Subject: (urth) Appian's Proxy?

From: Rex Lycanthrosaurus <lycanthrosaurus at fastmail.fm>
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 18:45:43 +0000

When Severian goes to Yesod, he designates his wife Valeria to be his
proxy, and she is even given the title of Autarchia. Apart from Ymar,
she is probably the only person in a thousand years to occupy the
Phoenix Throne without first taking the alzabo-laden derivative that
contains all the memories of the previous autarchs. Or is she? After
all, the autarch who is Severian's predecessor (and whose name never
actually appears in either tBotNS or its sequel) also undertakes the
same journey. But who is it that rules in his absence? And do we have
any sense how long the former honey-steward is absent from Urth? Or at
what stage in his own reign he leaves? Severian waits a decade before he
journeys out and does not return for forty years. But surely his
predecessor is not gone for a similar amount of time.

I ask this because there's a passage in _Urth_ where Severian writes
"...I would now be permitted to reclaim the Phoenix Throne, as I had in
the person of my predecessor" (XXIII, 4th paragraph from the end). But
who is Appian reclaiming the throne from? Who has been his acting proxy
or regent? 
-- 
  Rex Lycanthrosaurus
  lycanthrosaurus at fastmail.fm

-- 
http://www.fastmail.fm - Send your email first class

---

From: b sharp <bsharporflat at hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 03:27:20 +0000

Regarding Appian, Rex asks:

>who is it that rules in his absence? And do we have any sense how long the 
>former honey->steward is absent from Urth? Or at what stage in his own 
>reign he leaves? Severian waits a decade >before he journeys out and does 
>not return for forty years. But surely his predecessor is not gone >for a 
>similar amount of time.

I don't think Wolfe intends to be clear on these issues.  To even try to 
answer them I am drawn to the scene where Severian meets Appian in the House 
Absolute.  Severian wants to go to "the garden". Appian misunderstands and 
says, "I will show you the way to the Garden, though I am by no means sure 
you will be permitted to enter". Appian pulls out his mirror book, shows 
Tzadkiel to Severian and says, "Go if you dare".

The Garden..hm..more Genesis allusions?  Anyway I always took this to mean 
that Appian used that book to travel to Yesod and take his test.  No need 
for a proxy ruler. He could have been there and back in hours (returned in 
altered form, unfortunately).  Anyway, in Urth, Tzadkiel makes it clear 
Appian's test was a boondoggle intended only to help Severian, through 
acquired memory, later. (though I don't see how it did help Severian).  So I 
think there was no need for 10 years of preparation or a long voyage through 
space for Appian's trip.  If someone has to lose his manhood, best it be 
done quickly as possible, yes?

-bsharp

---

From: Roy C. Lackey <rclackey at stic.net>
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 05:42:47 +0000

Rex Lycanthrosaurus wrote:
>proxy, and she is even given the title of Autarchia.

Not so. He left Inire in charge. (URTH, 239, chapter XXXIV, 3rd paragraph)

>same journey. But who is it that rules in his absence?

I assume that it was also Inire.

>And do we have

He need not have been gone any significant amount of time at all, what with
time travel involved, and apparently wasn't. He evidently went to Yesod
shortly before Severian was born. See CITADEL, chapter XXIV, about three
pages in. Sev was gone from Urth for forty years only because the
Hierogrammates deliberately returned him to Typhon's era to establish the
Conciliator legend. That, and the fact that Sev wasn't very adept at using
the Corridors of Time.

-Roy