[Defiance]

At the part where Cotillion leaves Stormy, Quick Ben, and Kalam a grand feast in the Imperial Warren on my reread. Anyway, there's a fourth chair there, and they wonder if who it's for. Later, when Stormy says Kellanved and Dancer never fight fair, Kalam looks at the empty chair and narrows his eyes. Is there any specific meaning to that fourth chair, or is it Cotillion just messing with them?

[Aptorian]

Well, I don't remember that scene specifically, but the meaning is kind of clear, no? ST was probably keeping and ear/eye on the situation. He's stretched thin. He's everywhere.

[TheSurvivor]

I believe I always thought it was Cot screwing with them but I like Apt's explanation better. Alas, I'm no expert on the series but I have hopes after I get to the rereads.

[Defiance]

Hmm, that could be true.

Also, another thing I'm confused about. Near the end of book one, before Dejim attacks, there's some build up to make it look like he's possibly going to be attacking Karsa (311-312 US paperback) and Samar or Cutter & Co. (319-320 US paperback). Now, what's odd is that both of them believe they're in trouble (well, Karsa thinks there's a beast laired nearby), but the next time we see them there's no mention of what that trouble was. Is there any explanation for this? Perhaps it's mentioned later in the book and I'm just forgetting?

The rough one I worked out:

Karsa and Samar stumbled across the place where Dejim was bound. Cutter & Co. were fairly close to Icarium and Mappo at the time, so they sensed the impending attack. I'm pretty sure they were fairly close to Mappo and Icarium, since they do meet up with Mappo later in the book.

[WhiskeyJackDaniels]

I read that part about the 4th chair as Cotillion sitting in it listening to their conversation. But he was in shadowrealm so they couldn't see him.

[Sinisdar Toste]

Defiance, on 25 September 2010 - 05:04 AM, said:

Hmm, that could be true.

Also, another thing I'm confused about. Near the end of book one, before Dejim attacks, there's some build up to make it look like he's possibly going to be attacking Karsa (311-312 US paperback) and Samar or Cutter & Co. (319-320 US paperback). Now, what's odd is that both of them believe they're in trouble (well, Karsa thinks there's a beast laired nearby), but the next time we see them there's no mention of what that trouble was. Is there any explanation for this? Perhaps it's mentioned later in the book and I'm just forgetting?

The rough one I worked out:

Karsa and Samar stumbled across the place where Dejim was bound. Cutter & Co. were fairly close to Icarium and Mappo at the time, so they sensed the impending attack. I'm pretty sure they were fairly close to Mappo and Icarium, since they do meet up with Mappo later in the book.

well the cutter episode is definitely the attack on icarium and mappo they're sensing. go back and reread it, mappo mentions being on top of a cliff with a bunch of caves in it's face, including ones that people have camped in for eons.

the beast karsa senses could be the scaled bear he meets later. can't quite recall the sequence of the two instances with karsa and the one where paran sends it from the jaghut bridge of death to his own world, but i don't think that matters. the order we read the scenes in isn't the chronological order, plus there's the possible difference in flow of time, all of which is to say the timeline doesn't matter. but i think he was talking about the bear