Abaia and the undines

David Stockhoff · 12 Dec 2008, 21:36 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:36:21 -0500
Subject: (urth) Abaia and the undines
In-Reply-To: <mailman.42671.1229101618.21489.urth-urth.net at lists.urth.net>
References: <mailman.42671.1229101618.21489.urth-urth.net at lists.urth.net>
Message-ID: <4942D955.7040204 at verizon.net>

Witz wrote:

> If Severian returns significantly more cut up than when he left,  
> that would also explain why Valeria weeps, but not why he was  
> depicted that way in the House Absolute.

I don't follow.  he's scarred about the time he becomes Autarch. so  
when he reigns in the House Absolute, he's scarred.
when he returns later, he's fixed, but he has a smaller new/different  
scar from his fight with the Monarch's guards, but that happens after  
the Chrisos scene above.

------------------------------

Right. The argument is that portraits of Autarch Severian make him look younger and better than he is---even though the chrisos shows him scarred---so when he is healed, he looks like he did before he was scarred and married Valeria.

Why a coin would show him scarred while his portraits show him unscarred, I don't know. 

Is it possible that the portraits Valeria has seen are not of Autarch Severian, whom she knew anyway, but icons of the Conciliator? And that they looked different enough that no one guessed they were the same? It would be a bit like Jesus showing up in short hair and body armor and an assault rifle, then reappearing with long hair and robes and a halo. Suddenly you'd get it.

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