regshoe

It didn't betray anything—yes, when it so easily could have done—that's a very good way of putting it!

Thinking about the Arne-Sayles thing—there are several times in JSMN where characters who are socially marginalised, undesirable, etc. become significant in the story, and are able to understand more about magic and the truth of the way the world works, in ways that are linked to that 'outsider' status—even while the ways in which they are outsiders are not particularly nice or ethical. E.g. Vinculus the serial bigamist and conman, Childermass who has no pity for anyone (!)—but whether they're good people or not isn't really the point. I suspect what Clarke was aiming for with Arne-Sayles was the same sort of effect—although it certainly wasn't the wisest of choices to do it quite like that.