Talk:Imtebos

what does "you pays your money.." mean? WTH?--Beligaronia 03:53, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Ah.

Take a close look at page 116 of the Corgi paperback edition: if you have any other version, it's the scene in the throneroom where the newly-minted Pharoah Pteppic is sitting in judgement on the realm and adjudicating the land dispute between this prince, and the farmer Ptorne.

Just before Dios interprets the judgement of the King in line with long-established custom and tradiotion, Pteppic tries to get in with what he thinks is the definitive judgment. In the space of a single line, he refers to "Prince Imbetos" and "Imtebos". As this is the one and only occassion on which this character is named, and two variant anmes are given, we have an ambiguity creeping in. It could be held that as this is the one and only appearance of this non-speaking character and he's only there to advance the plot, it may not matter too much.

Hence the line out of Dibbler-speak: You pays your money and you takes your choice, as in They're all the same, guv'nor.

This has happened before: In Dark Side of the Sun, there is a similar confusion re. precise spelling of the principal character's name, Dom Sabalos/Salabos. (See here). At least here in Pyramids, it's a very minor person!

Note it didn't seem really very much worthwhile to open a new entry under "Imtebos. --AgProv 08:27, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

It's not until p.154 of my Corgi pb, and it's Imtebos 2, Imbetos 0.--Old Dickens 00:56, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

I'll confirm it later when the book's available, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my copy of Pyramids is a first-or-second edition paperback from 1989: if any bugs or typos crept into the ms that had to be corrected in later editions, they're most likely to be here. --AgProv 08:43, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes, mine is the first edition paperback from 1989, (bought in rural Norfolk in around 1991) which possibly explains many things in this context. Interesting a later reprint by the same publishers moves the crucial scene to page 156 - is it bigger print or something? The technical blurb for the 1989 print is set in 10/11 pt English Times by Busby Typesetting, Exeter. --AgProv 19:08, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

The newer one is set in "11/13 Compugraphic English Times" (in Singapore!) I suspect it's also a smaller format; it's 380 pages altogether. --Old Dickens 21:54, 6 August 2008 (UTC)