Cassie as the Ambassador's wife

Roy C. Lackey · 20 Sep 2009, 05:16 · from 2009-September.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:16:26 -0500
Subject: (urth) Cassie as the Ambassador's wife
References: <003001ca395e$bdc69e60$3fd14a0c@rclackey>
	<4AB53C1E.6020801 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <001d01ca39b1$864a6ea0$62cf4a0c@rclackey>

Dave Tallman quoted and wrote:

> > Margaret might be a werewolf but, shooter or not, if she is, where does
it
> > show up in the story? The only demonstrable werewolf I know of is Al,
the
> > fake FBI agent.
> >
> True, but the detailed description of werewolf traits on p. 206 invites
> us to find another werewolf. Here are a few of the clues I found most
> convincing, drawn from one of my theory pages on the WolfeWiki
> ("Mysterious Margaret"):
>
>    1. There's the clue of the werewolf's "swift loping walk, even in
>       women." (p. 206). Margaret bobs along (p. 59). Does any other
>       female character have a unique walk described?

"Ebony bobbed like a cork in India's wake." (p. 143) That matches up nicely
with your ". . . and Margaret bobbing in her wake" on p. 59.

>    2. She is gray (p. 54) with a colorless face (p. 57). Werewolves
>       "dress in wolf shades: gray, black, and white." (p. 206).
>    3. They are also insensitive to color (p. 206). Margaret fails to get
>       a straw for Cassie's drink (p. 57), indicating she doesn't care
>       much about lipstick. She describes a costume which shows skin in
>       the middle as "spring-green" (p. 107), but the costume that is
>       spring-green is the long missionary gown (p. 190). The costume
>       that shows ten inches of bare waist features a faux-grass skirt
>       (p. 131). This would be grass-green, not spring-green. Perhaps
>       Margaret can't tell the difference.
>    4. She avoids an obvious word when misreporting the name of Sharon
>       Bench as "Shirley Ladydog" (p. 86). As a werewolf female she might
>       be extra-sensitive to this word.

If Margaret is a future Cassie, then she knows perfectly well *both* of
Sharon's names. Why stumble on Sharon? Like Mrs. Baker in FLF, she just gets
things wrong. She called a safe-deposit box a "safety deposit." (153)

>    5. Werewolves have a hard time avoiding slipping back to wolf form
>       (p. 100). They also "want the wild and a liberation from human
>       morality" (p. 207). Margaret's scrupulous morality may be an
>       effort to avoid slipping back. Her elaborate trick with the napkin
>       to avoid a direct lie is an example of this (pp. 82-83).

The known werewolf, Al, had a very agressive human personality. Margaret is
meek and mild.

>    6. Margaret always has yogurt and fruit for breakfast (p. 186). She
>       may avoid eating meat to keep from setting off her wolf nature.

Post-castaway Cassie said, "I don't think I'll ever eat fish or fruit
again." (288) Margaret could have eaten cereal. And she at least nibbled on
a ham and cheese sandwich. (141-42)

-Roy

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