Perdido Str Station Discussion : SECTION 18: Ch.42-45. Part 6 (Nov. 22)

[Traveller]

Start of Part Six to End of Part Six.
Chapters 42-45.

Our group of friends infiltrate the Glasshouse.
Isaac and company through the sewers, and Yagahrek over the glass dome, from where he sees the moths emerge from their nest, and the cactus elders launching their sub-ray gun at a moth--and missing; thereby bringing upon themselves their own doom.
Our friends find the slakemoths' nest, and upon entering deeper, Isaac and Sadrach find the mommy slake-moth laying its eggs.

Hmm, i can't help wondering how come the acid burnt the eggs but not Isaac's foot: The construct by Isaac spat a gobbet of strong acid across the clutch of eggs.
Instantly, they began to smoke, to split and hiss and dissolve.
The slake-moth let out an unholy, merciless, terrible scream.
Instantly it turned from Shadrach and tore across the room towards its brood. Its
tail lashed violently from side to side, catching Shadrach as he lay moaning, sending
him sprawling through his own blood.
Isaac stamped once, savagely, on the liquefying egg-clutch, then stumbled back
and out of the slake-moth’s path. His foot slithered with the glabrous mess. He half
ran, half crawled towards the wall, clutching his knife in one hand, the precious
engine that kept his mindwaves hidden in the other.

Yes, yes, i know i'm a nitpicker; but still, i can't help wondering.

Anyway, between Isaac and one of their companion constructs, they manage to destroy the eggs, but the mother moth destroys three constructs and Sadrach in return.

Isaac tries to slip away, but bumps into the Weaver, who commences to do battle with the moths.
Tansell goes mad with grief at the news that Shadrach has been killed, and he walks into a group of cactus people who kill him.

Btw, i just want to mention that it was Isaac who yelled obscenities at the cactacae while they are killing Lemuel, not Derkhan: " “Let him go you fucks, you shits, you stupid cactus bastards!” Isaac shrieked over Lemuel’s cacophony. Yagharek
descended to his shoulders and gripped Isaac’s ankle fiercely, gesticulating at him to
come, his inhuman beak clattering as he snapped in agitation. “He was helping you...”
shouted Isaac with exhausted horror.

I'd forgotten the horror of this bit.

One of Yagharek's narrations closes part six for us.

[Ian]

Traveller wrote: "Btw, i just want to mention that it was isaac who yelled obscenities at the cactacae while they are killing Lemuel, not Derkhan: " “Let him go you fucks, you shits, you stupid cactus bastards!” Isaac shrieked over Lemuel’s cacophony. Yagharek
descended to his shoulders and gripped Isaac’s ankle fiercely, gesticulating at him to
come, his inhuman beak clattering as he snapped in agitation. “He was helping you...”
shouted Isaac with exhausted horror."

Thanks and I apologise for my error, Trav. I misread my note. You're correct.

[Ian]

Yagharek has an interesting perspective on Isaac:

"...the more he talks the more he talks. He talks of plans. His voice hardens. Something has come to an end in him, some waiting, some soft patience that died with Lin and now is buried, and I feel myself become stone as I hear him. He inspires me to rigour and purpose...

He talks of betrayals and counter-betrayals, of mathematics and lies and thaumaturgy, dreams and winged things. He expounds theories. He talks to me of flight, something I had half forgotten I might ever have, which I want again, as he mentions it, I want with all of me."

Do you think it took Lin's death to make Isaac take the challenges seriously?

Or is a romance, a "soft patience", a weakness that prevents a man getting on with what a man's gotta do, the business of heroism and leadership?

[Luke]

Traveller wrote: "Start of Part Six to End of Part Six.
Chapters 42-45.

Our group of friends infiltrate the Glasshouse.
Isaac and company through the sewers, and Yagahrek over the glass dome, from where he sees th..."

The acid may have been very weak, and reacted in a harmless fashion as vinegar does with baking soda, although an incident that I'm unable to recall of the acid eating way at something else would disprove that.
It could have also reacted very quickly and rendered the liquifying substance neutral enough to leave Isaac's foot unharmed.
Either that or Mieville screwed up in calling the spit substance an acid, or he just screwed up in the timing of the events in general.

[Traveller]

Aubrey wrote: "Traveller wrote: "Start of Part Six to End of Part Six.
Chapters 42-45.

Our group of friends infiltrate the Glasshouse.
Isaac and company through the sewers, and Yagahrek over the glass dome, fro..."

I also noticed that the moths themselves, pawed the egg-y substance. I imagine Mieville would expect of us to gloss over such nitpicker-y details, but he didn't know about me! ha hahaha. I'm the first to admit that i'm a pain, but i just can't help noticing detail.

Anyway, your explanations sound reasonable--i think CM should employ you as one of his editors. You will be in charge of the Deus ex Machina.

Wha_-!! A huge moth just bumped into my window! (seriously) Ok, not really that huge, but any moth can make me shudder right now.

[Traveller]

Ian wrote: "Do you think it took Lin's death to make Isaac take the challenges seriously?

Or is a romance, a "soft patience", a weakness that prevents a man getting on with what a man's gotta do, the business of heroism and leadership?
.."

Hmm, still thinking over all of that, Ian! (Some days i'm slow...)

[Ian]

Traveller wrote: "Hmm, still thinking over all of that, Ian! (Some days i'm slow...) "

It was a little tongue in cheek.

[Traveller]

..as long as it was your own cheek...

[Ian]

Haha, unfortunately, today, I've experienced both my tongue in my cheek and your tongue lashings.

[Cecily]

Traveller wrote (comment 1): "Hmm, i can't help wondering how come the acid burnt the eggs but not Isaac's foot:"

I hated myself for thinking the same, and also, at the same point, waiting for the deus ex of the Weaver suddenly appearing - as it duly did. :(

I was also rather surprised that cacti have nipples like mammals! Unless that becomes a plot point later (not sure how!) it seems weird and maybe careless.

Nevertheless, I loved this section - despite the horror of it. I particularly liked all the desdriptions of shadows, and Yag's exhilaration of climbing over the Glasshouse, remembering his love of flight, and feeling slight memories of it.

I also wondered if Yag is gaining dignity by shedding it: a while ago he discarded his fake wooden wings, and here he discards his cloak, so is seen in his deformed state, and yet he seems to gain gravitas and confidence from it.

Traveller wrote (comment 5): "Wha_-!! A huge moth just bumped into my window! (seriously) Ok, not really that huge, but any moth can make me shudder right now. "

Ha! Funnily enough, as I was reading this section, my husband commented on a really nice blouse patterned with butterflies that he thought would suit me. I said I wasn't too sure how I felt about bugs with patterned wings any more!

[Traveller]

You know, it's been months and months since i read the book, and i STILL find moths against the window creepy, especially at night, as they are wont to do...

[Traveller]

Cecily wrote: "I also wondered if Yag is gaining dignity by shedding it: a while ago he discarded his fake wooden wings, and here he discards his cloak, so is seen in his deformed state, and yet he seems to gain gravitas and confidence from it..."

Good thought to take through to the end of the book, that.

[Cecily]

Ah, I will. Yag is definitely one of my favourite characters. I hope he doesn't let me down.