>>-----Original Message----- >>From: Mark A Mandel [mailto:mam at theworld.com] >>Sent: 21 March 2003 19:22 >>To: Claire Rojstaczer >>Cc: dragaera at dragaera.info >>Subject: Re: ... (and some stuff on Athyra) >>Well, he's not exactly lying, imho. He was working with that army, but >>not as a regular >>soldier, and ISTR that he wasn't sworn or anything like that (I'm AFB). >I don't know, standing in the lines with the regular grunts having >annoyed strangers try to put holes in you sounds pretty regular army to >me. >Mark Having just reread Athyra (again!), myself... :) [on page 82 of the omnibus version] Vlad is explaining to Savn that he left the city, about the time of the Uprising (from Phoenix); which leads to the discussion of conscription: Savn: "What's conscription?" Vlad: "When they put you in the army or the navy and send you off to fight." Savn: "Oh. I should like that, I think." "Vlad gave him another quick glance, then almost smiled, and said, "I wouldn't know, myself. I've never been in the army." I think Vlad isn't directly *lying* to Savn. I think that he considers his position in Dragon to be that of an independent saboteur, rather than a member of the soldiery in Morrolan's army. K-