# The Commotion at the Piteous Gate is a Mystery?!

*The Urth list — 3 messages, 3 voices, 01 Jun 1999*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/1656>

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### Mitchell A. Bailey
*01 Jun 1999, 13:53*

Being a literal-minded, rather than a literary-minded sort, I never
considered the Piteous Gate business, as partially explained in the
opening chap of "Sword", as any great mystery.

I always figured that, as Palaemon had warned, the uhlans took their
duty literally and fanatically. The road begins right there, at the gate
of the Wall, and it's CLOSED, see? If you know what's good for you,
you'll turn off it just as you leave the Gate, which is what everybody
appeared to be doing. The burning coach in Sev's dream/memory had
apparently not done so.

"Hey buddy, what part of CLOSED don't you understand?! WHOOMP!"

Let me add my gratitude and kudos to Ranjit for the new archives and
site! It loads so much faster, too! Now maybe I can finish reading all
the archives before my eyes gutter in their sockets and avoid gaffes
like rehashing something Tony had already argued before I ever found the
archives.

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### Michael Andre-Driussi
*01 Jun 1999, 09:24 · follows Mitchell A. Bailey*

Mitchell A. Bailey wrote,

> Being a literal-minded, rather than a literary-minded sort, I never
> considered the Piteous Gate business, as partially explained in the
> opening chap of "Sword", as any great mystery.
> 
> I always figured that, as Palaemon had warned, the uhlans took their
> duty literally and fanatically. The road begins right there, at the gate
> of the Wall, and it's CLOSED, see? If you know what's good for you,
> you'll turn off it just as you leave the Gate, which is what everybody
> appeared to be doing. The burning coach in Sev's dream/memory had
> apparently not done so.

I was using the incident at the gate as a categorical example (a situation
with few clues, in contrast to a locked room murder mystery with a dozen
red herrings masquerading as many clues) rather than an attempt to revive
the mystery or the controversy.  But yes, the personal reading you've
described was covered in the discussion--I think at one point I referred to
it as the "Sanguinary Turnstile" theory.  (Although "Daily Shooting of Fish
in a Barrel" might be closer to the mark. <g>)

=mantis=

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### Tony Ellis
*02 Jun 1999, 08:13 · follows Michael Andre-Driussi*

> Mantis wrote:
> I was using the incident at the gate as a categorical example (a situation
> with few clues, in contrast to a locked room murder mystery with a dozen
> red herrings masquerading as many clues) rather than an attempt to revive
> the mystery or the controversy.  But yes, the personal reading you've
> described was covered in the discussion--I think at one point I referred to
> it as the "Sanguinary Turnstile" theory.  (Although "Daily Shooting of Fish
> in a Barrel" might be closer to the mark. <g>)

And I think at a point just after that I explained why Mantis was wrong. <g>

Urth Vol. 10, a short post entitled "Meanwhile, back at the gate", for anyone who still thinks what
happened at the Piteous Gate is a mystery. (Or like shooting fish in a barrel, come to that.)

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