(urth) 3rd Cue's a Charm?

[Greg Jenkins]

Guys, come on.  I mean, really.  A two page scat joke by Wolfe?
After everything the man has written, after all the forum's discussions
about his religious beliefs and how these pervade his stories, after
considering his generally serious nature and how when he does display humor
it is sometimes dry but almost always clean -- I really can't bring
myself to believe Wolfe would do such a thing.  I can picture Wolfe 
rolling his eyes at that interpretation.

Besides, those connections ARE extremely weak.  If Wolfe meant for the 
reader to deduce "coot", why wouldn't he have simply called the protagonist
an "old man"?  Why force such a bent chain of reasoning?  And the children
being called "cooties"?  And the incredible leap in believing the use
of nested quotation marks around "Earth" signifies "fundament", which
requires a huge leap from "firmament" to "fundament"?  Wouldn't
a more plausible reading be that the quotes are nested to indicate
the not-so-young-man understands already at that point in the story
that his concept of "Earth" is a mere construct of perceptions
that he has chosen?  And to go from "chair" to "throne"...and then leap
to "toilet"?

Come on, guys!  Is there anyone out there reading the story as I am?
Where is the honorable Mr. Lackey or Blattid when I need them?

Consider the sex change of BB1 in the penultimate paragraph.
What in the world does this have to do with a scatological reading?  Why
would Wolfe bother with this detail if his intention was to tell a crap
joke?

And look, here are a few more bits to ponder:


*The tennis racket that BB1 mentions is a common depiction of the
space-time continuum, a grid of "space" upon which rests a ball.
This graphical construct has been used countless times to try to aid
understanding of the mechanism of gravity.

*The man must know a smattering of astronomy, because he understands the
Coalsack Nebula reference, the space-time reference, the infinite nature
of the universe, the concept of infinity applied to space.

*Story of train and rope-skipping girl.  Who would simply
stop and let a train pass if a kid were skipping rope beside the track?
Wouldn't a normal response be: "I would get out of the car and ensure the
child's safety?"  But that's not how our nsymr answers; he says he'd
simply stop and let the train pass.  "Exactly," responds BB1.  The
response of a pleased demon.

* * * Religious imagery * * *
* Nsymr says, "I'm going to have a hell of a good time," to which BB1
responds, "You certainly are."  Taken as a pun or read as ironic, the
nsymr is saying he will be having a twisted, hellish version of a
good time.  A nightmare, really.

* The "gift" (curse) will be passed to the nsymr's children, but they will
not outshine him in his lifetime.  What biblical figures fit this mold?

* Odd wording by nsymr asking for a quarter: "I wonder if you Denebians
could stake ME to twenty-five cents instead of the other way around?" 
An image of being staked (crucified) comes to mind.  In response to this,
BB1 begins to "think sexy".  Perverted thoughts of pleasure at the idea of
crucifying nsymr?

*"BB2 saying he "beds" pardon.  Perversion towards pardon for nsymr?
Instead of allowing for his pardon, BB2 jokes that he will defile it?

* BB2 saying they give no quarter.  A pun on twenty-five cents, but also a
statement that their damnation has no mercy.  To give quarter can mean the
clemency of not killing a defeated enemy.