(urth) Grand Unified Theory

[Roy C. Lackey]

James Wynn wrote:
> ///////
> Incidentally, I was looking for a reference late last night, and came
> upon Silk's encounter with Remora and Xiphias at Thelxiepeia's Mirror.
> He is having an in depth conversation with the two of them when suddenly
> Hyacinth shows up. Suddenly, it's as though Remora and Xiphias vanished
> into smoke.

Rather, he had just told both men they must all leave before the Guard got
there.

"You, Master Xiphias, must return home. You're a fine swordsman, but you
can't possibly protect me from a squad of troopers with slug guns. You, Your
Eminence, must go to Maytera Mint. Don't bother filling your belly. If -  "
(277)

He was interrupted at that point by Oreb announcing that a girl was coming,
quickly.

> "Where did they go?" he asked.
> "Was--somebody--else here?" She gasped for breath and smiled,
> giving him sweeter pain than he had ever known.
> "His Eminence and a fencing master." Silk felt that he should look
> around him, but would not take his eyes from hers.
> "They must have done the polite thing," she kissed him again, "and
> left quietly."
> He nodded, unable to speak.
> (Calde, chap 7, p 278)
>
> Anyone have a theory about what happened here? Does anyone believe that
> R and X were so sensitive to sweet moment of a trist between a whore and
> an augur/revolutionary that they would just quietly melt into the weeds
> before she saw them?

Scared Remora split right away, but Xiphias only ducked out of sight, as he
owned up to about twenty pages later (296). He had wanted to give Silk the
swordcane. Hy had seen him when Silk was being carried up to her room (297).

Anyway, there is no mystery there.

What I don't understand is why no one picked up on the obvious fact the old
man is clearly Inire. Xiphias is an obvious anagram for Apish XI, the
eleventh simian iteration of Inire.

-Roy