Subject: (urth) Gilling's killer (was Re: The Wizard - questions -- answers (spoiler))

From: David DiGiacomo <david at slack.com>
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 22:45:29 +0000

>
>What would be Sir Garvaon's motive for killing Gilling? (Rhyme 
>unintentional) And why would Wolfe conceal this for so long?

Jealousy.  Garvaon loved Idnn, and was obviously a more worthy suitor than
either the monstrous Gilling or the cowardly Svon.

It wasn't concealed for very long, as Wolfe's puzzles go.

>For this and other reasons, I am fairly certain that Iddn is the murderer. 

When Able says that the killer cannot be punished, Garvaon is dead, but
Idnn is still alive.

>She agreed to marry Gilling to achieve power, which she maintains with her 
>army of giantesses, but killed him because sexual congress would mean her 
>death either in coitus or in giving birth to a giant, as Wolfe makes 
>gruesomely explicit.

I wondered about that, since I don't remember another mention of the
mothers of the Mice having difficult births.

Of course, I don't understand why the human women wouldn't take simple
precautions to avoid pregnancy.  Based on Wolfe's peculiarly graphic
descriptions, the giants wouldn't notice or care.

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From: Andy Robertson <andywrobertson at clara.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:07:49 +0000

Any thoughts on why the blood of the Angrborn is full of parasites?   Aside 
from just making them seeem extra vile?

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From: Andrew Bollen <abollen at internode.on.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:13:18 +0000

Andy Robertson wrote:

> Any thoughts on why the blood of the Angrborn is full of parasites? 
> Aside from just making them seeem extra vile?

No, but maybe it's just an image Wolfe liked & recycled. The giant in ummm 
that story about dwarves killing a giant in the errrr recent collection 
(retarded with names, sorry) had macro-things living in his blood also.