Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 10:28:18 -0700
From: maa32 
Subject: (urth) projective precognition

Rostrum: 
Thanks for responding to my idea that Silk can inspire others.  Look at 
several of the other dream sequences in Long Sun: Hyacinth and Silk in a 
deadcoach, all the Scylla dreams in the Short Sun.  His cheek tracing pattern 
usually precedes the deductive leaps he makes.  Of course these leaps resemble 
precognition, but he doesn't have absolute faith in them.  I am willing to say 
that Silk's major problem is self-doubt, but not doubt in external forces like 
"God".  I have always thought the analytical power he shows (like in 
Nightside, when he knew Chenille had stabbed Orpine, or in Exodus, when he 
knows Hyacinth cheats on him) where in large part due to his precognitive 
abilities.  Silk "knows" without knowing.  After all, the enlightenment gave 
him glimpses into all times in one time.  He saw Jesus crucified, he saw the 
war, he sees accurate symbols in the guts of animals.  He is a precog who does 
not have faith in his precognitions.  The tracing of circles on his cheek 
usually precedes these jumps.  I think his precognition might have allowed his 
enlightenment to occur.  I don't know if this helps. Maybe he has some kind of 
projective precognition: without directly knowing, he can inspire that same 
knowing in others.  Odd.  I'll need to re-read Long Sun again... he doubts 
that Jahlee bit Sinew because he cannot rationalize his "prophetic soul" -> 
the same thing Hamlet does.  Do I act? Do I just sit here? To be?  Not to Be? 
(even though he knows there is "being" after "not being" because his father 
has appeared to him after death, and it agrees with what he suspects from the 
beginning) Sorry for the Shakespeare digression.
The main thing is that Silk does NOT need all the evidence to reach accurate 
conclusions (something that resembles the concept of "FAITH") and he can 
project this accurate knowing without evidence onto others.  Does that make 
sense? I think I'll adopt that stance on his powers for now...
Marc Aramini



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