size of erebus, et al.

b sharp · 20 Jun 2008, 14:02 · from 2008-June.txt.gz

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From: bsharporflat at hotmail.com (b sharp)
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:02:30 -0400
Subject: (urth) FW: size of erebus, et al.
Message-ID: <BAY103-W293E6D988736AB97F1E5ACD7A50 at phx.gbl>

Jeff Wilson says: 
>The giant keeps to channels on the island most of the time, doesn't he? 
>I think he owes more to the other ur-story, the Battle of Hampton Roads, 
>where the Monitor's considerable but not mountainous bulk remains at or 
>below the waterline with only a 10 x 20 foot turret exposed.

Yes, me calling the channels "ocean" could be a notable error since we are 
discussing size. Battle of Hampton Roads! I hadn't heard the Monitor and 
Merrimac battle called that before; thanks! Anyway, the Naviscaput has a 
fingertip so I extrapolate that he has a somewhat human body, not just a boat
shape.

However, I think all debates on the  "true" size of megatherians might be moot. 
I consider them to be in some way the peers of Tzadkiel:  god-like creatures. 
And I think the scene where Tzadkiel pinches off a finger to create a human sized
agent is very important. We see a fairy-sized Tzadkiel later. Could the giant 
Tzadkiel that Severian talks to be a pinched off version also?  How big is the Tzadkiel
Severian sees in the old Autarch's book? Planet-sized? Sun sized?  Galaxy-sized?
That may seem ridiculous but the Hierogrammates are capable of creating as many
suns as they deem necessary; they might be very very big.

Anyway, I think the megatherians might able to create smaller agents of 
themselves in similar fashion, enabling them to mate with Juturna and her sisters
or interact directly with humans, take other shapes, etc.
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