You misread, IMO - Edit 3
Before modification by newyorkersedai at 07/06/2010 01:19:00 AM
""I actually asked this next question after the signing but since it is relevant to this question I am putting it here. I asked has Demandreds alter ego been mentioned in the books but not seen? He gave me a very guarded look and said, That is a very well though out question, paused for a moment, and said " there have been to few characters introduced in the last few books for me to answer that. Speculators unite.""
Surely the above quote can only mean one thing. If Demandred's character had NOT been introduced in the last few books, then the fact that too FEW new characters have been introduced would in no way have made it difficult for BS to answer the question.
Surely the above quote can only mean one thing. If Demandred's character had NOT been introduced in the last few books, then the fact that too FEW new characters have been introduced would in no way have made it difficult for BS to answer the question.
Yes, it could have made it difficult: that answer would be a huge clue, either way.
If there haven't been many new additions, it means we have a small-ish pool of people who have been either (a) mentioned but stayed offscreen or (b) appeared onscreen. And BS had already said that there's been no appearance as of KoD.
BS might not want to eliminate all of one group or another right then and there. Hell, I wouldn't want to if I were him either. If he removed one group, the remaining number of characters would become unacceptably manageable for all those forum-kids on their kooky internets. They'd figure it out and send the information all through the interweb pipes.
The only reason why the SMALL number of new characters would make it a problem for BS to answer, is if Demandred is indeed one of these newly introduced characters.
RPA said what I said, but 7 months ago. Funny enough, it was an Etzel post that was the key then too. Look at the bottom of RPA's message: http://www.readandfindout.com/wheeloftime/messageboard/59740/
You may be right that it is someone in TGS, but you focus too much on the answer instead of the question. I initially thought "duh, Taim," and then, "mmm, cookies." Before we had our suspect list narrowed to TGS and after, I assumed it could be Logain or Dobraine. I also thought Rodel might be a proxy - until we saw his PoV. Now my money's on Roedran.
I really wanted to consider the Dragonsworn and WC to be his combined armies (or 2 of 3+ proxies). Yet I'm uncertain on their current numbers now (due to Masema's downfall and Galad's rise), and they both may be too small for big D's move. I liked it because of the meetings between the Seanchan & DS, as well as some of the AS's approach to Masema. It seemed to reflect 2/3rds of the Forsaken's Trio, so it would be motif.
That Taraboner you mentioned might be right too.
I'd also considered that he could be someone on mainland Seanchan. Unfortunately, it seems like pro/con arguments are too weak... If Demmy, Semi, and Messy work together, it makes sense that Semi plunges Seanchan territory into chaos, then Demmy gets a hold of the army remaining there. It sounds like a nifty and clever move, with a promise of some nice Sean-on-Sean action. Randland is all united, moving towards the last battle, glad to have raken working as scouts with Aes Sedai... Then Rand, Eggy, Tuon, Perrin, and Mat see big gateways form, with some odd Seanchan geological feature behind massive armies coming straight at them.
But it probably isn't too plausible. That sort of move, with such a big power base for Demmy, would prolly take real time to set up. It sounds like a big plan, not a spur-of-the-moment one. Semi clearly had intended to control Tuon. And then she tried to make Suroth take the throne. And, of course, it would be silly for the Trio to not have control over 3 separate territories.