# Malrubius

*The Urth list — 2 messages, 2 voices, 16 Oct 1998*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/1203>

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### Robert Borski
*16 Oct 1998, 20:42*

When Severian's cabin aboard the Quasar is broken into by Idas and
plundered, Sev has only one big worry: "Whatever he had sought, I had
possessed only one treasure: the letter Master Malrubius had given me,
identifying me as the legitimate Autarch of Urth." (URTH, p.42) 

Malrubius, being dead of course, he means the aquastared version of
Malrubius, as Idas later confirms ("Your letter, the one that the aquastars
of Urth gave you for the Hierogrammate...")

But hold on a second here. How is it that an aquastar, and of Malrubius no
less, has this much cachet with a grand Pooh Bah of Briah? Aren't aquastars
true to the memories held of them? And if they are, why would the
Hierogrammate find a letter from Malrubius--a dead Master of the
Torturers--more compelling and legitimate than one from, say, Father Inire?
Or does the Hierodule animating machine put a little of itself into each
aquastar--kind of a secret sharer, co-intelligence (in which case a letter
from Triskele would have as much value as one from Malrubius)? I have my
theories, of course; but rather than be laughed off this list once more
time, I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts first.

Oh yeah. While I'm talking about aquastars, Miles is one.

Robert Borski

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### Alex David Groce
*17 Oct 1998, 12:53 · follows Robert Borski*

Perhaps, since they reflect Severian's ideas of the person, it's a circular
proof--because Severian feels that Malrubius would certify him as autarch, that
seals his autarch-hood--after all, the autarch is the "self-ruler".  Perhaps
only someone who's used the phallus and gained the memories can conceive of an
aquastor (especially a mentor such as Mal.) as viewing him as the proper
autarch?

> On Oct 16,  8:42pm, Robert Borski wrote:
> Subject: (urth) Malrubius
> When Severian's cabin aboard the Quasar is broken into by Idas and
> plundered, Sev has only one big worry: "Whatever he had sought, I had
> possessed only one treasure: the letter Master Malrubius had given me,
> identifying me as the legitimate Autarch of Urth." (URTH, p.42) 
> 
> Malrubius, being dead of course, he means the aquastared version of
> Malrubius, as Idas later confirms ("Your letter, the one that the aquastars
> of Urth gave you for the Hierogrammate...")
> 
> But hold on a second here. How is it that an aquastar, and of Malrubius no
> less, has this much cachet with a grand Pooh Bah of Briah? Aren't aquastars
> true to the memories held of them? And if they are, why would the
> Hierogrammate find a letter from Malrubius--a dead Master of the
> Torturers--more compelling and legitimate than one from, say, Father Inire?
> Or does the Hierodule animating machine put a little of itself into each
> aquastar--kind of a secret sharer, co-intelligence (in which case a letter
> from Triskele would have as much value as one from Malrubius)? I have my
> theories, of course; but rather than be laughed off this list once more
> time, I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts first.
> 
> Oh yeah. While I'm talking about aquastars, Miles is one.
> 
> Robert Borski

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