TWK: The Aelf dilemma

Roy C. Lackey · 06 Dec 2005, 19:45 · from 2005-December.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 13:45:13 -0600
Subject: (urth) TWK: The Aelf dilemma
Message-ID: <000e01c5fa9d$9690ab00$c23ec6d8 at rclackey.stic.net>

Chris wrote:
>Something happened, though, when Able "promoted" Disiri. She attained a
sort
>of reality she did not have before. There is not direct statement along the
>lines that she had gained a soul, but it isn't unreasonable to infer this,
>especially since Michael does allow that Disiri can come with him on his
>next assignment.

I've said as much, twice, including the first post in this thread. But
Disiri's lot is unique; the rest of the Aelf remain soulless. Her uniqueness
is furthered by the fact that Able was not simply a human god with respect
to an Aelf, as Toug was to Baki; he was two levels above her. It's unclear
how much or whether or not that was a determining factor. After all, that
was not the first time Able had given her his blood. But he had been a mere
human when he did it the first time, just as Toug was with Baki. On neither
of those occasions did the recipient gain a human soul.

If it is objected that the *quantity* of blood given on those two occasions
was insufficient to confer humanity, then the entire concept begins to
become absurd. Is a pint enough? A quart? Toug gave Baki a full drinking
cup. It healed her, but didn't give her a soul. Why not, if blood is all it
took?

-Roy

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