Dear Sinclair Cousins,
Janet Thomas asked about the two Sinclair crests I used in the first
Adept book: the phoenix and the Maltese cross with stars--which Niven
rightly identified as to particular family connections. I found them
in Fairbairn's book on crests, which is where you can find
illustrations of both.
Fortunately, crests, unlike coats of arms, are not unique to any one
individual, though crests do often indicate family groupings, so I
felt free to choose one I liked for my Sinclair character--and the
phoenix seemed particularly suitable, given Adam's Sinclair lineage
and his past lives. I personally liked the Maltese cross and stars,
because of the suggestion of a Templar connection with the cross; but
the phoenix, I thought, was even more apt. Mottoes are similarly
interchangeable; thus, my choice of Adam's family motto. Thus do
novelists' minds work when convoluting a story. :-)
Regards,
Katherine in Ireland
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