{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/whorl/29",
    "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": "whorl",
  "thread": {
    "id": 29,
    "subject": "Digest whorl.v001.n021",
    "messages": 1,
    "voices": 1,
    "first": "1997-01-17T19:04:28+00:00",
    "last": "1997-01-17T19:04:28+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<whorl-v0001-0047@digest.urth.net>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Jeff Meyers",
        "address": "jeffmeyers at earthlink.net"
      },
      "date": "1997-01-17T19:04:28+00:00",
      "subject": "(whorl) Re: Digest whorl.v001.n021",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "Just a few measly comments about Quetzal.\n\nFirst, his disappearing does not seem to be due to any extraodinary \npowers.  He's a shape changer, to be sure.  But shape changing and \ndisappearing are two different matters.  Remember how he demonstrated his \nability to Horne in the tunnels.  He simply pulled his black (fuligin?) \nrobe over his head and \"disappeared.\"  Now, of course, this may have been \na trick, but Quetzal tells Horne that it was how he escaped from Spider \nat Blood's.  \n\nSecond, Quetzal does seem to be battling with his own nature.  At least \nthat's how Horne seems to see it.  In the tunnel as he is supporting \nQuetzal during their flight, Horne offers to fall back and protect the \nrear from whatever danger there might be.  Horne says he \"offered to go \nahead if he [Quetzal] would tell me what to look for.\"  The narrative \ncontinues with Quetzal's reply: \"'I want you to sleep, my son.'  He \nseemed to suck his gums and reconsidered.  'No, to keep watch.  Can you \nstay awake.'\" (p. 374).  Quetzal appears to be torn between his own need \nfor blood and his desire to see the little company to safety?  Maybe I'm \nmissing something here, but this is not a large group of people that \nescape.  What?  At the most maybe a hundred (including the Sleepers)? Why \nwould Quetzal have an interest in taking such a small number of people to \nhis own planet?  Does it really make sense that he waited all these years \njust to see to it that such a small group of humans are transported to \nhis home world?  To herd as a source of food?\n\nThird,  are we ever really told that Quetzal attacked anyone?  Teasal may \nhave been attacked by an inhumi, but it doesn't follow that it was \nQuetzal.  The other \"victim\" (if I remember correctly) was already dead.  \nOther than his appearance at the end, which frightens the bejesus out of \neveryone who sees him, and the notoriously black behavior of his species \n(as Horne tells it) what exactly does he ever do to indicate that he \nhimself has a sinister plan?  The very fact that Quetzal is categorized \nas an inhumi would seem to indicate that there are more of them.  More on \nthe LSW or just more?  I don't know.  But if there are more lurking \naround on the LSW then that would explain the attack on Teasal.  Does \nanyone else in the story qualify as an evil inhumi?  Everything that \nQuetzal does and says suggests benevolent purposes.   Is this plausible \nor am I missing something?\n\nOn to another issue. . . \n\nJordan writes:"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "On the other hand, he advises\nthat the settlers go to the wrong planet -- or so it seems (never try to\nguess where Wolfe will go -- maybe Quetzal's advice was right!)"
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "I have a question: how is it that the departing landers displayed only \ntwo options to the crew: Blue and Green?  Did Pas program the landers?  \nQuetzal?  If the Green planet was the horror that Horne believed it to \nbe, why would it even be listed as an option by Pas?  If the Blue planet \nwas relatively safe, why would Quetzal program it as an option?  If both \nplanets were dangerous (as appears to be the case) why would anyone \nexcept Quetzal program these two options.  But if Quetzal programed the \noptions, what difference would it make which one was chosen?  Why give \nthem a choice?   And, then, when Quetzal and Remora chose the Green, why \nwould the moniter overrule the decision and take them to the blue?  \nThere's a mystery here.  I doubt if Wolfe has given us the information \nthat we need penetrate it yet.\n\nJeff Meyers\n\nQuestions or problems to whorl-owner at lists.best.com"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}