Reply: Item #2152520 from URTH at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET02#
Xury,
Re: motives for Hildegrin attacking Apu-Punchau. We have to guess.
He claims to Severian that they're going to contact Apu-Punchau in order to recruit him for Vodalus et al. But then he seems to attack him, which makes it look as though the plan is really to nip the whole "New Sun" notion in the earliest bud by assassinating Apu-Punchau. Or cutting the helpline link between unaware Severian and Apu-Punchau (this sees Apu-Punchau as an active player on the team against Abaia, Erebus, and Co.).
Hildegrin appears to be surprised to see Severian out in the Stone Town, suggesting that Severian's presence wasn't a required part of the plan.
Hildegrin claims that it is all his idea, and that since he has done three big favors for the Cumaean she is obligated to help him in this quest. The reason why he disappears is that he was grappling with Apu-Puncau when Severian got too close, causing Apu-Punchau to implode and either take Hildegrin with him or propell Hildegrin into the Dawn Age. (Maybe Hildegrin woke up in our Earth and became Pizarro? Inti, aka Apu-Punchau, was said to have visited his people periodically but was not on hand when the conquistadors came along--perhaps in the Wolfe-version we can see why; he has been assassinated by Hildegrin [actually by Severian] in the Age of the Autarch.)
Anywho, that gets pretty wooly pretty quickly. The motives are a bit more straightforward. (The Cumaean knows what will happen and sells Hildegrin the rope to hang himself, as it were.)
=mantis=