Monkey business

Jeff Wilson · 13 Jul 2010, 02:16 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:16:09 -0500
Subject: (urth) Monkey business
In-Reply-To: <4C3BA55A.60807 at verizon.net>
References: <002a01cb1f1c$5485eec0$abce4a0c@rclackey>
	<4C3BA55A.60807 at verizon.net>
Message-ID: <4C3BCC69.9070804 at io.com>

On 7/12/2010 6:29 PM, David Stockhoff wrote:
> I agree.
>
> One comment though---I thought Rudesind was tall because of his long
> limbs, but you're right---he's average to short. Severian is tall but
> not that tall.
>
> However, those long limbs and short height do create a problem. He
> doesn't sound human. How is it possible to have long arms/legs/feet and
> yet be short?

"When I admitted I did not, he scrambled down from the ladder like an 
aged monkey, seeming all arms and legs and wrinkled neck; his hands were 
as long as my feet, the crooked fingers laced with blue veins."

He may simply have a short torso, by birth, osteoporosis, or both. I've 
seen such an older man around the town where I live who was barely five 
feet tall but still able to ride an adult-sized tricycle. He would come 
in to pay on his account at the Sears where I worked years ago, and when 
he waiting stationary in line I noticed his fingertips nearly reached 
his knees, a common simian detail.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
< http://ieeetamut.org >

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