Issendai.comPart 3
THE SIGNS! THE SIIIIIIIIIIIIGNS!
So after Anton and Haghuf finish their tete-a-tete in Anton's car, Anton drops Haghuf off at the entrance to the goblin tunnels of Nacibrab. They have a confusing conversation about how there are undescribed signs outside the entrances to goblin tunnels that Haghuf has been removing and Anton has been putting back in special magical form that only special magical people will be able to see. Haghuf is appalled that Anton is putting the signs back. Anton doesn't see what the big deal is. No, we don't get a description. No, we don't know why they're so alarming, especially if there are identical signs left over from the previous centuries littering the landscape anyway. Yes, they are all reversed. (Nacibrab, Krapneerg, Lirrewot.) The names refer to the goblin settlements, but also seem to refer to the human settlements above, which is doubly puzzling when you remember that most goblins can't read human writing or understand human speech and should have no frickin' idea what the humans call the surface world. And the signs crop up frequently in the pages to come, as unexplained and undescribed as ever. AAAAAAUGH! EXPLAIN THE WORLD! EXPLAIN YOURSELF! NARRATIVE OR GTFO!
This particular nugget of nonexplanation is dropped into a story so bogged down with thinking and pondering and extrapolation of events we've already seen from random scuffs in the dust that it moves like at Atkins dieter's bowels.
In fact, that's pretty much how the entire world unfolds. Count Anton needs to scratch his nose? Here's a history of the last five times he scratched his nose and his interpretation of the reactions of the people who watched him scratch his nose this time. Haghuf is going to visit the Kol'ksu? What's a Kol'ksu? SUFFER, BITCH. What time period is this? HAH! LIKE WE'D GIVE YOU SENSITIVE INFORMATION. WORM. Where on the planet are we? SHUT UP AND WAIT FOR IT. The sense of wonder in the book is almost entirely supplied by the question, "I wonder what the scene I'm reading looks like?"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH.
Jaq D. Hawkins replies
So after Anton and Haghuf finish their tete-a-tete in Anton's car, Anton drops Haghuf off at the entrance to the goblin tunnels of Nacibrab. They have a confusing conversation about how there are undescribed signs outside the entrances to goblin tunnels that Haghuf has been removing and Anton has been putting back in special magical form that only special magical people will be able to see.
In the actual story there are signs outside of an old human transportation system that identify place names. Look around, stations have names whether they are underground stations, train stations, or whatever. You claim the goblins take them down and the humans put them back. That doesn't happen. There is nothing in the book that could be misunderstood so. The goblins take the signs down after that part, indicating that they have a reason to object to the signs. It's called foreshadowing. Later you'll learn that many goblins read and if you're sharp, you'll get the connection. If not it will be more clearly explained in a later book.
From what I can see you haven't really read the book but just skimmed for points to twist to your purpose, so dont expect me to add spoilers by explaining the later chapters.
Yes, they are all reversed. (Nacibrab, Krapneerg, Lirrewot.) The names refer to the goblin settlements
Oh you got that bit and still can't work it out? *shakes head*
when you remember that most goblins can't read human writing
Incorrect again, as is explained in the book.