What role does Vincent Van Gogh's painting, Cottages at Cordeville,play in this novel?

How is the 19th-century Russian writer Leo Tolstoy used in the novel?

Why is Murbella's Spice Agony more agonizing than most?

How does Sea Child figure in the story line?

How does the old farm couple figure in the story line? How do you interpret the novel's ending with them?

What is Sheeana's deep secret that Odrade is forced to accept? Where might it lead her? Do you think symbiosis with the worm is ever a viable option for her?

Is there any redeeming characteristic in Dama? Is her murder at all lamentable? Could she have made peace with Odrade had they lived?