Severian's Journey: Happenstance or Masterplan?

James Wynn · 20 Aug 2010, 00:20 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: crushtv at gmail.com (James Wynn)
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:20:14 -0500
Subject: (urth) Severian's Journey: Happenstance or Masterplan?
In-Reply-To: <4C6DBC32.70705 at hyraxes.com>
References: <SNT123-W29342171F2FE53E2080AAACF9E0 at phx.gbl>
	<4C6DBC32.70705 at hyraxes.com>
Message-ID: <4C6DCA3E.2060508 at gmail.com>

  On 8/19/2010 6:20 PM, Dave Lebling wrote:
> On the question at hand, I recall, though I am not certain of where in 
> the BotNS it comes, F, B, or O stating that the they had helped both 
> Severian and Baldanders, as two different paths toward the future. At 
> that point, I believe, the idea of the New Sun had not been 
> introduced, but it seems clear they were keeping their options open. 
> So, while their master plan may have existed, it was at least stochastic. 

There is a sense of something of like this in "The Book of the Long Sun" 
as well. Tussah said "Though he is not the son of my body, my son will 
succeed me." But Horn pointed out the following:

"Then last night before those women came you were talking about his will.
Nettle told me, and this's her idea, really. He said he had an adopted son,
and this son was going to be the next one.
What Nettle says is he didn't say to make it happen, he just said it 
would. Is that right?"

Well, what if the Ayuntamiento had found Silk? What if he caught 
tuberculosis, or an inhumi drained him, or someone threw him off a 
mountain? I suspect Silk was not the only ace Tussah had in his dead 
man's hand.

u=16b9

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