{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/861",
    "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": 861,
    "subject": "Marsch as spy; fan fiction",
    "messages": 1,
    "voices": 1,
    "first": "1998-06-25T19:22:03+00:00",
    "last": "1998-06-25T19:22:03+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<urth-v0015-0024@digest.urth.net>",
      "from": {
        "name": "adam louis stephanides",
        "address": "astephan at students.uiuc.edu"
      },
      "date": "1998-06-25T19:22:03+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Marsch as spy; fan fiction",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "On Thu, 25 Jun 1998 Sgt. Rock wrote:\nadam louis stephanides <astephan at students.uiuc.edu> wrote:"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 2,
          "text": "1) Pretending to be an abo impersonating an Earthman would hardly free him\nfrom suspicion of being a spy.  There's no reason why such an impersonator\ncouldn't also be carrying out a mission from the Annese government.  In\nfact, given the Ste.Croix regime's paranoia, Marsch's being an Annese\nvisiting Ste. Croix in the guise of an Earthman would probably be regarded\nas tantamount in itself to being a spy."
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "Of course. That's why Marsch only activates the second cover when he has\ngood reason to think his first one is blown (when the authorities arrest\nhim and accuse him of being an Annese spy). Marsch is using the\ntime-honored tactic of \"confessing\" to a lesser crime (murder) to draw\nsuspicion from his true activities (spying)."
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "But my point was that \"confessing\" to be an Annese impersonating Marsch\nwouldn't draw suspicion from his spying, but to it."
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "Furthermore, isn't it odd that the St. Croix authorities not only accuse\nMarsch of being a spy, but also of murdering Maitre? After all, they've\nalready convicted Number 5 for the same crime. Is there perhaps some\nreason for thinking that the two were acting in collusion? "
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "My reading was that he was first arrested on the grounds of murdering\nMaitre; later Number Five was arrested for the murder, but by that time\nthey'd already decided \"Marsch\" was a spy.  The cover letter to \"Marsch's\"\npapers (p. 267 in the Ace edition) seems to confirm this."
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "From: \"Alice Turner\" <al at interport.net>\nSubject: fan fiction"
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "When I saw this subject line in the digest intro, I thought you were\nreferring to genuine Wolfe-based fan fiction, and I confess to being\ndisappointed that you weren't.  Does anyone know if such a thing exists?\n\n--Adam "
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}