Questions re Lexicon Urthus

Matthew Malthouse · 09 Jul 1998, 02:45 · from urth-v0016.mbox · original

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From: Matthew Malthouse <matthew.malthouse at guardian.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) Questions re Lexicon Urthus
Date: Thu, 09 Jul 1998 03:45:29 +0100
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adam louis stephanides wrote:

> 2) The entry for Valeria states that "she becomes regent during the
> decades of [Severian's] absence."  I don't think this is correct.
> In _Urth_, ch. IV, p. 27 (hardcover), Severian says: "'I was the
> Autarch--the ruler--of the Commonwealth; now I'm the surrogate of Urth,
> and its ambassador.'"  Later, there's this dialogue: "'Then you still
> claim you're really the Autarch?'  'I was,' I told him." (ch. XVI, p. 115)
> These passages indicate clearly that when Severian left Urth, he ceased to
> be the Autarch.  That being the case, Valeria could not have been
> Severian's regent.  Furthermore, Eata refers to Valeria as being Autarch
> before she marries Dux Caesidius. (ch. XLVI, p. 328)

Um, my memory supplies the titbit that Valeria had reigned as Autarch
_without_ her predecessors' memories and thus without the very important
knowledge of the Second House.  Also Valeria reigns because Severian has be=
en
so long absent that his return is no longer looked for, indeed a memorial is
raised to his memory. Veleria is not regent but ruler.

Matthew

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