Father Inire Theory cont.

Gerry Quinn · 10 Dec 2010, 20:12 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2010 20:12:19 -0000
Subject: (urth) Father Inire Theory cont.
References: <SNT123-W143AB88E53CC5AD4E321FBCF2F0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <72BA9380766742E7BA6BF666412C31F2@jill>

From: "Lee Berman" <severiansola at hotmail.com>

> SF level- Father Inire is an alien, surely an interstellar one.  The only 
> interstellar ship we
> see is Tzadkiel's. Inire must have served on it, but no longer. We see no 
> direct connection between
> Inire and the hierodules. It is unreliable Severian who says Inire labels 
> himself a hierodule.
> The acknowledged hierodules B, F and O nod without explanation.

We don't see Tzadkiel's ship until _UotNS_.  In BotNS, however, we see lots 
of ships, and indeed spend much time in them..

First there are the ships of the citatel, in one of which resides the Guild 
of Torturers.  Conceivably these were only fit for transport within the 
Solar System, but there's no evidence either way.  Typhon confirms that Urth 
at one time possessed many interstellar ships, on which many of his 
supporters fled.

Jonas served on an interstellar ship which crashed on Urth a little north of 
Nessus.  This ship became incorporated within the House Absolute; the 
Antechamber was part of it.  It was equipped with a set of mirrors which 
apparently had interstellar capability.  (These may or may not be the same 
ones used by Fr. Inire.)

Gene Wolfe in his afterword also indicates that there are multiple ships. 
(That does not mean that Tzadkiel's ship is not the only one of its kind. 
But obviously there are many interstellar ships other than Tzadkiel's.)

And even if there were only one ship (not the case) and Inire had to come to 
Urth by way of it (not the case, there are mirrors) I see no obvious reason 
why he must have been a crewman.

> Tzadkiel's ship seems to be plagued by mutineers.  Hethor's babble 
> suggests he was such a mutineer.

Where? Not saying he doesn't, I just don't recall any babbling of his that 
particularly suggested that.

> Father Inire, like Hethor, is good with mirrors and interested in 
> ...poppets. I think there is more
> to the story of Inire than either side wants to discuss.

Inire, like Jonas, like the Autarch, like Hethor, can use the mirror 
technology if it s to hand.  Alien tech is ergonomically designed - Severian 
successfully lit a fire with a laser pistol the first time he used one, even 
if he did melt the fireplace.

Inire likes young human children, although there is no obvious suggestion of 
sexual perversity in this regard.  Hethor likes sex dolls, and a clearly 
post-pubertal young woman.

This does not amount to a sliver of even circumstantial evidence.

- Gerry Quinn

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