From: Michael Andre-Driussi <mantis@sirius.com>
Subject: Re: (urth) The Commotion at the Piteous Gate is a Mystery?!
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 09:24:51 

Mitchell A. Bailey wrote,

>Being a literal-minded, rather than a literary-minded sort, I never
>considered the Piteous Gate business, as partially explained in the
>opening chap of "Sword", as any great mystery.
>
>I always figured that, as Palaemon had warned, the uhlans took their
>duty literally and fanatically. The road begins right there, at the gate
>of the Wall, and it's CLOSED, see? If you know what's good for you,
>you'll turn off it just as you leave the Gate, which is what everybody
>appeared to be doing. The burning coach in Sev's dream/memory had
>apparently not done so.

I was using the incident at the gate as a categorical example (a situation
with few clues, in contrast to a locked room murder mystery with a dozen
red herrings masquerading as many clues) rather than an attempt to revive
the mystery or the controversy.  But yes, the personal reading you've
described was covered in the discussion--I think at one point I referred to
it as the "Sanguinary Turnstile" theory.  (Although "Daily Shooting of Fish
in a Barrel" might be closer to the mark. <g>)

=mantis=



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