To some extent, the cultural-fictional references serve the same function as the hermeneutical codes. I reserved this section for those references which recur later in the novel or are otherwise mysteries.
Case whipped his arm sideways. This is more of a temporary mystery—why is he whipping his arm? To throw coffee at Armitage? Why is he throwing his coffee at Armitage? This one’s harder to answer. Maybe he doesn’t trust him. It’s also possible he’s testing him in some way.
Screaming Fist. This is only the first reference to an operation and a story that figures heavily in Armitage’s background. The summary description he offers is far from complete, and details continue to emerge until the end of the novel.
