Merger

Gerry Quinn · 31 Jan 2011, 02:07 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:07:04 -0000
Subject: (urth) Merger
References: <SNT123-W52E420DF1DED5F14659A7CCFE30 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <3D5637A857574591B8CB48C80D2AC87C@jill>

From: "Lee Berman" <severiansola at hotmail.com>
> I'm not understanding the assumption that alzabos are evolved or 
> engineered to feed on humans.
> They are alien creatures, like the notules and slugs and salamanders. If 
> these can be used to
> to kill humans without being evolved or engineered to, why not alzabo?

They are certainly alien in origin, brought long ago to Urth allegedly "for 
the use and benefit of man".  Presumably they evolved to prey on the 
creatures of their native world, but Severian notes somewhere that there are 
many worlds containing creatures of human stock, or so similar to us that 
they might be called human.

> The fact that the alzabo appears when Agia is hiding in the attic, safe 
> from it, might suggest
> it has been called through the mirrors by Hethor. Severian later wonders 
> why she didn't sneak
> down and stab him while he was eating or at some other vulnerable time. 
> Moreover, it is in
> Casdoe's cabin that Severian tells Agia he knows who Hethor is and that he 
> is the source of
> the deadly beasts he has encountered. Agia assures Severian that one of 
> Hethor's beasts will kill
> him if she doesn't do it first. Later...enter alzabo.

The alzabo has been around for a while - it ate Severa several days ago, and 
since then it has been stalking the other inhabitants of the household.. 
Besides, we know that alzabos are originally from elsewhere, but now native 
to Urth.  Even if we had not been told this, both Vodalus and the Autarch 
have access to potions made from dead alzabos.

>>Alzabos whose instincts in this regard tend to be subverted  by the minds 
>>of their prey are
>>unfit alzabos, who leave fewer progeny.
>
> More evidence, I think, that alzabos are not evolved to prey upon humans. 
> Humans are are unique
> in being both easy prey without weapons and deadly enemies with them. The 
> alzabo's own instincts
> seem better suited for hunting pure prey species. Alzabo-Becan combined 
> instincts lead to the
> death of the beast which wouldn't have happened if the prey had been a 
> rabbit-like creature.

Humans are not such difficult prey for an alzabo with a stolen human mind to 
use as a weapon against them, as we saw.

If an alzabo preyed on rabbits, its prey's mind would be best suited to 
eating grass.  Probably it could use it to find the rabbit warren, but the 
rabbit's mind - unlike a human one - would have no intelligence helpful in 
killing more rabbits.

> I think it is similar to a dog who is killed by chasing cars. Naturally 
> evolved instincts in
> animals often become deadly when misapplied in a human-based world (as the 
> alzabo brain has
> partially become).

I agree the alzabo's death was a similar accident - its instincts to preseve 
its chosen prey from other predators got the better of it.  Doubtless many 
predators in our world die this way.

- Gerry Quinn

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