The Many Lives of Kylar (SPOILERS)

[Mike Hudec]

I just finished Shadow's Edge and, throughout the book, one scene continued to bother me.

After Kylar leaves the camp, still keeping the Durzo disguise, he's shot with an arrow by Ben Wrable. At one point, as he's laying there dying, it says that he's having a hard time maintaining the Durzo disguise while talking to Ben. Then, ending the chapter, Ben stabs Kylar through the heart, "killing" him. Later, when Ariel, Vi, and Uly find Kylar, he looks like Kylar and he's naked.

So, here's my question. If it takes Kylar some effort to maintain a disguise (hence his having trouble doing so as he lays dying), wouldn't he have immediately--or at least very soon thereafter--reverted back to Kylar when he was killed? Ben should have seen that Durzo was really Kylar in disguise at least in the time it took him to strip Kylar's corpse.

[Fipe Naz-Mero, JK]

Mike:
I looked for more details concerning this topic. For the illusion part, all I can think of is that although it killed him, he didn't die instantly. Thus, giving time to get what Ben needed to prove that he had killed "Durzo". After re-reading the chapters I can't find a specific moment where it said that he lost his clothes. He did said to Ben to take whaever he wanted except his body. I'm not sure on this, but I think all he took was the ring. I couldn't find a specific place where it sayd that he was naked. Maybe I skipped a line or somethine. So, if all he took was the ring, he could've easily stabbed him, and run away leaving him to die. Knowing for sure that a stabbed to the heart was fatal. Right now I'm not able to find more on this, but if I do I will share what I find.

Anyone else has more on this?

[Mike Hudec]

It said specifically that Ben stabbed him through the heart and I'd be inclined to think that that would instantly kill him. But yeah, you're right, I misspoke. He isn't naked, but it does say he is in his undergarments. It's chapter 46, page 382 (of the US version): "The sight of her adoptive father stripped to his underclothes and lying dead by..." Removing his pants, shirt, belt, etc would take a little time. I dunno. It just struck me as an error.

[Robert Stephens]

he usually doesn't wear to much cloths for the night angel look, and the ka'kari can eat his clothes and couldn't the ka'kari still maitain the illusion while he died if it can bring him back to life and heal him while he is dead
kylar couldnt hold the illusion but the ka'kari definitly could

[Mike Hudec]

I'd thought about that as well, but if that's the case, given Kylar seems to be fairly all-powerful thanks to the ka'kari, why should he ever have to focus on it?

[Melanie]

i was actually thinking the same thing! but it also said that Ben Wrable wasn't very bright, so perhaps he would have figured it was some trick Durzo had as he was dying. *shrugs* the world may never know....

[ThreeDays_Til]

honestly i dont think that Kylar "has" to focus on the ka'kari to use it. The Ka'kari is pretty smart, i think the relationship is kylar focuses on the ka'kari just so the ka'kari knows what to do. Obviously the ka'kari would know that kylar wanted to maintain the Durzo illusion for Ben, so it did it for Kylar while he was dead.

[Chris]

Just like before the arrow hits Kylar the ka'kari told him to "duck".
Maybe it was just helping him, then dropped the disguise when Ben left.

[Joseph Mondragon]

Very true. Stupid Kylar should have listened to the ka'kari haha. Maybe now he has learned his lesson :D.