From: "Pat O'Leary" <poleary@cecom.com>
Subject: (whorl) RTTW questions
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 16:08:24 

Fascinating stuff, buds.

Some questions that continue to puzzle me...and some comments...

1. Why was the farmer who gave Silk/horn the seed so fearful/hostile/violent toward him?

2. Was the sacrifice of animals instead of people begun when Pas realized his renegade children were
hiding in them?
I felt this was hinted at somewhere in RTTW--very subtly.

3. Why does Maytera Marble say, "Oh Scylla!" when she gets her new eye and sight back?

4. Aren't each of the letters that open each volume lies?

OBW: An Inhumi trap. Something like "Come to Offworld where a land of golden opportunity awaits!"
IGJ:  Inclito's (Or is it Silk/horn's) misinformation about his war capabilities. To induce the Duko to
underestimate their forces, or to inspire an allegiance from one of the wavering towns?
RTTW: Silk/Horn impersonating a comatose Jahlee (in order to gain physical proximity for a dream
journey that will save her).

That's sort of how I read them. If this is the case then each letter is a formal overture of the
central narrative method: Impersonation. One person telling another's story. And the overreaching irony
is that the narrator is not who he appears to be. Is unknown even to himself.

By the way--at the risk of being obvious--Was not this the most amazing novel?

Patrick O'Leary





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