From: "Roy C. Lackey" 
Subject: Re: (urth) Long Sun puzzles
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 15:50:00 -0500

Crush wrote:
>As for "numero two-o" that's a very clever explanation. But it's not clear
>to me what she would be hiding about Auk. He didn't give or sell her rust.
>Actually, he beat her because she tried to get money out him to buy rust.
>Anyway, Silk already knows about Auk's tenuous relationship with Chenille.
>Her relationship with him seems to have been quite casual since Auk doesn't
>really know her except as Kypris - when the goddess leaves, they have
almost
>no real "friendship" at all. What could she tell Silk that would get her
>beaten?

I found the definitive answer, and the friend _is_ Auk. It's in chapter 5 of
LAKE (111, paper), right after Auk met Silk and Chenille in the arbor at Sun
Street:

"Auk was seated next to Chenille. Silk said, 'You know each other, clearly.'
    "Chenille dimpled, and suddenly seemed no older than the nineteen years
she claimed. 'Remember day before yesterday, Patera? When I said there was
somebody? Somebody younger than Crane? And I said I thought he might help me
. . . us? With Crane?'"

>Could it be Musk? Well she's already told Silk that Musk provided her with
>the Orpine's murder weapon. She reveals that she's a spy for Crane, but
>there's someone else she still afraid of.

Musk didn't give her the dagger; Crane did. Crane just said he would ask
Musk for advice about finding a good one. Chenille didn't know that Silk
knew Auk when she mentioned that "friend" (the mention that didn't get into
the text) when they spoke together at Orchid's. She knew Auk was a criminal,
and was afraid Auk would be mad at her if she let a goody-two-shoes augur
know about him.

-Roy


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