# Key to the Universe

*The Urth list — 3 messages, 3 voices, 28 Mar 1998*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/453>

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### Kevin Taylor
*28 Mar 1998, 15:25*

hello.  Since I'm new to the list, I'll try and be brief; The thing I've always wondered about most in BotNS is to be found in Citadel, Chpt. XXXIV, p. 286-288 in which Severian recounts Master Malrubius' explanation of the cyclical nature of the universe: Why is that the first three paragraphs of this account repeat themselves on the next page, then suddenly veer off in a new direction?  I've always figured this to be a typo, but then again, it could be deliberate inconsistency.  Has this ever been discussed before?

Kevin

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### C R Culver
*29 Mar 1998, 01:25 · follows Kevin Taylor*

Kevin said:

> Since I'm new to the list, I'll try and be brief<

Don't bother; if everyone else rambles on and on about our inane topics, no
reason you can't either <g> Welcome to the list.

> Why is that the first three paragraphs of this account repeat themselves on
> the next page, then suddenly veer off in a new direction?  I've always figured
> this to be a typo, but then again, it could be deliberate inconsistency.<<

There are those among us here, mostly epopts of the BotNS, who use the 1994
Orb two-volume reissue. Can you provide the paragraph numbers of those of
which you are speaking?

Christopher R. Culver <crculver at aol.com>
http://members.aol.com/crculver/index.html

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### m.driussi
*29 Mar 1998, 03:51 · follows C R Culver*

Reply:  Item #2403193 from URTH at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET01#

Kevin,

Hello and welcome aboard!  To answer your question--I believe it is a
large typo that first (and last?) appeared in the original paperback
editions of THE CITADEL OF THE AUTARCH in chapter 34 (at least, that
is where I earlier found what you are talking about).  This typo does
not appear in SFBC hardcover editions, nor (I presume) in the Simon &
Schuster editions.

(FWIW I covered this in "Lexicon Urthus: Additions, Errata,
&cetera--Volume 2.")

=mantis=

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