From: "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes" <ddanehy@siebel.com>
Subject: RE: (whorl) First time poster & thoughts on Scylla
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 09:22:33 

Welcome Peacefrog.

> Then on page 60 of the hardcover edition of OBW, in the middle of the
first
> paragraph, it describes Horn's prayer to "whatever god might hear" (but
> mostly to the Outsider) that he be given wind for his becalmed sloop. One
of
> the things he promises to the god who grants his wish is that he (Horn)
will
> "do anything in my power to bring them both here if they were not hear
> already." The duo he is referring to are Pas and Scylla.

Thank you. Very well observed; I certainly hadn't noticed the relevance of
this apparently throwaway comment. 

> The Outsider grants the supplications of the somewhat-faithful, but in
> unexpected ways. Kind of like, "Be careful what you wish for. It might
> come true."

I think it may be time for another pass through the Books of the [Foo] Sun, 
or at least Short, with the specific goal of observing _everything_ that 
_anyone_ prays for (at least to the Increate a/k/a the Outsider) ... I 
should not be at all surprised to discover that people invariably get what 
they pray for (though generally in an unexpected and perhaps difficult-to-
recognize form). As a side topic, I should also not be surprised to learn 
that Horn keeps _every_ promise he makes to anyone along the way. (Again, 
generally in an unexpected etc.) 

This also adds fuel to my challenge to those too ready to dismiss SHORT as
inferior Wolfe. These are challenging and subtle books, and I believe it 
will be several years before anyone can make any really useful assessment
of what they are and do (beyond the obvious "it doesn't yield itself very
well to a first reading"). I think they may prove to be the best work Mr.
Wolfe has done to date.


> "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle."

A friend of mine in Berkeley had a bumper sticker with a lovely picture 
of a fish riding a bicycle. (Far less cartoony than you'd think.) (It 
may or may not be relevant to know that she was gay.)

--Dan'l


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