The Two Katharines

Lee Berman · 16 Aug 2010, 13:41 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:41:52 -0400
Subject: (urth) The Two Katharines
Message-ID: <SNT123-W83D5808AC070F2D671B31CF9B0 at phx.gbl>

>Jeff Wilson: Severian can't have been completely fooled into really beheading a person
> because he's supposed to turn the blade aside to *avoid* striking the maid,
> and he's not drunk because the feasting comes after. But the importance of
> the day is not to be underestimated in its effect on human perception; as I
> recall from my wedding day, that  little ring was heavy like a barbell and
> slick as an eel.

I think what Severian was supposed to do is not quite confirmed as happening during
his ascension ceremony. Everything is a bit wobbly and thus suspicious. It may well be 
that Wolfe is only hoping to show that Severian is as apprehensive in becoming a torturer 
as Jeff was to becoming married. (I will not pursue that line of thought any further ;- ). 
But perhaps there is more to it. I find it possible.

>Jack Smith- And the maid comes back to life after the ritual beheading.  If she was
>really beheaded, she would really have to be resurrected too.   I don't
>think the text indicates real resurrection in this instance.

Jack this is not my theory, at least in origin. I think maybe it was Dave Tallman's from
a few years back. But if I understand it correctly there is no resurrection here. A new
khaibit maid derived from Catherine/Contessa Carina is sacrificed each year. Perhaps Solange,
then Lybe, then Kyneburga....

It has some ring of truth to me. As mentioned before I think the use of fake blood as a chrism
for such an important event rings false. Jeff's suggestion of bottled blood or animal blood is
more realistic than dyed water, but still fake. 

If the animal guys go so far as to take a bear-sow as a bride to ascend in their guild is it so
much more unbelievable that the torturers perform a real beheading for theirs? Sure both rituals 
could be purely fake and symbolic. But why choose the boring answer when an outrageous and shocking
answer will serve as well? This is SF and F is it not? We have half-human half-animals and khaibits
in the text. Why not use all themes to full capacity?

This is a true story.

When I was about 14 I was playing centerfield on a baseball diamond which bordered a ravine. A lot of 
tall trees were arching over the field, shading me. In the middle of the game, everyone on both teams 
suddenly stopped, and started shouting and pointing to a spot over my head. I looked up and could see 
only branches and leaves. Then I heard a loud roar and what sounded like a gush of flames. I was stunned 
into confusion as, depite my best efforts to suppress it, the thought came to my head...."...dragon?" I 
ran to to the infield with mixed curiousity and mild fear, and saw that hovering just above the trees 
was a very low-flying hot air balloon.

Would it have been different if I had been a character in a Wolfe book? When faced with the choice of
a hot air balloon tent or magical flying cathedral in science fiction, is it the same as the real world?
Must we always think the prosaic answer is more likely? If one purpose of SF is to stun and amaze us I 
think the opposite is true.

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