I have posted an attempted at diagramming a braid in a comment above, it might help. (Braids are hard to understand, partly because so much of it is generational.)

And OMG, I own some Gardner novels that I have never read! Because nobody ever told me they had polyamory and other awesomeness in them! I will have to bump them up the list.

Also if you haven't read them yet, I think you *really* ought to read the Tale of the Five books! Luckly I am planning on posting more about them soon. ^_^ )