The Stone Sky
Chapter 10: SYL ANAGIST: THREE
by Jemisin, N. K.The chapter follows a group of young tuners from Syl Anagist as they embark on a field excursion outside their familiar environment. Overwhelmed by sensory stimuli—unfamiliar textures, smells, and sounds—they struggle to adapt until the sight of the towering amethyst plutonic fragment calms them. The crystal, pulsing with magic, evokes a deep emotional connection, contrasting with their indifference toward the city itself. The tuners revere the fragment as part of their identity, reflecting Syl Anagist’s reverence for engineered life over the sterile, unchanging urban landscape of the past.
Kelenli, their guide, announces she will show them three vetted sights, prompting playful tension with Remwha, who resents the trip. As they walk, the tuners’ awkwardness draws stares, but they gradually mimic Kelenli’s confident demeanor to blend in. Their journey takes them to the city’s southern edge, where sulfurous smells from waste reclamation plants permeate the air. Kelenli leads them to an ancient, dead building—a stark contrast to Syl Anagist’s living architecture—eliciting mixed reactions from the group.
The building’s obsolete design, with its symmetrical structure and non-living materials, fascinates the tuners despite their initial disdain. Remwha questions its safety, but Kelenli reassures him before guiding them inside. A holographic sign and booming voice welcome them to “the story of enervation,” though its meaning remains unclear. Inside, the stale, lifeless air and dusty atmosphere unsettle the group, but their curiosity outweighs their discomfort as they explore further.
As they move deeper into the building, Remwha senses something unusual, prompting the others to notice it too. Kelenli promises to reveal the source of their unease, hinting at a deeper purpose behind the excursion. The chapter ends with the group poised to uncover a hidden truth, their journey serving as both a physical and metaphorical exploration of Syl Anagist’s past and their own place within its engineered world.
FAQs
1. How does the narrator describe their initial experience outside their quarters, and what ultimately calms them down?
Answer:
The narrator describes the initial outdoor experience as overwhelming for their senses. They react strongly to the springy sidewalks, thick air full of smells, loud ambient noises, and even birds in nearby bushes, with each member of the group showing different forms of distress (Dushwha crying, Bimniwha yelling, etc.). What ultimately calms them is gazing at the amethyst plutonic fragment, which towers over the city-node’s heart. Its majestic, pulsing presence reminds them of ancient trees and connects them to the magic they’ve been trained to sense, providing a sense of stability and belonging amidst the sensory chaos.2. What contrast does the narrator observe between Kelenli’s behavior and that of the group during their walk?
Answer:
The narrator highlights a stark contrast between Kelenli’s confident, composed demeanor and the group’s timid, distracted behavior. Kelenli walks with her head high, ignoring unimportant stimuli and radiating calm, while the group stumbles, startles at noises, and appears clumsy and overwhelmed. The narrator, proud and stung by onlookers’ amusement, tries to emulate Kelenli’s poise, which inspires others to follow suit. This contrast underscores the group’s unfamiliarity with the outside world and their struggle to adapt, while Kelenli serves as a model of controlled integration into the city’s environment.3. What is significant about the dead building Kelenli shows the group, and how do they react to it?
Answer:
The dead building is significant because it represents an obsolete architectural style—completely non-living, symmetrical, and made of materials like clay bricks, marble, and concrete. Unlike Syl Anagist’s typical living structures, it lacks hydrostatic pressure, nematocysts, or any biological components. The group finds it fascinating yet unsettling; Bimniwha remarks on its unnatural symmetry, and Remwha questions its structural safety. Kelenli explains that such buildings were once considered beautiful, highlighting how Syl Anagist’s values and technology have evolved. The building serves as a physical reminder of the past’s stark differences from their present reality.4. How does the chapter illustrate the tuners’ connection to the amethyst fragment and the city-node?
Answer:
The chapter illustrates the tuners’ deep, almost spiritual connection to the amethyst fragment, which they describe as “part of us, and we it.” They hear its voice and sing its magic, contrasting this bond with their indifference to the city-node itself, which they see as a lifeless collection of buildings and incomprehensible people. This dichotomy reflects their training in sesuna (energy sensing) and their role as tuners—they are attuned to magical, living systems but emotionally detached from the mundane aspects of urban life. The fragment symbolizes their purpose and identity, while the city remains alien to them.5. What role does the ambient play in the group’s communication, and how does it affect their dynamics?
Answer:
The ambient serves as a subtle, non-verbal communication network among the group, allowing them to share emotions, reactions, and even direct messages (like Remwha’s ripple of annoyance or the narrator’s “basso push-wave throb”). It helps them coordinate behavior, as seen when the narrator’s attempt to walk confidently influences others through the ambient. Kelenli also uses it to comfort Remwha, easing his fears during the excursion. This system underscores their collective identity and interdependence, but it also reveals tensions—such as Remwha’s resistance or the narrator’s pride—showing how individual emotions ripple through their shared connection.
Quotes
1. “FASCINATING. ALL OF THIS GROWS easier to remember with the telling … or perhaps I am still human, after all.”
This opening line sets the reflective, almost confessional tone of the chapter, hinting at the narrator’s struggle with their own humanity and the act of storytelling as a means of processing experience.
2. “Syl Anagist is better, but we feel nothing when we think of the city-node itself. It is nothing to us—buildings full of people we cannot truly understand, going about business that should matter but does not. The fragments, though? We hear their voices. We sing their magic song. The amethyst is part of us, and we it.”
This passage captures the central tension between the artificial city and the natural/magical elements that the tuners truly connect with, illustrating their alienation from human society and deep bond with the geological fragments.
3. “She walks easily with head high, ignoring everything that isn’t important, radiating confidence and calm. Behind her, we start-and-stop-and-scurry, all timid clumsiness, distracted by everything.”
This contrast between Kelenli’s composure and the tuners’ awkwardness highlights their social inexperience and sensory overwhelm, while also establishing Kelenli as a mentor figure navigating both worlds.
4. “Once, though, people thought this sort of thing was beautiful.”
Kelenli’s remark about the obsolete building serves as a profound commentary on changing aesthetic values across time, while also foreshadowing the chapter’s exploration of historical perspectives on technology and civilization.
5. “Welcome to the story of enervation!”
This mysterious announcement at the threshold of the dead building marks a pivotal transition in the narrative, introducing the concept of “enervation” that likely connects to the chapter’s deeper themes about energy, life, and societal decay.