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The Shah of Bratpuhr
Khashdrahr Miasma is the Shah of Bratpuhr’s translator and nephew. Although he speaks perfect English, he has never ventured beyond the confines of the Shah’s palace—until now. A polite young man who deeply reveres the Shah, Khashdrahr accompanies his leader on a visit to the United States, where he acts as an interpreter between the Shah and everyone he meets. When angry Ghost Shirt revolutionaries block the limousine escorting the Shah, Khashdrahr, and Halyard, Khashdrahr viciously defends the Shah with a knife. This, however, doesn’t save them from the enraged mob; the Shah and Khashdrahr end up getting dragged into the uprising, since they are mistaken for Ghost Shirts themselves. They later find themselves lying in a trench near a blockade built to keep the police out of Ilium during the overthrow.
Khashdrahr Miasma Quotes in Player Piano
The Player Piano quotes below are all either spoken by Khashdrahr Miasma or refer to Khashdrahr Miasma. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
“[…] we’ve raised the standard of living of the average man immensely.”
Khashdrahr stopped translating and frowned perplexedly. “Please, this average man, there is no equivalent in our language, I’m afraid.”
“You know,” said Halyard, “the ordinary man, like, well, anybody—those men working back on the bridge, the man in that old car we passed. The little man, not brilliant but a good-hearted, plain, ordinary, everyday kind of person.”
Khashdrahr translated.
“Aha,” said the Shah, nodding, “Takaru.”
“What did he say?”
“Takaru,” said Khashdrahr. “Slave.”
“No Takaru,” said Halyard, speaking directly to the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.”
“Ahhhhh,” said the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.” He grinned happily. “Takaru—citizen. Citizen—Takaru.”
“No Takaru!” said Halyard.
Khashdrahr shrugged. “In the Shah’s land are only the Elite and the Takaru.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Khashdrahr Miasma Quotes in Player Piano
The Player Piano quotes below are all either spoken by Khashdrahr Miasma or refer to Khashdrahr Miasma. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
“[…] we’ve raised the standard of living of the average man immensely.”
Khashdrahr stopped translating and frowned perplexedly. “Please, this average man, there is no equivalent in our language, I’m afraid.”
“You know,” said Halyard, “the ordinary man, like, well, anybody—those men working back on the bridge, the man in that old car we passed. The little man, not brilliant but a good-hearted, plain, ordinary, everyday kind of person.”
Khashdrahr translated.
“Aha,” said the Shah, nodding, “Takaru.”
“What did he say?”
“Takaru,” said Khashdrahr. “Slave.”
“No Takaru,” said Halyard, speaking directly to the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.”
“Ahhhhh,” said the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.” He grinned happily. “Takaru—citizen. Citizen—Takaru.”
“No Takaru!” said Halyard.
Khashdrahr shrugged. “In the Shah’s land are only the Elite and the Takaru.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
