[Dutch]

Just thinking back on Gardens of the Moon in general, I suddenly started to wonder something.

When the fishergirl was taken by Shadowthrone and Cotillion she said "Prod and Pull". Has this anything to do with the Twins, eg the push and pull?

[Aptorian]

A quote with a little detail would help in clearing this up. At first glance it does look like it's connected with Oponn, but not in anyway directly like you're thinking. The Malazans just use those terms when talking abot fate and bad luck. Like the Lords push.

[Dutch]

It appears twice in the first chapter.

'Prod and pull,' the old woman was saying, "tis the way of the Empress, as like the gods themselves.' (Rigga the Wax Witch during the first sentences of Chapter one)

and later on

Ammanas spoke, and to the girl his words seemed to come from a great distance. 'She's ideal. The Empress could never track her down, could never even so much as guess.' He raised his voice. 'It's not so a bad thing, lass, to be the pawn of a god.'
'Prod and pull,' the fishergirl said quickly.
Cotillion hesitated at her strange comment, then he shrugged. (This is the part where I was referring too, I didn't knew of thee Twin Jesters of Fate aka Oponn at that moment so I didn't gave it as much of a thought back then)

It did become one of my favorite things to say/think when looking at certain things around me just like Jack O'Neills "You have got to be kidding me for crying out loud" from Stargate SG1

[Aptorian]

We know the waxwitch enters Apsalars body along with Cotillion, so that last comment could actually be the words of the witch.

[Dutch]

I had the same idea in the beginning, but later in the books when the real "Push and Pull" started I started wondering.

Looking at the reaction of Cotillion at first he might even almost been thinking that it sounded familiar to him.

[Aptorian]

So, what you're implying is that Oponn also had a stake in the choice of the fishergirl that became Sorry/Aps?

Any idea what this would be? It would seem that Oponn and Shadow were opponents in GotM.

[Dutch]

Not really implying, just wanted to know what others think of it.

Maybe I'm just seeing ghosts, I just had the idea that "Prod and pull" was kinda the same as "Push and pull"

Like the wax witch says 'Prod and pull, ... as like the Gods themselves' wich could be referring to Oponn in my opinion, I might be wrong on this one.

[Aptorian]

I don't think there's any secret meaning in it. It's just an observation that all the gods play their games and mortals are the pawns.

[Dutch]

That could be it yes.