liana staff

maa32 · 02 Jan 2002, 01:22 · from whorl-v0013.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: liana staff
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2002 18:22:59 -0700
Message-ID: <whorl-v0013-whorl.v012.n178.2 at digest.urth.net>
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Since it seems like there is very little going on in the discussio lately,=20
I'll continue posting my crazed observations.

What have we made of the narrator's staff in The Book of the Short Sun?  I=20
know mention was made of Cugino's cutting stroke as conceivably multi-limbe=
d=20
in nature.  Here are a few other interesting things:
In On Blue's Waters, the narrator reveals that the most horrible things on=20
green where the huge trees that ate each other, and even more horrible were=20
the strangling liana vines, the "female" aspect of the cannibalistic foliag=
e. =20
Cugino cuts the staff from a vine resembling the lianas.  Are there lianas =
on=20
Blue?  It would seem that there are, for the following reasons:
In On Blue's Waters, the narrator reveals that the scary island he tarried=20
upon before reaching Pajarocu was actually made up of huge, huge trees.  Wh=
en=20
the storm hit, he could see that they bloomed from the ocean and separated.=
 =20
The pit he fell into was covered by vines.  These vines might have been the=20
lianas that were so awful to him on Green.

Now, if these liana vines are wicked, and Cugino made his staff from one, h=
ow=20
are the neighbors related to lianas?  Remember that fellow in the town of=20
Blanko who went into the forest to cut wood, and said that the neigbors wer=
e=20
looking at him in so unfriendly a fashion that he had to turn around?  Had =
he=20
threatened the vines?  What powers does the staff really have, with its lit=
tle=20
face?  Why does the narrator always ask for it, but seems to never possess =
it,=20
when he partakes in that astral travel.  Remember, too, that the neighbors=20
first take notice of Horn after he falls into the pit on Blue when he distu=
rbs=20
the vines that hide the pit.  (of course, he has also looked through the bl=
ue=20
glass - but which is the true trigger of their attention?)
Marc

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