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In "Labyrinth", Miles and Bel visit Fell Station on Jackson's Whole on the pretext of buying weapons, while in reality picking up Dr Canaba who is defecting. While at a reception, they encounter Nicole the quaddie. As they listen to her play her dulcimer, both Baron Fell and Baron Ryoval appear, and Ryoval begins negotiations for her contract. As the two talk, Miles, "suddenly realized he knew what Fells price could be. Would Ryoval figure it out too?"
Ok, WHAT is Fells price? I first read this story in 1991, and I STILL don''t know for certain what the price is. A DNA sample from Nicole? Everything Ryoval owns? WHAT??? If anyone can clue me in, I'd be appreciative as all get out. Thank you.

James

Hey, know what? I must have read this passage a dozen times and never asked myself the question.

Well, maybe LMB herself will answer you, she does that occasionally.

As I understand it, what Fell wants is eternal life. That would be Nicol's price. But how can Ryoval give it to Fell?
The clone Fell had maturing was mysteriously killed. Waiting for a new one to mature may take too long, and anyway, if the first one died, what guarantee for the new one? So guarantee the safety of a new clone? If Bharaputra could not, how can Ryoval guarantee this survival except by promising not to kill the clone this time (which would be tantamount to an admission he was behind the killing of the first one) and besides, such a promise had to extend for ten years or more, and who would trust Ryoval for ten years?
But if Ryoval had hidden another, mature, clone of Fell and was ready to give him in exchange for Nicol? But at no point in the story does this appear.
Or, if Ryoval believes in the "Betan Rejuvenation Treatment" and is convinced that Miles knows about it, and wants to forcibly extract the information from Miles, to sell it to Fell in exchange for Nicol? He could very well have overheard the previous discussion. But Miles does not seem to fear capture from Ryoval at that point.

Well, I think it is up to LMB to give us the answer. Now I am as eager as you to know it.

Lois, please?



Edit
On second thoughts: uniqueness for uniqueness, Ryoval has something unuqie he could trade for Nicol: Nine (aka Taura). His present use for her is stupid. Fell, with his more military-oriented business, could use her (or at least, her genetic materal) much more efficiently. But Fell does not know of her existence, and Ryoval apparently has not yet thought of offering her to Fell. But the idea could come to him at any time. Maybe this is what Miels is thinking. Dear Lois, is this the right answer?

I think you've hit on the meat of the matter: Nicole is unique. Baron Fell doesn't want or need her, but he does enjoy the fact HE has her and Ryoval DOESN'T (and who says siblings grow up? Of course, at this point, Miles and the reader don't know they are siblings). As I reread the paragraph where this takes place, the following line jumps out at me: "If Ryoval could find Fell's price, what force on Jackson's Whole could save Nicole?". Maybe the price is for Baron Ryoval to LEAVE Jackson's Whole?

And trading Nine (Taura) for Nicole won't work either, at this point in the story Miles hasn't met Dr Canaba, so he wouldn't know of her existance.

At any rate, it's nice to be able to discuss this with someone besides the cats.

James

Well, you are right. In fact Miles had just heard (overhearing a discussion between Ryoval and Deem on Ryoval's wristcomm) about the "creature from Bharaputra" but he knows nothing about her. At that point Miles has not met Dr Canaba, so he has no idea how important Nine/Taura is. So that cannot be the "price".
The only price Fell would take in exchange for Nicol would be an extension of his life. But Ryoval cannot deliver that, he has no mature clone of Fell to sell, and no Betan therapy either.

So what else can it be? I'm at a loss.

Only LMB can answer that. I hope she reads this thread and will tell us...

voralfred wrote:Well, you are right. In fact Miles had just heard (overhearing a discussion between Ryoval and Deem on Ryoval's wristcomm) about the "creature from Bharaputra" but he knows nothing about her. At that point Miles has not met Dr Canaba, so he has no idea how important Nine/Taura is. So that cannot be the "price".
The only price Fell would take in exchange for Nicol would be an extension of his life. But Ryoval cannot deliver that, he has no mature clone of Fell to sell, and no Betan therapy either.

So what else can it be? I'm at a loss.

Only LMB can answer that. I hope she reads this thread and will tell us...

*** Some sort of life-extension was intended, I suppose. Re-reading this years later, I see it's not as self-evident as I thought when I was writing it, because even I am not now sure what Miles means. But House Ryoval is indeed capable of the sort of cloning and surgery the treatment would require.

Ta, L.

First:

Dear Lois, thank you so much for the reply. Last year(?) you were in Norman Oklahoma for an interview/book signing and of course I didn't find out about it until several months AFTER you had been here. But at least you DID make it to Oklahoma at least once, so there is hope, LOL.

Second:

"Re-reading this years later, I see it's not as self-evident as I thought when I was writing it, because even I am not now sure what Miles means."

AAAAHHHHHGGGGGG!!!!!! (sound of a 46 year old man pounding his head against a computer monitor). <sigh>

Well, on the bright side, now if I am ever on "The Actor's Studio", and James Lipton asks me, "If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say?", I finally know what my answer would be:

Mr Lipton, I'd like to hear God say, "James, the price Baron Fell had for Nicole is,,,". LOL! I LOVE this website.

You guys stay warm this weekend.

James

Dear Lois
Thank you for answering but............
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGG!
I do feel like James!
If even you cannot give us this answer, our only hope now is to end up on the right end of the scales on Judgment Day, so we can have the answer. (Hell would be to be left in ignorance till the end of time).



On a different topic: James, there is a new quote in the LMBQG by risi... a hard one!

*LOL* Newbie here, this is my first post. . . I'm SOOO glad I wasn't the only one confused by that, and I laughed that LMB doesn't know either. Characters do take a mind of their own, after all.

Yeah, sometimes charecters are like kids: they do stuff you don't expect them to do, didn't tell them to, don't want them to etc, etc. Glad I wasn't the only one wondering about that!

James

I was presuming some kind of life extension as the answer to the question, but clearly Ryovel didn't want to give that (or the clone would have survived). I wonder, though, if they couldn't start a new clone, and cryo Fell if he died before it was ready? Of course, with the power structure the way it is on Jackson's Whole, it's quite likely Baron Fell's barony wouldn't survive the inevitable conflict.

Is anyone wondering what the the power structure on Jackson's Whole looks like now (ie after Mirror Dance), with Baron Fell holding all of Ryovel's assets?

SPetty wrote: Is anyone wondering what the the power structure on Jackson's Whole looks like now (ie after Mirror Dance), with Baron Fell holding all of Ryovel's assets?

Well, it says somewhere that Ryoval was just barely one of the "major Houses", certainly much smaller than Fell. So, as I see it, though adding Ryoval's assests to his was a major bonus to Fell, it probably did not tip the balance too much. Bharaputra was still very powerful and other major Houses would not allow Fell to overextend his power.