Next Train a-loading

Reply: Item #5017229 from WHORL at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET03# Everybody, The next batch of questions for Gene Wolfe. Train leaves in one week, on Friday 27. People who didn't ask a question in the last batch get priority, but if we don't have "enough" questions I may throw open the gate on a first-come-first-served basis toward the end. Or maybe we'll just let a short train go out? So far, the train has four out of fifteen: 16. Kieran Mullen, re: Silk bioengineered skills. 17. Peter Cash, re: airship incident. 18. Paul Duggan, re: voided cross/gammadion description in detail. 19. Robert Borski, re: etymology of Mamelta. Passengers may refine their questions or change them. Sooner rather than later increases likelihood that corrections will be in train on time. =mantis=

My suggestion for the next wolfe train. Please nix this if it seems trivial. I'll gladly concede to a more crucial question. Your call Mantis. What was Wolfe trying to achieve in the Talus Factory Tour scene? What essential narrative freight does it carry? It seems much ado about nothing--all this detailed discussion of how to make the optimum Talus and the bartering about tactics, the order and price? All of which amounts to nothing in the greater scheme of things.What upsets Oreb so much that he screams? Was it Maytera's hand being repaired, as someone suggested here? It's just a puzzeling scene for me. best Patrick