# 5HC details *The Urth list — 2 messages, 2 voices, 29 Nov 2000* > Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright > in each message remains with the person who wrote it. > Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original > archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than > retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact. --- ### Robert Borski *29 Nov 2000, 17:31* Earlier today mantis having speculated: <1) Re the artificial-seeming age/decay of the buildings on Ste. Croix. (Have we already talked about how) This is another strong pointer towards Veil's theory being true--in that abos can't construct buildings; hence the buildings were built by humans, and then the humans were quietly, slowly exterminated and replaced. (?)> I like this idea a whole lot, as I do your other notion about the abo-rooted Wolfe family being "stuck" in human form. Not many people on the list seem to believe in the validity of Veil's Hypothesis, of course; your two points are effective counterpoint. <2) Length of Annese year. Is this clutching at straws yet? JVM says VRT looks/is 16 (Terran) years old. If "A Story" is autobiographical, then as Sandwalker is 13 (Annese) years old around the time when VRT is 16 (T) years old, then the Annese year is 1.23 Terran years . . . which equals 10788.922 hours . . . divided by 402 Annese days . . . gives an Annese day of 26.838114 hours . . > This still seems too short for me. Look: Marsch talks of "too-long days and stretched nights," but if we take 26.84 as the length, at the equinox, this would only add about 85 minutes to each of the Earth standard twelve-hour halves, or about 7 minutes "extra" to each hour. I'm not sure this would be detectable, at least on a subjective basis, or where a visitor would feel compelled to make a journal entry about "too long" days and "stretched" nights. Victor looking 16, but being 13, may or may not be an example of how some abos seem to be able to control the appearance of their age (e.g., Cassilla is only 21, but "In the bright daylight [the junior officer] could see fine wrinkles near her eyes; the girl was aging.") An adolescent male might be more appealing to John Marsch for a number of reasons over a boyish version; hence the rather inhumi-like faceshift Victor may have implemented. Robert Borski --- ### Tony Ellis *30 Nov 2000, 13:45 · follows Robert Borski* > <1) Re the artificial-seeming age/decay of the buildings on Ste. Croix. > (Have we already talked about how) This is another strong pointer towards > Veil's theory being true--in that abos can't construct buildings; hence the > buildings were built by humans, and then the humans were quietly, slowly > exterminated and replaced. (?)> > > I like this idea a whole lot, as I do your other notion about the abo-rooted > Wolfe family being "stuck" in human form. Not many people on the list seem > to believe in the validity of Veil's Hypothesis, of course; your two points > are effective counterpoint. Let’s not get carried away here, chaps. :-) A lack of new buildings may be a consequence of -partial- infiltration by the Annese into the human colonies, certainly, but it’s no proof of Veil’s Hypothesis. If the abos had replaced the human population, there would be no new anything. Even the most decadent of civilisations requires regular, widespread, daily use of tools. Who printed the newspaper Number Five reads when he is released from prison? Who shoes the horses? Why is VRT’s handwriting so much worse than anybody else’s? If Maitre and his family are abos stuck in human form, how come they’re all such a dab hand with the scalpel? I would be more of a believer in Veil’s Hypothesis if Dr Veil herself wasn’t the person who comes up with the most compelling argument against it. As it is, I remain firmly in the Liev camp. ``` Tony Ellis On-line Editor, PC Format magazine 01225 442244 x2349 http://www.pcformat.co.uk ``` ---