From: David_Lebling@avid.com
Subject: (whorl) Digest whorl.v001.n029
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 97 16:31:40 


[Posted from Whorl, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

> From: CoxRathvon@aol.com
>    The mystery continues, even for Silk.  Quetzal tells him (p. 327)
"We
> thought you were dead."

And he and Incus give Silk the Pardon of Pas.

>  And he adds that Auk and Chenille "promised to
> return for your body."  But later (p. 350), when Silk meets Chenille
at
> Blood's villa, Chenille says, "We knew you were alive.  His Cognizance
said
> there was a pulse."
> This makes Silk ponder (while the others are discussing Quetzal), and
I quote
> from p. 350:

During Silk's near-death experience alluded to earlier in your message,
he sees Quetzal and Incus giving him the Pardon of Pas, which
corroborates part of Quetzal's story.

Stiff neck or no, is there any evidence that Silk was bitten by Quetzal?
Recall that in the previous week Silk has been bitten by a vulture, had
his leg broken, been tortured by electric shocks, and been shot with a
needler.  In spite of all this he manages walk and run hither and yon in
and under Viron, fight a duel, conduct sacrifices, make love to Hyacinth
(I think), etc. etc.  This guy is _tough_.  What's a little fall and
burial alive to a guy like him?  He was losing blood the day before
(needler wound), but there's no description of bleeding in this passage.

Which is not to say I don't find your theory possible, even probable.
But we don't know anything about Quetzal having a healing or even
transfusing ability.  There is an interesting passage on p. 283 of the
paperback edition:

        Oosik smiled. "You are better already, I think. I was greatly   
   concerned for you when I saw you." He looked at the surgeon. "What   
 do you think, Doctor? Should our calde have more blood?"
        Quetzal stiffened, and the surgeon shook his head.

Hmmm.

On another Quetzal-related issue, I've maligned him several times in
this newsletter by stating that he was the "large snake" that bit
Villus.  In fact it was one of the snakes summoned by Echidna during her
theophany and possession of Maytera Rose that bit Villus.  My apologies.

     Dave Lebling
     (david_lebling@avid.com)

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