Shaving Clones

Mark Millman · 27 Jun 2005, 21:54 · from 2005-June.txt.gz

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From: millman at heimdallr.dyndns.org (Mark Millman)
Date: Mon Jun 27 21:54:55 2005
Subject: (urth) Shaving Clones
In-Reply-To: <BAY102-F12B19F223BAF5F4D653B3786E10 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <20050628003322.F79100-100000 at heimdallr.dyndns.org>

Dear Chris and James,

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005, Chris wrote, quoting
James Wynn:

> > I'm not sure where the term
> > "face of command" comes from
> > although I've seen it used a
> > lot on the list. I don't
> > think Typhon's powers of
> > leadership come from some-
> > thing special about his face.
> > Neither so for Silk or Horn.
>
> In this case you disagree with Typhon,
> then. And ultimately Typhon is the one
> who arranged the pleasure-cruise; if
> anybody made arrangements to put
> clones on board, it would have been
> him.

The term "face of command" comes from Typhon
himself.  In explaining why he chose to have
his head transplanted onto Piaton's body, he
tells Severian two things:  first, that the
operation to transplant the entire head was
simpler than a brain-transplant; and second,
and more importantly, that the head-trans-
plant, unlike a brain-transplant, would pre-
serve the face that his subjects were accus-
tomed to obey.  This is the context in which
"face of command" occurs (though they may
not be Typhon's exact words--I cannot check
at this moment--in any case Typhon certainly
expresses this concept).

I must agree with Mr. Wynn here.  I don't
think that Typhon believes that there is any-
thing inherently special in his face that
aids his ability to rule.  The key point is
that he must be recognized as himself, the
Monarch, even after the operation.   Call to
mind as well Master Malrubius' lesson on the
highest form of government (or is it the
highest form of loyalty?--I can't, at the mo-
ment, remember, and it makes little differ-
ence to this argument), and take into ac-
count that Typhon is in part an analogue of
Lucifer; he will have an inverted or pervert-
ed form of government (or his followers' loy-
alties will be perverse), which mocks the
virtuous or pure model.

Best,

Mark Millman

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