Was Thom's letter a code?

[Erika 4]

People are known to use ciphers in the series. Thom mentions how he can tell if one is being used even if he can't decode it. When Mat finally asks him about the letter, Thom calls it a 'puzzle'. Moiraine's letter has always sounded funny to me. Now, I do not know what the hidden message would be. It could be hints to the Snakes and Foxes or just 'I love you' or nothing at all But it is interesting to think that maybe she hide something else in there.

Edited May 30, 2010 by Erika Sedai

[Kaitlin 22]

I have kind of tried to figure it out from the letter since we got to see it. It does seem odd that she would write something so lovey dovey to Thom. Maybe she was feeling that way or maybe it was a hint to him to search the letter more. Have you found anything?

[Marie 73]

I know what the code is.

 

Thom. Min told me we were going to get married and have 2.5 kids. I want to name our son Everett. Also, my favorite color is purple.

 

I sometimes joke, you know to myself, that that whole conversation they had in Tear was actually in Cairhienin so although it sounded like they were saying "A" they were really saying "A + B with a little C". Otherwise, I am at a loss to explain love letter feelings.

[jan 14]

Code would be a satisfactory explanation for that letter!

[Erika 4]

I have kind of tried to figure it out from the letter since we got to see it. It does seem odd that she would write something so lovey dovey to Thom. Maybe she was feeling that way or maybe it was a hint to him to search the letter more. Have you found anything?

No. I have tried a few different decodings, including the obvious Caeser cipher, but to no avail. The problem is Mr. Jordan "translates" the series for us so even if there is a code, it might not be possible to decipher in Earth languages. Or he could just say "here is the code" and we could not prove him wrong.

 

Perhaps once Moiraine is rescued it will be easier to see if there really were hidden meanings or if Thom really is just mooning over her letter.

[Kaitlin 22]

It must have been hard balancing between giving away too much information about going to the Tower and not giving enough to prepare them.

 

Here, the letter:

 

My dearest Thom,

 

There are many words I would like to write to you, words from my heart, but I have put this off because I knew that I must, and now there is little time. There are many things I cannot tell you lest I bring disaster, but what I can, I will. Heed carefully what I say. In a short while I will go down to the docks, and there I will confront Lanfear. How can I know that? That secret belongs to others. Suffice it that I know, and let that foreknowledge stand as proof for the rest of what I say.

 

When you receive this, you will be told that I am dead. All will believe that. I am not dead, and it may be that I shall live to my appointed years. It also may be that you and Mat Cauthon and another, a man I do not know, will try to rescue me. May, I say, because it may be that you will not or cannot, or because Mat may refuse. He does not hold me in the affection you seem to, and he has his reasons which he no doubt thinks are good. If you try, it must be only you and Mat and one other. More will mean death for all. Fewer will mean death for all. Even if you come only with Mat and one other, death also may come. I have seen you try and die, one or two or all three. I have seen myself die in the attempt. I have seen all of us live and die as captives. Should you decide to make the attempt anyway, young Mat knows the way to find me, yet you must not show him this letter until he asks about it. That is of the utmost importance. He must know nothing that is in this letter until he asks. Events must play out in certain ways, whatever the costs.

 

If you see Lan again, tell him that all of this is for the best. His destiny follows a different path from mine. I wish him all happiness with Nynaeve.

 

A final point. Remember what you know about the game of Snakes and Foxes. Remember, and heed. It is time, and I must do what must be done.

 

May the Light illumine you and give you joy, my dearest Thom, whether or not we ever see one another again. Moiraine

 

She says that she has seen them live and die as captives. What would the Finn want with captives? Just people to drain memory or emotion from until there's nothing left?

[AshSnow 0]

"A final point. Remember what you know about the game of Snakes and Foxes. Remember, and heed.". Well there's a clue/mystery in and of it's self.

No idea about the "decoding" of the message I'm afraid.

 

If I recall right, you can not win and snakes or foxes right? (But you can lose?) So this is a foreshadowing of some sort of riddle or puzzle/problem they will face once they get there? Somehow the game must have been based off them by someone.

I also remember Mat saying (I think it was him) the only way to win at that game was to cheat. So they will have to cheat at something later on in the tower. Hopefully Mat's Tavern luck will help him with this "chance". And everyone lives!

 

Maybe this was already obvious to everyone else, but I just noticed, lol. Then again it feels ages since I read WoT.

Edited June 11, 2010 by AshSnow

[Olivia 26]

Yeah, the rhyme chanted before the game also links up with the questions the Finn ask ppl who visit them; IIRC, "fire to blind, music to dazzle, iron to bind"; no iron, instruments of music, or devices for making fire are allowed by the Finn... which is why Thom's music and Aludra's matches are important. (I didn't come up with this, other fans did years ago.)

 

RJ was insane about connecting the threads in the books @.@ Some background character is mentioned in book 2 and then she ends up marrying one of the main characters 9 books later... so you just know something you thought was only a child's rhyme or a crazy lady's invention is going to end up being crucial.

[Vertex 23]

RJ was insane about connecting the threads in the books @.@ Some background character is mentioned in book 2 and then she ends up marrying one of the main characters 9 books later... so you just know something you thought was only a child's rhyme or a crazy lady's invention is going to end up being crucial.

 

That is kinda fancy...though, after all those millions of words, perhaps it is impossible to name and describe a character that has not appeared somewhere before?

[Deadsy 19]

What would the Finn want with captives? Just people to drain memory or emotion from until there's nothing left?

 

 

Ya. They practically started drooling when Mat entered. Humans are like drugs to them.

 

 

To someone above, their mutual attraction has seemed there from the start for me. Moiraine actually laughs and claps at him before they cross the river in EOTW. She hardly ever laughs at anything.

[Kesiera 0]

I laugh all the time.

 

 

And yes, there is a code.

 

 

No, I will tell you what it is.

 

 

See? I'm laughing.