> However, I still can't figure out how to get the author-shorten 
> variable to yield true if there is more than one node in the 
> bib:grouping-key(.) group AND the node in question is not the 
> first in 
> the group.  So, it'd yield false if there is only one node in 
> an author 
> group, or if it's the first in a multiple node group.  Help?


Assuming $NiQ is a member of current-group(), then you only need to test
"$NiQ is not the first in the group", because that implies that there is
more than one node in the group. So:

test="not($NiQ is current-group()[1])


Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/