From: "Oren Douek" 
Subject: Re: (urth) Greetings!
Date: Wed, 7 May 2003 00:43:22 +0200


"Michael Andre-Driussi" wrote:


> Welcome, Oren.
>
> You wrote:
> >Anyhow, I've just started reading my first Gene Wolfe novel, Shadow of
the
> >Torturer. And I have a question about something on the first page
actually
> >
> >
> >Who were the characters who said the following two phrases:
> >
> >    "And try to get through the barbican without a safe-conduct? They'd
send
> >to
> >    Master Gurloes."
> >    "But why would the guard leave?"
> >
> >I guess that when I get used to Wolfe's style I wouldn't have to ask such
> >trivial questions! But until then...
>
> The characters at this point are: Roche (Drotte's lieutenant), Drotte (the
> captain of the apprentices), Eata (the littlest one), and Severian.
>
> The sequence goes like this:
>
> 1. Roche talks to Drotte.
> 2. Eata suggests going around instead of through.
>
> Because of this, it seems natural to me that Drotte is the one speaking
the
> line "And try to get . . . ?"
>
> Since there is no identifier for the response, I assume that it is the
> other speaker previously named: Roche.  So it is
>
> 1. Roche talks to Drotte.
> 2. Eata suggests.
> 3. Drotte scoffs.
> 4. Roche questions.
>
> It is a conversation between the captain and his lieutenant, with the
> interruption of communication from an underling -- a communication
> summarized rather than given verbatim (perhaps it was mainly contained in
> the gesture).
>
> I hope this is of some help!

Yes, it helps a lot; a very logical and detailed explanation. Thanks!

I'm finishing now the new Michael Moorcock book concerning Elric et al., The
Skrayling Tree (recommended!), and will plunge back into Wolfe very soon!

>
> =mantis=
>

Cheerio, Oren


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