  If we posit the validity of the consistency relations, the tensor spectral
index and the relative amplitude of the scalar and tensor power spectra are
both fixed by a single slow roll parameter. The physics of the
protoinflationary transition can break explicitly the consistency relations
causing a reduction of the inflationary curvature scale in comparison with the
conventional lore. After a critical scrutiny, we argue that the inflationary
curvature scale, the total number of inflationary efolds and, ultimately, the
excursion of the inflaton across its Planckian boundary are all characterized
by a computable theoretical error. While these considerations ease some of the
tensions between the Bicep2 data and the other satellite observations, they
also demand an improved understanding of the protoinflationary transition whose
physical features may be assessed, in the future, through a complete analysis
of the spectral properties of the B mode autocorrelations.
