Subject: (whorl) Horn's Creation

From: Doug Eigsti <douge at nti.com>
Date: Sat, 05 Apr 1997 10:33:15 +0000

[Posted from Whorl, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

Tercel,

	Your comment on Oreb's attack on Tick revives the issue of just
how much of Horn's THE BOOK OF SILK depicts actual events, and how much is
mere fabrication. You are correct, Oreb could not have given Horn his
story for the sake of posterity, so the events seen through his eyes, must
have been supplied by Horn. 
	I had originally thought that Horn might have interviewed the key
players to fill in the gaps in Silk's story, but, aside from the few
segments mentioned below, nowhere can I find the opportunity. There simply
isn't enough time. Silk vanishes chasing Hyacinth just as Horn is leaving
on the lander. Auk and Chenille went to Green. These, alone, would leave
huge gaps in horn's account. Gaps that he would, of necessity, have had to
try to piece together from the survivors on Blue.
	He does mention, in "My Defense" (IV, p371.2), that "Many of you
urge me to tell the story in my proper person, relating only what I saw,
and in effect making myself my own hero." We know this to be false
modesty. As I have posted earlier, he interjects personally flattering
statements throughout the text. I submit that a story told in Horn's proper
person would be brief indeed. He rightly set about to "recount the story
of Patera Silk", (IV, p371.3), a more worthy protagonist. And a fine tale
it is, even if it is fiction.
	To Horn's credit, he does list some of his sources in "My Defense"
(IV, pp371 - 382): Marble reportedly relayed much while they served in the
Calde's Palace together; Auk and Chenille on the flight to Mainframe (with
an explanation of Auk's shriving); "Blood's conversations with Silk and
Matera Marble were detailed to us by them", (although I still wonder when
Silk found the time. No such event is described in the text, even though
Horn's long conversations with Silk on the airship and in the manteion
are.); Regarding Doctor Crane Horn "tried to convey something of" his
character, implying that great license was taken in depicting him; Remora
gave him much of Incus's character. (I chuckle trying to imagine Remora
impersonating the sing-song metered speech of Incus); Horn knew Quetzal, 
recounting, in detail, his account of Quetzal's "vanishing". Remora, 
again, relayed further details concerning Quetzal. All told, these account 
for just a fraction of THE BOOK OF THE LONG SUN. Horn is to be commended 
for filling in the gaps so richly.

	This leads to another question: How did the text, known as THE
BOOK OF THE LONG SUN, get into our hands? Wolfe details how, in THE BOOK
OF THE NEW SUN, he acted merely as the translator for a manuscript that
had "survived so many centuries of futurity". One must suppose a similar
journey taken by Horn's tale, and, indeed, for THE URTH OF THE NEW SUN. 
Severian wrote two copies of his account. One was placed into a sealed
leaden container and set adrift from Tzadkiel's ship as it plied time and
space. Presumedly this is the copy Wolfe obtained. (I forget the fate of
the other copy. Any takers?) I am at a loss trying to construct a scenario
for Horn's STARCROSSERS LANDFALL. How did it cross the stars in time and
space to fall into Wolfe's land? I am sure Mr. Wolfe will explain all in
THE BOOK OF THE SHORT SUN. 

=Talon=

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