Mike, Ah! Thank you for the clarification! And, thank you to those who mentioned email clients compressing blank space. None of the clients I've used over the years - GUI or text base - ever did that. Glad I know so I can handle spoilier space in an appropriate manner.
Robert More thoughts: Spoiler space > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> >> >> >> The Dread lives in a "universe" where everything is happening all at once. > Think >> in the present. The rest of the universe lives in a world where things > happen >> over a span of time, allowing for a past, present and future. The dread > created >> markers to help it understand the passage of time and to possibly keep > track of >> events that are taking place. To us, said events are happing along a span > of >> time. To them, the events are happening in the present. The "markers" are > the >> S'vengari (pardon my spelling). The Dread designed them to be wonderful > so, >> as Michael pointed out, pesky mortals wouldn't interfere with them. Smart >> move on the part of the Dread. >> >> The Quor exist only to protect the S'vengari. I do not believe REF > revealed their >> origin. Since the Valheru didn't understand the purpose of the S'vengari, > they >> instructed the sun elves to protect the Quor to help ensure both would > survive >> without interference. I doubt the Quor knew the true purpose of the > S'vengari. > > IIRC, he said the Valheru developed the Quor from plants, and that they > brought the elves to protect the Quor at a later date. This is what I missed during my initial read of Magician's End. 'course, I _always_ miss things during the first read. >> In looking at that part of the story, it's now readily apparent the > Valheru's >> assessment of the S'vengari and, in turn, Thomas's assessment of the > situation >> of the Dread being within the vicinity of the Quor and S'vengari were > incorrect. >> The Dread posed no threat to the S'vengari and likely no intentional > threat to >> the Quor. Thomas as well as the sun elves and, likely, the Quor didn't > know the >> Dread posed no threat because, to the best of their knowledge, the > S'vengari >> were a wonderful thing. > > I guess the Dreadlings were put there as a nasty nuisance to draw the > attention of the powers that be, and plant the seed that the Dread might be > threatening them. Actually, I'd say they were put there as a nuisance to draw the attention of the powers that be. No doubt in my mind. But, I wouldn't think of them as planting a seed about the threat of the Dread. If anything, it was to draw their attention away from the other things the Dread was doing, i.e. keeping eyes away from the royal courts as the Dread slowly put its pawns into place. > >> Corrections and/or further clarifications are welcome. >> >> My best, >> >> Robert > > > -- > Mike, > Gibfish of the West > > >
