The trader team speak the Eriau that was learned during the Grand Survey a few centuries previously so Falkayn and Chee Lan say, "Thou..." and "Thy..." etc.
What seems odd about the following sentences?
"Her gaze went to the two who sat awaiting her.
"One was scarfaced, athletic, his tailtip restlessly aflicker."
-"Day of Burning," p. 229.
We expect Merseians not to sit on chairs but to squat on their tails but, if they are doing this, then how can one of them flicker his tailtip? Are they sitting on stools like one Merseian in Flandry's period? Chee Lan squats on a small table presumably because there is no chair suitable for her.
OK. That is all for now. There is plenty more, of course, but it will take a while for me to get back to it with the proper attention.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I think it makes sense to think Merseians will use stools if they are going to be sitting for lengthy times. Less tiring than using only legs and tail. And elderly Merseians might prefer to mostly use stools.
Ad astra! Sean
Paul:
It occurred to me that the end of a Merseian's tail might bend a bit so that the tip isn't the lowermost point. If the tail's end can lie partly horizontal on the floor, spreading the fellow's weight over more tail-surface and thus straining the muscles less, the very tip would be free to twitch – "flicker" – every now and then.
Kaor, DAVID!
Insofar as I gave that matter any thought, I somewhat vaguely had in mind what you suggested: the lower part of a Merseian's tail bent a bit and was partly horizontal. Enabling the actual tip to twitch and flicker.
Ad astra! Sean
Ingenious.
Kaor, Paul!
And it seemed so logical and obvious that I never thought it necessary to draw out as explicitly as David had done what I was thinking implicitly.
Ad astra! Sean
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