From: mark millman <millman@us.ncipher.com>
Subject: Re: (whorl) Odds and Ends
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 12:18:59 

Nutria,

I'm afraid I can't agree with your iron theory.  Wasn't Quetzal 
killed by the wound from a slug gun?  Furthermore, I believe 
(though I don't have my Long Sun books here for reference) 
that we've been told how needlers work, and it's implied that 
the needles must be ferromagnetic, if not actually ferrous (which 
would be the obvious assumption), as the needle guns rely on 
a principle similar to magnetic levitation to propel their needles 
(i.e., they're hand-held railguns).  Although I assume that slugs 
are made of lead, I can't see why they couldn't be made of soft 
iron, other than the fact that it would be expensive and wasteful 
to do so compared to using lead.

Besides, to be frank, the sword Horn was given didn't strike me 
as being made of any conventional(ly human) material.

As far as your point (b), though, I'm in perfect agreement.

Nacre


At 01:04 PM 27-01-01 -0600, Nutria (James B. Jordan) wrote:

> At 03:09 PM 1/26/2001 -0600, I wrote:
>
>> 3. It's probably stupid of me to suggest 
>> this now, since it may be taken up in 
>> RTW, but I'm now betting that iron is 
>> part of the secret of the inhumi. Blood 
>> is iron-based, and the iron shackles on 
>> Jahlee seem to affect her. And it is in this 
>> context that Horn threatens her with the 
>> secret. In spite of all the ins and outs of 
>> the discussion of the Secret, in which I've 
>> added my own share of confusion, the 
>> Secret seems to be something simple and 
>> immediate, and iron might just be the 
>> answer.
>
>
>          I'd meant to add: (a) the weapon provided Horn is 
> a sword, not a sluggun or a needler. Is this because iron is 
> effective against inhumi, while the other kinds of weapons 
> aren't? And (b) Horn does not want to use this secret, or 
> give it out, because he does not want to destroy the inhumi.
>
> Nutria

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