The face of Pas

Roy C. Lackey · 14 Sep 2010, 16:57 · from 2010-September.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:57:30 -0500
Subject: (urth) The face of Pas
References: <AANLkTikwWavLokpdh-8mrBHPechkNRsYb9gPHJO9j4v6 at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <005201cb542d$f01d3aa0$88d04a0c@rclackey>

Dave Tallman wrote:
 > We ought to look at resemblances people really notice in the books and
see
> what explanations are possible.
>
> 1) Silk mistakes his astral-travelling older self for Patera Pike.

I don't accept the premise. Wolfe, in that List questionnaire, said that
Pike on the stairs of the manse was a ghost. I see no reason to doubt him.

> This was
> in bad light and just a glimpse of the lower part of his face.
> 2) Severian mistakes the astral-travelling Silk for Master Malrubius. This
> is more troubling because Sev got a longer look and he has a
> near-photographic memory.

What scene do you mean? When Silkhorn scared the bejesus out of Gurloes
(RTTW, 396)? Sev just said the bird belonged to Malrubius in an attempt to
avoid being punished and Silkhorn obliged him by putting his hand on
Gurloes' shoulder. Gurloes thought he was seeing a ghost when he turned
around and saw the light-haired Silkhorn in what looked to be a guild cloak.
(Silkhorn on that trip didn't look like Horn, he looked like a younger Silk
than he did back on Blue [388].)  Sev knew that Oreb had come there with
Silkhorn; Oreb had been there when they went to the necropolis.

-Roy

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