Steve Simmons wrote: > > It could just be because I woke up at 2AM with a bad case of indigestion, > but this sure feels like a new thought . . . spoilers ho. > > > > > > > > > > Verra is Vlads mother. I've made the case elsewhere that Vlad is a > God unaware; Verra being his mother would help explain the how and why > of it. It also makes him *literally* Uncle Vlad to Devera, as he's > Aliera's half-brother. What about Vlad's father and the witch he married (mentioned in Jhereg, I think)? I'm sure Verra can make herself look like an Easterner, but why would she want to? And wouldn't Noish-pa have noticed? Or would he not care? As an aside, I've always wondered about that whole Uncle Vlad deal. It's possible that you're right, and that Vlad and Devera are blood relations. I was raised in Panama, in a fairly traditional hispanic family; this means that you have lots of "Aunts" and "Uncles" that aren't really related to you by blood, but by their friendship to your parents and their frequent prescence throughout your childhood. I suppose it wouldn't be considered polite for a child to address an adult with the familiarity of a first name. It seems to me that Vlad will always be close to Morrolan and Aliera (and he is Aliera's brother by means of their souls), and thus be able to be considered an Uncle. Jose -- Jose Marquez jhereg69 at earthlink.net