The Sorcerer's House Questions (Major Spoilers)

Dave Tallman · 30 Mar 2010, 01:55 · from 2010-March.txt.gz

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From: davetallman at msn.com (Dave Tallman)
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:55:20 -0600
Subject: (urth) The Sorcerer's House Questions (*Major Spoilers*)
In-Reply-To: <e11bddb61003291608k6eed67afradcf691cc7efebf at mail.gmail.com>
References: <e11bddb61003291608k6eed67afradcf691cc7efebf at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4BB15A08.4010903 at gmail.com>

Thomas Bitterman wrote:
> It is a strange letter.  At the time it was written (which is a bit hazy),
> George is
> apparently lost in the house.  Why would he write a letter from inside the
> house?
> How would it get delivered?  Why not just talk to Bax directly, especially
> when
> George is planning a duel (certainly illegal, and likely to void any will)?
> Why duel
> instead of just killing Bax and, as the sole surviving relative, inherit the
> place
> outright?
>
> So either George is wandering lost in the house and writing letters that go
> against
> his own interests, or is wandering around town frantically looking for Bax
> when he
> knows exactly where Bax lives.  Or Bax wrote it to make George look bad.
>   
It's not really a letter at all. It's a challenge note. All George had 
to do was leave it someplace in the house where he thought Bax would 
find it. Why not talk to Bax directly? He can't find him. Why not just 
kill Bax? He can't find him. George may think he'll never find Bax 
unless Bax lets himself be found. Hence the challenge.

I'm willing to consider the possibility of forgery, too.  On p. 12 Bax 
writes "I am tempted to post this to myself."  Bax is ambidextrous, so 
he can produce two different handwritings, and he has forged his 
brother's signature before.

Still there almost has to be at least the threat of a duel, or Bax 
wouldn't have written to Shell for advice about it. I tend to think the 
note is genuine, or else a revised one with fantastic elements added by Bax,

There are no letters to Doris in the whole book. There are two letters 
from her, that Bax/George kept (probably like he kept all letters mailed 
to him, somewhere in the house).

Is Doris more than she seems? Her "Dear John" letter makes her sound 
completely ignorant, but:
1) The last name of a mythical monster.  In mythology, Doris is the 
mother of the Nereides.
2) Doris means "gift" in Greek, Theodore (Ted) is "gift of God". Is Ted 
really a familiar of some kind? Maybe Ted's ring gave her some power 
over him (or allows Ted to come to his aid in times of danger), and she 
wanted it back when she thought George would be the easier one to 
control (no magical talent, no facefox mistress, etc.).
3) When George fails/is killed she tries to get back with Bax, but too 
late. Now she speaks confidently of ghostly messages and werewolves.

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