Digest urth.v030.n003

Has the gang of three looked into the relationship of the Chinese tale to the overall story? It seems to me that that story (sorry, I'm at work, details will be sketchy) provides a possible explanation for Olivia's voice over the intercom. That is, just as in the fable, Weer lives or dreams his entire life, seeing the consequences of the choices he makes, and then at the end Olivia wakes him to live it all over again as a wiser man. I don't see the point of including that story unless it speaks to something else in the novel, as all the other included tales do. What is its relevance to the novel, unless it is that? -- Dave Lebling (aka vizcacha)