Subject: (urth) Narrative reliability in the Sun Cycle

From: Don Doggett <harlekin at earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 05:21:41 +0000

There is none. :)  But seriously folks, I just flew in from Green (Lune) and
boy are my arms tired.  Da Da.  Okay, honestly seriously this time, I've
been looking through the last several posts and there is nothing to convince
me to abandon my position on Blue as Ushas.  The thirty years bits all refer
to things that have happened inside the Whorl and they all hinge on one
idea, namely that Quetzal somehow entered the Whorl from Green or Blue
thirty years ago.  An easy way around that is to say that Quetzal has been
on the Whorl from the start.  Nowhere, to the best of my knowledge, is the
lifespan of an Inhumu given in the text.  For goodness sake, Jahlee was
buried underground for months without nourishment (very plant like if you
ask me, which you didn't) so they're obviously very hardy.  Likewise, there
is nothing that I have said to convince someone who wants to believe
otherwise.  That, I'm realizing, is the beauty of these books.  Severian is
a liar.  Everything in the Book of the Long Sun is written by Horn and
Nettle, so even Silk's experiences are at best second hand information.
Short Sun is even worse: thenarrator doesn't even know his own identity and
then the last third of the book is second hand information!  Good fishing
indeed!  I've had my two cents on the issue and I remain convinced that my
theories can at least survive this maelstrom.  And I'm appreciative that
people find them worth responding to.  I'm done with arguing Blue as Ushas,
at least until I reread LS and SS thoroughly.  But I'll be back, oh yes.
I'll leave you all with this question:  Do you think the people of New Viron
cook their (Jan) Hus on a spit over an open flame?  "Good King Wenceslas da
da, la la, something something"

Don

"Wherever you go," said the Patriarch, "I'm convinced you'll come to no
good.  So remember, when you get into trouble, I absolutely forbid you to
say that you are my disciple.  If you give a hint of any such thing I shall
flay you alive, break all your bones, and banish your soul to the Place of
Ninefold Darkness, where it will remain for ten thousan aeons."  "I
certainly won't venture to say a word about you," promised Monkey.  "I'll
say I found it all out for myself."

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