{original post unavailable}

Well I wouldn't consider the story with Mr. sebastian to be a
wedding like scene (unless you go to some different sorts of weddings
than I've ever been to), and the fruit scene (with Sinclair, not
Sheridan) was primarily a rebirth ceremony, so again, I think the
"pattern" is perceptual.

"...can we settle on the fact that the shadows are "bad" or at
least completely and utterly selfish?"

You're putting human motivations on an *extremely* alien
culture, which may have its own reasons for doing what it's doing.
(Actually, *everyone* has their reasons for doing what they're doing,
even the Nazis used the argument of Lebensraum, living space, to
justify their actions.) So I won't say we can settle on this, no.

Thanks....

jms