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Embassytown: The Conspiratorial Murder of a Host: Proem-Part 3
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EzRa
EzRa is a pair of lifelong friends while other Ambassadors are pairs of clones who are raised together and rarely separated. Standard Ambassadors go through a regular routine of correcting any differences between the two. This raises up my conspiracy flag and makes me think that the clones' minds are being manipulated to transmit a governmental agenda rather than communicate with the Ariekei from a place of truth.
Since EzRa have not been manipulated, they communicate in a more emotionally honest way which is causing a physical reaction in the Hosts. My first impression was that EzRa's communication was affecting the Hosts in a negative way. After seeing additional interactions between the Hosts and EzRa it became clear the the Hosts were having a positive physical reaction. Ultimately I think the Ariekei will choose only to communicate with EzRa.
Avice's Simile
"The girl who ate what was given to her." Avice's simile means someone who takes what they are given and doesn't try to change any outcomes. They don't take control of their destiny and are happy with what comes their way. At the end of this book I predict Avice will have a new Simile.
Scile
I don't like the friendship between Scile and CalVin, together they are beyond untrustworthy. They seem extremely threatened by some Hosts new found ability to lie. I think this goes far beyond Scile's maniacal dedication to studying the Ariekei's language and keeping it "intact". Scile and CalVin are manipulating a multitude of people and keeping to the shadows in order to divert blame.
Favorite Quotes
"There I was, between clues and secrets."
"Papers everywhere, all the crazy cabbala and misplaced rigour of a sect."
"It was strange, trying to do something I'd not known could even occur to me."
"I was always vaguely charmed by planets in thrall to their tilt, with seasons that were more or less predictable."
"I've thought a lot about why I did. Which does not mean I could explain it."
"Arrival Balls always came at the end of a visit, as if celebrating an arrival and a departure at once.
Favorite Words
Vespertilian canopies, sotto voce, ghost-stress, carapace shadings, interplaited cadences, bifurcated, feeble falsities, flummoxed, cardsharp blank, and tramp priests.
Favorite Character
Bren the man who was cleaved. He seems to live outside of societal norms. I am anxious to learn more about him and I hope he returns to the plot quickly in order to help Avice solve the mysteries at hand.
EzRa:
I think this is a great mystery that I’ve spent (albeit more than intended) a good deal of time contemplating. I think that one or both of these new ambassadors is speaking one thing and thinking another. The hosts’ communication sits on the precipice of telepathy, a true form of completely private communication. Unfortunately this would be a one way communication - humans can only interpret the verbal half of what the hosts are saying. Does the central government have a plan to use this unique ability and Ezra is phase one of their tests?
Avice’s Simile: ”There was a human girl who in pain ate what was given her in an old room built for eating in which eating had not happened for a time” We are told it is, or will likely, be abbreviated to ”a girl ate what was given her” by Bren who dismisses the very idea of interpretation. I want to start by ignoring Bren’s guess at an eventual meaning, it seems to miss too many important elements.
I think Avice represents grief. The play-act the Hosts had her was a gross recreation of what one of them had witnessed as she cried over Yohn after his accident. They were likely confused by her actions as her friend laid near death. They correlated eating and death as they are intertwined in their culture.
Scile’s role:: I think Scile plays the role of a red herring. He has a juvenile fascination with the hosts and ingratiates himself to the ambassadors as he tries to learn more about them. Scile understands language better than most anyone on the planet and will hold keys to solving the great mystery, but I think he simply bumbled into the murder plot due to bad luck. My guess is tempered by an indecisive thought: either Scile has arrived on the planet just in time to help solve mysteries, OR he has placed himself there and is a driving force of the ongoing events. As my answer indicates I am leaning towards the first option.
Quotes: I was melancholic in a way I’m now amused by. What a perfectly relatable statement for someone WELL out of their teens.
In the lobby was an ad for a course in The Healing Power of Story, at which I made rude noises.
Without Language for things that didn’t exist, they could hardly think them; they were vaguer by far then dreams.
Before the humans came, we didn’t speak.
Words: floaking, vagaries, hermit-farmers, rangy and restless, quiddity, flamboyantly unconcerned, insouciant
Character: Bren, a mystery of a man who holds a piece of this puzzle. I also find him more likeable than most any other character.
At the very least check in here when you finish this section and tell us if you are enjoying the book. I'll post specific discussion ideas below, along with some general topics we'll see repeated throughout the book.
Mic Breaks Discussions:
1) What is different about EzRa's communication with the Hosts versus that of other Ambassadors?
2) What do you think Avice's simile means?
3) What role do you think Scile played in the murder of Surl Tesh-echer?
General Discussions:
1) Share your favorite quote(s) from this section.
2) Share your favorite word(s) used in this section.
3) Do you have a favorite or most intriguing character at this point in the novel?
Location Reminder:
If you are returning to this topic after having continued past this section, here is a plot reminder:
Avice contemplates the role of the Ambassadors and her husband Scile in the assassination of a Host.
GO!