Lois Bujold - "Penric's Demon" Quiz

Answer: He's a cheese merchant

The World of Five Gods in which the "Penric and Desdemona" stories are set is roughly equivalent to 16th century Europe, prior to the Industrial Revolution. Thus, for example, people ride horses but there is no usage of fossil fuels apart from domestic coal.

There are also no firearms. Livelihoods are derived mainly from agricultural products and associated goods; for example, Penric's future father-in-law is a well-to-do cheese merchant. However, the plans of both families are doomed to failure because of what happens next on the road to Greenwell.

Answer: Ruchia

The Divine Ruchia is clearly aware that she is about to die, but before she can do that she has a choice to make of what becomes of the "inheritance" she's carrying.

The Order of the Bastard is devoted to the so-called White God, one of the five Gods in this world: the Father, Mother, Daughter, Son, and Bastard. However some people deny the Bastard, saying that he is a demon rather than a god. Each God has their own area of responsibility, but the Bastard is more associated with things going wrong; anything to do with sorcerers and demons falls within his remit.

In terms of the incorrect answer options, Goldilocks and Thumbelina are well-known characters from fairy tales while "Sneewittchen" is the original name for Snow White.

Answer: "Well, now you are one, blue-eyed boy!"

As Ruchia dies she has handed over the demon from herself to Penric; this immediately blows all Penric's wires and he passes out. Waking the next day he feels well, but a bit mystified as to why he's being asked all these questions about what happened.

Eventually the demon itself totally gives the game away by taking over Penric's voice and announcing to everybody that he's now a sorcerer himself. Both families are appalled when Lurenz confirms that Penric is now host to a demon of the White God. The new situation seems to have ruined his chances of marriage to the lovely Preita, although she does present him with a huge wheel of cheese as a parting gift. Penric is confined to his room while decisions are made about his future.

Answer: Twelve

It seems that Dedemona has had twelve "riders": ten human, a lioness and a mare. All the human riders have been women, of various abilities and from a number of different countries.

Penric decides to give the demon a name so that he knows whether he's talking to a past rider or to the demon itself, and he lights upon the name "Desdemona". The giving of a name throws all the riders into confusion until Penric describes it to them as being like a family name. After due consideration they are all very flattered to have been given such a gift!

Answer: She kills all the fleas and lice in his bed

Desdemona uses her powers to kill "26 fleas, two ticks, three beetles, nine lice and a multitude of moth eggs" in Penric's bed. This is an example of "downwards" magic, whereby things are generally transformed into a less orderly state. It seems that this kind of magic is easier and less demanding than the opposite, for example curing somebody of an illness.

Penric spends the night being introduced to all the riders and hearing their personal histories. They are a very assorted group!

Answer: He can read foreign languages and alphabets easily

Between them Desdemona's riders have a vast range of languages, and Penric can access this group knowledge to help him. Fortunately he's a quick learner and he soon makes rapid progress is acquiring other languages from his predecessors as Desdemona's rider.

He spends his days in the library, developing his proficiency in little bits of magic, and looking around the town. Desdemona appears to be quiet, but Penric is aware that decisions are being made about their joint future.

Answer: Desdemona screams at him not to drink it

Throughout the meal Penric has been a bit uneasy about the way he's been encouraged to drink, and by the time they come the the liquor stage he's already quite tipsy. He takes a sip of the drink, but Desdemona is able to detect that there's something nasty in it - probably some kind of soporific.

However she has the power to change the drug into something that won't do any harm, so she then encourages Penric to drink the liquor and to pretend to be very drunk so they can see what's going to happen.

There's clearly some plotting between Clee and Rusillin going on, but what is their final intention?

Answer: By setting the brothers' hair on fire

Penric has been pretending to be in a drunken stupor, so when Rusillin goes to cut his throat he immediately "wakes up" and evades them. However they eventually corner Penric; Rusillin is about to stab him with a pike when Penric sets their hair on fire. Then Desdemona assists by loosening all the buckles, ties and toggles on the brothers' clothing, so Rusillin is further impeded in his efforts by his trousers falling down.

Eventually Penric finds his way to the water gate and jumps in the water so that he can swim across the lake. Penric can't swim, but one of Desdemona's previous riders, Umelan, comes to his aid. Clee and Rusillin pursue Penric in a small boat, but Desdemona makes sure that it falls apart.

So Penric swims across the lake. He debates at length with Desdemona about what to do next - whether to return to Martensbridge, to go home or to go to a different country - and they decide to walk back to Martensbridge.

Answer: Because the Saint can kill demons

The Saint is basically the Bastard God's representative on earth, and acting through the Saint it can remove a demon from its rider and kill it. Clearly Desdemona is in some danger, so Penric talks to the God via the Saint and pleads for her "life". The Saint lays his hand on Penric's head, about to begin the extraction process, when suddenly he stops - the God has said that he doesn't want her and that she can stay with Penric.

The Saint confirms that Penric is thus a sorcerer, and in passing says that Clee has been lying and that Penric has been telling the truth. Penric feels justified, but again there is a cloud of doubt over his - their - future.

Answer: He should go to Rosehall University

Bearing in mind that Penric is still is some danger from Clee and Rusillin, the Princess-Archdivine says that Penric is to be sent to the 300-year-old University at Rosehall. Here he can undergo the training that most sorcerers complete before they are given the responsibility of having a demon.

He asks Desdemona if he could go to the University. Touchingly, she says that Penric had looked a God in the eye and had spoken for her - there's nothing she can refuse him.