The Robin Hobb Collection discussion

Discuss Chapter 21-25

Ch 21

I've never been a little girl, and I'm having a hard time remembering my childhood now. I get frustrated at Bee's feelings of jealousy and neglect when she doesn't bother to share them with anyone.

Thankfully Nettle to the rescue to tell Fitz he's being an idiot. Again.

Alex wrote: "Also, just thought of this. Bee seems to have some potential with the Wit. Didn't the Fool have something like this too? Where he could talk to Nighteyes or at least they could understand each other."

The Fool and Nighteyes communicated through the Fool's skill-link with Fitz. I thought it strange that Bee could communicate with cats, and with whatever vestige is left of Nighteyes. I dont know if that's because she's more attuned to the Skill, though, as she doesn't seem to be aware of any other animals in that way. Cats don't seem to follow the same rules as other animals. Perhaps they have some skill power? It sounds weird, but Others are afraid of cats, and Others are the mutated offspring of dragons. And dragons, apparently, is where the skill magic comes from.

I hadn't read the short story collection but I think that's mentioned somewhere else as well. It could be a combination of the magics, like Fitz has.

I hadn't thought of Regal having any descendants, since the Fool said once that in any he future he sees, Regal dies as the last of the Farseer line. Perhaps that wasn't taking illegitimate children into account, though.

Not sure what chapter this is from...

So apparently Lant is the daughter of the Witted woman from Tawny man? Interesting.

And I'm wondering about Bee with the Skill and Wit. Does she have either? She seems sensitive to the Skill at least from Fitz and Nettle. I wonder though if that's not from her being a white prophet.

Yours points about the cats make me less inclined to think she's witted either. I don't like this cat nearly as much as the one in Tawny man.

I also wonder if Bee is somehow partly the Fool's daughter. He says son though, and I have no basis for the idea.

Rob wrote: "And I'm wondering about Bee with the Skill and Wit. Does she have either? She seems sensitive to the Skill at least from Fitz and Nettle. I wonder though if that's not from her being a white prophe..."

I was thinking about the gender thing, Bee was totally sure that the pale woman under the butterfly wing was going to be a man. So maybe it's a clue that gender get's mixed up in the prophecies. Also Fitz said that the pale woman with the message wasn't fluent in their language, so she might have got it wrong.

About Bee's Skill and Wit. She most definitely shows signs of both. I don't think that it matters at all if she's a white or not. The evil pale woman from Fool's Fate had Skill and Fool doesn't have it at all (he wasn't born with it, he only got a little from the Silver in Assassin's Quest). So I think it is just like among Buck people, some have the magics, some don't.

Also Laurel was not Witted, she just had family who was.

Rob wrote: "And I'm wondering about Bee with the Skill and Wit. Does she have either? She seems sensitive to the Skill at least from Fitz and Nettle. I wonder though if that's not from her being a white prophe..."

The whole parentage of Bee perplexes me. 'If' she's a white, didn't the fool previously say he had two fathers. There was never any explanation how he had two fathers- wether they both had a go, or one procreated and the other cared for baby fool? How would this work with Fitz and Fool? They have been 'in' each others bodies!... I'm going crosseyed at the thought...the mind boggles! ;-)

I guess we can't really say whether the Fool having two fathers was a cultural thing or an actual genetic thing. Did he specify that he had two fathers and no mother? My vague memory was of suggested polyandry, rather than just a same-sex couple. Anyway, the fact he didn't think of fitz's child as being his suggests that what's happened this time is unusual.

i see you all have started a pretty interesting discussion, and i guess i should have continued reading this thread before commenting in the one before...

1) regarding the cats, i do remember for previous books that cats have special status, and that they can talk to people if they want to, and no wit is involved. (this comes into the scenes with Fitz 'special' friend that harbours Hap for a while, if that jogs anyone's memory to back me up here?? not feeling 100% confident here)

2) reading about the fool's son made me think about bee as well, and considering that gender has been mixed up plenty of times in the white folk, a small son/daughter mix-up seems nothing. the fool has been man and woman, and i'm still a bit unsure what he really is (or is it just a case of hermaphroditism?).
very recently, as Linnea said, we just a gender mix-up reminder again with the visitor so all is possible here.
alex - i like your observation of bee not having 'woman's ways'
littlered, wastrel - i can't remember anything about the fool having two fathers, but it's possible. i'll add that to the 'fool fact' my brain seems to have forgotten.

on a different note, i liked that Bee took matters into her own hands and took up riding lessons with Per. i kind of hope these two will get friends, that girl needs someone to socialize with that isn't an adult!

Hanne wrote: "i see you all have started a pretty interesting discussion, and i guess i should have continued reading this thread before commenting in the one before...

1) regarding the cats, i do remember for ..."

Regarding the fools sexuality. If 'someone' thinks the could have fathered a child he must be all male! ;-) He would have already twigged if he had been female and pregnant! I could add some more , but it would be too spoilery and I hear the spoiler police are out in force!

LittleRed wrote: "and I hear the spoiler police are out in force!"

Damn right. ^_^

LittleRed wrote: "Hanne wrote: "i see you all have started a pretty interesting discussion, and i guess i should have continued reading this thread before commenting in the one before...

1) regarding the cats, i do..."

Not really. There are other possibilities. Most obviously:
a) he's female but a father
b) he's female but he was male at the time
c) he's both male and female all the time
d) other.

Hanne wrote: "regarding the cats, i do remember for previous books that cats have special status, and that they can talk to people if they want to, and no wit is involved. (this comes into the scenes with Fitz 'special' friend that harbours Hap for a while, if that jogs anyone's memory to back me up here?? not feeling 100% confident here)"

just after posting this and reading ch26 there is a quote on this, it's not very spoilery at all, but because it's officially from a later chapter, i'll add quotes
(view spoiler)[Nigheyes to Bee "cats are cursed creatures, never to be trusted, talking to everyone and anyone." (hide spoiler)]

might be you posted in the next thread, but i don't dare venture in there yet :)

But really, Fitz SHOULD know what sex the Fool is, he has been 'inside' his body!
RE: cats- This quote is from the short story Cat's meat' from 'The Inheritence'(don't know what page..damn kindle!)
'She doesn't have to have the wit to listen to me. He tucked his head to his chest and apparently sank into sleep.
I'm not stupid, cat. No one needs Wit -magic to hear cats. Cats talk to whomever they please.'

Generally I'm not a lover of cats, but i do like the way Hobb writes them!

aha, that must be the quote alex was referring to.
thanks, that's all pretty clear now.