Subject: (whorl) Quadrifons and the godling

From: Nicholas Gevers <vermoulian at yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 00:41:37 +0000

I haven't finished RTW yet, but a couple of topical
impressions:

1) The physical impossibility of the godling: I saw
this as a deliberate breach of SF protocols by GW. The
godling is present in the text as a mark of the
Outsider's presence there (the godling's message is
ultimately the Outsider's), and thus must take the
form of a miracle, a suspension of the laws of nature.

2) Quadrifons: interesting that he is listed at the
front of RTW as a major character, yet doesn't appear
in the text other than as a tessera and part of an
abstract discussion. We know from late in OBW that
Horn in fact communicated with Quadrifons, who advised
him on how to recognise Smoothbone. The authors of the
third person sections of RTW have clearly obeyed
Quadrifons' general injunction to avoid using his
name, and written him out of the text. They are
unreliable narrators (or Horn was in OBW). Any
thoughts on Wolfe's reasons for this fascinating
lacuna?

--Nick Gevers.

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