Hello again ^_^ If you will, I have a couple more questions, this time on the Ring of Solomon. Ive reread it and my favorite parts at least 4 times. Well my questions aren't very deep but I am curious about a few things

1) All the little things like the human skin doll with arm pit hair about old tribes and civilisations, did you make that up or was it stuff you discovered while researching?

2) Which of Khabas djinn were the two that died when Asmira and Solomon were throwing things?

3) Did Bartimaeus suffer any lasting weakness after he held and wielded the ring? Like, would he be stronger today if he hadn't held it so long/used it?

4) Why was Uraziel slightly irritated like Barti said, or whatever it was, when Khaba summoned him instead of Solomon? And then Uraziel says when Solomon says 'Im back' that he never doubted it. Can he see the furture or what is going on there? Is there anything you want to/could say about Uraziel? I thought he was interesting

5) What ended up happening to the Ring and to Solomon? Is the ring still around, still hidden today?

6) The two backstories (things I really love about Barti books) Barti most mentioned were the Old Priestess of Ur, King Gilgamesh and Nefertiti and Akhenaten (again), and since Barti mentiond Solomon several times in the trilogy, I wonder if we might ever hear more on those stories?

7) I noticed the Spirit of the Ring cuts Khaba off in the middle of his last wish and disapears. I thought that was a little weird, do you only get 3 wishes if you aren't Solomon?

8) What are Khabas feelings for Ammet? Love at all?

9) Barti says something about " on the backs of weeping djinn" Can djinn really cry? If Barti wasn't just speeking poetically, what do their tears come out like?

Tyyyyy that is all(for now) and Congratz on your new story!
Mariel

Hello there, Mariel! Sorry about the LONG wait for a reply.
1. Human skin doll: I made it up, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were such things.
2. Hmm, I did work it out when I was writing. I think it was a couple who irritated Bart on the building site. Possibly Xoxen and Tivoc?
3. I think he WAS weakened, but after time back in the Other Place he was able to recover his strength. It wasn't a permanent thing.
4. Yes, Uraziel does interest me. I think he's so powerful he's got a rather different perspective on things to most of the other spirits. He's playing the long game. And I think he rather gets on with Solomon, appreciating the restraint with which Sol does things. So when the horrid, sweaty, monomaniacal Khaba suddenly turns up, Uraziel isn't too impressed. He can probably guess the way things are likely to turn out for Khaba. He's seen people like him before.
5. This might be something we learn in a future book. At present my assumption is that the Ring no longer exists (in Nat/Kitty's present day).
6. We might hear more about one or more of them...
7. It may be that the magnitude of that last wish was so great that some clause in his binding allowed Uraziel to withdraw. Or else he was just knackered.
8. Nope. It's a bit of an unrequited love. Poor old Ammet.
9. It was him being poetic. He has that tendency, I'm afraid.
Thanks, Mariel (lovely name - could easily be a djinni's...!). Glad you liked the book.
Best wishes,
Jonathan

Jonathan Stroud wrote:Thanks, Mariel (lovely name - could easily be a djinni's...!). Glad you liked the book.

Thank you! Please please please do that, haha. Very happy to hear you have more Barti ideas to. And the answers were interesting :)