This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set. Do not read
this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.
You've been warned.
I believe that Kenric is Sophie's genetic father, and I also believe that Kenric is Forkle. However, for this post I will completely ignore my assertion that Kenric is Forkle. I will focus solely on Kenric as Sophie's father and how the "Forkle Parent Lie" from Neverseen is compatible with the theory that Kenric is Sophie's father.
Fans say that Forkle doesn't lie to Sophie, so his statements in Neverseen about Sophie's parents definitively prove—in their minds—that Kenric is not Sophie's father. The overwhelming majority of fans look only at that one passage and ignore the many clues throughout the series that point directly to Kenric being Sophie's father.
Let's first cover the three types of deception.
Lying by Commission
This is what people mean when they say that someone has lied. Lying by commission is the act of making a direct false statement.
Example:
"Does the vehicle have any mechanical issues?"
Lying by commission: "No, it doesn't have any mechanical issues." The liar denies that anything is wrong with the vehicle.
Paltering
Paltering is the act of making selective truthful statements. The palterer avoids a direct lie, but they deliberately mislead by stating just part of the truth.
Example:
"Does the vehicle have any mechanical issues?"
Paltering: "The vehicle drove perfectly yesterday. It just got new brakes and an oil change." The statement is true, but the palterer avoids mentioning any problems. The other person will assume that the vehicle is fine.
Lying by omission
Lying by omission is the act of withholding crucial information that sheds light on the situation. It can overlap with paltering.
Example:
"Does the vehicle have any mechanical issues?"
Lying by omission: "I enjoy driving this vehicle." The question is avoided by not answering at all.
I agree that Forkle generally tells Sophie the truth, but he is often highly evasive. When the topic is Sophie's parents, Forkle either palters or lies by omission. Paltering better describes what he does. He tells Sophie some partial truths to obscure the actual truth. He doesn't directly lie, but he is highly deceptive.
This is the passage that I call the "Forkle Parent Lie" from Neverseen:
Mr. Forkle sighed. I can tell you're still pondering
possibilities. So I will add that your genetic parents had no
connection to each other. There was no unrequited love. They weren't
even friends. I did that purposely, because I couldn't allow them to
know who each other were. (Neverseen, page 369)
I am 99.9% certain that Sophie's genetic parents are Kenric and Oralie, and this passage appears to contradict that. The only reason I am not 100% certain is because Shannon has not confirmed it in a direct statement. She has indicated it through numerous clues scattered throughout the books. Read these posts for the clues:
The Clues about Forkle's Identity
The Significance of the Forgotten Secrets
Kenric is Sophie's father. The problem is the Forkle Parent Lie, especially if Forkle doesn't directly lie to Sophie. I previously tackled this topic in Fan Theories on Keeper of the Lost Cities. In that post, I stated that parts of this passage are outright lies. This time, I will take a different approach. Since Forkle does generally tell Sophie the truth, I will assume that every line is completely true. Does the Forkle Parent Lie negate the theory that Kenric is Sophie's father? I say that it does not.
So I will add that your genetic parents had no
connection to each other.
Most people assume that "no connection" means that Sophie's parents didn't know each other, like they had never met. I previously wrote:
This part is an
outright lie. But then, it also could be clever wording. What is meant
by the word "connection"? Kenric and Oralie certainly knew each other,
so they were connected. However, a synonym of connection is
relationship. A relationship could just be friends, which Kenric and
Oralie were. A relationship could be marriage or by blood, which they
were not. Kenric and Oralie had a connection, but then they didn't.
Scratch all that. What if the statement is not a lie at all? What else can "no connection" mean? I utilized Google search to see all the different meanings that "no connection" could possibly have. I found one that would work in this situation.
Two people with "no connection" have no means of contact with each other.
Oralie donated to Project Moonlark. She had no means to contact Sophie's genetic father. Mr. Forkle was the only elf who knew the father's identity, so Oralie had "no connection" to the genetic father. Likewise, Kenric donated to Project Moonlark. He had "no connection" to Sophie's genetic mother. Kenric had no means to contact her, since he didn't know her identity. In this context, Kenric and Oralie could be Sophie's genetic parents, not know the other parent's identity, and therefore have no connection—that is, no means to contact each other.
There was no unrequited love.
Same here. If the parents didn't know each other's identities, then they couldn't have unrequited love. They had nothing. They had no connection and no information about each other.
They weren't
even friends.
Once again, same. If the parents didn't know each other's identities, then they "weren't even friends." They had no connection and no information about each other.
I did that purposely, because I couldn't allow them to
know who each other were.
If the parents had no connection, then they didn't know who each other were.
Everything Forkle said was completely true, but it was highly misleading. This is a classic example of paltering. It's not exactly lying, but it is deceptive.
Now let's tackle the other part of the Forkle Parent Lie from Lodestar, page 43.
"Was Kenric my father? He was a Telepath. And he was always
so kind to me." Her throat closed off as she remembered his bright
smiles. The red-haired Councillor had been one of Sophie's strongest
supporters, right up until the day she'd lost him to Fintan's inferno of
Everblaze. Magnate Leto reached for Sophie's hand, tracing a finger
across the star-shaped scar he'd accidentally given her when he healed
her abilities. "Kenric wasn't involved with Project Moonlark. And
that's all I can tell you. Some secrets must remain hidden."
In this passage, Leto doesn't even answer the question. When Sophie asks if Kenric is her father, Leto replies, "Kenric wasn't involved with Project Moonlark." If Kenric truly isn't Sophie's father, then why didn't Leto just say that he isn't? He instead chooses to be evasive. That in itself is a red flag.
I believe that Leto's statement is technically true but highly misleading. Kenric could have donated to Project Moonlark but not be involved with Project Moonlark. Take a look at this passage:
Forgotten Secret #4, Unlocked, page 533: "No. I swear, Kenric. That was part of the deal." Her gaze shifted to her feet. "I'm completely separate."
Oralie donated to Project Moonlark and was told that she was "completely separate." That means she technically wasn't involved in Project Moonlark. Kenric could have been "completely separate" as well. Leto's answer isn't a lie, but he is being misleading.
Additionally, Leto is tracing Sophie's scar as he says
that Kenric wasn't involved. It's like he's talking about the scar which was caused by Forkle. Kenric didn't cause the scar.
I'd like to see more fans overcome their denial of the many clues pointing to Kenric as Sophie's father. The Keeper forum discussions are mighty frustrating. Each time someone gives a valid explanation of why Kenric is Sophie's father, multiple people respond, "But Forkle said he's not because the parents don't know each other!" Forkle manipulated Sophie by telling her vague, partial truths.
I hope I've shown how the Forkle Parent Lie does not eliminate Kenric as Sophie's father.
All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:
Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories
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