Mark A Mandel writes: There's a passage where Vlad, Morrolan, & Aliera are sitting around in Castle Black and, approximately, Morrolan says something about "that thing", referring to Loiosh, then cocks his head as if listening and says to L., "You, that's who I'm calling a thing." That one struck me more as a non-psychic communication. More distantly, does he communicate with Noish-pa's familiar Ambrus (a cat)? They don't seem to like each other; it seems unlikely. rone -- "Alan Alda's all we are." - Kurt Cobain