Syncope

[jbor at bigpond.com]

On 07/01/2006:

> vw #2: syncope - shortening a word by dropping a letter or syllable
>
> "...spending an intermission among the eventless corridors of 
> Syncope..."

Probably not the grammatical or musical denotation in the context:

syncope n. (Med.) temporary loss of consciousness from fall of blood 
pressure

http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/medical/syncope.htm

i.e. "had I been then taken for dead, whilst in fact" having just 
fainted due to "the final Bowl of Ale [...]"

Wicks is being a wiseguy but Pynchon is doing a bit of a riff on the 
Resurrection of Christ.

best