HFQ Official Snippet #11

n7asw wrote:

This last bit looks like a magic beans solution which is not how RFC normally tells his stories.

I agree. There are also real problems with getting this to work right. A guy here at work had something wrong with his blood, fainted, hit his chin and broke it. He had to spend six weeks with his jaw wired shut, and drinking his meals. Dosage can also be problematic. Michael Jackson was administered propofol under a physician's care, but died. Michael Jackson was a musician of some sort, I've been told.

~Tonto

Actually, except for juxtaposition, there is no evidence that the requirement for mass transport is related to Nynian's quest in Zion at all. The possibility is that Merlin is planning on setting up an intelligence operation in the Cave using members of the Brethren to more fully monitor the take from the SNARC's, and have Nahrman keep an eye on them. Given the location, anyone attempting to fink to the Inquisition is going to freeze to death first, assuming that the SNARC's don't find them before they get 5 km from the Cave. Just a thought.

=2014/11/19=
Hi Guys

I just had a random thought.

Is it possible that the "cliff hanger" at the end of HFQ is that one of the members of the expanded inner circle "spills the beans" -- maybe to Clyntahn himself ??

Due to my degenerating health, I may not be around to read book #8 of this series - - but seems to me it would be a plot twist worthy of our esteemed author !!

?? Comments ??

R
.

Thanks, RFC! A lot new data to consider!

kbus888 wrote:=2014/11/19=
Hi Guys

I just had a random thought.

Is it possible that the "cliff hanger" at the end of HFQ is that one of the members of the expanded inner circle "spills the beans" -- maybe to Clyntahn himself ??

Due to my degenerating health, I may not be around to read book #8 of this series - - but seems to me it would be a plot twist worthy of our esteemed author !!

?? Comments ??

R
.

Possible, but too similar to what RFC did with the reformists in Zion, so I don't think that he is going to repeat himself - but of course he might since we don't expect it. We can go around this circle a couple of times, he won't repeat himself, because he doesn't, he will repeat himself because we don't expect it ... Isn't double think wonderful?

=2014/11/19=

I agree !!

Double and triple think

One of the many things I enjoy about our author !!

R
.

fallsfromtrees wrote:.
(SNIP)
.
Possible, but too similar to what RFC did with the reformists in Zion, so I don't think that he is going to repeat himself - but of course he might since we don't expect it. We can go around this circle a couple of times, he won't repeat himself, because he doesn't, he will repeat himself because we don't expect it ... Isn't double think wonderful?

Randomiser wrote:Jeff and Joat you misunderstand me; the unacceptable security risk is not that the airbuses might get spotted, it is revealing the existence of the airbuses to all the people you are transporting. Given the suffering they have allowed in the past to maintain that security it is much more likely that you have just guessed wrong than that there is some mysterious, unguessable reason it's worth while throwing all that security away.

I think it reads much more like ETathome suggests, Merlin has spotted a hole in his transport capabilities and might as well get it sorted just in case he needs to transport multiple members of the inner circle sometime in the future. It's an afterthought. At least that's how I see it.

Hmm. The existence of air transports is known even if it was restricted to Archangels. But, if the persons to transport are SSK members with knowledge of Khody journal, those persons knows that a Seijin should be able too. There is not much risk here to cause an heresy or demon accusation. Concerning security, SSK record seems to be perfect, as the Inquisition is not even aware of its existence.

Revealing the Brethen, Merlin real role and goals, or Nimue Cave is a totally different problem

lyonheart wrote:
Converting the air lorry to passenger service is interesting, as in apparently bringing more SSK's to Nimue's cave to convince them Merlin is a seijin etc, but I'm still curious how the recon skimmers carried the poor horses!

At first I imagined a terrified horse or a couple of mules suspended by a tractor beam for hundreds of miles as the skimmer flew wherever Merlin was going. Any unfortunates below would wonder how horse biscuits managed to fall from the sky!

Then I realized that Merlin didn't need to take the horse or mules with him, he just had to take them far enough away that they wouldn't be recognized once they were found. With 200,000+ horses of the Desnairan and Dohlaran cavalry around, plus countless other draft animals, that wouldn't be difficult. Five minutes to drop them off at the far side of the Desnairan camp would do the trick.

I'm guessing he did the same thing in reverse to grab a horse to arrive on... I'd bet that being snatched from the horse lines and flown through the air for several miles would make any horse look bedraggled and worn out when "Slaytyr" arrived at the Dohlaran picket lines riding it an hour later. At the very least its intestines would be rather empty!

Now taking the crates of messenger wyverns back with him must have made a rather smelly mess in the back seat or any cargo compartment the skimmer might have, so I hope recon skimmers are self-cleaning, or that OWL's remotes took care of it so Merlin didn't have to.

McGuiness wrote:

lyonheart wrote:
Converting the air lorry to passenger service is interesting, as in apparently bringing more SSK's to Nimue's cave to convince them Merlin is a seijin etc, but I'm still curious how the recon skimmers carried the poor horses!

At first I imagined a terrified horse or a couple of mules suspended by a tractor beam for hundreds of miles as the skimmer flew wherever Merlin was going. Any unfortunates below would wonder how horse biscuits managed to fall from the sky!

Then I realized that Merlin didn't need to take the horse or mules with him, he just had to take them far enough away that they wouldn't be recognized once they were found. With 200,000+ horses of the Desnairan and Dohlaran cavalry around, plus countless other draft animals, that wouldn't be difficult. Five minutes to drop them off at the far side of the Desnairan camp would do the trick.

I'm guessing he did the same thing in reverse to grab a horse to arrive on... I'd bet that being snatched from the horse lines and flown through the air for several miles would make any horse look bedraggled and worn out when "Slaytyr" arrived at the Dohlaran picket lines riding it an hour later. At the very least its intestines would be rather empty!

Now taking the crates of messenger wyverns back with him must have made a rather smelly mess in the back seat or any cargo compartment the skimmer might have, so I hope recon skimmers are self-cleaning, or that OWL's remotes took care of it so Merlin didn't have to.

Owl has remotes that can print broadsjeets. Skimmers come with OCD cleaners.

Caliban wrote:

phillies wrote:...a second pilot...

Ummh, I suppose it is this new math, what with people wanting to replace marks with these newfangled Roman numerals, but Merlin, Aivah, Gottfried (however spelt) that seem to be three names, not four...someone seems not to have been named. Cayleb? Nimue?

Um, Merlin and Aivah in unit #1.
Nimue and Sandariah in unit #2

After all, someone gotta pilot the second skimmer, and Merlin's 'sister' certainly has the required knowledge base... Or, maybe Owl. He has the skills, and textev already has him piloting the Lorry.

I was a little surprised at first, that merlin didn't place both passengers in the second skimmer, then order owl to fly the second skimmer in formation to the first, with merlin piloting the first.

but thinking about it, if they're infilitrating the temple lands, there's a non-zero chance that independent escape or evasion might be called for. I suppose that if a second pilot were available, it would make sense to use them.

especially since they're presumably going to dismount from the vehicles at some point, which makes two lines of communication back to owl more important.