It's that, when Ranma, Genma, Mousse, Shampoo et. al.  were cursed, why
didn't they just turn around and jump into the appropriate pool to cure
themselves?

At first, I thought it was because they didn't know which pool to jump
into.  As it turns out (in Volume 37), the Guide not only knew which
pool was which, he had a *map* of the pools - getting cured should have
been extremely simple.  

So why didn't anyone get cured?  Obviously, we wouldn't have Ranma 1/2
if they did.  It was never explained at all - we're supposed to overlook
this minor point.  Because the rest of the manga is so enjoyable, I am
willing to overlook this.

	Powering up Retcon Cannons... FIRE!

	First off, we all agree that travel between Jusenkyo and Nerima 
is not easy if you're 1) broke, 2) a barbarian, or 3) a Hibiki.  Since 
these categories cover the important cursed characters, a quick trip to 
China is out of the question.
	Now, what if the Guide didn't have the map when the characters 
first got cursed?  I seem to remember him mentioning the unusual numbers 
of people visiting Jusenkyo recently.  He could have decided to make a 
map to prevent any further cursing.
	I can see him and Plum  experimenting with the various pools.  "Plum, 
this is the Spring-Of-Drowned-Attractive-Female-Fruitbat."
	"How many 't's' are there in 'attractive,' Father?"
	Plus an accident while exploring some of the farther reaches of 
Jusenkyo could explain Nissanichuan...
	Or he could have decided to look for an old map, which had gotten 
buried somewhere.  In either event, the minute a map becomes available, 
Saffron and Co. strike, and the series ends.
 

You've probably guessed where I'm leading with this.  In twenty years of
living next door to Jusenkyo, Mousse and Shampoo *still* haven't cured
themselves?  How do you explain this?  Or are we supposed to do like in
the manga, and look the other way?

For those of you who think that the pools are destroyed, that is not
true.  Look again at Volume 38.  The pools are restored; they were just
flooded by the rain when Ranma went looking to get cured (along with
Ryoga, Genma, Mousse and Shampoo).  Afterwards, though, Soun is able to
get a cask of Nannichuan from the Guide.

	Before I started this 'fic, I asked about the state of the 
pools.  The response was about 60/40 in favor of a functional Jusenkyo.  
I decided this wasn't enough for me to make a decision one way or 
another, so I decided to leave the issue vague.  Note the rain that's 
been plaguing the story.  That wasn't just for the dragon's benefit.

So, again, this is not *your* logical fault, Ross.  You mentioned your
desire to keep your plots tight, however; I wonder if this point isn't
worth mentioning and explaining somewhere along the line.

	I have a reason, but I haven't had time to work it into a 
conversation yet.  It's going in one of the Tachi/Mousse dialogues.  But 
basically it boils down to Mousse thinking that the ability to fly is 
worth the price.
 ______
{B-{=__
rmckenzi@euclid.ucsd.edu : The White-Robed Mathematician