Rostrum:
The first mention of Ushas is (if I recall correctly) in Dr. Talos' play, where one of the characters asserts that the new sun will cause the old continents to rise with their lost minerals and riches and a new race of monsters to appear. This Urth will then be called Ushas. [a long time ago in a list far away, I speculated that these monsters were inhumu and that Ushas/Lune = Blue/Green, the generation starship returns home to an alien world. sigh. Would that it were so]
Adam:
1 quoted line
Since the New Sun's coming will kill nearly all of Urth's current population, the Hierogrammates feel themselves morally obligated to get the permission of a representative of Urth before sending it.
I think there is something to that. But more importantly, there's also the whole issue of the Hierogrammates trying to ensure the appearance of their cognates, those beings which once did or will eventually give rise to the hierogrammates. Severian is referred to as the apotheosis of humanity. Humanity is being judged as to whether it is likely they could be the creators of the heirogrammates. If so, they will be forged between hammer and anvil of New Sun and Ushas.
Kieran C.
North West Labs
Finisklin Industrial Estate
Sligo
Republic of Ireland
Tel. +353 71 69441
Fax. +353 71 69451
email: kierannwn at tinet.ie