Breakfast with Apheta

brunians at brunians.org · 29 Jul 2008, 22:28 · from 2008-July.txt.gz

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From: brunians at brunians.org (brunians at brunians.org)
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:28:52 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: (urth) Breakfast with Apheta
In-Reply-To: <147523787.20080729235824 at poczta.fm>
References: <20080724013106.5A5261A003A at mailserver8.hushmail.com>
	<147523787.20080729235824 at poczta.fm>
Message-ID: <14415.67.142.130.20.1217370532.squirrel at brunians.org>


Closely reasoned and, I believe, as close to correct as anything is in the
World.


.


> Hierogrammates shouldn't be underestimated. They don't NEED Severian
> to create the White Fountain, they can do it by their own technology.
> However, they prefer not to act at all. They must be conscious that
> they know the will of the Uncreate no better than anyone (the fable
> of the cock and angel says this openly), and so perhaps are unwilling
> to bear the guild for the mass murder on Urth.
>
> Accordingly, they take care to do nothing themselves at all: Apheta's
> explanation of their speech shows that they generally don't act
> themselves, but only modulate the acts of others. The discussion of
> Hierodules with Baldanders shows that they consider themselves not to
> be guilty for so "modulated" actions of others.
>
> And so, they needed Severian as an executioner who would lawfully
> execute Urth. He had to be an autarch, so he could act as the lawful
> representant of humanity. Except for that, he had no "magic powers".
> The white fountain and Severian's connection to it was provided by
> Hierogrammates - of course, in a way which absolves them of all guilt
> in the matter.
>
>  Stanislaus B.
>
>> Roy wrote:
>
>> --------------------------
>
>> On the morning after Severian bedded Apheta, she brought him
>> breakfast on a
>> tray. It consisted of "... small cakes, a carafe of cool water, and
>> cups of
>> some steaming liquid that looked like milk and yet was not milk."
>> (URTH, XX,
>> 146) He ate one of the cakes and drank a cup of the milky fluid,
>> after
>> Apheta took a bite of one of the cakes. I think this was the only
>> meal
>> Severian mentioned having on Yesod, and I believe there is some
>> significance
>> to its components or their combination that eludes me. Any ideas?
>
>> --------------------------
>
>> She's drugged him, I guess. Just another part of the set-up for the
>> sham "trial". (And vague shades of Circe?)
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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