Horn's ability

Lee Berman · 27 Oct 2011, 20:01 · from 2011-October.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:01:45 -0400
Subject: (urth) Horn's ability
Message-ID: <SNT123-W51D5774C0B6A67157AC8E7CFD20 at phx.gbl>

>David Stockhoff: In some ways. If we are to think of Inire as chained to Urth, yes. But 
>he has no formal or judging powers whatsoever---unlike the Autarch.

I am going to distort the meaning of your post and agree with you. Any executive power the
Autarch seems to have is purely a formality. There is the evidence of Cyriaca and some other
quotes which suggest nobody really knows who the true power ruling the Commonwealth is, The 
Autarch or the cacogens (Inire and...?)

There is of course the oft-repeated trope in myth, literature and history of the manipulative
vizier who is the true power behind the throne which Wolfe may be invoking here.

But for me the clincher is Father Inire's letter. I would paraphrase it as saying: "Welcome to
the Autarchy, new super-duper, most radically awesome guy! Now, I've made this major decision
which I'm SURE you'll approve of. And I've taken this radical action which you naturally support.
Etc. etc. But, let's never forget, I am "your humble servant", Inire.

(FWIW, it has never escaped me that Severian and others call him "Father" but he doesn't call 
himself that.)

Hm. we have recently discussed whether Severian is clueless as to Inire's many appearances in 
his story or is deliberately hiding his recognition. There is a bit of evidence, perhaps a slip,
that suggests during his later writing Severian knows full well when Father Inire has appeared
in disguise in his story.

Rudesind mentions that his master (Father Inire) "went away north", but is hesitant to dwell on the
point.  In Severian's reply, he says, "We even know that your master was with us in the jungles of 
the north, where he tried until it was too late to rescue my predecessor".  Inire's letter itself 
alludes to recent events with Agia and Vodalus that imply that he was nearby.

So, Severian knows the Jungle Guide was Inire. But all we get is this little hint to know that he
knows it.

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