[Mezla PigDog]

I started reading Gardens of the Moon again last night. In the prologue, Paran and Whiskeyjack are observing the riot in the Mouse Quarter of Malaz City. A portion of text goes as follows:

Ganoes scowled. "You're not like the other soldiers I've talked to. You sound more like my father."
"But I'm not your father," the man growled.
"The world," Ganoes said, "doesn't need another wine merchant."
The commander's eyes narrowed, gauging. He opened his mouth the make the obvious reply, then shut it again.
Ganoes Paran looked back down at the burning quarter, pleased with himself. Even a boy, Commander, can make a point.

I'm totally confused. What's the obvious reply that Whiskeyjack stopped himself from making? Is he Star Wars fan and was going to say "Paran, I am your father"? Or "I like wine". I don't get it!

[Mezla PigDog]

If that's the case, then what is the point that Paran is making?

[Tenaka Khan]

Perhaps WJ was about to say the line BAD mentioned, but stopped himself realising that the world indeed seemed to need another soldier rather than another wine merchant. Not that he liked it.

So maybe that is the point Paran wanted to bring across ('looking at the burning Mouse quarter' indicates that he thinks there is a need for soldiers to settle the problems out there).

Just my 2 cents...

[Folken]

Tenka's explaination makes more sense to me. I'm with Mezla on this, from the first time I read the line to this day I have wondered in Hood's name SE meant by that line. I'll still continue to wonder though...perhaps a question one should ask SE. Dobut he even remember though...lol

Perhaps something like

"and the world needs more soldiers?"

[Tiste Simeon]

BAD said:

Bah, you ain't changing my thinking. Whiskeyjack just got sick of the kid.

Hood knows, we all have at some point during the series!

[werewolfv2]

BigDaddyNyth said:

My view of the conversation was that Whiskyjack didn't reply because he realized he wasn't going to be able to talk any sense into the child Ganoes, a young boy enchanted with the thought of the military and war, and unaware and blind to the realities of the military and war....

I like that

[stone monkey]

It's the obvious inference;

WJ's reply was fairly obviously going to be that the world didn't need any more soldiers either. Given that they were observing the destruction wrought by a cadre of military mages let loose in the Mouse Quarter, that would probably have been one of the things uppermost in his mind. Paran almost certainly wouldn't know the details of what was happening and WJ wouldn't necessarily have the inclination to explain something to him that he could only really appreciate by experience.

[Gust Hubb]

Melza, I looked over that passage you quoted and think there needs to be more context:

Mezla PigDog, on 22 November 2005 - 02:58 PM, said:

I started reading Gardens of the Moon again last night. In the prologue, Paran and Whiskeyjack are observing the riot in the Mouse Quarter of Malaz City. A portion of text goes as follows:



Ganoes and the commander returned their attention to the riot in the Mouse. Flames were visible, climbing through the smoke.
"One day I'll be a soldier," Ganoes said.
The man grunted. "Only if you fail at all else, son. Taking up the sword is the last act of desperate men. Mark my words and find yourself a more worthy dream."
Ganoes scowled. "You're not like the other soldiers I've talked to. You sound more like my father."
"But I'm not your father," the man growled.
"The world," Ganoes said, "doesn't need another wine merchant."
The commander's eyes narrowed, gauging. He opened his mouth the make the obvious reply, then shut it again.
Ganoes Paran looked back down at the burning quarter, pleased with himself. Even a boy, Commander, can make a point.

I'm totally confused. What's the obvious reply that Whiskeyjack stopped himself from making? Is he Star Wars fan and was going to say "Paran, I am your father"? Or "I like wine". I don't get it!

I agree with the comment that WJ is about to say something like "More than it needs a soldier son," but I wanted to point out that Paran was also scoffing at the idea of a more worthy dream. Here they are looking at a clusterf**k below and WJ is trying to talk about dreams and higher callings. I almost hear the idea that everything is unworthy, and might as well do whatever, because in the end it all burns anyways.

I also, as a side note, enjoy the irony of the last two paragraphs, which to me says something of how Paran and WJ see people in general:

Mock's Vane swung once more. Hot smoke rolled over the wall, engulfing them. A reek of burning cloth, scorched paint and stone, and now of something sweet. A reek of burning cloth, scorched paint and stone, now of something sweet. "An abattoir's [slaughterhouse, btw] caught fire," Ganoes said. "Pigs"
The commander grimaced. After a long moment he sighed and leaned back down on the merlon. "As you say, boy, as you say."

Pigs. lol. In the end, it all burns.

[MTS]

Five and a half years. Impressive Gust, most impressive.

[Darujhistan~Glow]

The kid was right, the world needs soldiers and not wine merchants. Whiskeyjack agreed ,regretfully.

[Kanese S's]

I always took it as meaning that Whiskeyjack couldn't argue that the world does need another soldier from time to time. Also has nice symmetry with events in later books.

This post has been edited by Abyss: 29 November 2011 - 09:23 PM
Reason for edit: NO SPOILERS FOR LATER BOOKS

[JLV]

Nice 6 year and 6 month thread resurrection. GH the master.

[TronoSombrío]

Or maybe the question tha WJ thought was "But, what we need are more soldiers?" I think there are other ways of winning a war, not only using a sword or a gun..

[Khellendros]

Let's keep this silly resurrection going!


Whiskeyjack was going to say 'and the world needs more soldiers?', but then decided he couldn't be bothered to argue with the kid, because the kid, being a stubborn kid, will merely continue to think what he thinks. Paran then mistakenly takes this as a sign that WJ couldn't come up with any answer at all, and so he thinks he's won the argument. Proving that he's just a dumb kid after all.

Basically, what Guest_BAD said some seven years ago

This post has been edited by K0rbas: 10 March 2012 - 06:01 PM