Long Sun puzzles

James Wynn · 23 Oct 2002, 16:48 · from urth-v0210.mbox · original

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From: "James Wynn" <crushtv at HotPOP.com>
Subject: (urth) Long Sun puzzles
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 11:48:57 -0500
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Now that the discussion has worked it's way back to the Long Sun, I would
like to put out some puzzles I come across while carefully re-reading scenes
involving Chenille (to test my theories against Roy's). I'm sure someone can
resolve them for me:

Numero Uno:
At Orpine's murder scene, the following discussion transpires:

"[Blood demands, 'What's going on here?']
When Orchid did not answer, The raspberry-haired girl [Chenille] said
wearily, "Orpine's dead. She just killed herself." She had a clean sheet
under her arm, neatly folded.
'What for?' Blood demanded.
No one replied. [Chenille] shook out her sheet and passed a corner up to
Crane. Together, they spread the sheet over the dead woman.
Silk put away his beads and went down the steps to the courtyard. Half to
himself he muttered, 'She didn't-not forever. Not even as long as I.'
Orchid turned to look at him. 'No, she didn't. Now shut up.'"
LS1:10

My question is: She didn't what? Kill herself? Orchid never seems to doubt
that she killed herself so why would she say "she didn't". Anyway, you can't
kill yourself forever and Silk hasn't done that. What is Silk talking about
and why doesn't Orchid want him saying it? This statement with it's iambic
meter smells like an extra-literary quote.

Numero Two-o
In the next chapter (11) Silk gets Chenille to admit that she killed Orpine
and they talk about how and why she got the knife. Then Silk asks Chenille:

"'Is Doctor Crane the friend you mentioned?'
'No. That's somebody younger. Don't make me tell you who, unless you want me
to get hurt."

I'm probably losing it but I've re-read this the murder scene over and over
and I can't find anywhere Chenille mentions this male "friend". Could this
be an editing mistake that was corrected in the paperback version?

Numero Three-o
The more I've thought about this the funnier it seems. In LS2:3 Silk and
Marble have the following discussion:

"You said those chops smelled delicious. Do things-does food really smell
good to you, Maytera? You can't eat it."
"But I can cook it, and I do," she reminded him gently, "so naturally I know
when something smells good."
"I was only thinking of Maytera Rose, and that was wrong of me. I should
have gotten something all three of you could enjoy."

My question is, WHAT could Silk have gotten at the grocer's or anywhere else
that the all could have enjoyed? Vegetable oil? The very statement seems
loony!

--Crush

--=20

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