Gate of Horn, Book of Silk

by Michael Andre-Driussi

  Zoology: highly venomous snake belonging to the cobra family.

  Kupus, Captain “the leader of the mercenaries” (VI, list), holding the saddle in the mountains between Blanko and Soldo (VI, chap. 12, 184). He has four lieutenants: Karabin, Warren, Wight, and Zepter.

  Serbian: cabbage.

  Kypris “the goddess of love in the Long Sun Whorl” (V, list; chap. 6, 149). (See entry in LS Half.)

  Myth: (Greek) the most ancient name for Aphrodite, goddess of love.

  Commentary: the attitude toward Kypris is quite different in the Short Sun series compared to the Long Sun series. In The Book of the Long Sun, Kypris is one of the few good gods, and in the end she is revealed to have a vital connection to the Outsider. Horn seems to all but say that the Outsider’s is a church of Love, and Silk is its champion.

  In the Short Sun series, however, Kypris is brushed aside with all the other gods of the Long Sun Whorl. This is due, in part, to the Plato’s Cave effect, but let us never forget that the two series have different authors.

  L

  Lal “a small boy of Gaon, Mehman’s grandson” (V, list; V, chap. 13, 321). Son of Zeehra. He instinctively distrusts Jahlee.

  Hindi: red.

  Lake Limna “a large lake south of Viron” (V, list). (See entry in the LS Half.)

  Zoology: the common pond-snail.

  Land of Fires big sandspit on Shadelow continent of Blue, so called by Horn after he had seen numerous bonfires (V, chap. 11, 277; title for chapter 11). This is located south of the big river. Horn thinks it strange that his party does not come across any ashes in their hike across the place (263). This fact suggests that the fires were in a place that is in another dimension or out of phase with mundane reality.

  Commentary: this has a strong parallel with Tierra del Fuego (Spanish “land of fire”), so named by Ferdinand Magellan who saw many fires there in 1520 and surmised that there were tribes waiting to ambush his armada. In fact, it seems like the tribes maintained these fires for warmth and wore little clothing despite living in a cold climate.

  Lann, Captain a heavy man once carried easily by Pig (VII, chap. 6, 120).

  Irish: house/church.

  leatherskin a seamonster of Blue (V, chap. 2, 62). When Horn is sailing from Lizard to New Viron, he prays to the Outsider about loneliness. A leatherskin visits. Silkhorn later reflects that the leatherskin was sent by the Outsider to teach Horn that loneliness is not the worst evil (VI, chap. 5, 81).

  Leeuw, Private “a legerman of Dorp” (VII, list). In group (including Azijin, Vlug, and Zwaar) that arrests Incanto, Jahlee, and Hide.

  Dutch: lion.

  Legaro “the ambassador sent by Novella Citta” (VI, list; VI, chap. 17, 267).

  Italian: word “tie,” from verb legare, “to bind.”

  leger the standing horde of Dorp (VII, chap. 3, 54).

  Dutch: army (Concise Dictionary of 26 Languages).

  Legume the woman in charge of burning the dead inhumi after the attack on the wedding of Vadsig and Hide (VII, chap. 20, 401). Her count of the dead is 198, which suggests a total force of at least 600 and more likely 1,000.

  Botany: plant with a simple dry fruit. The family includes peas, beans, and peanuts, but also alfalfa, clover, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, and soy.

  Lily name of Tongue’s daughter who was murdered after Horn left New Viron (VII, chap. 13, 273). Victim in the story “The Night Chough.”

  Lizard “an island north of New Viron, the site of Horn’s mill” (V, list; V, chap. 1, 33). A day’s sail in good weather (34).

  Long Sun Whorl “the interior of the Whorl” (V, list). In addition to fresh water bodies like Lake Limna, it seems to have salt-water seas (I, chap. 1, 45).

  M

  Madrone daughter of Oxlip, she was a train-bearer at Hide’s wedding (VII, chap. 20, 400).

  Botany: North American members of the genus Arbutus, a broadleaf evergreen tree.

  Maggie the nickname of Magnesia, the chem maid who worked at Sun Street Manteion and eventually became Maytera Marble. Rose-in-Marble talks about how she treated Maggie the maid, “Everytime she did some little favor for me, I made it her task, and added to it. Oh, I know it was wicked, but I did it just the same.” When Horn asks her if that’s true, she nods and then adds, “I said to myself that if she was ninny enough to let me impose on her like that, she deserved everything she got. I was right, too. Both ways” (V, chap. 4, 98).

  Mahawat “the Rajan’s elephant driver” (V, list; V, chap. 12, 294).

  Hindi: elephant keeper/driver.

  Main “the eastern continent of Blue” (V, list; V, chap. 1, 38). The continent where New Viron is located, along with Blanko, Dorp, Gaon, Han, Novella Citta, Olmo, Skany, and Soldo. Sinew found a place of the Vanished Gods on Main, “way up on Howling Mountain” (38).

  Maliki “the title of the ruler of Sinew’s village, used here as a proper name” (VI, list).

  The term “maliki-woman” (VI, chap. 24, 360) is said to mean “the village judge” (364), and Abanja is the maliki of Sinew’s village (VI, chap. 25, 377).

  Onomastics: (African) name meaning “queen.”

  Turkish: owner.

  Mamelta “the sleeper rescued by Silk, now dead” (V, list; chap. 1, 44). (See entry in LS Half.)

  History: Saint Mamelta of Persia died circa 344.

  man fantastically dressed on the Red Sun Whorl, after Roger has been wounded, Silkhorn’s group encounters this unnamed character who gives them vague diretions that lead them from the ruins of Roger’s old house to the gate of the necropolis, where they meet Badour (VI, chap. 22, 324).

  His grandfather had lived in a house located three or four leagues up the river from Roger’s old house. This elder died “sixty-odd years ago” and then “Grandmother moved in with us” (VI, chap. 22, 325). So the man speaking seems to be 65 or 70. The walk from Roger’s old house to the gate of the necropolis is perhaps two leagues (325).

  Commentary: this character might well be a dreamer or a ghost.

  man from Urbasecundus Horn, thinking of making a printing press, imagines printing an edition of The Book of the Long Sun, as well as perhaps Scleroderma’s book. “In addition, there was a man in Urbasecundus who was said to have produced a similar book, although I had never seen it” (V, chap. 2, 51).

  Commentary: since Gene Wolfe is a “man of Urbasecundus” we can’t help but wonder if we read his version. Well, of course we have.

  Man of Han “the ruler of Han” (V, list). He requests that a channel be dug around the greater cataracts, and he gives Evensong as a concubine to the Rajan of Gaon. Later he starts a war against Gaon. He loses the conflict and presumably dies.

  “Man Who Returned, The” Incanto’s second story at Inclito’s table, this one being about Horn and Sinew on Green (VI, chap. 8, 120–27). He is interrupted by the sound of “Hyacinth singing to the waves” and when he picks up again he has shifted into the first person.

  The story is about Horn’s adventure on Green, ending with his death and transportation to the Long Sun Whorl. The first person parts are things he writes but did not tell.

  “Man with the Black Sword, The” Incanto’s first story for Inclito’s family, about how Horn clears the sewer of the inhumi city on Green (VI, chap. 4, 60–67). It ends with the flood that sweeps him downstream.

  Mano “a popular young trooper in the horde of Blanko” (VI, list). From Inclito’s story, “The Sentry and His Brother,” he is the brother of Volto (VI, chap. 2, 45).

  Italian: hand.

  Marble, Maytera “the former sibyl who accompanied the colonists to Blue and resumed her vocation there, a chem” (V, list). Marble had posed for Molpe (V, chap. 10, 228). She lived in New Viron with Mucor until five or six years before Horn set out, then they moved to an island a day south (V, chap. 3, 76–77).

  It turns out that when Marble took parts from Rose, she did not take Rose’s eye, but she did take Rose’s processor (V, chap. 3, 89). She asks Horn to apologize
for her to Hammerstone, for her “tricking him into marriage” (V, chap. 4, 101).

  In Marble’s augury for Horn, she says, “I see long journeys, fear, hunger and cold, and feverish heat. Then darkness. Then more darkness and a great wind. Wealth and command. I see you, Horn, riding upon a beast with three horns” (V, chap. 3, 92–93).

  After she gets a new eye, she goes with Silk back to the Long Sun Whorl to rejoin her husband and complete the construction of Olivine, her daughter.

  See also MAGGIE; MOLYBDENUM. (See entry in LS Half.)

  Marl the modified chem valet of Viron is now mentioned as an example of a slave (V, chap. 4, 100).

  Mineral: a mixed earthy substance used as fertilizer.

  Marrow “a New Vironese merchant” (V, list); “a magnate of New Viron” (VI, list). Most of his wealth comes from trading fruits and vegetables (V, chap. 4, 110). His wife’s name is not given, but Capsicum was his mistress. He visits Horn at the start (V, chap. 1, 21). Of the five faction leaders (Blazingstar, Eschar, Gyrfalcon, and Remora being the others), he is the only one who helps Horn after Horn’s ship is robbed in New Viron (V, chap. 1, 21). He offers Horn the boat Sealily, but Horn declines (39). Horn calls him Councilor (with one “L”), suggesting that New Viron is like Viron before Silk restored the caldéship (V, chap. 4, 111). (See entry in LS Half.)

  Marrow dies while Horn is away (VII, chap. 11, 226). Capsicum believes he was poisoned by Gyrfalcon.

  Marrow owns a number of boats, including the Sealily and the Wavelily. In his will he leaves the Wavelily to Horn, and Silkhorn changes its name to Seanettle. This chain of associations, that Marrow’s boats have “lily” names, and that Silkhorn renames one after Horn’s wife, suggest that Marrow’s wife was named Lily.

  Anatomy: tissue found in the hollow of bones.

  Commentary: perhaps the “bone” connection between Marrow and Smoothbone provides some sort of familial tie, such that Marrow is a quasi-uncle to Horn (who himself has a “quasi-bone” name).

  marsh there is a large marsh to the west of Blanko. The twins Hoof and Hide, or just Hide and an unnamed party, paid a man for transportation across this marsh, a trip that took two days, during which Hide was bitten by a leech (VI, chap. 23, 340). When the twins separated, Hoof was supposed to go north and Hide was supposed to go south, but it is not clear whether they separated at New Viron or after crossing the marsh. Silkhorn writes, “Hoof is in the south, or at least Hide believes he is. We were tempted to turn south around the marsh in the hope of finding him. It would have been farther, but I wish we had” (VI, chap. 19, 294).

  Marten a young man of New Viron, in the group who raped and murdered Lily (“The Night Chough”).

  Zoology: a carnivorous animal related to the wolverine, the weasel, and the mink.

  Marzo the trooper guarding the door to the bedroom of Duko Rigoglio in Soldo (VI, chap. 14, 216).

  Italian: March (month).

  Measurement Table

  Mee the young inhuma adopted by the human leader in Fava’s story, “The Girl on Green” (VI, chap. 9, 132).

  Mehman “the Rajan’s head gardener” (V, list). Mentioned as head gardener (V, chap. 12, 294), later named (298). He helps the Rajan and Evensong unearth their first inhuma, Jahlee. His daughter is Zeehra, his grandson is Lal.

  Hindi: guest.

  “Mercenary’s Employer, The” Inclito’s second story (VI, chap. 7, 115–18). Told to Inclito by Eco (VI, chap. 9, 133). This one is about Gaon. How a god told them not to despoil their lander and they obeyed.

  The trouble in Gaon was fighting and stealing. There was no justice—the biggest bribe won. The people hit on the idea of getting a wise man from the Long Sun Whorl and they did. Thus it is the story of the Rajan, including his mysterious disappearance with one wife. According to this, Evensong saw the Rajan go away into the forest, then she sailed the boat back up the river to the enemy town (Han) and sold it. The mercenary took Evensong back to the big town (Gaon) so the young general (Hari Mau) could talk to her. Then the young general paid him off and let him go.

  Commentary: it seems impossible for Evensong to sail up the Greater Cataracts, unless the Man of Han constructed a canal going around it. Perhaps Eco or Inclito has garbled that detail, in one way or another. Maybe she sold the boat in Gaon and was secretly airlifted to Han by a team of inhumi.

  Merl neighbor of Hound in Endroad (VII, chap. 4, 88). A spare, middle-aged man. He says turban-wearing people looking for Silk came to Merl’s house during the big dark of yesterday (89). His wife is Myrtle, his daughters are Spirea and Verbena.

  Zoology: an archaic word for the European black thrush, Turdus merula.

  Merryn a witch on Urth (VII, chap. 13, 266). The torturer’s apprentice brings her to visit Jahlee in her cell at the Matachin Tower. She is pale and gaunt, a young woman who acts very old (267). Her voice is shrill and unpleasant. Her smile makes Silkhorn distrust her. Jahlee says Merryn has trouble with animals.

  Milk a male name in Viron (VII, chap. 2, 45).

  Zoology: the product of lactating female mammals.

  Mint, General “the heroine of Viron’s revolution, also known as Maytera Mint” (V, list). Bison is her husband. She was caldé after Silk, and Bison was caldé after her (VII, chap. 14, 280). (See entry in LS Half.)

  She is in a wheelchair because of an assassination attempt (VII, chap. 14, 283). When Silk made Mint caldé, the Trivigaunti were very upset since it was against the stereotype they had (289). Eight days after she became caldé, the sun went out (290) to help cool the inner surface of the whorl (291), a drastic measure required because the tunnels, which helped regulate temperature, were blocked. The darkdays began, and the first godling came (292).

  Darkdays were very upsetting, especially at first. A man who wanted Silk back as caldé (VII, chap. 14, 292) shot Mint with a needler (293). He was killed a few seconds after he fired (282). Then Bison became caldé, a position he has held for the last ten or twelve years.

  Botany: any one of the aromatic labiate plants of the genus Mentha, especially M. viridis, Garden Mint or Spearmint.

  miralaly “She’s no inhuma, miralaly, and the lad here’s no inhumu” (VI, chap. 24, 359). It appears to be a Trivigaunti word meaning something like “my lady.” This is probably a typo of “miralay.”

  Turkish: miralay is a former military rank of the Ottoman Army and Navy, equal to colonel. This makes good sense, as it is addressed to Abanja, who has the rank of colonel.

  Molpe “in the Whorl, the goddess of the winds” (VII, list). Horn says she was Musk’s goddess (VII, chap. 1, 17). Hymn to Molpe (18). (See entry in LS Half.)

  Myth: (Greek) one of the Sirens, her name means “music.”

  Moly pet form of Molybdenum (V, chap. 1, 43).

  Molybdenum “a name assumed by Maytera Marble” (V, list). Silkhorn refers to Molybdenum and Quetzal (V, chap. 1, 42) without noticing that both lived disguised lives that in some ways anticipated Silkhorn’s situation. As part of her tricking of Hammerstone, she claimed to be Moly the maid, his old love.

  Mineral: (from Greek molubdos, meaning “lead”) a hard, gray metallic element (atomic number 42) used to toughen steel alloys.

  Moonrat a young man of New Viron, he told Starling about Serval, Bushdog, and Marten (“The Night Chough”).

  Zoology: the moonrat, also known as gymnure, is an animal of Southeast Asia. Related to the hedgehog, it looks like a very large rat.

  Mora “a girl in her early teens, Inclito’s daughter” (VI, chap. 1, 32). Inclito asks for word of her in his letter (VI, prologue). She and Inclito remind Incanto of two people he knows (VI, chap. 10, 164), but Mora looks like Zitta, her mother. She has a mole or wart in middle of her left cheek (VI, chap. 7, 114). Her first story is “The Giant’s Daughter,” and her second is “The False Friend and the True Friend.” She is big for her age and Hide assumes she is older than she is.

  Mora became dependent upon Fava as her only friend. Fava recruited her to spy on Inclito for the tow
n of Soldo. In part to make up for this, Mora sneaks out to perform a dangerous courier mission (on Day 7 of Timeline 5), which ends with her capture.

  In prison, they let her out of her cell during the day to do housekeeping chores (VI, chap. 20, 302). It takes her some days to get the keys so she can free Eco (303). Mora and Eco escape from prison just before Sfido is imprisioned (VI, chap. 16, 239–40). (On Timeline 5, Sfido’s imprisonment seems to have begun around Day 23.) They go to Novella Citta, talk them into an alliance with Blanko. On the second night they sneak out and get married (VI, chap. 20, 304), henceforth referred to as Donna Mora and her consort (VI, chap. 16, 267).

  On her wedding night she dreams of Fava, not suspecting that Fava has died (VI, chap. 20, 304). After meeting up with Silkhorn, she is in the party that warps to the red sun whorl.

  Italian: mulberry fruit; blackberry; and arrears.

  Morello “the commander of the horde of Soldo” (VI, list; VI, chap. 15, 232).

  Italian: black (of horses).

  Morphia goddess of sleep, an aspect of Thelxiepeia (VII, chap. 1, 16).

  Myth: (Greek) feminine form of Morpheus, god of dreams, separate from Hypnos, god of sleep.

  Mota “a citizen of Gaon” (VI, list); “one of Hari Mau’s followers” (VII, list). He is a member of the group investigating a house of Vanished People found by Barsat near Gaon (V, chap. 11, 265).

  Hindi: fat.

  Moti “a concubine” (V, list). After the Rajan of Gaon has been wounded in the HAN-GAON WAR, he asks Moti to kill him (V, chap. 12, 284). She is too frightened to return later, so Chandi takes her place (288). (For a list of his concubines, see RAJAN OF GAON.)

  Hindi: pearl.