a lurker asks a question

Jeff Wilson · 30 Sep 2008, 05:30 · from 2008-September.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:30:48 -0500
Subject: (urth) a lurker asks a question
In-Reply-To: <ecbb2eb0809291410w40857cfbgab599f3db7a8ff64 at mail.gmail.com>
References: <BB19A147-F9FF-4FFC-AC13-53CB225DFBD7 at io.com>	<404259.89423.qm at web59604.mail.ac4.yahoo.com>
	<ecbb2eb0809291410w40857cfbgab599f3db7a8ff64 at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <48E1B988.2060603 at io.com>

aaron wrote:
> I can think of at least one reason for Severian's meeting Ultan, and 
> that is their discussion of the Alzabo and the sharing of consciousness 
> with the use of the analeptic alzabo.   But, like you, I feel there is 
> something more I am missing.  The beginning of the chapter is a good 
> example, when Sev mentions that he felt as if he and Ultan were both 
> buried or something close to that.  What does he really mean by this and 
> when is it echoed later in the books?  Maybe someone around here has a 
> theory.

Much of the Citadel complex is underground. In particular, the art 
galleries run as far as the House Absolute, which is entirely 
underground, and Hypogeum Apotropaic can be read as "underground 
bunker". It is very likely that Severian meets Master Ultan in a tunnel, 
possibly a stretch of catacomb repurposed to house books instead of bodies.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
< http://www.io.com/~jwilson >

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