(urth) Patera Incus

[Roy C. Lackey]

James Wynn wrote:
>   1. Why Patera Inucus is a woman...
>
> 1.1 The Letters to Fulmar
> In Lake of the Long Sun, Incus is attempting to say something to "My
> Dear Friend Fulmar". The Patera is trying to express something to him
> but doesn't quite no how. Unfortunately, Incus recognizes that Fulmar is
> not especially perceptive as reflected by his name, meaning a type of
> gull which in Vironese thieves cant is a simpleton.
>
> 1.1.1 First attempt.
> Incus writes a note to explain why he can't come to the Black Mechanics
> meeting. The letter has two parts italicized (probably underlined in
> Incus's actual letter):
> _a woman_ and _myself_"
> Incus thinks, "_Myself_ standing for _I_, as even that fool Fulmar could
> not help but understand"
> However, Incus decides that this is too obvious. Remora might find the
> letter. It was to risky.

The two underlined parts of the note are not related. The first refers to
the object of the mission Remora sent him on. Incus is mildly scandalized
that his boss is sending him, an augur, in search of a woman of ill repute.
Augurs are not supposed to associate with strange women outside of their
priestly duties. On top of that, Incus is evidently homosexual, which makes
his mission even more ironic. He obviously dares not sign the note, so the
_Myself_ is his way of communicating who wrote it. The other contents of the
note impart enough information for Fulmar to understand who the Myself is --
given the planned meeting that night of the black mechanics, at which
Bittersweet was to demonstrate her latest technique.

> 1.1.2 Second Attempt. This time Incus disguises his handwriting.
> "You know, my friend, yet it might be more thoughtully be said that you
> cannot know, how much I have been looking forward to a _plain firsthand
> account_ of the marvelous adventures of our mutual acquaintance Bee. Bee
> himself.

The _plain firsthand account_ refers to Incus's fervent desire to witness
for himself Bittersweet's new technique, as indicated by his thoughts right
before he first picked up the quill.

> Incus thinks, "No, it would not do. Fulmar would be utterly thrown off
> the scent by _the male pronoun_." [emphasis mine]
>
> Question how does the male pronoun throw Fulmar "off the scent"? Off the
> scent of what?
>
> Answer: Off the scent of the name _Bee_.

I agree with that sentence, anyway. Incus doesn't want to betray the
identity of a fellow black mechanic, so he writes "Bee" because that is the
sound of the first letter in Bittersweet as well as the initial. The
masculine pronoun was a further attempt to disguise her identity should the
note be intercepted. The altered handwriting was also an attempt to hide
Incus's identity, since Remora was familiar with his handwriting.

The first version of the note said what Incus wanted to say, as indicated by
his satisfaction with it, but was too risky. He abandoned both notes in
favor of delivering an oral message to Fulmar's chem valet.

I don't suppose it matters that masculine pronouns are used to describe
Incus in the list of  characters at the front of the book.

-Roy