<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"><FONT BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Don Rosa said:<BR>
I was trying to be subtle. Too subtle apparently?<BR>
Yes, that was Vainamoinen. Didn't you notice anything odd about the <BR>
stone wall around his home? There was no gate. No exit. He was <BR>
imprisoned there and had been perhaps since he was last released in the <BR>
days of yore. Only the playing of his Harp released him and he appeared <BR>
on the bronze boat.<BR>
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Not too subtle. But it could have had more than one interpretation, which is why I asked what you intended for the story. Though looking back on what you said about the stone wall, etc. it does make it clear that the Old Man is and was intended to be Vainemoinen.<BR>
<BR>
Don Rosa said:<BR>
I don't follow you. How is Louhi more of a normal human than either <BR>
Vainemoinen version? They are all normal-looking in the sense that they <BR>
have no supernatural physical features other than fierce expressions and <BR>
wild hair. I wasn't aware that Louhi changed her appearance in the story <BR>
as did the Old Man somehwat when he appears as Vainemoinen.<BR>
You say you thought the Old Man represented Louhi? But I clearly show <BR>
Louhi begging on the streets of Helsinki at the same time $crooge is <BR>
meeting the Old Man out in the country. And Louhi is plainly evil while <BR>
the Old Man is clearly a good guy. Eh?<BR>
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Whoa there! A bit of miscommunication here. I meant that the frozen Louhi and the Old Man were counterparts in terms of being weakened 'versions' of their former selves, Louhi during the old days and Vainemoinen. Not that the Old Man was meant to be Louhi. So disregard all that, I didn't think the Old Man was evil or Louhi in any form at all. As for Louhi changing appearance, I guess she didn't really. I guess I meant change for Louhi in terms of power, rather than appearance (being frozen, not much power, being summoned by the harp- back to her former power). At any rate, thanks for answering the question and I'll try to be clearer in the future.<BR>
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And congratulations on the book-signing record. :)<BR>
<BR>
Derek Smith</FONT></HTML>