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

[Tony Ellis]

Jessica Maclean wrote:

> 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.

I don't think the cat bites anyone. When 'Marsch' reports the incident
in his journal, he does so to explain why his handwriting has suddenly
become so bad. But if Marsch is no longer Marsch but one of the
Annese, then of course his handwriting would be bad - he can't use
tools.

> 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.

Only one comes back from the trip, but two set off. VRT is surely the
person who steals Marsch's identity, and no one has to get bitten by
anything for that to happen.

That said, there's no doubt that there's a strong echo of the incident
of the Shadow Child biting Sandwalker, whose identity is thereafter
muddled. But I think the parallel is an artistic one - there are a lot
of such devices connecting the three stories.