From: "Alice Turner" <al@interport.net>
Subject: (whorl) Theophanies, Silk's end
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 09:22:49 



>> Greg Neyman wrote:
>> > A New Question:  In Calde, Quetzal mentions that he's done his all he
could
>> > to ensure that theophanies stop occurring in Viron ... I never really
>> > understood why ... does it get explained elsewhere in an oblique manner
...
>> > or not at all?
>
>We do learn of one thing: Quetzal banned human sacrifice.

Greg, I don't think it's "explained," but does it need to be? Once you've
had a look at Echidna and Scylla in action, wouldn't you do your best to
keep them off-screen as well? Plus there is the destruction of the Pas
program, which may have loosed the others to do their worst. Quetzal,
despite his need for a meal beyond beef tea once is a while, generally seems
to be a benign figure.

From Rostrum:

>I predict that if we see Silk at all in the Short Sun books, it will be as
>part of a Silk/Pas amalgram residing in Mainframe.


If you want to make a bet of it, I'll take it. I haven't got much of an
argument except that, speaking editorially, too much is unresolved at the
end of Exodus. There is the new murkiness in Silk's disposition and demeanor
that someone spoke of earlier. There is the question of Hy's allegiance.
There are the taluses under construction. It is true that we might not meet
Silk again directly (I will be sorry for that) but we will have to hear the
end of his tale. I reject the Silk/Pas amalgam because it's so baldly a
variant of the demonic offer of world control, and Silk really is a
"beautiful man."

-alga


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