[Dragaera] Dragaera Casting

[Alexx Kay]

> More what I'm getting at is, was Vlad (initially?) conceived of as
> being 21 in _J_ or mid-to-late 20s?

I don't know.  SKZB may remember, and might even be willing to say :-)

In the early days of the Timeline creation, I was much sloppier about
citing textev and explaining where I was making assumptions, so I can't
trivially reconstruct how I arrived at a birth date of 222 PI.  It's quite
possible that my logic (or math) contained some weak links.  [I am working
on a major revision to the Timeline, in which I hope, among other things,
to clear up such issues.]  That said, SKZB never corrected me, and has
been using the Timeline as a resource, so it seems unlikely that I was
*too* far out of his conception.

>Is he conceived of as being 30 in
> _Io_?  I had simply never done the exercise of subtracting 243 from 222;
> the Timeline knew, but did SKZB?

I *think* so.  For at least a few years now, Steve has been using the
Timeline (and occasional direct questions to me) as a resource.  So when
he cites a year *now*, he can easily check the implications of that time.

>So not, is this wrong, but how does this all fit -
> what do I read as intent.

Unless the author weighs in himself (which Steve is usually too prudent to
do :-), authorial intent remains unknown.  As it should be.  I've always
firmly been of the school that the text should support itself.  Secondary
materials (such as my Timeline!) are mere lagniappe :-)

Alexx

Re: Translation Howlers
"I once had a student translate `carpe diem' first as `God's fish,' and
 then as `Holy Mackerel'!"
                -- Joyce Lionarons