Jerry Katsell suggested that 'there’s more than a hint that Shade may be thinking, consciously or otherwise, with VN at his shoulder, in Russo-zemblanglish in these instances: “Glas” in medieval, church Russian is voice (still a productive stem, i.e., “glasnost’”=public voice, or publicity); so, heartland, true, Moscovy, puddle-tinkling, whooping, coughing, gasping, excited voices, or glas-es.“Versipel,” vers[e] i pel, could be translated, in macaronic Zemblanglish, as “he sang verse,” which equals “that odd muse of mine”.'

But...did he intend to adopt the theory that both characters, Shade and Kinbote, are the one when he added: "Shade’s connection to the family name Lukin comes from the Russian “luk” which means “arrow” [bow] or “onion”. Maybe someone can do something with that! Onion domes anyone?'

While copying down Kinbote's first and last words I felt that more than his having "VN at his shoulder" (?).
I could hear VN himself - at his utmost Protean - and hugely enjoying his contradictory historic, world-game, linguistic clues about his character's "singularites" in PF...

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