David Hart Siegel wrote:

On Fri, 15 Jan 1999, Nightman wrote:

squawking.  More wasted beer.  She tensed and readied her
gun.  They would be framed in the doorway. She could see the

They? Oh, you're trying to be gender neutral aren't you ... Just use he.
Wouldn't she assume her assailant was more likely to be a he? Wouldn't
the size of the shadow hint that? Or REALLY confuse people and use te
and ter (yes, they're real words.)

Theorization ofn the gnder of Byakhee(See below) is not a fun-thing.

shadow first...it had wings?

        Then it stepped into the doorway.  It was naked and
bipedal, with a black chitinous hide run through with
streaks of grey and blue.  On a few places, ice clung to its
wings and its limbs, and there was a faint sheen of moisture
all over it.  It had two arms, with ended in thick three
pronged claws, and two legs which it stood upon shakily, its
legs bent unnaturally.  Its black leather wings were folded
in somewhat, compacted to allow it passage down the narrow
hallway.

Darn! Now, is this supposed to be a Mi-go, the fungi from Yuggoth
(usually assumed to be Pluto) which I remember as being like giant
grasshoppers, or a Night Gaunt, which I remember as being bat-winged? In
Lovecraft's mythology, as I understand it, Mi-go are allies to the Old
Ones but night gaunts serve Nodens, the only Elder (space) God ever
named in the Mythos. Cthulhu and the Old Ones were supposedly banished
from Earth to another plane by the Elder Gods. (That's why the "elder
sign" can repell the Old Ones like a cross to a vampire. There are
*opposed* alien forces at work.)

Two things (mostlyfor nightman, but there is a plea for the authors in
here as well): These look, to me, like Byakhee, from the physical
description through the method of summoning(Whistle with Aldebraan
visible), and the arrival from space
On the elder Gods/Great Old Ones concept: The idea of a human-friendly
force was added by thosewho came after HPL. IMHO, the uttersmallness of

That is not entirely true.  Nodens, the relatively nonhostile Elder God, was
introduced by Lovecraft in a Dreamlands story as were the comparatively harmless
nightgaunts (who, being comparitively harmless and not having any mouths obviously
weren't the creatures summoned from Aldebaran).  

man in the face of the Old Ones fits better with the EVA. Up to you,
authors, but if Third impact inovlves hoary Nodens smiting Deep Ones, I'll
be as disappointed as I was for the original End of EVA.

        "For lack of a better name, we're designating them
as 'Cherubim',"  Ritsuko said.  "They are like Angels, but

Seems like a very odd name choice, considering that Cherubs are one of
the higher-ranked choirs of angels. Sure, the image of cherubs as little
valentine cupids is prevalent, but the people behind the scenes SURELY
know enough about Kaballa to not think that way. You could at least use
an alternate spelling, such as Kerubim, to distance them from the
winged-baby image.

Oy. Angelology
Actually, NERV and SEELE never struck me as very kabbalistically correct
(Well, neither did Gainax...but thats a whole 'nother gripe)
Cherubim is good enough here:Its a word recognizable as a type of angel,
and any of the others that are suchare immediately though of as high
levels (Seraphim, etc.)

Since in this case they are just making up the angel junk to make the monsters
less threatening it doesn't really matter.  

        "Our scouts indicate he has not yet awakened, though
he stirs. And when he does...it will be a long swim from
where he slumbers.  Although I would not wish to be living
in Toronto this year," Gendo said, walking towards the door.
"This would be much easier if we could simply order him
transferred to a secure facility, but..."

Hmmmm..sleeping in a cold-place: i'd say Ithaqua, but I'd probably be
wrong,as he's more associated with the western side of that country.

I'd be surprised if Ithaqua had to swim.  

I suppose it could be one of the Old Ones residing in England (Glaaki,
they guy with no head, the guy in the maze, etc.) who might hit Toronto as
the first non-submerged place on its journey west, but I'm just clueless,
Yes?

Again, excellent. you've really got the HPL feel down now, and I'm waiting
for brown Jenkin's attack.

One last thing: In the series, I found Rei unpleasant and disurbing.
You've made her sympathetic and scary. An improvement, in my opinion.

Sorry if this note isa bit grammer/spelling/punctuation odd.

david Siegel
dhs28@columbia.edu
On Vacation-Delayed Response until 1/17