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To return to the spoiler-free review of CYTEEN, click here.
But for the moment, I want to discuss the murder.
This is an old topic. Online discussions of it date all the
way back to 1988 when the book was first published. But the way
I see it, there's a limited number of suspects:
1. Jordan
2. Justin
3. Grant
4. Catlin-1 and/or Florian-1
5. Giraud and/or Denys
Of these I think that:
1. Jordan is clearly eliminated by the records Ari-2 looks up
regarding Ari-1's last TranSlate entry (which appears to take
place AFTER Jordan has left the room).
2. Justin's whereabouts are known, clearly eliminating him.
3. Grant's whereabouts are known, clearly eliminating him.
4. Catlin and Florian are shown as being completely shaken by
the murder, so I think that rules them out. Also, Ari-2 seems to
believe that the key to discovering the identity of the murderer
lies with discovering who ordered the destruction of Catlin and
Florian (see below).
5. Which leaves Giraud or Denys or both. And this is further
reinforced by the fact that only the Nyes would have the power
to order the deaths of Catlin-1 and Florian-1. Giraud, I
believe, later claims that they requested their own deaths --
but when we see them last, they're explicitly waiting for tape, not assisted suicide. (Or does he claim that Ari-1
ordered their deaths? Either way, his story doesn't stand up.)
The question then becomes motive. Why would Giraud and/or
Denys attempt to kill Ari-1? Why do Giraud and/or Denys attempt
to kill Ari-2?
Well, for starters, I think its Denys -- not Giraud -- who is
guilty of both.
For starters, when it comes to Ari-2, Denys is clearly
established as being Abban's supervisor at the time that Abban
initiates the plot. Add in the fact that Denys is clearly the
one attempting to finish the job once Ari-2 returns to Reseune.
And add in the fact that Giraud has no reason to kill Ari-2
after he's dead.
So, why do it? I think its a matter of control. Specifically,
a matter of controlling Reseune. I don't think it's coincidental
that Cherryh clearly establishes the loss fo control Denys feels
as Ari-2 asserts herself. I don't think its coincidental that
Cherryh puts Denys in a position of control over his brother,
and then has Giraud specifically instruct Ari-2 to take control
of his PRs away from Denys. And I don't think its coincidental
that Cherryh has him maintain control of Reseune, even when the
opportunities for more power presented themselves. He's an
agoraphobe who never leaves Reseune, and desperately needs to
control it and possess it.
And he targeted Ari-1 for the same reason. He wanted control
of Reseune. Why didn't he do it before? Because he and Reseune
needed Ari's abilities. But now that an ability-clone could be
successfully completed, he didn't need the Ari which stood
between him and power. He could put himself close to Ari-2, and
he could risk the project's entire integrity by avoiding the
coarser aspects of Geoffrey Carnath -- allowing him to stay
close to Ari-2. I'm guessing that he hoped he could control
Ari-2. But once it became clear he couldn't control her, then he
needed to kill her.
Of course, the possibility is never quite resolved that it
might have simply been an accident.
I think the brilliance of the work is heightened by the fact
that so much is left to the power of inference at the novel's
conclusion (and throughout the novel as a whole).
For example, I think its shocking that we see Justin
Warrick capable of a freedom from the programming of Ari-1 which
allows him to physically attack someone... yet he continues to
see Ari-2, despite the suggestion that the fixation programming
may be completely gone.
Which leads me
to what I consider one of the crowning achievements of the
novel: The original Ariane Emory is revealed to us through the
coming of age of Ariane Emory II, and vice versa. As you follow
the coming of age story for Ari-2, it colors what you saw of
Ari-1 and makes you understand it. And vice versa: What you saw
of Ari-1 gives a sense of perspective when it comes to Ari-2.
Considering that one of the major themes of the novel is this
sense of identity, the fact that Cherryh has found a literary
perspective to put you on the INSIDE of this shared identity is
remarkable. In fact, it's bloody brilliant. |
