Others' Island (spoilers all books incl RWC)

[Farseer]

Thanks tiatsuchi, and WELCOME to thePlenty ! Yes, Shrewd's pin was a ruby, and I had planned to go back over all things related to it (in case Robin put some other sneaky connection in there somewhere!!), as well as Fool's tent. I found a few passages re the tent but couldn't find any mention of red and blue as colours, but I'm sure they're there!

I agree with Chrischa in that we (especially ME!) must remember to look at the prophecy itself...on that, re this part of Chrischa's post The teacup could maybe stand for Bingtown high class that Kennit escaped (actually, his father did, but Kennit never returned of course). , I think this could definitely be the case but also wonder, as the teacups were of Elderling make, if this could even stand for Kennit turning his back on the opportunity to himself become an Elderling or to become part of the society that was to come? Right up until his raping of Althea, it could certainly be said that he was headed for even higher levels of greatness...fate and his actions toward the end (Althea, incestuous thoughts of the yet-to-be-born Paragon Ludluck) just proved this not to be so.

In the same vein, maybe all of the objects he left behind were symbols of opportunities he turned his back on...things that didn't come to pass for him...and it was only the ruby earring and figurine of Etta, as the objects he actually took away with him, that symbolized the opportunities he wished to grasp?
eg Dutiful took the necklace of Elliana and their marriage came to pass, Etta took the serpentine figurine and the birth of her baby came to pass, Fitz took the rooster feathers and these returned the White Prophet to him and, lastly, Wintrow took She Who Remembers and thus the serpents received their memories.

Getting off track a bit, I can’t help but also think of the rose he smashed, and wonder if this did not prophecy his crushing of Althea? This is a really difficult one as the rose was not actually picked up by him and so, therefore, was never technically part of ‘his’ future? Aside from that, the motley jesters who tumbled in unison makes me crazy to think about...it is just too connected to the Fool, minstrels/the Rooster Crown and the White Prophet who Fool and Fitz saw in the vision at the town plaza in AQ!!!

Up until your post, Chrischa, I hadn’t thought of Kennit’s greatest wish to be more than just being crowned King of the Pirate Isles but your suggestion that it was to actually pass on the pain etc is so perfectly plausible!!! I love how you have connected it all, except for those darned fingernails!!!

Possibly his wish even could have included a desire to be reunited with Paragon and then finally able to find peace in his being whole again...

EDIT MUCH LATER 18/08/10 - Please ignore my comments above re the crushing of the rose/Althea...it was the sphere of tumblers Kennit crushed, but then he chose not to do the same thing to the rose.