"There's no higher payment that can be made."

[Sam]

Uh 1 but we get 3 weeks to read to our goal, but don't worry 'bout it we get 2 weeks off starting next wee and I WILL read the next 2 at least. GTG. BYE.

~Hifun55~
"So," Harry said, "so does that mean that... that one of us has to kill the other one... in the end?" -HP year 5

[Rysade]

Man. This is a really tough nut to crack. The term 'Lifeprice' implies a very specific definition.

One could therefore assume that whatever price is higher will also have a specific definition.

Yet all we can come up with is: "It must be something bad."

Now we can add on: "A human like you or I would not be able to pay it." 'Human' is Probably a term used to refer to mortals, wizards and non-wizards alike. I assume that if a human cannot do it, a Rirhait cannot as well. This leaves things lesser than human and greater than human. I'll admit that things lesser than human is rather unlikely, and I would just rule it out, but that kind of reasoning is just what a wily statement like DD just made is designed to bypass. Therefore, we should leave all our options open. That way when we find out we were wrong, we can say, "Well, we DID think of that, but didn't figure it was likely."

Anyhow. Lists of things greater than human, anybody? I'm running a little short on time.

--Dai Stihó

Bright
Bishie
'Mancer
Foam Poet

[Birdhead]

Hmm. I disagree. I think what DD said does not imply that a human being cannot pay it: but that they may not be able to, and that this wopuld noit neccesarily apply to all species. I've been thinking about this, and I'm currently favouring the Very Unpleasant Idea offered by my friend. I think it's also been mentioned here. But to recap: it's the idea that the highest price is giving up everything. Not just life, but soul, too, all of your "self." Which would also mean giving up Timeheart. I don't like this because I don't think it's particularly in character with the rest of the series, but it's useful here because of the way I'm thinking.

If that is the price referred to, then a human being could pay it. But here's the thing: humans are wired for self. Obviously we overcome it, but the idea of simply not going on after death, the idea of their not being a heaven or something like that, is intrinsically awful to humans. That's the base reason for religion: it's the promise that there is continued existence after death. I think it would be incredibly, unbelievably difficult for a human to give up: I might even say near impossible. But it could happen. As for the other species thing: I see that as more that different species view life, and death, in different ways. It's conceivable that others may not have our problmes/insecurity, if you live, in that area.


Yeah. Just my ideas...
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

[Rysade]

That was very complete.

...and it completely blew my idea away. I will have to think about this when less tired.

--Dai Stihó

Bright
Bishie
'Mancer
Foam Poet

[KsSk8er]

Birdhead-- I don't think that they would have to give up timeheart-- that is like the only place that does not have the Lone Power in it, so y would they give that up to bind him....wait.. I dunno. Maybe. But Timeheart is a plce where things that are loved are preserved.. and the Lone Power doesnt understand love. But I agree what you are saying about the they cant be human thing- they have almost like more than humanyea-....
LL

~*KsSk8er*~
"I had a dream I was playing quidditch, whadya think that means??" "Probly that ur gonna be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something" HP5
Dai Stiho

[KsSk8er]

This is really confusing....but I think ur right about --Why Nita??-- Kit did do the spell n Nita only gave him her powers to do it and she tried to talk him out of it. And Ed couldnt have anything to do with a blank check wizardry because he isnt a wizard....so why would nita have to die then?? And not kit?? Maybe they make up the blank check wizardry in a future book.... but I doubt that because many books were writtem after that already and nothing seemed to make up the blank check wizardry.. but maybe Ed made that up because he was a loss because he was loved by Nita otherwise he wouldnt have made it to Timeheart.
Just some ideas, just me thinking aloud.
LL

~*KsSk8er*~
"I had a dream I was playing quidditch, whadya think that means??" "Probly that ur gonna be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something" HP5
Dai Stiho

No, I was looking at it yesterday. Nita didn't want to do the spell as much, but she did it along w/ Kit. Also, in DW, I remember Nita looks through all the blank check spells paid for in NY area in the end, and it says...hold on, lemme get my book..."paid by willing substitution." So Ed did pay for their wizardry, and although it did seem to be a loss for Nita, I don't think that was the point.

-Emilie
(note: That's EmilIE, it's NOT Emily,NOT Emilia, NOT Amelia, or Emile! It's EMILIE, a cool name, and it has this IE after it which you WILL WILL WILL USE)

[KsSk8er]

oo ok. Oh yeah!! By the way, greetings Emilie. I'm half newbie too!! And theyre all right. Everone is insane here, including me. and watch out for PK, PK can be evil (just kidding) T aka birdhead, spelling feak and typo queen-- You didnt give ME a newbie pack!! Oh yeah probably because I first met you in the chatroom, but still!! Anyway.... u are right, it did say that in the book about the blankcheck spell being paid. ok
LL
aka

~*KsSk8er*~
"I had a dream I was playing quidditch, whadya think that means??" "Probly that ur gonna be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something" HP5
Dai Stiho

[Birdhead]

Wasn't the Moebius spell Nita's idea to start with? *wants a copy of SYWTBAW* sk8rgirl- I'll get you one sometime, in Chatter. I just don't do newbie packs in the on-topic forums because then they get off-topic... (hey, Could you say "and" instead of "n", etc? It just makes it so much more pleasant to read... )

Dave: I dunno. I'd be interested.. as I said, I don't really like that concept of the highest price, because it's not in keeping with the rest of the books and the idea that, ultimately, Timeheart is Everything, and that what's loved survives.
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

No, I'm pretty sure it was all Kit...*checks book* Yup, Nita was talking about how they couldn't do any spell like that cuz of lack of materials and stuff...

-Emilie
(note: That's EmilIE, it's NOT Emily,NOT Emilia, NOT Amelia, or Emile! It's EMILIE, a cool name, and it has this IE after it which you WILL WILL WILL USE)

[Birdhead]

*meanwhile, I go to the library and re-read SYWTBAW* You're quite right... Nita had about an equal involvement in the spell as Kit. I guess it was just her, rather than Kit, because she volunteered first.
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

[CelticFlame]

My thoughts. (or prophecy)

Now I haven't had a chance to read through what everyone thought, but:

It's nothing anyone had mentioned, but someone touched on the edge of it.

It is something none of us even imagined.

We will find out in Wizards at War.

Carl has witnessed, been part of such a payment.

I really want to know!

[Birdhead]

But will we find out in War? *is still thinking about this when she has spare time*

"We are philosophical geniuses [sic] who will one day rule the world!"
--Agent M
Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha, Ahahahaha!

[Fairy Hedgehog]

This is rather cynical, but I wondered if DD had a particular idea in mind when she wrote this, or if it was intended to be left open to interpretation. In a way, it seems more powerful to me to be left vague, so that we each have our own ideas of what a 'higher price than life' is.

I'd always seen it as the willing giving up of access to Timeheart, because within the book's universe I can't think of anything more terrible. But the idea of being trapped in a wizardry has a certain appeal, too. (I hadn't thought of that one.)

[greycardigan]

I think he's referring to what Ed did, to make himself a substitute for Nita and take the part of the Silent Lord instead of the Pale Slayer. To die instead of be the instrument of Death. No greater price can be paid than that. Again, DW echoes a lot of Judeo-Christian themes. I found it a wonderful read.

I am on errantry and I greet you. Dai!