Is Agia a Robot?

David Stockhoff · 18 Jun 2010, 20:05 · from 2010-June.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:05:03 -0400
Subject: (urth) Is Agia a Robot?
In-Reply-To: <E38CE2D5-F728-4B50-9438-7A480D82C426 at liftingfaces.com>
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Message-ID: <4C1BD16F.6060808 at verizon.net>

Yep. Hethor presents the reader with a clear mystery which Severian does 
not solve, but he does present us with lots of information about other, 
seemingly unrelated people and events. The trick is to match the clues 
to the mystery.

Hethor's motives are pretty important to Shadow and Agia figures in 
those motives. She uses Hethor to attack Severian. She's not just a 
shopkeeper's brother.

I recall a passage of UotNS in which an unnamed small female person 
attacks Severian on the Ship, and I could never figure out who that was. 
Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Ryan Dunn wrote:
> Okay, I think we're on the same page. If we agree, than there IS a woman on the loose in BotNS, who is a robot.
>
> Otherwise, I don't think Wolfe would have given us SO MUCH description of this missing paracoita.
>
> .
>
> HETHOR: "How soft her hands were, her little hands."
>
> SEVERIAN: "The slender figure and delicate features that seemed incongruent in [Agilus] were compelling in her."
>
> .
>
> HETHOR: "... that flesh that always felt sun-warmed."
>
> SEVERIAN: "... as I watched her, the sun touched a rent just below her waist, turning the skin there to palest gold."
>
> .
>
> Hethor also vows to crush any who may have his poppet ("Let h-h-hooks be buried in the hands that took her!"), and then proceeds to (under urgings from Agia herself) sick his monsters on Severian.
>
> Just sayin'.
>
> ...ryan
>
>
> On Jun 18, 2010, at 3:17 PM, David Stockhoff wrote:
>
>   
>> I was just saying the behavior and appearance of the poppet are completely different from the behavior and appearance of Agia. I think all this can be accounted for without violating anything we know about Urth. Stretching it, maybe, when I propose a ruthless "facedancer" ship's robot in a woman's skin.
>>     
>
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