Any idea how the third set of utterances from Spot before he gets upgraded tie into the story? I've got the first 2 pretty much figured out. The third time he goes
Lean times of barren hope
Wait on the composite's daughter
Sharpening the edge of life

Does the composite refer to the Yaldiv and Memeki their daughter? Or Diarine as the daughter of the composite Motherboard (she's its mother and that of the mobiles but in turn the Motherboard filled her with the manual and semi-created the machine part of her)? Or maybe there's another interpretation that I'm missing altogether?

I was pretty befuzzled at that one myself. I'm a bit afraid that it was referring to Dairine and the imminent "loss" of Prince Unlikely ("sharpening the edge of life" possibly having to do with the edge between life and death and that fact that in Ro's case questions are being asked about where that line is drawn)

Thus, I think that prophecy has more to do with the next book than this one, no? But I guess it still could have to do with Memeki. I really don't know.

Well I guess "Wait on the composite's daughter" could be talking about Memeki... I've heard "composite" related to bugs... or plants, or something like that... lol

Alright!! According to DD the composite's daughter is neither Memeki nor Dairine.She said this is the chat on Saturday, Sept. 17. It's another one of those little mysteries that she likes to throw our way. My money's on Nita based an a flimsy piece of reasoning.

Composite could be used to signify someone who works with compost (as a really bad pun and now we know how fond the One is of those!! Dog, God etc. etc.) So the composite could be Nita's father. Since Dairine is not the one the prophecy spoke of it should be Nita according to this reasoning.

Rebuttal anyone?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vidur,

I like the idea that it's Nita-- with the addition of the predexis (sp?) it makes sense. (Nita+predexis=composite)

Aw, I rather treasured the idea that it was Dairine.

I was thinking that it was Memeki- the Hesper, waiting for her time to come- "sharpening the edge of the knife," as in getting the power ready to use.
Aha, Spot is another Koi-fish-incarnate!

Could the composite's daughter be the peridxis maybe?

quote:

"You're wizardry," Nita whispered "Wizardry itself."
Not quite. I'm peridexis: the combined effect of the words of the Speech and the power that lives within it.
page 217

Combined effect would seem to give that impression. Lean times of barren hope, the war, and Sharpening the edge of life....the power-surge that the peridexis provides, maybe?

Just something that jumped out at me reading this thread.

Maybe that prophecy hasn't come true yet. Just because it was made in this book doesn't mean it has to come to pass in it. We may have to wait quite some time yet before we find out. If she ever tells us for certain that is.

quote:

Originally posted by Lady Rhiannon:
Could the composite's daughter be the peridxis maybe?

quote:

"You're wizardry," Nita whispered "Wizardry itself."
Not quite. I'm peridexis: the combined effect of the words of the Speech and the power that lives within it.
page 217

Combined effect would seem to give that impression. Lean times of barren hope, the war, and Sharpening the edge of life....the power-surge that the peridexis provides, maybe?

Just something that jumped out at me reading this thread.

I might be really off, but, after reading that, my impression would be that the composite's daughter is Nita rather than the Peridexis.

The peridexis is "the combined effect ... ", which means that the peridexis is a "composite". Nita is a person whose life is being affected by direct contact with the Peridexis, which would, to me, make her "the composite's daughter". I see "Lean times of barren hope" as something similar to "When you have little hope" and "Sharpening the edge of life" I see as something similar to "Using the power of Life against The Lone Power".

Putting it all together I see it as meaning:

When you have little hope
Wait for the arrival of Nita
Because she will use the power of Life against The Lone Power.

Which I think boils down a hint that Nita has something big to do in a battle against the Lone Power, and her strength will come from the memories of her life. ^_^

Lol, might be putting to much into it though...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Axusus,

What if the Composite's daughter isn't even a person?

Could it possibly have anything to do with that dream Nita had about that girl... um I can't quite remember her name, I don't have the book with me right now... Della? The one with the claw? What WAS that dream about anyway? The only connection I can make is that Della had a creepy claw like how the Yaldiv had creepy claws. And the composite is her parent? Lol... I'm probably going off on a tangent.

quote:

Originally posted by applefish:
Could it possibly have anything to do with that dream Nita had about that girl... um I can't quite remember her name, I don't have the book with me right now... Della? The one with the claw? What WAS that dream about anyway? The only connection I can make is that Della had a creepy claw like how the Yaldiv had creepy claws. And the composite is her parent?

The way I see it, the dream was preparing her to sympathize with Memiki.
It was showing a person who is despised by all but is still basically human and extremely troubled and feels scared and trapped.
And oh yeah- she just happens to have a claw, but that's not important.

Nita's brain translated into what made the most sense to her.