[Aarchaeus]

"Rod Steiger's dream journal?" Referencing Rod's title-role performance in "The Illustrated Man", mayhap? If so, brilliantly arcane.....:)

That's what I figured it referred to. And yes, "brilliantly arcane" is a very good description.

[GRANGER]

He is probably only one of seven people in the U.S. who know about "Pliny the Elder."

[Salamander]

It's also my favorite type of "wit".

That's what I love about Miller.

As soon as I read that I envisioned Steiger sleeping fitfully; the young man staring with ever-increasing horror and fascination as Steiger's tattoos writhed with a fire-lit life of their own.

Perfect imagery....:)