Damn the paarfi-isms Thomas J > Subject: > In Which the Plot of "The Viscount of Adrilankha", > Much in the Manner of a Lady Who Has Dared to Sport a > Bold New Style, Is Discussed (which discussion > contains information that may spoil certain surprises > to the reader unfamiliar with the volume "Paths of the > Dead"). > > It is not our intent to bore the assumed reader (for, > in this mode of communication, by which we mean > electronic mail, or 'email', we can only hope that the > subject line which we have had the honor of appending > to this missive has intrigued as least one recipient > out of so large a distribution enough that he chooses > to peruse these words, rather than discarding them > unopened and unread) with trivialities, that is to say > matters which he pretends need no more though; we > instead hope to present a few words on a subject that > is at once of interest to both the author and the > reader. Should the reader instead feel that > discussion on the topic treated in the subject line of > this missive can hold no intricacies for the agile > mind to glory upon for several moments, he is invited > to move on to other emails which have no doubt arrived > in his inbox that, we have been assured, discourse at > length on such meaningful topics as how the laws of a > certain country may be modified so as to best suit > both a mayfly and a tortoise, and which of a certain > author's works most or least entertained the > respondents' left eye (though, to be sure, we hope the > two topics are addressed in separate messages for we > are at a loss to discern who they may relate, one to > the other). > > That having been said and now that we feel comfortable > that we have suitably directed the attention of the > reader toward the topic which he may find of most > interest at the moment, let us say a few words about > the Plot of the novel "The Viscount of Adrilankha", of > which we hold in our hands the first third, that > volume entitled "The Paths of the Dead". Thus far in > the story that Mr. Brust has done himself the honor of > translating the action has been primarily driven by > the plot of, not surprisingly, the Enchantress of Dzur > Mountain, Sethra Lavode, the goal of which pretends to > be the restoration of the Empire whose destruction was > treated in "Five Hundred Years After". We are so > informed in nearly these exact works by several > different principle players in the drama that unfurls > before us, and yet we wonder (for wondering, we have > often been told, is a sign of intelligence; we > therefore endeavor to partake of this pastime each > day) what prompted the actions of the Enchantress. > Hitherto the Interregnum seemed to be passing slowly: > if the Plagues had abated we are sure they will erupt > again; if certain warlords were rising we are sure > others were, at the same time, in the process of > falling. The gods themselves pretended to be taken > aback at the "involvement" of Sethra Lavode (could it > be they were unaware that she had, in fact, > precipitated the events which they discussed?). Was > it merely the age of the Phoenix Heir that the > Enchantress was waiting for her to attain? Yet why > then would she involve the title character of the > novel, who is Piro, the Viscount of Adrilankha, and > who we are assured us a good deal younger than the > Phoenix Heir? Perhaps there are events of which we > are unaware that prompted the Enchantress to action at > that particular moment in history. If so, is it > likely we will learn what these pivotal events > happened to be now that the moment in which they no > doubt occurred has passed in this current history? Or > is it a whim of the author to keep such information he > possesses on the subject a secret until such time as > it is most amusing to him to let is loose upon his > unsuspecting readership? > > We therefore solicit the input of those readers who > pretend to have some conjecture or other offering on > the subject we have had the honor to bring forward > though, needless to say, such contributions need not > be written in the same style which we have presented > our words, in the interests of both file size and, we > regret to admit, readability. > > Signed, > Michelle of Gateway-to-the-Bay > (Her crest, titles, and lineage block omitted, > confident in the fact that the reader has missed > nothing.) > > > ===== > Michelle > "Brevity is the soul of wit." > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. > http://mailplus.yahoo.com >