[Khanna]

Me again. This book is killing me (English is not my native tongue). Anyway, in Book #2 there is a dialogue between Fiddler and Mappo:


"Icarium climbs like he knows where he's going," the sapper observed.
Mappo winced. "I had come to the same observation," he ruefully admitted.
"Have you two been here before?"
"I have not, Fiddler. But Icarium…well, he's wandered this land before."
"But in returning to a place he'd been to before, how would he know?"


When Fiddler says "how would he know," what does he mean? Know what? What is Icarium supposed to know? I don't understand the last sentence.

This post has been edited by Khanna: 05 March 2020 - 10:05 PM

[ArchieVist]

Expanding the quote from Chapter 15 just a bit more:

Quote

Crouching beside Fiddler, Mappo watched as Icarium made his way up the crumbled remains of a sea wall. Crokus stood just behind the Trell, near the hobbled horses. The lad had fallen strangely silent since their last meal stop, a certain economy coming to his movements, as if he had chained himself to his own vow of patience. And seemingly unconsciously, the Daru had begun to emulate Icarium in his speech and mannerisms. Mappo was neither amused nor displeased when he noticed. The Jhag had always been an overwhelming presence, all the more so because he made no affectation or pretense.
"Icarium climbs like he knows where he's going," the sapper observed.
Mappo winced. "I had come to the same observation," he ruefully admitted.
"Have you two been here before?"
"I have not, Fiddler. But Icarium…well, he's wandered this land before."
"But in returning to a place he'd been to before, how would he know?"
The Trell shook his head. He shouldn't. He never has before. Are those blessed barriers breaking down? Queen of Dreams, return Icarium to the bliss of not knowing. I beg you…

They're referring to the fact that Icarium seems to know where he is going when climbing up the sea wall. If he last visited this place long ago before he began travelling with Mappo he shouldn't know or remember this place due to his condition.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

We could extend the sentence like:

"But in returning to a place he'd been to before, how would he know [that he has been there before and how would he know where to go, since his memories are forgotten]?"