More on Juturna

Roy C. Lackey · 28 Apr 2006, 06:21 · from 2006-April.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 01:21:30 -0500
Subject: (urth) More on Juturna
Message-ID: <000c01c66a8c$00ade580$513ec6d8 at rclackey.stic.net>

Pursuant to what I posted earlier this month: In the last paragraph of
chapter 30 of CITADEL, the aquastor Malrubius said, ""No, we do not take you
to the paramours of Abaia, those who spared and succored you because you had
been a torturer and would be Autarch."

This reinforces what I said earlier, that the undines knew all along that
Severian would be autarch. They knew it the same way the aquastor and the
Hierodules knew it -- they had seen the future. There is no logical reason
why the undines' (and therefore Abaia's) future knowledge should have
stopped at that day in the throne room, and we know it went that far because
Juturna was there that day. And we know she was still there after the Flood.

The quote suggests not only that Juturna saved his life (would save, from
her perspective), but "spared" also suggests that she (or other undines)
had/would have Severian in a position to kill him, but chose not to. That
may or may not pertain to the drowning incident in the Gyoll. But "succored"
implies that they actually *helped* to further his career. Now, when would
that have been (or would be)?

Among other things, all this suggests to me that Baldanders was never a
contender for the throne. Both the Hierodules and the undines knew all along
who would be autarch. Baldanders was nothing more than a curiosity. He also
knew, when the Hierodules knelt to Severian at the castle, who would be
autarch.

-Roy

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