1. What is an escapement in a clock? What does it do? Why is it important to a clock?

2. Compare Kerin to his older brother Jorian, who is the main character in three previous novels. In what significant ways is Kerin different from Jorian. How do these differences affect the plots of the novels? How do they affect your appreciation of the plots?

3. The Honorable Barbarian is a humorous novel with some dark aspects. What are these dark aspects (for example, the attempt to sacrifice Nogiri), and how do they affect the humor of the novel? Do the dark and light aspects of the narrative clash or do they harmonize?

4. What customs of the peoples described in The Honorable Barbarian are taken from real life? Why does de Camp use them in his fantasy novel?

5. De Camp has always cared a...