From: m.driussi@genie.com
Subject: (urth) The mantis-Borski hoax
Date: Wed,  3 Jun 98 20:28:00 GMT

Robert,

Frisky, frisky Robert!  At first I thought this was like Jack and the
Beanstalk (re growing things from magic beans), with you rocketing up
into the clouds, but then when you turned around and pulled the ladder
up after you I realized that it was more like the Indian Rope Trick.

The hoax part makes me laugh!

As to the mysteries at hand, I'm sorry to be such a poor
student--your clues have the look of a bone, the sound of a bone, the
smell of a bone, but alas, I find no bone.

As it is said, "I'm as blank as a fart."

Even learning that the garrison is near Vienne (I had no idea!  I
thought it was relatively close to Port-Mimizon, but there it is in
the text about how far away it is, how tropical.  I had thought
Vienne more inland--being so close to the harbor makes for another
confusion point with Port-Mimizon.  Still, so cagey to deny giving
the name of the city at the head of the letter--that's what threw
me, the letter address to Port-Mimizon, and the sneaky blindspot for
the address on the introductory letter) does me no good, nor does
the civil engineer-as-policeman's comment about possibly becoming
"inspector of cats."

So tell!  Tell, tell, tell!  Is there a war going on between the
house of the dog and the house of the cat?!

(Re: CAVE CANEM, you've got a duplicate entry for "Fifty Mile Creek."
 Delete the one after "Fingers at My Throat.")

(Re: "Cassilla," this might be "little helmet girl" from Latin
"cassis," a metal helmet.  Like "caligula," a name denoting that the
person is a military camp plaything.)

(Re: my timeline, I agree with your Million as Number Three, I mean,
"Duh, it makes sense that the clone be born before you fire up the
unbound Promethean simulator," so please correct my Number Twos as
Number Threes, and Number Threes as Number Twos.  And Godwanaland is
"Gondwanaland," and Marsh is "Marsch.")

=mantis=

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