(urth) Home Fires questions (spoilers)

[Alex Carnevale]

I have been a lurking reader of the list and really enjoy the
conversations here. I had a few Home Fires questions & I thought those
who have read the novel already might shine a light. I just finished
the book last night, and it's amazing. I've always been a fan of
Wolfe's more-dialogue heavy recent style (I think The Wizard should be
staged), but this one was as good a thriller/mystery as he's ever
done.

Here were a few things that I didn't fully comprehend after my first
read. Many spoilers follow.

1) It's pretty much outright said that Mr. Blue is an Os (which might
make make Holly Hollander's Mr. Blue an Os too, I'll have to check on
that). He never eats or drinks. He makes the cryptic comment about
destroying Earth when he talks to Skip on the ship the first time:
"Suppose they could get control of all the rest by blowing up this
one?" He kisses his "daughter" on the lips. His wife and daughter
don't recognize him. Etc. Two things about his actions still puzzle
me. The first is that I don't know if he was Charlie Blue during
dinner with Chelle and Skip at the hotel before she left to join the
military. Skip says he never takes off his sunglasses indoors or out
in that chapter, which suggests it might be the Os, but I really have
no idea.

2) Did Mr. Blue kill Zygmont because he was onto him? Was he also the
shopkeeper who sold Vanessa her furniture?

3) There must have been an EU spy (or perhaps more than one) on the
ship. Who was it? Trinity? Achille?

4) Who stabbed Vanessa after she left the restaurant? Skip thinks of
several reasons it's not Rick Johnson, and though he later recants,
I'm not sure I believe him.

5) I'm not totally clear on everything that happened on Johanna.
(Hopefully Mr. Andre-Driussi will make a timeline!) How did Chelle's
firing squad execution of that soldier figure into the events?

6) Lastly, most of Wolfe's narrators are liars in whole or in part.
Skip seems pretty honest, which I suppose is ironic considering his
occupation. He tells us his reason for becoming a JAG and opting
offworld, and it's not wholly unbelievable. As smart as he is, I don't
think it's the real reason. He's going to be a colonel out there. What
is his plan?

Many thanks for answers (or guesses) at any of these.

Alex Carnevale