[Dragaera] Tiassa and translation (spoiler)

[Scott Schultz]

-----Original Message-----
From: dragaera-bounces at lists.dragaera.info
[mailto:dragaera-bounces at lists.dragaera.info] On Behalf Of Philip Hart
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 5:18 PM
To: dragaera at lists.dragaera.info
Subject: [Dragaera] Tiassa and translation (spoiler)

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>Something I now understand less is the introductory quality of the 
>opening sections of many of the Texts.  Vlad's talking to one person, 
>who doesn't need to be told about Loiosh being a flying lizard with four
limbs or 
>so forth, or doesn't need to be told twice even if he's on the other end of
a transuniversal tube.

If we take the prologue at face value, then Vlad and The Author have met
face to face at least once. (I bet the real life Steve would like to have a
stash of gold bars lying around to pay inter-dimensional correspondents
with. I know I would...)

If The Author told Vlad that he was, in fact, a novelist then Vlad could
quite naturally assume that persons other than The Author might need to be
brought up to speed on certain facts of life in the Empire at certain times.
OTOH, it might just be a trick he has for putting himself in the frame of
mind to narrate his life.

Given that The Author seems to either be a necromancer or to be on friendly
enough terms with The Necromancer  to hitch a ride with her, I surmise that
the "metal box" is a simple recording device that The Author collects at the
same time that he drops off Vlad's "royalties". 

The interesting thing to note about that conversation in the Prologue is
that Sethra suggests that Vlad might be paid in "trinkets" from time to
time. This might just be a cover for the "metal box" itself, but that
doesn't seem like the sort of thing that could be seen as payment for
services rendered. It seems like it's an excuse for some twentieth century
Earth artifact to show up in Vlad's possession in a future story.