Terminus Est

Matthew Malthouse · 28 Oct 1998, 00:59 · from urth-v0021.mbox · original

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From: Matthew Malthouse <matthew.malthouse at guardian.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) Terminus Est
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 00:59:08
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Robert Borski wrote:
>=20
> Anybody have any notions how Terminus Est came into the possession of
> Palaemon? The sword, after all, is no mere carnificial sword, but a
> valuable weapon, owing to its smithing by Jovinian (Agilus claims it's
> worth a villa). But Palaemon is a mere torturer and the guild itself
> appears to be in rather dire finances; Gurloes must doctor the books in
> order to receive more operating capital and half of all apprentices die,
> suggesting the Matachin Tower is anything but the Mariott Urth. One also
> wonders why Palaemon hasn't attempted to sell the sword before, since it
> would obviously help replenish the guild's coffers. He apparently doesn't
> use it himself (or else Severian probably would have mentioned this) and =
he
> can't have received Terminus Est as an heirloom; torturers have no
> families. And is it likely he could ever have earned enough as a torturer
> to purchase such a prize, even if we include the years he spent in exile?
> It seems as well an unlikely gratuity for services well rendered. So how
> did he acquire it?
>=20
> Thoughts, opinions, conjectures? (I'll spare you mine, not wanting to inc=
ur
> the ire of this list's megatherians.)

My first thought - not much helpful - is that it is cearly an executioner's
blade and has little other practical use. So a carnifex, or by extention
Torturer, as that it what they are often seen as outside the Citadel, would=
 be
the hands in which one would expect to find such a thing. Similarly Palaemon
may not have thought that aa apropriate buyer could be found.

We really don't know that much about Palaemon's time outside the Citadel. W=
ere
it a gift it seems a likely one from a figure such as the Archon of Thrax or
another noble to whom it would be a trifle,  Were it bought it might be that
the seller simply didn't know the value of what he was selling.  Did Palaem=
on
even? He certainly treasures it, but that doesn't mean that he knew it's
monetary value - if Agilus wasn't lying.

Matthew

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