{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/4782",
    "note": "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.",
    "addresses": "obscured as 'user at host'"
  },
  "archive": "urth",
  "thread": {
    "id": 4782,
    "subject": "TWK Able's ambulance",
    "messages": 3,
    "voices": 3,
    "first": "2006-12-31T16:01:38+00:00",
    "last": "2007-01-02T18:29:38+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<32890.82.192.225.139.1167580898.squirrel@terror.snm-hgkz.ch>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Ramon Cahenzli",
        "address": "ramon.cahenzli at gmail.com"
      },
      "date": "2006-12-31T16:01:38+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) TWK Able's ambulance",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Hello\n\nI've only discovered this list today, and I have to confess not having\nread any Wolfe except for TWK so far. But I did buy all novels in the\nBotNS line, so I'll promise to catch up.\n\nTWK left me with a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach and with a lot of\nquestions, most of which I don't really need to find an answer for, others\nthat I already found explanations for in the list archives. Sometimes it's\nnice to leave some things in the mist, though, I think it can add to the\nmagic of a book.\n\nBut there is one question that is gnawing on my sanity right now. What's\nwith the ambulance in The Wizard? This scene came around the climax of the\nstory, when I least expected to be confronted with references to Able's\nAmerican identity:\n\n\"Beyond the black pavilion was a highway. Cars, trucks, SUVs, and minvans --\nall sorts of vehicles -- were traveling on it, going so fast that it seemed\ncertain they would crash. There was a school bus, a red hook-and-ladder, a\nblack-and-white police car, and a white ambulance. Those stand out even now.\nThe ambulance rocked from side to side as it tore along with its light bar\nblazing and its siren screaming. I climbed down and went to the highway. The\ndrivers would not stop for me, and I shouted at their cars, thinking how far\nthe ambulance was getting ahead of me. Able -- the real Able -- was in that\nambulance.  I knew that, and I wanted to help him.\" (W, 459)\n\n\nJames Wynn (I think, please correct me) said earlier on the list:"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "The ambulance? That's Arthur Ormsby being taken to the hospital\nof course! They found him in a coma possibly near death from\nhypothermia in that valley where the Moss Aelf took him.\nPresumably, when he reaches the Most High God, he will awake."
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "I quite like this interpretation. Another list member (I lost the actual\nposting) spoke about how America-Art's identity might have switched into\nMythgarthr-Able's body and the other way round. So at the time the\nambulance scene is described, the body in the ambulance contains\nMythgarthr-Able's unconscious mind in America-Art's body (I would guess?)\n\nPerhaps Sir Able's story starts with the unconsciousness of Art in America\nand all is just a coma dream, with Michael's fetching Able from Aelfrice\nat the end of The Wizard being the moment right before the doctors finally\nmanage to reanimate Art's body?\n\nI realize I might be going into a naive and dangerously Hollywoodesque\ndirection full of kitsch with those thoughts, but I'm confused enough to\npermit that ;)\n\nIs there any definite explanation for the ambulance so far?\n\nThank you (and a happy new year just in case) :)\n\nRamon"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "message_id": "<4597F34B.80901@mindspring.com>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Henry Eissler",
        "address": "henryeissleriii at mindspring.com"
      },
      "date": "2006-12-31T17:28:43+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) TWK Able's ambulance",
      "in_reply_to": "<32890.82.192.225.139.1167580898.squirrel@terror.snm-hgkz.ch>",
      "reply_link": "header",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Greetings:\n\n    I'm also new here, and haven't contributed before.  I hope \n\"top-posting\" isn't taboo.\n    About the previous interpretration you quoted:  I just don't get \nwhere that would come from.  It seemed to me that the real Able (in \nAmerica) had been in the school bus, there'd been an accident, and he \nwas being rushed to the hospital (but wasn't going to make it.)  I can't \nremember why I was under the impression that that Able was one of the \nlives cut short in Parka's string- perhaps that dream sequence was mixed \ninto the string nightmares- but that was my take.  In fact, now I think \nthat the ambulance incident may not have actually been happening \n\"concurrently\" in this world, but that Able was growing so comfortable \nwith the string nightmares at that point that he was finally able \n(pardon) to pick that one out.\n    Also, I'm not certain that their bodies were switched by the Moss \nAelf.  It seemed to me that they could have been doubles.  The same boy \nin two different worlds.  It wouldn't explain why he couldn't see \nBerthold as his brother until the end, but that could have been an \nillusion (one among many.)\n    My question is:  why did Disiri pick Art over Able?  Willingness?\n    Anyway, that's my response.  Welcome to the world of Wolfe.\n    ---H\n   "
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "Ramon Cahenzli wrote:\nHello\n\nI've only discovered this list today, and I have to confess not having\nread any Wolfe except for TWK so far. But I did buy all novels in the\nBotNS line, so I'll promise to catch up.\n\nTWK left me with a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach and with a lot of\nquestions, most of which I don't really need to find an answer for, others\nthat I already found explanations for in the list archives. Sometimes it's\nnice to leave some things in the mist, though, I think it can add to the\nmagic of a book.\n\nBut there is one question that is gnawing on my sanity right now. What's\nwith the ambulance in The Wizard? This scene came around the climax of the\nstory, when I least expected to be confronted with references to Able's\nAmerican identity:\n\n\"Beyond the black pavilion was a highway. Cars, trucks, SUVs, and minvans --\nall sorts of vehicles -- were traveling on it, going so fast that it seemed\ncertain they would crash. There was a school bus, a red hook-and-ladder, a\nblack-and-white police car, and a white ambulance. Those stand out even now.\nThe ambulance rocked from side to side as it tore along with its light bar\nblazing and its siren screaming. I climbed down and went to the highway. The\ndrivers would not stop for me, and I shouted at their cars, thinking how far\nthe ambulance was getting ahead of me. Able -- the real Able -- was in that\nambulance.  I knew that, and I wanted to help him.\" (W, 459)\n\n\nJames Wynn (I think, please correct me) said earlier on the list:\n\n  "
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 2,
          "text": "The ambulance? That's Arthur Ormsby being taken to the hospital\nof course! They found him in a coma possibly near death from\nhypothermia in that valley where the Moss Aelf took him.\nPresumably, when he reaches the Most High God, he will awake.\n    "
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "I quite like this interpretation. Another list member (I lost the actual\nposting) spoke about how America-Art's identity might have switched into\nMythgarthr-Able's body and the other way round. So at the time the\nambulance scene is described, the body in the ambulance contains\nMythgarthr-Able's unconscious mind in America-Art's body (I would guess?)\n\nPerhaps Sir Able's story starts with the unconsciousness of Art in America\nand all is just a coma dream, with Michael's fetching Able from Aelfrice\nat the end of The Wizard being the moment right before the doctors finally\nmanage to reanimate Art's body?\n\nI realize I might be going into a naive and dangerously Hollywoodesque\ndirection full of kitsch with those thoughts, but I'm confused enough to\npermit that ;)\n\nIs there any definite explanation for the ambulance so far?\n\nThank you (and a happy new year just in case) :)\n\nRamon\n_______________________________________________"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "message_id": "<129010891.20070102192938@poczta.fm>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Stanislaus",
        "address": "sbocian at poczta.fm"
      },
      "date": "2007-01-02T18:29:38+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) TWK Able's ambulance",
      "in_reply_to": "<4597F34B.80901@mindspring.com>",
      "reply_link": "header",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Hello Henry,"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "Sunday, December 31, 2006, 6:28:43 PM, you wrote:\nGreetings:"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "    I'm also new here, and haven't contributed before.  I hope \n\"top-posting\" isn't taboo.\n    About the previous interpretration you quoted:  I just don't get \nwhere that would come from.  It seemed to me that the real Able (in \nAmerica) had been in the school bus, there'd been an accident, and he \nwas being rushed to the hospital (but wasn't going to make it.)  I can't\nremember why I was under the impression that that Able was one of the \nlives cut short in Parka's string- perhaps that dream sequence was mixed\ninto the string nightmares- but that was my take.  In fact, now I think\nthat the ambulance incident may not have actually been happening \n\"concurrently\" in this world, but that Able was growing so comfortable\nwith the string nightmares at that point that he was finally able \n(pardon) to pick that one out.\n    Also, I'm not certain that their bodies were switched by the Moss \nAelf.  It seemed to me that they could have been doubles.  The same boy\nin two different worlds.  It wouldn't explain why he couldn't see \nBerthold as his brother until the end, but that could have been an \nillusion (one among many.)\n    My question is:  why did Disiri pick Art over Able?  Willingness?\n    Anyway, that's my response.  Welcome to the world of Wolfe.\n    ---H\n   "
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "That one is pretty clear. Read speech which Sir Able makes to king\nArnthor.\n\nSimply, she wanted someone from a democratic country, who would know\nthat the rulers are to serve the ruled. America seems like a best bet\n(and certainly so for an American author.)"
        },
        {
          "kind": "sig",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Best regards,\n Stanislaus                           mailto:sbocian at poczta.fm\n\n\n----------------------------------------------------------------------\nJestes kierowca? To poczytaj! >>> http://link.interia.pl/f199e"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}