Sexta Pars through Octava Pars (265 pages)

Well, I think the second section should have been "Sexta Pars through Septima Pars" and section three will start with "Octava Pars", so I'm going to post here next!

I finished up this section last night, and all I can say is this is an amazing book!  It's made me become so emotionally invested in the characters!  I love how something that you read about earlier in the book resolves itself hundreds of pages later, when you've almost forgotten about it.  When I got to the part where Mixtli found out what happened to his sister, I felt so terrible and horrified (and had to go back to the section of the book where he had seen her without realizing it in the human menagerie.  And I finally thought Mixtli had gotten rid of the Chiamli problem for good, so I totally didn't see the end of this section coming!!

I can't wait to see what happens next!  I feel like Mixtli is now going to end up with his wife's sister....I don't think we've seen the end of her.  And I feel like more bad things are still going to happen to him; I'm almost afraid to find out what.  It's like he has this fate hanging over him where every time something amazing happens to him (birth of his daughter, becoming an Eagle warrior), something terrible has to happen in return.

Well I finished this section last night. Or I think I did.  I just started Nona Pars, so maybe I finished this section two parts ago!  LOL!  I'm not sure because Michelle is saying our threads might be wrong in terms of what they cover. 

Anyway, I continue to enjoy this book. Yes, Michelle, it is neat how they resolve things so much later, and like you say, you've kind of forgotten about some of the issues.  It was so sad about his sister. I figured she'd turn up again at some point, but it was quite shocking as to how/when she did.  My heart just broke for her when Mixtli saw her at the "freak show" and a tear trickled from her eye.  If only Mixtli would've known!  But of course, how could he? 

I don't know how far you are, Michelle, but Chiamli doesn't finish wreaking havoc in Mixtli's life for a while yet.  Gad, that man is evil!  You have to wonder what really happened to him to turn him from the good, loyal friend he was to Mixtil in their childhood to what he turns into.  I mean I know he blamed Mixtil for his lover's execution but really.  I think his bitterness should've been somewhat tempered by the fact that Mixtli didn't call him out and he was able to escape with his life.  The Jadestone Doll fiasco was traumatic for everyone.  Did Chiamli really think he was the only one who suffered loss? 

One thing that didn't surprise me was the revelation of the true identity of the "cacao-bean man."  I had that one pegged from when Mixtli first arrived in his country as a student.  However there is one thing that is nagging at me - the man Mixtli ran into at least 2 or 3 times when he was out in the evening.  I can't remember what Mixtli called him as I don't have my book here at work.  Was it the "Night Wind" or the "Night Shadow" or something?  Unless I missed it, they've never really explained who the dusty stranger is who Mixtli has run into.  Is he the same guy as the "cocao-bean man?" 

The cacao-bean man was really Nezahualpili, but he was also the Night Wind. Remember when Blood Gutton told Mixtli that the old man was really Nezahualpili? Right after that Blood Gutton also told Mixtli that the old man has a knack for disguise, but doesn't really even need the disguises because all he has to do is sprinkle himself with the dust of the road and he can appear to be someone else. Mixtli twice mentioned how dusty Night Wind was. ;-)

I love the foreshadowing in this novel. You can read a paragraph and know it will come back up eventually. Love that! I also love how disgusted the scribe is by Mixtli's adventures. He pleads and pleads with his king to be allowed to stop transcribing Mixtli's account, but the king wants to hear it all, especially the dirty parts, lol.

Chiamli's hatred really is excessive! You'd really think that after time, he'd become glad to be alive, especially since he could have very easily died with his lover. What he did to Cozcatl was awful, but the little guy seems to have adjusted to the loss very well, lol.

Valli - Thanks for clearing it up!  I thought maybe Nez (I've taken to calling people by short versions of their names because it's beyond me to come up with a pronunciation) was Night Wind too, but I guess I missed the "sprinkling of the dust" part.  BTW, I see you've caught up to us!  I think I'm on p. 675 or something.  Off to read now.  I need to finish this one up so I can read the book I have to mail for the swap I was just in, which is The Book Thief. 

ETA - Now I'm waiting to see if Mixtli's mom resurfaces.  Remember they said after the scandal with Mixtli's sister broke his dad comitted suicide and his mother just disappeared or took off?  She's lurking out there somewhere.  I'm sure she's just waiting for the opportune time to come and cause trouble for Mixtli.  I never did like that woman.