From: Alex David Groce <Alex_Groce@gs246.sp.cs.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: (urth) Ziggurat confusion
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 17:57:16 

Ah, we're all using a very loose interpretation of "kill" (at least I
am, and assume Swanwick, mantis are doing the same) here.  Emory's LOVE
for the coyote, trying to tame it, slowly luring it closer to his house,
overrides it's fundamental aversion to man-smell.  It comes to trust people.
Thus, it dies.  Emory is an indirect agent, but feels responsible (read
closely the part where he finds the body).  I think a similar accusation can
be made for his son's death--he causes his son to return to a danger that
kills him, but it's not a murder.

As far as I'm aware, John Kessel (in private conversation, I don't think
he's written about this anywhere, although maybe I'm wrong) is the only person
I know who suspects that Emory is delusional and sets up the massacre that
you (and I) find incompatible with the rest of the implications.  As I
understand it, Swanwick & mantis are going with an SF approach, but take a
negative view of Emory's actions that I don't.


"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
--
Alex David Groce (agroce+@cs.cmu.edu)
Ph.D. Student, Carnegie Mellon University - Computer Science Department
8112 Wean Hall (412)-268-3066
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~agroce

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