What might become of Ouen?

Adam Thornton · 07 May 2006, 05:53 · from 2006-May.txt.gz

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From: adam at io.com (Adam Thornton)
Date: Sun, 7 May 2006 00:53:22 -0500
Subject: (urth) What might become of Ouen?
In-Reply-To: <BAY103-F768B4BE1B493BCFE4471DD7AB0 at phx.gbl>
References: <BAY103-F768B4BE1B493BCFE4471DD7AB0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <716A65B7-3820-4778-B52C-32808C28AC14 at io.com>

On May 6, 2006, at 10:37 PM, b sharp wrote:

> At the risk of cluttering the list with my own issues, I'll toss  
> this small
> one in the ring.  Just before Severian drops off Ouen at the house  
> where
> Dorcas is mourning he tells him "We will not tell you who you are"  
> "And we
> cannot tell you what you may become".
>
> What might Ouen become? My unfortunately vulgar and simple mind can  
> only
> think Severian is saying "you might become an MF as I have been a  
> GMF".
> Someone please tell me that's not it!

I think that's unnecessarily creepy.  Do we have any reason to  
believe that Severian can see Ouen's future?

I always took this to have its obvious meaning, "I will not tell you  
you are the Autarch's father, and what you may become is a matter of  
your own free will."

Adam

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