When one of the priests accepts Charlie's challenge of the Three Riddles, he says:
"'As you will then... Who volunteers to stoke the sacred furnace?'" (p. 135)
I thought that that question was the first Riddle! But no, Charlie has to go into the furnace if he fails to answer a Riddle. Hence, the chapter title: Fahrenheit 451. A priest awaits Charlie's "'...calefaction.'" (p. 140)
Riddles that seem commonplace to us are top secret rituals on New Lemuria. Thus, Charlie has no problem in proving himself and then getting live sacrifices banned.
The Prophecy of the Prince was inspired by the god Bullak and therefore is regarded as heretical by the priests of Klashk - until Charlie proves himself. This sounds like the Satanic verses. (Since Islam is a pure monotheism, any early Koranic verses that implied polytheism must have been Satanic in origin.)
On New Lemuria, Charlie introduces the idea of Satan as a being who incites discord between Klashk, Bullak and other gods. Meanwhile, the despot Olaghi's fleet approaches so a physical conflict is imminent.
Tomorrow morning, I must drive to Blackpool, with its hotels and conference centers, on political business. However, stay tuned to this blog for more reports of the conflict on New Lemuria.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Don't you mean, once Charlie triumphed in the riddling contest, he banned sacrificing intelligent, rational beings of any race?
And of course that mention of the Satanic verses in the Koran brought to mind the trouble Salman Rushdie got into because of his book THE SATANIC VERSES.
Sean
Sean,
Yes. He called them "live sacrifices."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And I would make a distinction between sacrificing animals and rational, intelligent beings.
Sean
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