Dragaera

Phoenix Guards - Lavode or Warlord?

David Silberstein davids at kithrup.com
Tue Oct 1 00:18:11 PDT 2002

Some more stuff I caught upon re-reading the books:

On Wed, 11 Sep 2002 Gaertk at aol.com wrote:

>In a message dated Wed, 11 Sep 2002 4:15:36 AM Eastern 
>Standard Time, David Silberstein <davids at kithrup.com> writes:
>
>> On Mon, 9 Sep 2002 Gaertk at aol.com wrote:
>>
>>> In a message dated Mon, 9 Sep 2002 7:18:22 PM Eastern
>>> Standard Time, David Silberstein <davids at kithrup.com> 
>>> writes:
>>>
>>>> This is a question which I always want to ask Steve every
>>>> time I read the ending of "Phoenix Guards", and I keep
>>>> forgetting.  Well, this time I'll not forget!

[In Phoenix Guards, it is Gyorg Lavode who meets with
Seodra in the beginning of the book (and who precipitates
Our Heros leaving for Eastmanswatch); yet at the end of the
book, only Lytra e'Tenith is accused of having been in
the meeting with Seodra - Gyorg is not even mentioned!]

[snippage]

>>>> Did Paarfi err?
>>>
>>> My motto: when in doubt, blame Paarfi.
>>
>> Several hypotheses:
>>
>> 1) Paarfi is in fact reflecting a discrepancy in the 
>> historical record:  Khaavren's (or somebody's) earlier 
>> reports or letters refer to Gyorg Lavode, and the records 
>> of the later testimony mention only Lytra e'Tenith.  Paarfi 
>> left this in deliberately, figuring that if *he* was 
>> confused, so should everyone else be.
>
>Heh.  He does make a comment about not revising the parts 
>he's already written when faced with new information.
>
>> 2) Khaavren was the victim of an illusion or shape-shift 
>> (or memory edit spell), perhaps created by Seodra, and he 
>> later found out the truth.  Or perhaps the Orb itself 
>> *compelled* him to state the truth? (Interesting thought, 
>> that).
>
>Hmmm... interesting, but kinda weak.

Definitely weak.  I re-read some of the Vlad books, and it turns out
Vlad has in fact testified under the Orb for the murder of a Jhereg
Duke!  The thing is, he twisted his testimony (so much so that I find
it hard to believe the Imperial interrogators let him get away with
it) so that he was not convicted.  You can say pretty much anything
you want under the Orb as long as it has *some* truth value... 

Ditto with the notion of a memory-edit spell or illusion.  Doesn't
feel right. 

>> 3) Politics:  Both Gyorg & Lytra were tied to Seodra, but 
>> Gyorg was, for whatever reason, untouchable, and was left 
>> alone after the plot was uncovered.  The discrepancy was 
>> Paarfi's way of pointing this out.
>
>Ooooo... I like this one.  A bit more subtle than normal for
>Paarfi, but not beyond reason.

OK, this is interesting: on re-reading the end of PG I came across the
reference to the White Goblet Affair.  It seems Lytra e'Tenith was in
the White Goblet affair, and in fact lost her position and her head
>from her involvement.  And at the beginning of FHYA, it says that
Gyorg Lavode was the one who in fact uncovered the plot (apparently
poison in the White Goblets was undetectable to the Orb, but Gyorg
spotted it anyway).

Do you see what this subtly implies?  I'm speechless with how damn
*twistified* SKZB was being if this was deliberate:  The scenario is
that Gyorg & Lytra *were* both involved with Seodra - but Gyorg
redeeming himself 90 years later allowed the stain to be removed from
his record (as it were), while Lytra's guilt in the same affair meant
that she was the only one condemned in the records of the earlier plot
(or even more twisty: Gyorg *was* the only one guilty of plotting with
Seodra - but the White Goblet Affair caused his earlier guilt to be
shifted to Lytra retroactively)(or even twistiest: Gyorg cooked up the
White Goblet Affair himself precisely for to make himself look good
after the Seodra debacle!).  Or so it seems right now, I may read
something later on that contradicts this notion... 

Damn, but that man is twistier than a bunch of knotted, twisted 
Moebius knots.

Now I'm curious - does anyone who has read "Les Trois Mousquetaires" 
et "Vingt Ans après" know if there is anything similar in those tales?