The Katharine maid

Dan Rabin · 26 Oct 2006, 05:46 · from 2006-October.txt.gz

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From: wolfe-lists at danrabin.com (Dan Rabin)
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:46:58 -0700
Subject: (urth) The Katharine maid
Message-ID: <p06230906c165f8c08c30@[209.157.132.35]>

>Jeff Wilson:  Does this imply Brother Cook and Brother Porter are 
>likewise eidolons?
>
>Roy Lackey:  Huh? They weren't eidolons. I don't understand.
>
>Jeff Wilson: They seem to be menial functionaries, and they don't 
>have saints' names,
>suggesting they are not like other residents of the Commonwealth.

Hmm.  I always assumed that these two were perfectly ordinary guild 
members whose names happened not to be used in these references 
because Severian was talking about their roles, not their identities. 
This would be something like referring (in contemporary America) to 
"Dean of Sciences" or "Attending Physician".

I also assume, though I can't put my finger on any evidence, that 
guild brothers in such roles are not on track to becoming masters.

It's just barely possible that there is a status of non-guild-member 
in service of the guild (something like a lay brother at a 
monastery?), but this doesn't seem likely considering that members of 
the Order are clearly pariahs and that the Order turns away adult 
applicants.

   -- Dan Rabin

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