On Tue, 23 Mar 2004, Jerry Friedman wrote: > --- Philip Hart <philiph at slac.stanford.edu> wrote: > Sorry, what I wrote was unclear. I meant that at the end of _Jhereg_, > one of the good guys should be able to find Vlad and help him fight > Mellar, since Vlad would presumably be cooperating with the search. Aliera was indisposed, Vlad couldn't be distracted, and witchcraft isn't a quick science... > > > One of these days I'm going to post what Vlad *really* should have > > > done in _Jhereg_. But it might be reasonable that he missed it, > > > considering the pressure of events. > > > > Why wait? The list is going to be swamped with _TEoDM_ talk soon... > > _SL_, as I was recently told. Anyway, one of these days... I'm going to continue to refer to the Text in question by _TEoDM_. Either way I'd like to see your solution - I've long wondered myself if the Mellarian knot had a simpler solution. > M. and A. aren't supposed to be all that intelligent, outside of > fighting and sorcery. Is this accurate? A at least should be hyperintelligent based on her lineage. Vlad might be a bit smarter, and a rather more flexible thinker due to his training, but I don't buy Paarfi's M-is-dim (or perhaps obsessively tunnel-visioned to the point of dimness) schtick. > > > > Sethra, yes, but have Morrolan and Aliera been thwarting them at all? > > > > Sethra says GW-wielders are important, I believe S. > > Right. But I didn't get the impression that that made M. and A. > formidable enough not to be cute--and in fact they and their > weapons damage the Jenoine less than a kitten can damage a person. This is imo a failing of the plot, not M/A. The J are practically invulnerable, so they can't be shown being mowed down. Though perhaps with the amorphia-link severed, they will appear more vulnerable in future. > > > > I think Vlad is altered in _I_, as opposed to growing. Ok, he has > > > > learned some things - things he might have been expected to know > > > > before the novel. > > > > > > I think having a little more consideration for others counts as > > > growing. > > > > But does he have that? Before the Issola injection? > > In some ways, especially in _Phoenix_, _Athyra_, and _Orca_. Also > _Taltos_, come to think of it. But he doesn't seem to connect it > with manners (despite his ability to piss off Morrolan when > necessary), or with planned public spirit. I meant, becoming more considerate in the course of _I_ under Teldra's instruction. He's still stepping on M/A's toes and lauding his skills as a jongleur before the battle, still acting like a child in front of Verra...