Gate of Horn, Book of Silk
Page 10
• Coadjutor Remora
• Spies: “achates,” Gulo, Incus
• Prothonotary: Incus (black mechanic)
Trivigaunte
• The Rani
• Silah (princess)
• Lijam (Minister of War)
• Generalissimo Siyuf
• Rimah
• Sirka, Major
• General Saba (airship)
• Hadale
• Matar, Private
• Nizam, Private
• Colonel Abanja (intelligence)
• Crane (master spy)
• Hyacinth (informant/agent?)
• Chenille (informant/courier)
• Willet/Hossaan (agent)
• Grison (agent)
Blood’s Gang
• Blood
• Musk
• Hare (Musk’s assistant)
• Kite maker
• Mucor
• Crane
• Hyacinth
• Grison (driver)
• Willet/Hossaan (driver)
• Orchid’s
Caldé’s Guards
• First Brigade
• Second Brigade
• Third Brigade
• Colonel Oosik
• (a major who is Gulo’s uncle)
• Captain Gecko
• Lieutenant Tiger
• Fourth Brigade
• Brigadier Erne
Mainframe
• Fliers
• The Gods
• Kypris
• Hyacinth
• Chenille
• Silk
• Captain Serval
• Mint
• Pas
• Auk
• Jerboa
• Sphigx
• Trivigaunte
• Tick
• Tartaros
• Auk the Prophet
• Thelxiepeia
• Ermine’s
The Rebel Gods
• Echidna
• Marble
• Hierax
• the white headed one (pet bird)
• Molpe
• Mucor
• the kite maker
• the music shop Silk’s litter passes
• Scylla
• Chenille
• Incus, Auk, Dace
• Viron
• Lake Limna
The Outsider
• Silk
• Pike
Black Mechanics
• Fulmar
• Marl (modified valet)
• Bittersweet
• (a modified porter)
• Patera Incus
• Hammerstone (a modified soldier)
• Patera Tussah
• Patera Shell?
• Maytera Maple?
Escaped Prisoners
• Urus
• Eland
• Gaur
• Gelada
Pricklythrift a dying person Silk comforted in the past (II, chap. 12, 294). Not on lists.
Botany: Acantholimon glumaceum, a garden rock plant.
prochein a legal term meaning “next.” “This word is frequently used in composition; as, prochein amy [ami], prochein cousin, and the like” (BLD).
prochein ami Remora uses this phrase (II, chap. 4, 78, chapter title; 83), a legal term meaning “Next friend” (BLD). See NEXT FRIEND.
prolocutor the highest priest of Viron, the equivalent of a bishop. Quetzal is prolocutor.
“In the ecclesiastical law, signifies a president or chairman of a convocation” (BLD).
Prolocutor’s Palace located on the Palatine across from the Grand Manteion (II, chap. 10, 265). For location see the map at PALATINE.
prothonotary Incus is Remora’s prothonotary, a type of secretary. Bull is Quetzal’s.
“The title given to an officer who officiates as principal clerk of some courts” (BLD).
Pure a drug (I, chap. 9, 229).
Q
Quetzal “the Prolocutor of Viron and as such the head of the Chapter. Addressed as ‘Your Cognizance’” (II, list). He meets Silk for the first time (officially at least) and saves him from the Mucor-possessed old woman Cassava after Echidna’s theophany (III, chap. 3, 102).
Quetzal appears to be a bent, bald old man (III, chap. 4, 145); he walks with lame, unsteady steps (III, chap. 4, 153); yet he is stronger than he looks (III, chap. 4, 146). He jiggles like a fat man but is “light and sinuous” when carried (III, chap. 1, 19).
In the end he is in the group heading for the lander (IV, chap. 16, 369). Shot by Trivigauntis in the tunnels (IV, My Defense, 378), he later dies on the lander, where his secret identity as an inhumu is discovered.
There are many hints that he is an inhumu. When he says he saw the name “Silk” scratched on a wall five floors up and “went wide” (III, chap. 1, 20) he basically admits that he visited Teasel’s house before visiting Silk’s manse. There is a possibility that he has vampire episodes as a form of sleepwalking (IV, chap. 17, 375). Mucor sees him as the man who’s not there (III, chap. 7, 275), whereas Oreb sees him as “Bad thing.” Quetzal can read minds, as suggested during the floater ride: Quetzal is invoking the Nine and Silk thinks he himself cannot trust any god at all, when suddenly, “As if they had been chatting over lunch, Quetzal said, ‘Only a fool would, Patera Caldé’” (III, chap. 9, 312). In the postal interview, Wolfe said that there are more inhumi onboard the Whorl than just Quetzal.
Quetzal knows Mucor (III, chap. 3, 102) or he’s just overheard the name in the last few pages.
As prolocutor he proscribed human sacrifice in Viron (III, chap. 4, 147).
In the alley behind the jeweler’s, Quetzal’s voice giving the Peace of Pas sounds to Silk like the voice of Patera Pike (III, chap. 6, 253). This might hint that he fed from Pike.
Quetzal was present when Silk died in the cave-in at the Alambrera. There are three versions of this event. Quetzal’s first version amounts to: you were dead, I gave you the Peace of Pas (III, chap. 9, 327); his other version is that “we merely thought you were dead, and I shouldn’t have hinted at a miracle” (III, chap. 9, 329). In contrast, Chenille’s version can be paraphrased as: we thought you were dead, but Quetzal said there was a pulse (III, chap. 10, 350).
Quetzal has the ability to disappear (III, chap. 6, 254; IV, chap. 2, 49; chap. 11, 201; chap. 13, 280). At the least this is an invisibility, but it might be a type of teleportation.
Zoology: an extremely beautiful bird, Pharomachrus mocino, of Central America, belonging to the Trogon family; the cock is remarkable for its long tail-coverts, of a resplendent golden-green color. It nests in hollow trees and has eggs of a blue green color.
Myth: (Toltec/Aztec) the god Quetzalcoatl was the plumed serpent who told the Aztecs to stop human sacrifice. Often represented with the quetzal bird.
Commentary: in addition to being Quetzalcoatl, Quetzal is the serpent in the garden of Eden, which is especially tricky in this obviously fallen creation. Quetzal is the bronze serpent of Aaron and Moses; the medical/magical snake of the caduceus, making the baculus he carries as emblem of his office into a literal caduceus. But he is also another Moses, an alien who comes aboard the Whorl, rises up through the ranks, helps in the exodus, but ultimately dies before reaching the Promised Land.
Quill “a poor student at the palaestra” (III, list; III, chap. 3, 94).
Zoology: from porcupines, etc.
quintal “he was lucky to get ten quintals” (II, chap. 13, 344). The metric quintal, used in agriculture for measuring grain, is defined in the USA as 100 kilograms.
R
Ratel one of the students at the Sun Street palaestra, he nearly ran to answer the door (I, chap. 1, 29). Not on lists.
Zoology: the honey badger, Mellivora capensis, belonging to the family Mustelidae, native to Africa and southern Asia, and distinguished by a coat that is light gray on the back and black elsewhere.
A velocity of 95% light speed will give a close approximation to the 3:1 ratio, but the Whorl has probably been idling in the target star system for 100 years, since that is the date of Pas’s ending time. So the flight time was 232 years, and the time passing on Urth during that phase was 900 years, which is nearly 4:1 (3.86:1), implying a velocity of about .966 c.
A ship accelerating at 1 g can reach .99 c (99% lightspeed) in just under one year. However, the Whorl would not seem to be equipped for such high acceleration and nobody remarks about earthquakes (whorlwiggles?) or whatever x-number of years ago, so maybe there are “acceleration compensators” that negate the effect. Arbitrarily setting the acceleration at 1 g provides the following flight plan:
Remora, Patera “Coadjutor to Quetzal. Tall and thin with a long, sallow face and lank black hair. Addressed as ‘Your Eminence’” (II, list). He has been Coadjutor since Caldé Tussah’s time (IV, chap. 13, 268–9). His face is like that of a camel (IV, chap. 4, 81). He is thirty-eight years old (II, chap. 4, 80). Remora as opposite of Auk (II, chap. 6, 173).
His career has been his life. The coadjutor ahead of him died at his desk (IV, chap. 6, 107), perhaps an unsuspected victim of an inhumu attack. Remora sent Silk to Sun Street (II, chap. 4, 81).
He refers to Silk using bird images (II, chap. 4, 84). When he assigns Gulo to Sun Street, to spy on Silk, he uses temptation by offering Gulo a high-ranking religious post in Palustria (II, chap. 7, 184).
For writing the circular in which the Chapter recognizes Silk as Caldé, Remora is interrogated by the guard (III, chap. 7, 269), by Erne who is based three blocks from the Grand Manteion (IV, chap. 6, 106–107). Remora sees Silk at Ermine’s (III, chap. 7, 267) having read the love letter (from Hy to Silk) before.
He is possessed by Mucor twice (III, chap. 7, 273; IV, chap. 8, 151).
Incus as Prolocutor offers Remora to be his prothonotary (IV, chap. 1, 23). Remora declines and is assigned to the Sun Street manteion (IV, chap. 13, 277). He is last seen in the group heading for the lander (IV, chap. 16, 369).
Zoology: the sucker fish, usually attached to sharks. (This reflects on Quetzal, no doubt.)
Revolution of Viron the tyranny of the Councillors, after being endured for decades, was swept away with astonishing speed, as shown by the following timeline:
Phaesday, 25 Nemesis 332
• Noon Patera Silk is enlightened by the Outsider.
Sphigxday, 26 Nemesis
• Morning/afternoon Slogan “Silk for Caldé” is chalked on walls (I, chap.12, 308) by children and/or the men who witnessed Silk’s conversation with Blood and/or Trivigaunti agents.
Scylsday
Molpsday
• Night Rioting in Viron, where one brigade can barely protect the Palatine (II, chap. 13, 343).
Tarsday
• Night Rioting in Viron (II, chap. 13, 343).
Hieraxday, 30 Nemesis
• 3:45 A.M. Silk declared caldé by at least two different groups of Civil Guard, inspired by Kypris (II, chap. 13, 342).
• Shadeup Trivigaunte receives signal that Crane has died. Airship is prepped and launched as quickly as possible.
• 11:00 A.M.
• Echidna theophany at Sun Street manteion, in which she declares Mint her sword and orders the revolution: specifically she commands death for the councillors and demolition for the Alambrera (III, chap. 3, 93).
• Mint has 30,000 troopers (a mix of rabble and troopers); the Ayuntamiento calls out the Army, 7,000 (chem) soldiers in addition to 24,000 troopers of the Civil Guard (IV, chap. 1, 30).
• 12:00 P.M.
• The First Battalion of the Second Brigade of the Civil Guard is sent to relieve the defenders of the Alambrera (III, chap. 4, 128). (A battalion is usually one headquarters company and four infantry companies, each company having 80 to 225 men.) In addition, three companies of chem soldiers are sent along with the Second Brigade (III, chap. 5, 168), suggesting a total of seven companies.
• The Battle on Cage Street (III, chap. 5, 160–64; 168; chap. 6, 229) leaves nearly a thousand dead (III, chap. 5, 167).
• Night Mint’s forces grow to 50,000; Skink leads assault on the Palatine, which fails (III, chap. 6, 235). The circular from Quetzal declares support for Silk as caldé (III, chap. 5, 173–76).
Thelxday
• 1:00 A.M. Mint receives message from Mucor and attacks the Palatine, hoping to rescue Silk at Ermine’s (III, chap. 8, 297).
• 2:00 A.M. The Third Brigade (Oosik’s) is brought up from reserve on Brick Street to strengthen the Palatine (297).
• 3:30 A.M. Trivigaunti airship over Viron (III, chap. 5, 188).
• 4:00 A.M. Airship blown south by sudden wind (187).
• 4:30 A.M. Airship over lake (188).
• 5:00 A.M. Oosik crafts peace plan: Silk is acknowledged caldé; the First, Second, and Third brigade of the Civil Guard go over to Silk (IV, chap. 1, 30); the Fourth holds the Palatine (30).
• 5:30 A.M. Trivigaunti airship arrives at the Alambrera just as Silk’s party arrives there and criminal elements open fire with missile launchers.
• Day The Fourth Brigade is driven from the Palatine into the northern suburbs (30). The Second Brigade and the Army fight against the Trivigauntis (III, chap. 10, 336).
• Shadelow Mint pulls down the Corn Exchange facade.
Phaesday
• Shadeup
• Marble and child soldiers at Blood’s villa.
• The forces present include two companies of Trivigaunti pterotroopers, almost the entire Third Brigade of the Civil Guard (III, chap. 10, 351), elements of the Fourth: four floaters and the heavy weapons company (352), and 5,000 of Mint’s people.
• Silk kills Blood inside the villa. Councillor Potto accidentally acknowledges Silk as caldé, causing chem soldiers in the immediate area to come over to his side (III, chap. 10, 377).
Sphigxday
• Shadelow Mint talks to Sand about sending chem soldiers into the tunnels after the Ayuntamiento and their chem soldiers (IV, chap. 8, 162).
Scylsday
Molpsday
• Shadeup Mint captured at ruins of Blood’s villa.
Tarsday
Hieraxday
Thelxday
• Midday Trivigaunte parade marks the arrival of the Rani’s horde: 60,000 foot; 15,000 cavalry; support troops; a supply train of 15,000 camels; and a 10,000 man labor battalion. They camp in fields to northeast of city.
• 1:00 P.M. Silk puts in an order at Swallow’s brown mechanics shop for four specially designed tunnel-combat taluses, to be delivered in six weeks (IV, chap. 7, 140).