(urth) 5HC

[Lee]

>Gerry Quinn: If you are thinking of Marsch's first visit to Saltimbanque Street, 

>that was Victor.  The original Marsch never visited Sainte Croix.


I can see that interpretation coming from Number Five's observation that a ship

from Ste. Anne had landed on St. Croix the day before Marsch's first visit to 

666 Satimbanque St. 


However, I notice that months pass between Marsch's first and second visit.

Also, I think in his first visit Marsch is too familiar with cloning and

the scanning process which created Mr. Million. Information from Earth Victor

would likely not be privy to. Moreover, I don't think there would be travel from 

a major travel hub like Earth directly to a backwater like Ste. Anne. More likely, 

the direct travel is from Earth to the urbanized and civilized St. Croix.


Thus I continue to interpret that the first visit of Dr. Marsch was the real guy

newly landed from Earth. After first meeting Dr. Veil, he then found passage to Ste. 

Anne for his anthropological studies for a few months, was replaced and then returned 

to St. Croix and  666 Saltimbanque St. later. Marsch's first visit was to meet Dr. Veil. 

I don't see why  Victor would want to do that. I would expect him to put as much 

distance between himself and Veil's Hypothesis as possible. Marsch's second visit was 

for the purpose of whoring which I think Victor is likely more interested in.


>all we know is that Marsch died and Victor took his place.


Again, we do not "know" this (unless you count Wolfe's interview as evidence). Within

the text, we are told the story that the boy died. Apparently, you do not believe this story?


By the same principles of deduction, others have recognized that other stories within this

story, including the Shadow Children story, are also false.


>Perhaps indicating that devotion and scepticism can be carried to excess


Indeed.