(urth) Patera Incus

[Lee Berman]

>James Wynn: When a pointless artifact is dramatically laid on the 
>table, it's not pointless. When a character who is important to the 
>incidental inner circle of characters is discussed but never appears on 
>stage, it's not because the discussion was mere flourish.

James, I think your first conclusion is that if Wolfe goes through the trouble 
of describing how a letter is written and re-written then SOMETHING weird is 
going on. I think even Roy might agree with this conclusion though it might strain 
every fiber in his being to admit it. I acknowledge and appreciate the effort he
made a month or two ago to concede, after years of discussion,  that perhaps 
there is some monkey business going on with Father Inire.
 
James, your second conclusion is a hypothesis to explain what weird thing is
happening with these letters- Incus is a woman. Perhaps part of your (perceived
on my part) frustration is that Roy is finding evidence to poke holes in your 
conclusion without offering an alternate conclusion on what is going one here
(other than the default- nothing). Others might attack your conclusion by 
instead by proposing more plausible explanations of their own.
 
Perhaps these others could be compared to infantrymen, engating in battle mano-a mano.
If so, perhaps we can see Roy as akin to  a sniper. He cannot risk his acknowledged 
(by me and others including Borski and Andre-Driussi) value as a defender of the lupine 
gospel by betraying his own position and subjecting himself to the withering fire of the 
enemy.
 
We each have our talents. If we recognize this and approach disussing Wolfe as though we 
are on the same team as opposed to working against each other, I think progress will be
maximized. As I see it, Roy is not shooting down your theory, he is helping to improve it.
 
My opinion is that something weird IS going on when a fictional letter is written, then 
re-written. And so far, James' explanation has the honor of Best Working Hypothesis on what
that weird thing is. Perhaps there are other candidates?