Dragaera

The Brandy Question

David Silberstein davids at kithrup.com
Thu Nov 14 21:35:04 PST 2002

On Thu, 14 Nov 2002, Michelle Goepp wrote:

>
>I beg to differ.  I've finally tracked down the quote
>(see, I *knew* I wasn't going crazy!) to page 197 of
>my ACE paperback copy of Yendi, where Vlad comments:
>"I helped myself to a large glass of brandy, which I
>despise, but it's stronger than wine..."  I would say
>that's a pretty strong indication that he doesn't like
>the stuff.

Well, we here at the SKZBRBHAM [1] Department of the AES SAEDI [2]
would be simply delighted to tackle this one for you:

1) He was referring to the behavior of drinking brandy without
   rinsing one's mouth out first.

2) He despises *Dragaeran* brandy, not Fenarian brandy.  Or maybe
   he despises just the particular type of brandy that he had at
   that moment (sort of how I despise "beer" - *if* it's one of
   the mass-produced pisswater brands.  But I delight in Real
   Beer that is properly brewed [4]).

3) Ever since he took a sorcerous hit that nearly killed him
   during his stint in the army that he wasn't in, nothing
   tastes quite the same as it did before.

4) Incidentally, right after that line, he mentions a drink
   called "Piarran Mist" (which I've also noted elsewhere, mostly
   in the earlier books).  That's an in-joke reference to the
   RPG that predated Dragaera (Piarra).  So now you know.



[1] Steve Karl Zoltan Brust Retcon, Back-filling, and Handwaving

[2] Adrilankha Eleemosynary Society, Silly-Ass Explanations DIvision [3]

[3] What?

[4] Recently discovered "Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout".
    Recommended!