of my copy says Nokhada means "feisty" -- slightly more suitable for a weedy little novice to learn on than "lethal"!