Cues

Peter Westlake · 26 May 1998, 09:49 · from urth-v0011.mbox · original

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From: Peter Westlake <peter at harlequin.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) Cues
Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 10:49:03 +0100
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At 14:56 1998-05-24 -0500, adam louis stephanides wrote:

>In this spirit, I'd like to see what people think about "Cues."=20

I've wondered about "Cues" too: on the face of it, it could be a
straightforward shaggy dog story, existing just to set up the pun;
but there are hints of something more.

The galaxy-goblin spaceship isn't the only slip: right at the end
the ball says "I bed your pardon". Unless it's a typo, of course.
The "Coalstack Nebula" looks like a real joke by the ball, but
I'm not sure why coalstacks (chimneys) would be funnier than
coal sacks!

I wonder whether the balls really do have a sense of humour, or
whether we are seeing them through the n-s-y man's perceptions?
But the ball does seem to know how to answer the cue at the end.
That's two kinds of cue in the story: if the balls were smaller,
we might get a third in somehow.

Peter.

"Doctor, doctor! I keep thinking I'm a billiard ball!"
"I'm sorry, please wait at the end of the ...

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