So apparently Vlad and Paarfi (and possibly Kiera (Orca), Savn (Athyra), and Miklos (Brokedown Palace)) are narrating these novels to Brust via the magic box. However, Paarfi appears to be transmitting quite a few years later than Vlad, Kiera or Savn, who almost certainly in turn are transmitting quite a few years later than Miklos. As to Miklos, it's possible that he just wrote Brokedown Palace down, and then someone else found it later, or possibly it was passed on orally until someone eventually narrated it into the magic box. Further, that person might have been Kiera or Savn, both of whom might well be alive at the time Paarfi was narrating The Viscount of Adrilankha to Brust. I don't believe Paarfi could have been the person narrating Brokedown Palace to Brust, as I can't imagine him reading someone else's work verbatim. That leaves the novels Vlad has supposedly narrated to Brust. Brust is receiving all these tales at roughly the same time (within the last 40 odd years, at most). It seems doubtful to me, however, that Vlad would still be alive at the same time Paarfi is narrating Viscount. Possible explanations: 1. Vlad is a very long-lived Easterner, and is narrating his tales to Brust at the same time Paarfi is narrating Viscount to Brust, long after the actual events occurred. 2. The magic box is not constrained by time (in much the same way the Paths of the Dead are not), or possibly there are two different boxes, each of which transmits at a different speed, and Vlad's box (being older, of course) takes longer to transmit to Brust, whereas Paarfi's box is like Ender's ansible (since he appears to have a real-time conversation with Brust in one of the prologues). It just so happens that Brust is getting both transmissions at roughly the same time. 3. Vlad's box is a recorder, not a transmitter, and years later, someone else (Kiera, Savn, or (doubtful) Paarfi?) transmits his recordings to Brust (possibly using Paarfi's box, which seems to be a genuine two-way communication device). I rather like the idea of Savn being Vlad's biographer. 4. It's a good old fashioned Crack. 5. I really need to work on my suspension of disbelief. Thoughts? Bryan