On Fri, 20 Aug 2004, David Silberstein wrote: > Note: A quote from /Sethra Lavode/ lurks below. It's not much of > a spoiler, but it is a spoiler nonetheless, so this is the > requisite warning. > > [snippage] > > trusted to do the thing? And how did he get away with it, even > testifying under the Orb, of all things? > > Well, I had this little exchange in mind: > > /Sethra Lavode/, Chapter 83, pg 166: > > Pel: "Your Majesty is invited to put me under the Orb." > > Zerika: "I know something of the discipline you have > studied, Duke. I am prepared to believe you > can fool the Orb as easily as you fooled me." > > > As we see, there's the strong suggestion that the Orb is not, and > never was, infallible at lie detection... Assuming we're not talking about Vladish dissembling, I don't believe this - Z was (iirc) not in the calmest state at the time, and Pel wouldn't deny an accusation of crazy skills. If we are talking about Vladish dissembling, then it seems to me that someone with any lawyering talent, some general information about the topic in question, and time could penetrate any defense, even the sort you come up with below. Allow me to speculate that someone may have whispered in Z's ear before Vlad's interrogation, "Let the Easterner slip and slide, he's going to be useful". > Something that occurs to me is that it is interesting that Vlad > cannot quite recall his boss-victim's name. > [typically brilliant speculation snipped] Incidentally, nice to see some Text-based discussion, and esp. connections between the Paarfiad and Vladiad.