Teasel, Taluses, and Horn

David_Lebling · 16 Jan 1997, 12:21 · from whorl-v0001.mbox · original

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From: David_Lebling at avid.com
Subject: (whorl) Teasel, Taluses, and Horn
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 97 12:21:50
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[Posted from Whorl, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

> From: douge at nti.com (Doug Eigsti)
> 	Yes you remember correctly. The passage mentioning Teasel's
> affliction is in NIGHTSIDE pages 219 & 233. Silk observes that she
looks
> pale and has two puncture marks on her neck, which he misinterprets as
Owl
> bites.

I started rereading "Exodus.." last night, and started with the Dramatis
Personae.  Sure enough, Teasel's entry says she was attacked by an
inhumi.  In fact, she's not the only one listed as such there.  I'll
leave the other as an exercise.  This (for me at least) puts a slightly
altered spin on Quetzal.

On the subject of taluses, there is also a remark early in "Exodus,"
when Silk first suggests a visit to the factory (to repair Marble's
hand), that confirms that taluses are a lower order of being, not truly
as sophisticated as a true chem.

As I reread, I'm also noticing places where Horn's state of mind or
opinions are expressed in "omniscient narrator" form, and this is before
the "I" moment.  This is rare (possibly even non-existent) for the other
characters, unless the narration is from their POV.

     Dave Lebling
     (david_lebling at avid.com)

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