From: "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes" 
Subject: RE: (urth) thanks blattid, but...
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 14:22:54 -0800

Marcus Araminius did write:

> Well Blattid, I would love to assimilate the Cummean into the status
> of an inhumu, but (alas) I think Wolfe said she was an "alien".  

I'm pretty sure the inhumi qualify as "alien," whether Green is
Lune or not. (And really, it isn't _that_ hard to remember: he is 
an inhumu, she is an inhuma, they are inhumi.) 

Not that I necessarily think she's an inhuma, either. Just an
idle speculation.

> I'm not sure exactly what that means, but he did say for sure that
> Merryn was NOT an inhumu even though she had difficulty with animals

Not sure of the relevance of this -- there's no particular reason
to think that Merryn is the same kind of creature as the Cumaean;
I had assumed, perhaps foolishly, that she was human.

> Probably not.  Juganu does indicate that there are inhumu on Urth
> with the statement "We are everywhere!" in Return to the Whorl,
> and I would like to say that the Cummean is one, but I think there
> might not be enough evidence for that.

Nope, only that she's some kind of reptilian alien who can simulate
being a human. Doubtless there are thousands of such species in the
galaxy; changeling aliens seem to be as common in the Lupiverse as
nigh-omnipotent beings are in the Star Trek cosmos.

> Hey, "unfortunately"?!  Are you saying I'm like the "bad guy" on the list?


No, only that I really really really don't like the idea of Blue 
being Ushas. In fact, as weird as some of your theories seem to 
me, they're generally interested and well-argued, if not sufficiently
supported -- basically, I think you need to distinguish better a 
plausible theory and a probable one: with the exception of the Ushas/Blue
hypothesis, not one of your theories seems particularly _implausible_,
but most of them are not sufficiently supported by textual citations
to seem _probable_ to me, at this time (though, as noted, I have 
enough respect for them that I will be watching for such in my next
readthrough -- and am watching for possible clues that GW might have
picked up on & retconned in my current readthrough of tBotNS).

In addition, I did not say "unfortunately." I said,

> I almost hope I'm wrong, as it would make Marc's 
> theories one step closer to probability.

I meant, of course, the "Blue=Ushas" hypothesis.

> If my theories prove true is it like the Dark Side of the Force
> triumphing or something?!  Oh well.  "It's better to be feared
> than loved", I suppose.

Grin. You're the third person I've seen quote Machievelli in as
many days. I wonder what's in the air?

--Dan'l


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