On Mon, 19 Jan 2004, Matthew Klahn wrote: >So, while Kelly felt justified because he thought he was going to >improve the lives of everyone else, he wasn't "thinking it through": >it appears that you can't go against the Cycle, and he should have >realized that. Perhaps he had in mind that the Cycle could be subordinated to a People's Republic. Consider the weakened monarchy that exists now in England, while it is the Prime Minister and Parliament who mostly control things. And yet not too long ago, England was as strong a bastion for the Divine Right of Kings as any place ever was. So perhaps he has in mind that the Houses and the Emperor will still exist after the Revolution, but in a much less powerful and absolute role, changing with the Cycle if need be, but never abrogating the rights of the people. There will probably be a place for the House of Nobles (equivalent to the House of Lords, containing representatives of all of the other Houses), but the greater role would be given to the House of Commons (Teckla and Easterners). >And, if I'm not mistaken, he may have spoken to Verra about the whole >thing, and that would make it even MORE foolish to believe that he >could go against the Cycle. But, maybe there is no evidence that >those two met, but it seemed to be implied in Phoenix, at least to >me. I think I remember the same thing you do. When Verra talks to Vlad about Kelly's movement - including the stuff about him finding ancient texts from another world and time - I think she says that she tried talking to Kelly directly, and he wouldn't listen. Although I am not sure what that means - did she manifest to him? Send him a dream of warning? I don't recall that she said specifically. I don't agree that it is necessarily foolish to go against the Gods - after all, given all we've seen of them, they are certainly neither omniscient nor omnibenevolent nor unbiased. Perhaps Kelly knew of Miklos' and Bolcsesseg's successful actions against Verra, and had in mind that revolting against the Gods was not entirely out of question.