Quote from: pauljholden on 26 September, 2011, 09:16:25 AMSPOILER follows: At the end of Jess's life, her soul is reincarnated as Richard Thyme - the Mathematician.so...he's been trying to get off with himself all the time? pass the anadin.
SPOILER follows: At the end of Jess's life, her soul is reincarnated as Richard Thyme - the Mathematician.
Hmm. I reread Numbercruncher in full the other night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't think there is anything wrong with your presentation of the last page PJ. What you've said is exactly what I thought was happening. My problem with it was why? I couldn't figure out what good that did. A day or so later, the following occured to me. Feel free to correct it if you like. In his final incarnation, where he will have no knowledge of his past lives, the mathematician sends himself back as the hippy Allmother chick. Having already ensured that she will get to live a life free of sin, he is then ultimately released from whatever the deal was about that. Finally, he arranges for Jessica to come back as him so that ultimately she will also be the Allmother and they will both be freed from the wheel of Karma together. Or it's a paradox and their love really was the expression of one soul living in two bodies, but that's a bit soppy.