Philip Hart wrote: > > On Tue, 14 Jan 2003, Alexx S Kay wrote: > > > Philip Hart wrote: > > > > > >Is this explicitly spelled out anywhere? I > > > can't recall. As it happens, in FHYA the Orb certainly thinks that the > > > Dragon Heir should be Emperor - isn't that an indication that the Cycle > > > has turned? Certainly I can see this information not being widely > > > disseminated, even though a Lyorn (Aerich) is aware of it, being present > > > at Adron's abortive crowning. But a turning would seem to me to be the > > > presumption (ok, great cycle ending, Phoenix exceptionalism, ... clouds > > > the issue - but "no reason"?) But as we learn from the conclave of gods > > > in PotD, the Cycle has not turned. Did it click forward for a second > > > when the Orb chose Adron then click back? > > > > How certain is the info from FHYA (I'm AFB at work at the moment)? Might > > it be a misinterpretation by Adron, Aerich (the only surviving witness) > > or Paarfi? If the Orb really *did* think Adron should be emperor, that > > would seem to indicate that the Cycle had turned, and then "backslid". > > But there's no other indications that such retrograde motion of the Cycle > > is even possible, so I'm reluctant to believe in it. > > Ok, here's FHYA, Paarfi speaking of course (based on Aerich, Sethra, > Khaarven?) for what it's worth: > > Tazendra to Adron: "You are now the very Emperor that your spell is > attempting to win control away from..." > > Adron: "I believe I shall be remembered as the Emperor with the shortest > reign in history." > > Sethra to Adron: "... Your Highness". > > Adron and the musketeers: "Remember me, Duke." "I will not forget Your > Highness." "And you others, do not fail to tell what happened to any > who ask." "We shall not--Your Majesty." > > Split decision? There's more related info (Aliera claiming the Orb, > the Orb interrogating the Cycle) but also ambiguous. Still, seems > like there's more than the Lyorn rep's "no reason". Re: the above dialogue, Tazendra makes an incorrect assumption about the nature of the spell and the state of the cycle. First, the spell is trying to wrest the Orb away from nobody, as Tortaalik is dead. In my opinion, this is what causes the spell to dump core and crash the system. It tried to divide by zero. Or something like that. Second, Tazendra assumes that the cycle has turned -- the base assumption under which Adron is similarly operating. Had the cycle turned, Tazendra's comment would be correct, and the spell would be trying to take the Orb away from Adron. I believe that with Tortaalik's death, the Orb would have tried to find the next Phoenix emperor (either Vernoi or Loudin, I forget which was the heir) and attach itself to that person. Zerika becomes the heir eventually both by rumored default (she's the only living Phoenix) and more importantly, through her lineage, being the daughter of the heir of her House. I'm not sure that the Orb would have suffered Aliera to claim it even if the cycle had turned, but I think this is moot, as the cycle had not. My facts may be incorrect (my spelling, also), as I'm away from my books... Jose -- Jose Marquez jhereg69 at earthlink.net