Torturers?

Jeff Wilson · 05 Aug 2010, 00:09 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 19:09:44 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: (urth) Torturers?
In-Reply-To: <4C59FE50.6010904 at hyraxes.com>
References: <4C444D5A.3030909 at gmail.com> <4C50BFDC.6070306 at sky.com>
	<17ec46f0a1d8cb7f2f35ac68c85a4008.squirrel at brunians.org>
	<4C59FE50.6010904 at hyraxes.com>
Message-ID: <0090bfe51acada95026f8f56008736dd.squirrel at webmail.prismnet.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.


I don't believe that this is the whole story. They are still the Seekers
of Truth as well as Penitence, and some interrogation takes place, if I
remember correctly, including the occasion of the maid being given the
full boot. Perhaps the queries of the interrogating authority are also
disregard and thus not recorded.

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