V-2nd - Conclusion - questions

[Michael Bailey]

so who's the Mom?

now remember, back in Florence, in April of 1899, the timing was such
that one might construct a scenario wherein Stencil fathered young
Stencil upon V.

Remember page 202:
Demivolt: "A girl, a young English girl.  Has him locked in.  She just told us."

Stencil: "Go check it out, then."

Demivolt: "Don't you want to see her?"

Stencil: "Pretty?"
Demivolt: "Rather."  (not "Rather!" as in ravishing, but "Rather" as
in not bad...I am not among those who fault Pynchon's ear...I can hear
a lot of his dialogue rather trippingly...of course I'm no goldenear
myself probably)

Stencil: "No, then.  Things are bad enough as it is, if you see my
point.  I'll leave her to you, Demivolt."

Demivolt: "Bravo, Sidney.  Dedicated to duty, aren't you.  St. George
and no quarter.  I say.  Well, I'm off, then. Don't say I didn't give
you first chance."

Stencil smiled.  "You're acting like a chorus boy.  Perhaps I will see
her.  Later, when you're done."

-- now at this juncture, why does he suggest this?  If he is upright
Sidney, it is to remind his subordinate that he might follow up to see
the girl is not molested.  If he is sleazy Sidney, it might be that
Demivolt's raillery has challenged him in the cocksmanship department.
--

either way, the door is left open: Stencil might indeed see Victoria
Wren, and seeing, touch; and touching, couple; and, coupling, engender
young Herbert,
eh wot?

moving on:

Demivolt smiled woefully. "It makes the Situation halfway tolerable, you know."
And bounded sadly back out the door.

--- hmm, what exactly makes the Situation halfway tolerable, you know?
if Demivolt is dirty Demivolt, what makes the Situation halfway
tolerable is the chance to tup a rather pretty young English girl.
But if he is diplomat Demivolt, what makes the Situation halfway
tolerable is the chance to interrogate Godolphin and clear up some of
the mystery ---


now, the "picture Stencil had formed of [Godolphin] father and son as
cunning arch-professionals" (204) is strikingly at odds with what we
see of them.

The picture I begin to form of Stencil is of a bungling boss rather
like Michael in The Office...

but anyway...

here's another bit of evidence:
(205) (Stencil throwing penholders at the picture of the Minister)
"Before the girl arrives the old bastard should look like a blooming
hedgehog."

so he does seem to think that the girl will in fact arrive...


However, I will now present the opposing case:
V. is next glimpsed meeting up with young Godolphin; and then watching
the rioting with the comb in her hair as Evan and his father leave.
How could she recover so quickly from Sidney?  Perhaps she could, but
wouldn't paternity be in question considering the plethora of possible
partners?

if she had borne Stencil's son, what kind of arrangements would've had
to've been made for Herbert in 1919 to be "eighteen" (>9 months
pregnancy) and "helling it all about the dear old [British] isles"?

Even if Stencil and she did hook up, would V. not terminate any
pregnancy at that stage in her life?  She's saving for a millinery
shop, remember. She's had 4 affairs already without feeling the need
to reproduce.


so at this point, unless further evidence comes to light, I think
Sidney is posted back to London after Florence, meets and marries
Herbert's mother, who gives birth to Herbert in 1900, but late enough
in the year that he can still be 18 in the winter of (early) 1919.