Appearances of Inire

Roy C. Lackey · 29 Jun 2010, 03:43 · from 2010-June.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:43:34 -0500
Subject: (urth) Appearances of Inire
References: <SNT123-W186492E2214C7539E99F09CFCA0 at phx.gbl>	<3A73230B-61D0-461F-B223-68814BF7E670 at liftingfaces.com><92c575f2988ee19de16e2cce8902a5fb at imap.io.com>	<4C28F766.6030605 at verizon.net>	<004f01cb1700$8b115980$53ce4a0c@rclackey><61E50C31-27CD-484F-8480-645329555113 at liftingfaces.com>
	<4C2919A9.5040206 at verizon.net>
Message-ID: <00d301cb173d$43c1a840$36d24a0c@rclackey>

David Stockhoff wrote:
> Does anyone know whether exultants have simply retained our unnatural
> 21st century height while everyone else shrank with the new ice age, or
> exultants were actually made taller by breeding or other means? There is
> a detailed discussion of exultant families and their dwindling---this
> suggests to me a dying race of world-rulers, not a created class of
> freaks. Are any units of measurement or comparisons used that could tell
us?

Yes. According to Wolfe, Severian is 6'1". The exultant Ultan was a head and
a half taller than Severian.

Back to the topic. Ryan Dunn wrote:
> My whole take on Inire, is that he is something of a puppetmaster. We get
an in-depth story from Thecla about Inire's mirrors, and how he is a master
of the corridors of time. We also get plenty allusion that Severian lives in
parallel timelines, none more evident than as Apu Punchau.
>
> The motivation, IMO, would be for Inire and perhaps Severian to be in
collusion in trying to shape the Severian (that we follow in BotNS) to
become the New Sun. If at first you don't succeed...
>

And how would being a famous painter two generations before Severian's time
have furthered the coming of the New Sun?

How would probing a lake for forty years looking for the body of Severian's
grandmother have helped? Where did Inire find the time, since he was the Old
Autarch's vizier during those years? Not to mention that the old boatman
died but Inire was still there as Severian's vizier for another ten years.

-Roy

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