--- Bryan Newell <bryann at bryann.net> wrote: > > OK, I have to admit it, I'm suffering withdrawal. It's been 24 hours > > without any activity. > > I'm game. > > But don't read this email unless you've read all the Dragaeran novels, > as > there are spoilers for most of them below. > > > > > > > > > ... > 6. Is Grita Ibronka's (much) older sister? Consider the following: Thanks! That hadn't occurred to me. ... > Pay particular attention to Experience 2, which implies that Vlad is in > two > places at once, and moreover that one of those places is inside of > Spellbreaker. ... > Is that the same as "being in two places at the same time," which Sethra > explained is what makes a god a god? Is Vlad a god, or was he a god for > that single step? He appears to have had three distinct experiences > simultaneously. Maybe this is a pre-Godslayer hint at HOW Godslayer can > kill a god (by making its user a god, in at least some sense). It's certainly thematically related. I feel sure this foreshadow that Vlad will understand a lot more about being a god than he does "now", and perhaps even will have the opportunity to become one. > 9. During Teckla Reigns, the Empire is referred to as a Republic (search > for > "Republic" on the Booksearch for text--it's mentioned in a number of > places, > mostly "The Phoenix Guards" and "Five Hundred Years After")? > > On page 275 of "The Book of Taltos (Phoenix)", Verra says, "Kelly has > his > hands on the truth about the way a society works, about where the power > is, > and the cause of the injustice he sees. But it is truth for another > time > and another place [and] has no such strength in the Empire. Perhaps in > ten > thousand years, or a hundred thousand, but not now." > > Has she forgotten the Teckla Republics? Or is that what she's referring > to > by "another time and another place" "in ten thousand years, or a hundred > thousand"? The "another place" makes me think she is talking about > somewhere BESIDES Dragaera (wherever she came from, or the "small > invisible > lights" the Easterners came from), which again begs the question, what > about > Teckla Republics? Maybe what Kelly wants isn't the same as a Teckla > Republic? ... I suspect it's not. As far as I know, we have zero information on how Teckla Republics are run--for example, on what the Orb does, or whether there are elections. I'm kind of curious about it. In any case, I'll bet it's not the kind of dictatorship of the proletariat that I assume Kelly wants. "Republic" means only that it's ruled by and supposedly for the benefit of commoners as opposed to being personified by the sovereign. But it could be some sort of strongman system ruled by whoever is most successful at intrigues or coups. It could, indeed, resemble Iraq after the fall of the monarchy there. Also, the noble houssese could have a lot of influence. Would the Warlord be a Teckla? Jerry Friedman __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Get better spam protection with Yahoo! Mail. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools