(urth) 5HOC - no. 5, Marsch, Eastwind and Sandwalker

[James Wynn]

> Marsch is either Sandwalker or Eastwind- when the cat bites Marsch, either,
> the cat is somehow Eastwind/Sandwalker, or the cat has bitten
> Eastwind/Sandwalker.
>The ambiguity of the identity of the prisoner, the many
> times that his ineptitude with tools is mentioned, the fact that only one
> comes back from the trip, and the story that Marsch writes all lead me to
> believe this.

I don't *think* so. After Marsch kills the cat (which is an abo), VRT
(who is also an abo) kills Marsch. Then he spends some time in the
wilderness growing a beard and preparing to take on the identity of
Marsch. The "man" in the cell is VRT. So Number 5 was entirely
correct.

The story (so it seems to me) is "abo lore" of when the colonists
first arrived. VRT wrote it.

This is all straightforward with the exception that VRT does "share
dreams" with Number 5 (as abo twins do). I suppose that this is from
his Shadow Child telepathic abilities, but I don't know for sure.

> Maitre is also the name of the officer in the third book who is reading
> "Marsch"'s notes. Is Maitre a clone? >

Maaaaybe. The possibility cannot be discounted. However, for certain,
it is another parallel between Number 5 and VRT. They were both
prisoners of "Maitre" to be endlessly and pointlessly examined.

J