Torturers?

Dave Lebling · 04 Aug 2010, 23:57 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: dlebling at hyraxes.com (Dave Lebling)
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:57:04 -0400
Subject: (urth) Torturers?
In-Reply-To: <17ec46f0a1d8cb7f2f35ac68c85a4008.squirrel at brunians.org>
References: <4C444D5A.3030909 at gmail.com> <4C50BFDC.6070306 at sky.com>
	<17ec46f0a1d8cb7f2f35ac68c85a4008.squirrel at brunians.org>
Message-ID: <4C59FE50.6010904 at hyraxes.com>

It is specifically stated that torture in the Commonwealth is a 
punishment, not a means of obtaining truth. The Guild performs exactly 
the tortures ordered, and the torturers are taught to completely ignore 
anything their victims say. Severian is chided for listening to a victim 
at one point during his apprenticeship.

Torturers in our time may ostensibly be in search of truth, but the 
Guild is inflicting judicial punishment.

-- Dave Lebling, aka vizcacha

brunians at brunians.org wrote:
> A torturer insists upon being told the truth, and has various means to
> ensure that he is being told the truth.
>
> These seem to me to be useful qualifications for a successful monarch.
>

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