MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!!! IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK I SUGGEST YOU DO NOT READ THIS PART OF THE DISCUSSION!

YE BE WARNED!



This is a two part question. The first part I have marked as a spoiler...







Some of you have already answered the first part of this next question about the Contessa in the question about the women of Glass Books. You can either discuss the Contessa further and/or just discuss her in regards to the second part of the question.

Feel free to discuss the ending of the book as well!



What do you think of the Contessa Sforza…what do you think happened to her?

Yes, especially after the trio found out that certain paintings happened after Veilandt's death. But I had my suspicions that the Comte was the missing artist from very early on. His grasp of Veilandt's alchemy was just too through for it to be second hand knowledge. And for the Cabal to trust him with something as dangerous as the Process, you just figured he was more intimately connected to the mad genius behind it. But after his discussion with Miss Temple, I was convinced that he was Veilandt.

I despised the Contessa but I had to respect her cunning. She pretty much played all of the other members of the Cabal. And she was definitely not one to be taken lightly. I think Chang got it right when said "she was the most dangerous of them all." But I also feel the Contessa is a very wretched character. One can only imagine what her life must have been like before the Cabal and her adventures with the Comte. The type of rage she displays takes years to amass. As for what happened to her, I think she survived the crash. She's probably somewhere, the sequel maybe, plotting her next betrayal.

I also suspected that Comte was the artist Veilandt after Miss Temple and Comte spoke and he was so knowlegable of the painting. Comte was also extremely valuable to the Cabal. He had a definate advantage with his knowlege of alchemy.

The Contessa, I felt, was the most evil and wicked of them all. She was strong and domineering over the men of the Cabal and the women going through the process. No one seemed challenge her and survive. She had no compassion for anyone but herself. She definately planned to come out of this on top and in command. I believe she survived the crash and will be a strong force to deal with if and when there is a sequel. She again can be an adversary for Miss Temple, Chang and Svenson.

I agree about the Contessa. She was the worst of a bad lot. She intended to back stab everyone to gain power for herself and would stop at nothing to achieve her goal. To carry on the blue metaphors, she had ice water running in her veins. I agree she is off in her hidey hole somewhere waiting to resurface in a future volume to bedevil our heroes again!

I had no clue as to the Comte's true identity. I assumed he had somehow obtained the information from Veilandt then either murdered or imprisoned the artist. That would make the Comte the only one who knew how to make the process work and he would thereby be the most powerful member of the cabal. Put me in the surprised column!

Like trygirl, I suspected that Vielandt was still around when the dates on the painting were after his death. I didn't know whom he was until the Comte asked Miss Temple how she felt about art. I felt Dahlquist was telling the readers who he was then and I was surprised Miss Temple didn't pick up on it, as she was so quick to solve other aspects of the cabal. When Francis Xonck called him Oscar it was to dispel the suspense of anyone that didn't catch the first hint.
As for the Contessa, I felt that the Comtes' familiarity with other women, prostitutes, and some of the erotic aspects saved in the glass must have been behind much of the Countess's hatred and need for power of her own, separate from his. I didn't really think she survived until it became clear that that others landed so close to land and then it occurred to me she might have jumped close to land too. That she is a worthy villain for the next book is true. I was hoping that Francis Xonck survived because he seemed the only virile and worthy opponent to challenge Chang. (Besides the Contessa)

I suspected the Comte was the artist sometime during the story but not as early as the lunch with Miss Temple. I wasn't surprised when he was revealed.

As to the Contessa, I think everyone here has expressed my views already. Vile woman, no heart, hard to find any redeeming characteristics. Excellent villian!

Me too. I thought they had to be the same person.



Most excellent villain. She was nothing but trouble from the start and she wasn't loyal to anyone! I think her character was too evil not to have survived. Especially if there's another book. Scary.