Overthinking/Underthinking "The Fifth Head of Cerberus"

Gerry Quinn · 16 Aug 2014, 16:39 · from 2014-August.txt.gz

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From: gerry at bindweed.com (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 17:39:09 +0100
Subject: (urth) Overthinking/Underthinking "The Fifth Head of Cerberus"
In-Reply-To: <BLU175-W368881EAC0C9DF35A2272BCFEB0 at phx.gbl>
References: <BLU175-W368881EAC0C9DF35A2272BCFEB0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <53EF892D.10309 at bindweed.com>


On Fri, 1 Aug 2014 09:07:24 , Lee wrote:

 >//> /Gerry Quinn: But The Old Wise One is NOT a Shadow Child. He is 
not physical, /
 >//>/but created from the consciousness of the nearby Shadow Children 
and (as an
/>//>/increasing proportion) Sandwalker. It's very clear that the Shadow /
 >//>/Children are solid humanoid creatures (if they were not, they would /
 >//>/provide unsatisfying meals for the Marshmen), and that the Old 
Wise One /
 >//> /(whom Sandwalker first assumes to be a ghost, and who notes that 
once he
//>///>/was sometimes called the Group Norm) is different. /

 >//An interesting theory. I like it!

What do you think of my theory that Mr. Million is an electronic 
simulation?  Because I thought up that in the same way. It's simply what 
Wolfe tells us.


 >  It does explain why the Old Wise One is intangible
 >//while the others can be eaten. I must wonder why Sandwalker would 
start to be
 >//incorporated in this telepathic construct when he doesn't chew the 
weed, and
 >//isn't the same species as Shadow Children.

Recall the speech of the Old Wise One when he speaks of the two peoples 
- the ones who "used their hands, when they had hands, only to take 
food", and the others who "crossed from star to star". "Then if was 
found that the first heard the songs of the second and sent them out 
again, greater than before.  Then the second felt thir songs more 
strongly in all their bones - but touched, perhaps by the first."

 > I think Sandwalker's incorporation
 >//would be evidence that Abos and Shadow Children are of the same 
original,
 >//telepathic species.

Maybe so, but the story tells us otherwise.

- Gerry Quinn

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