Faterh Inire Theor cont.

I like this comparison. House Absolute is surely mostly a palace, rather than a castle or government building. Still we must remember that what we plebians consider useless, the aristocrats might find essential. We don't house Obama in a utilitarian split-level ranch with two car garage ;- ). The ornaments serve their purpose, in that sub-culture. We see them duplicated in so many other palaces, so they must.

Good observations also. The Versailles palace is built up on a hill while House Absolute seems to be built beneath a flat area of ground, suitable for gardens and theaters and meandering streams.

Well, I suppose we can't know for sure if Versailles has such secrets. Also I think it is important to not take the extension of House Absolute to Nessus as a literal, physical reality. We have suggestions that certain parts of Nessus extend to House Absolute but these are special places like the Library, the Art Gallery and the House Azure. I suspect the Botanic Garden has a similar connection as it also is associated in some manner with Father Inire and the Autarchy. I don't think we are meant to think decrepit old Rudesind walked roughly the same distance underground that Severian travelled above ground from the Citadel to House Absolute. Severian seems surprised to find him there, anyway. For me, some sort of transporter device is implied to connect portions of these two locations. Thus the purpose of all the text speculation on how the khaibit prostitutes manage to get to Nessus and back so quickly and without carrying baggage.

The White House has numerous tunnels giving underground access to the property, and so it would be unusual for there to be no access between the age-old seat of government and the "Old Port". As for dainty prostitutes and decrepit curators making the trip, there could be any number of conveyances from ancient golf carts, Typhonian boats, a literal underground railroad, all the way up to one of Inire's time tunnels. Which there might well be, perhaps disguised as part of the Botanic Gardens.

Okay, but do they take weeks or months of walking to traverse? A bit unwieldy.

We also see a portal in Tzadkiel's ship. Severian notes that it resembles those of Father Inire but is superior in quality. Why walk or ride a golf cart or flier if you have a portal?

There's a contradiction here. Since no one can see the House Absolute, it cannot serve as an ornament to the regime. It is useless in that regard as well, though nobles could visit. Versailles was certainly an ornament. The House is partly a parody of Versailles because it is underground. However, Versailles as a whole is so huge, with its great vistas of lawn and fountain, that no one could see it who was not invited or who worked there. So it was in a way invisible too. At any rate, I have to say again: it is the aristocrats who are shown as useless. Not the House itself. --- On Wed, 12/15/10, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

I like this comparison. House Absolute is surely mostly a palace, rather than a castle or government building. Still we must remember that what we plebians consider useless, the aristocrats might find essential. We don't house Obama in a utilitarian split-level ranch with two car garage ;- ). The ornaments serve their purpose, in that sub-culture. We see them duplicated in so many other palaces, so they must.

Good observations also. The Versailles palace is built up on a hill while House Absolute seems to be built beneath a flat area of ground, suitable for gardens and theaters and meandering streams.

Well, I suppose we can't know for sure if Versailles has such secrets. Also I think it is important to not take the extension of House Absolute to Nessus as a literal, physical reality. We have suggestions that certain parts of Nessus extend to House Absolute but these are special places like the Library, the Art Gallery and the House Azure. I suspect the Botanic Garden has a similar connection as it also is associated in some manner with Father Inire and the Autarchy. I don't think we are meant to think decrepit old Rudesind walked roughly the same distance underground that Severian travelled above ground from the Citadel to House Absolute. Severian seems surprised to find him there, anyway. For me, some sort of transporter device is implied to connect portions of these two locations. Thus the purpose of all the text speculation on how the khaibit prostitutes manage to get to Nessus and back so quickly and without carrying baggage. ??? ???????? ?????? ??? ?

I'm not sure about that. Plenty of exultants, armigers, cacogens, and entertainers seem to find their way to the grounds of the House Absolute.

I'm trying to convey a very basic point. Versailles is an unparalleled example of the use of landscaping---yes, LANDSCAPING---to project power. Landscaping performed according to principles derived from fortress design, and vice versa. Landscaping that takes into account sweeping fields of fire so that all approaches are covered and conversely the Palace looms in all directions. The House has landscaping, and perhaps if hiddenness is power then it projects power by hiding the House if everyone knows it's there. But otherwise not. It's just a pleasure park where drunk people drift in paddleboats with their lovers. The Autarch himself is never seen as such: no parades, no speeches, nothing. He is an absence; so is the House except to those allowed within. --- On Wed, 12/15/10, Son of Witz <Sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org> wrote: From: Son of Witz <Sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org> Subject: Re: (urth) Faterh Inire Theor cont. To: "The Urth Mailing List" <urth at lists.urth.net> Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 4:15 PM

I'm not sure about that. Plenty of exultants, armigers, cacogens, and entertainers seem to find their way to the grounds of the House Absolute.