#5 vs VRT

Alice Turner · 17 Jun 1998, 11:43 · from urth-v0014.mbox · original

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From: "Alice Turner" <al at smtp.emailserv.com>
Subject: (urth) #5 vs VRT
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 11:43:01
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Tony Ellis,

>> So we've actually seen how an abo or half-abo came to impersonate (or
merge
>> with) a human, and the way he did was imperfectly. So imperfectly that #5
>> sees through it (though I'm damned if I know how).

I've never thought that #5 sees through VRT's impersonation. I've always
assumed that he was just being offensive. As he says: "I had come to kill my
father, and it was necessary that Dr Marsch leave." The fact that by a
million-to-one chance he hits on the truth would be just typical Wolfe. I
have no clever proof of this, except for your own point that that there
doesn't seem to be any way that #5 _could_ have seen through Marsch's
impression. But wouldn't he have been at least a little bit excited if he
really thought he was sitting next to an abo?

That's exactly what I thought too--that he was merely being offensive--until
I started trying to put together a case, and then the coincidence just
seemed too much. Absolutely the only clue that I can see is the eyes, and
how would #5 know about that? As for being excited, he was certainly excited
earlier when he thought he was talking to an Earth scientist. Beats me!

-alga-

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