Padding

I think it's quite reasonable to think the contest was not part of the original plan, but once it was decided to insert it, Wolfe used it for material of thematic importance. For instance, as has been mentioned in another debate going on right now, the angel's statement that he is far below God and guesses at his will is very significant for understanding the Hierogrammates. Now, the same point is made elsewher, though in a more oblique way (yes, even more oblique). In Dr Talos' play. Nod says that the Nephilim serve the Increate but don't get messages from him; they try to guess what he wants them to do. Gabriel replies 'that's what I was afraid of', suggesting that angels do the same. So by Wolfean standards, the information was already there, but the contest helps to make it clearer. By the way, it is a bit striking that each volume has an embedded story - COTC, SOTL and UOTNS have 'Urth and Sky' stories, while SOTT has the story of Father Inire's mirrors. So once COTA was separated off into a new volume it was fairly inevitable that there would be a story in it, though it was a work of supererogation to give us four.

Son o' Witz: "Like the man your friend talked about, most men think they make their homes for their families, but the fact is that they make both homes and families for themselves.