Urth Net
Gilling's killer (was Re: The Wizard - questions -- answers
(spoiler))
↰ answers Russell Wodell
· by quotation
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From: "Russell Wodell" <wrustle at telus.net>
What would be Sir Garvaon's motive for killing Gilling? (Rhyme unintentional) And why would Wolfe conceal this for so long?
Jealousy. Garvaon loved Idnn, and was obviously a more worthy suitor than either the monstrous Gilling or the cowardly Svon.
It wasn't concealed for very long, as Wolfe's puzzles go.
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For this and other reasons, I am fairly certain that Iddn is the murderer.
When Able says that the killer cannot be punished, Garvaon is dead, but Idnn is still alive.
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She agreed to marry Gilling to achieve power, which she maintains with her army of giantesses, but killed him because sexual congress would mean her death either in coitus or in giving birth to a giant, as Wolfe makes gruesomely explicit.
I wondered about that, since I don't remember another mention of the mothers of the Mice having difficult births.
Of course, I don't understand why the human women wouldn't take simple precautions to avoid pregnancy. Based on Wolfe's peculiarly graphic descriptions, the giants wouldn't notice or care.