Oh my GOD I'm so slow.

In rereading Borders of Infinity for the, what, 20th time? I finally picked up on some of the hidden meanings and innuendo. Like the line where Miles talks about being a fundamentalist about scriptures, and "uplifting" everyone?

I just got it.

I feel SO STUPID. Like you have no idea.

And you know, whenever I read this, I've always gotten the nagging feeling that there's one or two things I'm missing, but now I FINALLY GET IT. I feel like the rest of this reread is going to be one large round of me smacking myself over the head for not getting it earlier.

(But then again, this is why I love Bujold and Pratchett -- the thinky stuff that drives me to reread obsessively, because each reread just reveals more.)

ETA: I'm rereading it, and I really have no idea how I missed this. For some reason, I'd assumed Miles just convinced everyone from sheer force of will which ... actually makes no logical sense. I'd just always assumed Miles subverted people's logic and gotten them to obey him because he had some sort of aura.

But this! The secret messages he is sending! The double meanings! Things make so much more sense! How am I so stupid!