2. During the relighting of the On/Off Star in Chapter Eleven, who has ideas for the job but is forced to remain on board while Jimmy handles the project?

3. What population in the book are traders and tend to search for ways of establishing trading agreements wherever they are?

4. In Chapter Seven, there's a plan in place for a small force to wake during the Dark and to attack the Tiefstadt's what?

5. In Chapter Fourteen, who is driving with Unnerby and Sherkaner as passengers in the vehicle?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who explains the use of "mindrot" to Ezr in Chapter Ten? How is it related to "focus"?

2. What organic technology is being used by the Spiders in Chapter One?

3. How is Spider civilization described by the author in the first chapters of the book?

4. What took place on the Far Treasure during the attack by the Emergents? What did Jimmy find?

5. How are the parks described in Chapters Ten and Eleven?

6. How is Arachna described in the book? What periods of time are in darkness there and why?

7. Who are the Qeng Ho people, and what principle goal do they have as described in Chapter One?

8. What does Ezr discover about his injury during the attack in Chapter Ten?

9. Who is Thomas Nau and how did he come to his position in the mission?

10. What family does Sherkaner learn about from his former teacher in Chapter Four?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the objectives and actions of the Spider civilization in Chapters Eighteen and Nineteen. What is "coldsleep" and is it a biological adaptation?