From: jek133@cac.psu.edu (Josh Kaderlan) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Re: Brust: Post-Athyra? Date: 18 Sep 1995 15:53:04 GMT Organization: Penn State University In article , Robert A. Woodward wrote: > >The breeds were deliberate creations by the Jenoine and all were >completely separated pre-Empire. Does anybody have a copy of the story of >experiment Q-17 that was posted a year or so ago? > You asked for it, you got it... (although I accidentally deleted the attribution -- apologies to polowin@chem.queensu.ca, who wrote the thing) >Further, he's told this by Morrolan, who knows her much better than Paarfi >does. On the other hand, Sethra could very well have become a Dzurlord >by fighting her way into the House, past seventeen heroes, regardless of >her genetic heritage. > >Still, I don't think that the usual rules apply to Sethra. I think she >predates the usual system. I have this hunch that she's the result of an >early experiment by the Jenoine, scenario something like the following: > >[Jenoine-equivalent-of-hunchbacked-lab-assistant does the Jenoine equivalent >of lurching into the room]: "Mastah! Mastah! Experiment Q-17 is escaping!! >There's a little --" >Boss: "What?! Impossible. Q-17 -- that's the one with the genes from the >little cat and the little lizard?" [Longish pause, while assistant >contrives to look very guilty.] "WELL?" > >Henchman: "I couldn't get genetic material from the little cat and lizard. >So instead I got material from the BIG cat and BIG lizard, Mastah. I'm >sorry, Mastah, so sorry --" > >Boss: "WHAT?! Genes from the BIG cat and the BIG lizard, together?! That's >dangerous, even disastrous! Fool! Why didn't you tell me? But that still >shouldn't give the creature the power necessary to get out." > >Henchman: "That's what I tried to tell you, Mastah! There was a young >female humanoid in the lab, opening the cages! And when I tried to chase >her, she just showed her teeth at me and disappeared!" > >Boss: "All right. Let's see if we can find Q-17 before it gets into any >trouble. If we catch it quickly enough, we won't have to tell anyone about >it getting out..."