Book 2 – Page 90

[Whispri]

So.. we have Predictamancy that Parson WILL make it through the portal.

Did ya miss the predictamancer saying "I so predict it" in a previous strip?

... You do realise that on that prior occasion the Caster in question was talking to a Thinkamancer who he wished to stand aside? That was all but worthless. This on the other claw, is far more important, the Fatemancers are talking amongst themselves, nothing to be gained by lying.

[Morni]

So.. we have Predictamancy that Parson WILL make it through the portal.

Did ya miss the predictamancer saying "I so predict it" in a previous strip?

... You do realise that on that prior occasion the Caster in question was talking to a Thinkamancer who he wished to stand aside? That was all but worthless. This on the other claw, is far more important, the Fatemancers are talking amongst themselves, nothing to be gained by lying.

or everything to gain by executing the "all in" bluff.

if fatemancers engage, they know they will die. if fatemancers out bluff them, they know they will win.

so being vocal about it, makes the bluff more beleivable.

[Ansan Gotti]

Another awesome page. This is getting so good, the suspense is killing me! So many possibilities, here...

STUNNING art by Xin, as always! I especially appreciate the expressions on Parson's and Maggie's faces in panel 3, and on Jojo's face in panels 8 and 11.

[drachefly]

What Ansan Gotti said.

[bladestorm]

Do we have an identity or speculative identity on the chick in black?

[effataigus]

So.. we have Predictamancy that Parson WILL make it through the portal.

Did ya miss the predictamancer saying "I so predict it" in a previous strip?

... You do realise that on that prior occasion the Caster in question was talking to a Thinkamancer who he wished to stand aside? That was all but worthless. This on the other claw, is far more important, the Fatemancers are talking amongst themselves, nothing to be gained by lying.

Aye, I realized it, but I dismissed the possibility that they were lying since predictamancers have only lied by omission throughout the series (as far as I can recall), and since lying about predictions would greatly undermine their craft. Skepticism is valid, I just didn't feel it.

[DevilDan]

I'm starting to develop a real fondness for Jojo as the dark horse antagonist.

[wrecan]

It occurs to me that Carnymancers and Charlie are not natural allies. Carnymancers are all about breaking the rules and Charlie is all about contractual obligations. Being associated with Carnymancers is something that Parson can continue to use against Charlie in future propaganda wars.

"You can't trust Charlie. Sure, you're bound by contract, but he can always get his Carnymancer friends to set him free."

I'm also curious as to why the other Carnymancers seem to be supporting Charlie. Jojo? Sure. He's getting vengeance against the guy responsible for croaking Queen Bea and croaking and then decrypting Sylvia (which I imagine he thinks is worse than death). But what about the others? Why would they want perpetual war? What do they care if Parson lives, croaks, or returns to Stupidworld? What's their motivation? Do they simply naturally despise Predictamancers and are willing to oppose anything the Predictamancers want, if only on principle?

[0beron]

I'm also curious as to why the other Carnymancers seem to be supporting Charlie.

Because Wanda is breaking the rules of Croakamancy of course. Breaking rules is their territory, if I were in their shoes I might be pissed off too :p

[No one in particular]

Isn't it obvious? The secret conspiracy of the Carnymancers (The Ringleaders) have their own prophecy in which Parson is not a savior, but the DOOM of Erfworld.

They think all the prophecies about Parson being the hero are a load of bunk, and if anyone could spot a con, wouldn't it be a Carnymancer?

[RichMan]

JoJo's magic could go "POOF".

Clearly he put a lot of magic into the survival spell

Spoiler: show

on Lady Sylvia

. Now he wants to cast another spell that would cancel that out. It is his magic against his magic. Unless he dumps in more juice than he put in before the current spell may fail in some sort of spectacular back lash event.

I would expect Carnamancy would be exceptionally susceptible to self cancelation and backlash.

[boegiboe]

Remember that Jojo came into the tunnel from the GK side, with all his spellcasting fresh. Carnymancers have to be the best at bombs.

Whoever goes back through the GK portal first will die. Or croak, as the case may be.

[bladestorm]

Or JeffitChew will just make each portal lead to some other capital. That would make for some fun. :]

How fast we Predict the next plot point. We're all, myself included, so eager to see this great story move forward.

I'm more inclined to think that it's not going to be some spell cast upon the exits. I think it's a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_gaff . He wants to put on a bit of a show for when people are leaving, to spin the events and make people believe ...something... about whatever will have happened.

Of course, Portals are exits, so he might have meant "exits" literally or figuratively or both... bah. Too speculative. Guess I have to be patient and wait for Rob to tell the story.

or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache-sexe Possibly both combined with another version of a gaff. Triadic references are the norm.

Maybe over the next few updates, we'll get a lot more insight into what a Carnymancer is capable of. We have some basic theories behind what Carnymancy is (they rig the rules of the game), but nothing has been solidified. I don't even count Sylvia's tale. She was incapacitated during those castings, so the only way she'd know what happened to her is from what Jojo told her....so it's probably one big con.

[bladestorm]

Remember that Jojo came into the tunnel from the GK side, with all his spellcasting fresh. Carnymancers have to be the best at bombs.

Whoever goes back through the GK portal first will die. Or croak, as the case may be.

Or he already did it when he first encountered Parson in the tunnel. There was the swirl effect in the tunnel that brought up a lot of chatter about what it meant. That could have been the start of his gaff, swirling the exits and altering the natural signamancy of the portals. Everyone could be standing outside of the GK portal that has the signamancy of Spacerock's portal.

[Swodaems]

I'm also curious as to why the other Carnymancers seem to be supporting Charlie.

Because Wanda is breaking the rules of Croakamancy of course. Breaking rules is their territory, if I were in their shoes I might be pissed off too :p

And yet they seem to be talking about no one but Parson here. The words 'he' and 'him' are used alot in this page.

The sheer amount of Wanda ignoring going on is getting actually getting a bit odd. Sure, Parson makes for one hell of a distraction, but the tool wielding witch that scared Jojo's queen into a portal hasn't received the slightest mention since she came thru the portal. Wanda should be receiving a lot of attention here. She hasn't exactly been discrete with flashing those pliers around.

And I am still questioning why she is taking a back seats in affairs. She has been the Alpha-Bitch Witch for quite a while. (As far as I can tell, except for a few with her brother, she's been an active force in practically every other scene she's been in.) Considering the fact that, in book 1, a brain-damaged Wanda climbed a tower to blast her former lover in the face, I don't think simple shock over Ossomer's turning covers things. (If the turning itself caused a minor amount of the thread snapping type brain damage that Jillian's breaking of the spell caused, then something should have been said before now.)

On another note, Parson is a rather tall target surrounded by short people.

[MarbitChow]

And I am still questioning why she is taking a back seats in affairs. She has been the Alpha-Bitch Witch for quite a while. (As far as I can tell, except for a few with her brother, she's been an active force in practically every other scene she's been in.) Considering the fact that, in book 1, a brain-damaged Wanda climbed a tower to blast her former lover in the face, I don't think simple shock over Ossomer's turning covers things.

For the last 100+ turns, she's been surrounded by her fanatically loyal Decrypted army at all times. She's only got 5 units from her side here, no hope of reinforcements, and if the killing starts, she doesn't actually know for certain whether she'll be able to raise dead casters with their casting ability intact. She's highly exposed, and smart enough to know it. Not calling attention to herself seems like a completely rational reaction under the circumstances.

[arin]

Or JeffitChew will just make each portal lead to some other capital. That would make for some fun. :]

Does Charlescomm have a portal, I wonder?

And I don't know why the question never occurred to me until now, but can Charlie's Archons go through portals?

Also, where's Dick Tracy?

[Aquillion]

Remember that Jojo came into the tunnel from the GK side, with all his spellcasting fresh. Carnymancers have to be the best at bombs.

Whoever goes back through the GK portal first will die. Or croak, as the case may be.

Or he already did it when he first encountered Parson in the tunnel. There was the swirl effect in the tunnel that brought up a lot of chatter about what it meant. That could have been the start of his gaff, swirling the exits and altering the natural signamancy of the portals. Everyone could be standing outside of the GK portal that has the signamancy of Spacerock's portal.

No, because Jack and Wanda came out of it.

He's also indicating that Parson is likely to slip through his fingers. That implies to me that he's shifting targets, not that he has a backup plan to get Parson directly.

Possibility: What if, in response to Parson violating neutrality by entering Spacerock, he convinces a mob of other casters to storm Gobwin Knob and croak Stanley? Especially if they're backed up by Gobwins recruited by Charlie.

Taking Stanley in a straight fight seems like it would be hard -- the hammer makes him pretty buff. But with enough casters and gobwins, they could probably do it.

[Zeku]

In addition to the reasons given for Wanda's reticence.

Only a few minutes have passed since this year-long arc began, she might just not have something appropriately dramatic to say yet. We should give her a little credit for being smart enough to wait, and speak last.

Since she arrived in the Magic Kingdom from an enemy portal, the prohibitions from walking back through that portal may apply to her as well as Parson. One way only. So she needs the problem resolved as much as anyone.

[No one in particular]

Something to remember: Jojo is still feeling Janis' Flower Power, back from page 64.

So whatever gaff he's got planned, it's non-violent. Could still be juiced, though.