VLVL(4)(cc) Eyeball Permutations and Who's talking to whom?

[Mary Krimmel]

At 08:05 AM 9/3/03 -0700, you wrote:
>"They were having one of those four-member eyeball permutations that finally
>nominated Blood as the one to talk to Zoyd."  (VL, Ch. 4, p. 44)  Classic
>phrasing by Mr. Pynchon.

The conversation in the next four paragraphs confuses me.
      "This is somethin' about Hector again, right?"  seems to be Zoyd 
speaking to all four.

      "We heard he was back," Blood said, "but this ain't him, Blood, it's, 
uh, somebody else. And me and my partner were just wondering if you were 
planning to sleep on the base tonight?"

      We read "Blood said", but we hear Blood directly addressed. Is he 
quoting someone he heard from? Whom? The "you" seems to be Zoyd, but also 
seems to be Blood, who had heard this warning more than once. Which? Both?

    "Well shit. If it i'n' Hector, then who is it?" Is this Zoyd asking 
Blood or Blood asking someone else who is not here at this time and who 
told Blood about somebody else - a different else?

    Then Vato came over. But wasn't he already close enough to have an 
eyeball permutation? So is it Blood who says "They're federal, Vato... " or 
is it that earlier somebody else who is not identified?

Probably this isn't important, but can anyone straighten me out? Thanks.

Mary Krimmel