From: m.driussi@genie.com
Subject: (whorl) Betel & Quetzal
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 97 15:30:00 GMT


[Posted from WHORL, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

Reply:  Item #5599352 from WHORL@LISTS.BEST.COM@INET00#

Ranjit,

I agree with you--that Betel is a puzzler.  She was a sibyl at Sun
Street and might have been senior sibyl when Magnesia the maid of all
work posed for the painting (see Q&D "Magnesia" entry for the tangle
around the painting).  I also agree there is something of the "shame
of Rose" going on, also linked in with that painting thing, where we
are told "the artist was a relative of the senior sibyl," "the artist's mother
posed as Molpe," (the painting perhaps took place at the manteion, otherwise
why would Magnesia be around?); so how many relatives in this scene,
and why were they all at the manteion?  Unless there were just the
woman (sibyl) and her son (artist)?

Even if that doesn't pan out--Betel may have been the sibyl whose
death triggered the need to bring a chem sibyl into the manteion.

Good hunting, Ranjit!  Tell us what you find.

=mantis=