From: "Chris" 
Subject: Re: (urth) stew
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 17:37:21 +0000

I think that this misses a very important point. It's not that the inhumi's 
"animal nature" overrides their humanity - it's that the "humanity" they're 
acquiring is not quite so humane as we'd hope for. Silkhorn says repeatedly 
that if we could get our *own* act together, we'd have nothing to fear from 
the inhumi. The clogged sewers of Green are merely the reflection of what 
people on Blue were doing to each other.

Without going too much into my personal interpretation of SS, it always 
seemed to me that Silkhorn's restraint w.r.t. his appetite was meant to 
be... well, I guess the best way to say it is "an example". And that he 
believed, at least, that it would result in one or more inhumi learning to 
control their own appetites. He may actually take this lesson a bit too far 
in a frenzy of guilt, but I think this is the principle he's trying to go 
by.

Civet


Roy said:
>His experience with the inhumi, to that point, had taught him that their
>quest for food--for blood--went beyond what was strictly necessary to
>maintain life: they wanted _human_ blood, to become like men. The irony is
>that, to become like men, to acquire the blood, they must kill (unless they
>take extraordinary care) what they most love. Their animal nature overrides
>their borrowed humanity. Remember those clogged sewers on Green. Should an
>inhumi have the misfortune to acquire a "conscience" (if such a thing is
>possible), its position becomes untenable. Silk has a conscience, therefore
>can take no joy in eating, an activity he must condemn in the inhumi.
>
>-Roy
>
>
>--

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