Wall of Nessus

Gerry Quinn · 14 Jun 2010, 13:06 · from 2010-June.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:06:57 +0100
Subject: (urth) Wall of Nessus
References: <000901cb080c$a24bd6a0$3dd14a0c@rclackey><AANLkTimNF_7phiZuvwCMYZObOBCVpmbPVbROd7kc1Hq4 at mail.gmail.com><006601cb0879$4ddd39c0$59cc4a0c@rclackey><AANLkTilLT4407kUNfZU4wY0V73RjJAk-UllkDYkyuiHT at mail.gmail.com>
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Message-ID: <C04E9C844995425CA3A67B647E6007B8@jill>

From: "Roy C. Lackey" <rclackey at stic.net>
> At one point in URTH Sev, going on about the size of the mirrored sails on
> The Ship, said that the Wall was "a few leagues in height and a few 
> thousand
> long" (p-103). Bah! That's a Big Dumb Object.

Too big.  I prefer to maintain my original assumption that the Wall is of 
ordinary height and Severian made a typo.

One problem with a wall several leagues in height is that it would be 
effectively enclosed as far as the bulk of the atmosphere is concerned; 
certainly that part of the atmosphere that carries moisture.  In the absence 
of large evaporative surfaces other than the Gyoll - and we are not told of 
any huge lakes - I would expect the climate of Nessus to be excessively dry. 
It would also be cut off from the general atmospheric circulation, including 
weather systems.

I would be surprised if the climate outside the Wall was not so different 
from that inside as to be worth remarking upon.  It is true that Severian 
does not mention the weather much.  There is fog at the start, I think, and 
a violent storm when he visits the stone town.

- Gerry Quinn

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