# Digest whorl.v010.n056 *The Whorl list — 2 messages, 2 voices, 25 Nov 1999* > 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. --- ### Alice Turner *25 Nov 1999, 10:31* The Rodent opined: > At 08:09 PM 11/16/99 -0500, Slimina of the Green Goo wrote: >> 2. There have been a lot of guesses about "the secret of the inhumi," and >> the front-runner for a while was that it was simply that they took on (or >> could take on) aspects of the prey along with the blood; when they >> encountered a sentient race for the first time, it revolutionized them. >> Another conjecture has to do with their obviously being able to survive a >> long time without sustenance in a mummified state. But later thinking is >> that it's more complicated than that--it's a secret that if known could >> destroy them--and that Wolfe just hasn't given it to us even in clue form >> yet. >> >> Arguments invited. > It's Rat Time, Slimina! > > To begin with, courtesy of Kieran: > > Horn: "If only we cared about each other sufficiently. If only all of us > loved all the others enough, they would go back to [mindless beasts]. We > would still think them horrible creatures, and they would still be > dangerous, as the crocodiles in this lower river water are. But they would > be no worse." > Evensong: "That is the secret, what you said?" > Horn: "No, of course not." [p.375] > > So, let's invert that. The inhumi take on our characteristics. We are not > very nice people: enslaving others, raping wimmin, etc. What if we become > good, "Green Man" types, like the forerunners of Blue? What would the > inhumi become then? Good guys! Hey, is that why old Quetzal becomes a good > guy, because of hanging around and being near Silk? > Inhumi are animals, "underpeople" of Cordo Smith, but of a different sort. > Their salvation depends on and proceeds from human salvation. > My guess. It think the clews are there, but I may be taking them wrongly. > > Slavering Nutria of the Dripping Jowl I think you are correct, but that this is not the secret. I also think that "hanging around and being near" doesn't have much, if anything to do with it; it's the actual ingestion of blood. The two people we know Q bit had in common only their youth. Teasel was a young girl and whashisname, Oosik's son, was probably no more than 18. And he certainly got a gleam in his eye inspecting those troops of probably mostly teenage girls. But Horn's "No, of course not!" seems to imply that the actual secret is something else. I also think that your premise is too straight-forward and goody-goody for Wolfe. -slimora *This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun. --- ### Jim Jordan *29 Nov 1999, 09:27 · follows Alice Turner* > Slimorina wrote: > I think you are correct, but that this is not the secret. I also think that > "hanging around and being near" doesn't have much, if anything to do with > it; it's the actual ingestion of blood. The two people we know Q bit had in > common only their youth. Teasel was a young girl and whashisname, Oosik's > son, was probably no more than 18. And he certainly got a gleam in his eye > inspecting those troops of probably mostly teenage girls. But Horn's "No, of > course not!" seems to imply that the actual secret is something else. I also > think that your premise is too straight-forward and goody-goody for Wolfe. Good poynts. Guess we gotta wait.... Nutricious *This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun. ---