Piers Anthony's "Incarnations of Immortality" Quiz

Answer: Gun

In the nadir of depression, Zane decides to commit suicide. Just as he is about to pull the trigger of his gun, Death appears before him. In shock, Zane turns the gun and shoots the apparition. The man serving as Death had gotten lazy and allowed himself to be seen and did not have all his protections in place, so the bullet killed him. Zane is shocked to discover he must now take the office, and will serve as Death until he, too, allows himself to be killed.

Answer: Until his birth

Chronos lives backwards in time until the time of his birth, when he must pass the Hourglass to his successor/predecessor. Unfortunately for Norton, he receives the Hourglass from a boy, who unwittingly received the Hourglass and is unable to provide much information about its use to Norton. After the current officeholder reaches the time of his birth, he will die.

Answer: Atropos

Fate weaves the tapestry of life. Clotho spins the threads, Lachesis measures them, and Atropos cuts them. After the death of her husband, Niobe first spends many years as Clotho, then leaves to marry again. When it becomes apparent that all three aspects will become vacant at one time, the other Incarnations convince Niobe to become Lachesis.

Answer: Until the cessation of war

At any time that the world is at complete peace, the current officeholder will die and the Red Sword will lie dormant until such a time that conflict again arises, at which time it will seek out a new officeholder to supervise the world's conflicts.

Answer: Evil

At the wedding Gaea sings the Llano, the magical song. Satan then surprises everyone by singing "Amazing Grace". By professing his true love for a good woman, he must vacate his office.

Answer: Priest

When Parry's wife is murdered, he enters a monastery. After rising in the priestly heirarchy his wife's ghost is able to inhabit a living woman and causes Parry to violate his oath of celibacy. Lucifer uses this to corrupt Parry to evil. Under the guise of eliminating evil, Parry corrupts the Inquisition, causing the death of countless good souls.

When Lucifer attacks Lilah, the demoness sent to seduce him, Parry is able to kill him and Lilah persuades him to take the office, at which time he takes the name of Satan.

He knows that Orb (serving as Gaea, the Incarnation of Nature) is fated to marry him, but he must use nothing but lies in his courtship. He wins out but realizes that he has fallen in love with her, which leads to his removal from the office.

He later is able to reclaim the office and proves to be a unique Incarnation of Evil - he is a good man.

Answer: He was impeached

God had become too interested in his own greatness and was unresponsive to the outside world, neglecting the duties of his office for centuries. Luna, who has ties to all the other Incarnations, is a leading politician who initiates the campaign to impeach the current God so that a new officeholder may be chosen.

She is successful, but the tricky part is that all Incarnations must be unanimous in the selection of the new God, and Satan is hardly going to vote for any candidate put forth by his adversaries. An accord is finally reached when Satan puts forth the name of Orlene, a ghost who was the first wife of Norton, a prior Chronos (Incarnation of Time).

Her soul is perfectly balanced between good and evil.

Answer: Evil

Although 'For Love Of Evil' is the fifth book, Parry becomes Satan approximately one-third of the way into the book. In 'And Eternity' the trend reasserts itself and Orlene assumes the office of Incarnation of Good at the very end of the story.

Answer: Mars (War) is her son

A common thread through all the books is attempts by the Incarnation of Evil to prevent Luna's political rise to the position from where she can initiate the removal of the current Incarnation of Good. The balance between good and evil souls is slowly tilting in Evil's favor and he does not want matters to change, as he will soon be in position to triumph over Good. Luna is able to replace the Incarnation of Good, thwarting the plans of Evil.

Answer: True

He does this as a personal favor to Yahweh, the Jewish deity, one of the few supernatural beings who does not rebuff him.