----- Original Message ----- From: jan b ceri99@hotmail.com

...

If you can find me one piece of evidence for his embarrassment -- a line

of

...

dialogue...<

Thanks for the examples. Now, not to challenge your own opinions, but here are my perceptions of the same phrases and why I don't see them as examples of embarrasment:

'Lets not start that again.'

This sounds like an order rather than an apology: "...you've made your point, now be quiet."

'err... (implied). Probably.'

That "Probably" sounded pretty definite to me :). Anyway, you don't *enjoy* embarrassment, do you, even probably?

(Hastily) 'You're forgiven.'

This sounds to me very clipped and brusque, not so much covering over the situation as taking control of it.

'For a while, yes.' (smile). (I'm not a god, anyone would see it

eventually,

and she was no exception.)

Yes, but what did he *do* to break the illusion, that is the question? We'll never know... given that she is deaf to what Gan, Vila and Avon all say earlier about them not being gods (and also given that he fulfils the prophecy), it would have had to have been drastic. But to return to the embarrasment-- I have yet to see *any* smile of Avon's that struck me as embarrassed...

That's the way I see them, glad other people think the same (Harriet and others - sorry to jump in).

Hi Neil!

Thanks, Fiona, for stepping in all that time ago.

You're welcome.

Fiona

The Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane Available for public perusal at http://nyder.r67.net

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