Read Along of Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch Part 2

You can see Redhead’s Part 1 post, and the links to the other blogs taking part, here.

If you haven't read the book, or even if you have, why not join in and read along with the rest of us?

This week we have read up to the end of Chapter 6.

Now that we know a little more about Selendri and Requin, what do you think of them? I worry Locke is suddenly realizing this con might be a bit tougher than he expected.

That whole story was very gruesome, but there must be an amazingly tight bond between the two if Requin was willing to save her as he did. However, I do not sense any romance between them, so the loyalty must be based upon something else: perhaps she saved his life at one point, possibly when she was an Eye. If they are romantically involved they are a long way into their relationship, well past the gooey-eyed stage, or they are just damned good at hiding it.

Isn’t the Artificers’ Crescent just amazing?  If you could purchase anything there, what would it be?

I liked the idea of everyone stealing each other’s water through elaborate systems of pipes and waterwheels that they had to rebuild after every bad storm. I can only imagine how many of the Artificers were their trousers on back-to-front or have their 'lost' spectacles on their foreheads! I really want one of those drop mechanisms to get rid of people, but I want it outside my front door rather than in the house. I have a ‘thing’ about Girl Scouts trying to sell me cookies, OK? Can I have sharks in the pit underneath rather than just a long drop? I miss the sharks from Camorr . . .

What did you think of Salon Corbeau and the goings on that occur there? A bit crueler than a Camorri crime boss, no?

I wonder if we will return there with a little Locke-generated mischief? I do hope so, because anyone who gentles kittens for fun needs to have a nice long dance with the Sisters, or a whole barrel full of angry, ungentled tigers. That bit with Lively almost had me in tears. I am still amazed by Locke’s self-restraint when that noble confronted him: I would have been sorely tempted to punch him in the face. His total lack of understanding of the desperation of the poor souls being tortured was obnoxious. This made the Teeth Show in Camorr look very tame indeed.

The Archon might be a megalomaniacal military dictator, but he thinks he’s doing right by Tal Verrar: his ultimate goal seems to be to protect them.  What do you think he’s so afraid of?

He seems to be afraid that they will unprepared for the next enemy to sail over the horizon, although goodness knows who they are. This could be simple paranoia or he could have intelligence warning him of a possible threat. However, he could just be trying to increase his own personal power. Then again, there could very well be some other motive that is still hidden.

And who the heck is trying to kill Locke and Jean every few days?  They just almost got poisoned (again!)!

Whoever it is they seem to have plenty of money to throw around, and are pretty determined to succeed. It could be the Priori, who know that they are working for the Archon, although killing them seems a little extreme. I doubt that it is the bondsmagi or Requin, but it could be the Archon, trying to scare them into a position to be controlled more easily.

Do you really think it’s possibly for a city rat like Locke to fake his way onto a Pirate ship?

Yarr! All he has to do is act drunk, sway about a bit and scatter his dialogue with "Scurvy Dog!" and “Savvy?” It worked for Captain Jack . . . I do think that Locke will be able to bluff his way through it: who asks a captain to explain exactly how to carry out his orders, especially when he has a first mate as 'persuasive' as Jean?