From: Jim Jordan <jbjordan@gnt.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) One-Two-Three for Me
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 17:07:53 

At 12:29 AM 1/9/00 -0800, you wrote:
>(Spoilers)

>
>Jak's own culture is an experiment in averting this
>syndrome: its members live rough outdoor lives, and
>are supervised in certain crucial respects by AIs or
>"bots". Thus their curious mingling of the primitive
>(playing with sticks by the campfire) and the advanced
>(interstellar travel). 

	Odd "sticks." When struck they sound like telephone bleeps.
Dunno if I've ever encountered sticks like these.

My suspicion, given the gloomy
>tenor of STRANGE TRAVELERS as a whole, is that this
>formula, which seems Godless, is also doomed to
>failure.

	Like CordwainerSmith's "instrumentality of mankind," perhaps.
>
>Key questions: 
>What is the significance of the numerical sequence
>1-2-3? (Possible answer: it's the simplest possible
>phone number, underscoring the past culture's
>preoccupation with easy death.)

	Sounds good. Also, the phone number of the Ruler in "Westwind"
predominates in 7s. 123 = 6. Biblically, 6 (and 666, of course) are
inadequate and flawed numbers, speaking of the death-judgment against Adam,
who was created on the sixth day. But your suggestion sounds better; though
both might be in view.

Nutria


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