At 12:22 01/26/2005, Michele Riccio wrote: > > On Wed, Jan 26, 2005 at 11:18:01AM -0500, Rachel wrote: > > > > > I noticed mostly male voices were weighing in on this (unless I > > > missed some not as obvious female handles). My opinion is that she > > > would know at a minimum of three weeks after conception . . . > > > > I know at least one woman who was preparing for a long, stressful bit > > of excercise (an ascent of Mt. Everest). As the ascent got closer, > > she needed a recent physical certifying her good health. At that point > > she was discovered to be pregnant; 4 months if I recall. This was an > > intelligent woman, in her middle 30s, with one previous child. > >Are we all assuming a completely predictible cycle? Cawti may be >somewhat eratic in this respect, so a few weeks or even months late >may not clue her in right away. > >And what about birth control? She may have been using something >before she and Vlad were married that persists in her system or >threw her cycle off when she stopped taking it - and masked her >awareness of the pregnancy. The events of Teckla and Phoenix happen pretty fast and close together, as I see it. Cawti may be in early pregnancy but hasn't yet told Vlad; and their growing estrangement in those two novels could easily persuade her not to bring up the subject; especially after the events in Phoenix make Vlad a fugutive--and he's certainly been out of touch thereafter! -- Regards, Pete pgranzeau at cox.net