the prime calcula/his citadel and other quotes

Andrew Mason · 14 Jan 2011, 22:25 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: andrew.mason53 at googlemail.com (Andrew Mason)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:25:15 +0000
Subject: (urth) the prime calcula/his citadel and other quotes
Message-ID: <AANLkTikpTBBxSmCuWYMXkKXoCse_wyNYirnU4ZV2MjQQ at mail.gmail.com>

Marc Aramini wrote:

> Is that sealed section with weird numbers the prime calcula on Pas' Whorl-ly citadel?

Bear in mind that there are two sealed sections with numbers - the
place where the sleepers are kept (broken by Hammerstone in Silk's
presence), and the place where the embryos are kept (already broken
before Silk arrives). I agree they may be 'Pas's citadel' in a
metaphorical sense, but if so it's not a unique place. And I'd presume
there are similar 'citadels' under other cities - indeed I guess that
Rigoglio shows that there are.

> Also, later on the gondola thinking about killing himself Silk thinks how one of his father's was Chenille's, and his explanation to Horn indicates that they are step-siblings in a way, since he resembles her not at all.? He brings up Mamelta and what she showed him underground ( p 662 Epiphany)
> and also says that something he experienced in underground leads him to believe he knows how he came to be.

I would take that to mean just that he saw the place where the embryos
were kept, leading him to realise that he had been such an embryo..
This is nowhere stated full out in the text, though it is in the
glossary, so I can accept the point being made in rather cryptic terms
here.

> Also, something creepy in the interaction between Villus and Echidna, where she confuses him for Auk and then later Villus shows concern for his mother at the very end of Exodus from the Long Sun.

Yes, Echidna confusing Villus with Auk is weird. Indeed her knowing
about Auk is weird. I do think it quite likely that Auk was an embryo.
So was Villus also an embryo? But who on the Whorl would have paid for
him, and for what purpose?

> Just some general observations that reinforced my feelings that the blue-eyes and dark hair of Mamelta are a bit more than a coincidence.

I think it quite likely that Mamelta is Silk's mother, and the blue
eyes would fit this. But his (genetic) father also had blue eyes.
>

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