Typhon

b sharp · 07 Jun 2008, 04:15 · from 2008-June.txt.gz

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From: bsharporflat at hotmail.com (b sharp)
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 00:15:19 -0400
Subject: (urth) Typhon
Message-ID: <BAY103-W24D97D656A7C031378C662D7B60 at phx.gbl>

Chris, I think that scene can be attributed to Gene Wolfe playing with the reader's 
hopes and expectations a bit. When Severian and Typhon first met (in the future, in
book 3 of the series) Typhon is portrayed as a powerful, and perhaps the most 
arrogant villain in all SF, showing hardly a hint of bluster or insecurity in an unswerving 
confidence in his own superiority. Somehow Severian manages to best him using only 
a bit of thinking and torturer's skill.

In their next meeting that you describe (in the past, in Book 5) Severian is possessed 
of awesome stellar powers and I know I wished, on first reading that scene, that Severian
could somehow humble this ultimate, galactic bully Typhon with a cosmic bolt or maybe 
just a medium sized earthquake...

But Severian doesn't have conscious control of his power and Wolfe only allows 
Severian to eke out a petty victory over a lesser antagonist, through word play and guile.
By striking Typhon's table with a hidden knife he assures a death sentence for the chilliarch
who had physically abused him earlier, because the chilliarch was responsible for Typhon's
safety.

It is a well done scene because it had to play out that way. Typhon appears to recognize
Severian in their future meeting (though of course not vice versa). If Severian had blasted
Typhon with cosmic power, their future conversation would have been quite different.  And
Severian's later mercy to the chilliarch provides one of the strongest cornerstones for 
building Severian's legend as The Conciliator.

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