The Two Katharines

Ryan Dunn · 16 Aug 2010, 19:15 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: ryan at liftingfaces.com (Ryan Dunn)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:15:23 -0400
Subject: (urth) The Two Katharines
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W410A34E218F1410461BB01CF9B0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W410A34E218F1410461BB01CF9B0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <C269944B-72D0-4E14-8704-377548A93FF2 at liftingfaces.com>

On Aug 16, 2010, at 1:55 PM, Lee Berman wrote:

> But the question here is, why does a fake sword described as constructed of especially 
> light-weight materials feel very heavy to Severian and almost knock him over as he lifts 
> it? If the fake sword had been decribed as "solid mahogany, painted silver" or something 
> like that, the question wouldn't be asked.

About that sword. Here is what I have found relating to it...

"The sword - though it seemed a true headsman's blade from a pace or two away - was no more than a wooden batten provided with an old hilt and brightened with tinsel."

"'Behead her,' demanded Maxentius, and I took up the sword. It was very heavy."

"I lifted the sword. I remember that for a moment I feared it would overbalance me."

"With such strength as I was capable of, I sent the false blade down. For an instant it seemed to me that it met resistance; then it thudded into the block, which fell into two."

So, it's a piece of wood with an old hilt and some decorum to make it brighter. The "old hilt" can be heavy, and who's to say the large piece of wood can't be heavy either?

This text (and it was all of the text I could find about it) does not imply to me, in any way, that it was a real blade. If it turns out it WAS a real blade, then we may as well not believe anything Severian tells us at all.

...ryan
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