Agia's Weapons

David Stockhoff · 20 Dec 2011, 14:36 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:36:09 -0500
Subject: (urth) Agia's Weapons
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W3260B174EC1DA4EE5D71FFCFA40 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W3260B174EC1DA4EE5D71FFCFA40 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4EF09D59.9000608 at verizon.net>

On 12/19/2011 10:23 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
>> David Stockhoff: True. Doesn't fit the rest, but a weapon is a weapon when you need one.
>> Or are you simply suggesting it came from a Pelerine, not that Agia is one?
>
>
> I am suggesting Cyriaca is Agia's mother and bequeathed her twins the shop before moving
>
> to Thrax to live with her husband. She plans to return to Nessu and the shop and sew and
>
> cook for her kids to escape her strangulation sentence, not knowing Agia and Agilus' fate.
>
> So the misericorde was Cyriaca's but Agia sold it before meeting Severian.


Possibly, but what does this explain except to connect some loose 
threads? it seems incidental---it doesn't explain Agia herself, or Cyriaca.

But intuitively, I agree that if there is a Pelerine blade in a shop (I 
note it had an "ivy-root handle" if that helps), it came from a Pelerine 
we know. Do Agilus/Agia ever say where they got the shop from? I recall 
they do but not what they said.
>
>
>
>> It's true that we are never told the identity of the assassin. We do
>> know that he is male (or so Severian assumes., not being around to find
>> out), so presumably he's not Agia, but he could be of the Vodalarii
>> (Agiarii?). Note that he was a "master swordsman."
>
>
> It is hard to see past Severian's assessment of maleness. But I am willing to do so because
>
> (iirc) there are only two poisoned blades (among many) in all five books. The pattern of
>
> importance in Agia's weapons also nudges me in that direction. The assassin has been dead a
>
> long time, which would be necessary if it were Agia since otherwise she'd be Valeria's age
>
> and not likely to be very agile.
>
>
>
> Thanks for the suggestion that it might be a Vodalarii (Agiaii? Agiaeae? heh). I'd never
>
> considered that possibility. I still lean toward it being Agia for the same reason I lean
>
> against Larry's suggestion that the assassin is Miles.
>
>
>
> The assassin episode takes place at the very end of the story. It seems compltely unnecessary.
>
> Why give Valeria such a painful death when she is about to drown anyway? But if the assassin is
>
> Agia it gives the scene both purpose and symmetry. In the beginning of the story, Severian takes
>
> the life of the person most dear to Agia. At the end of the story, Agia returns the favor.


I completely agree. The skill of the assassin is telling---only a pro 
could have gotten as far as this one did, but who at court would have 
hired such a person? what person at court would have been so skilled? 
what exultant would have done the job personally? If there had been 
palace intrigue, wouldn't the body have been dangerous evidence 
implicating members of a conspiracy? Agia as assassin avoids those 
questions, since no one would have known she was there.

I wonder about her apparent ability to get past locked doors. But then, 
no one at court would know the words for secret doors in the throne room.
>
>
>
>> Better look up that hair color reference!
>
>
> Heh. Well perhaps unfortuately, this part partakes in my Father Inire theory. We aren't given a
>
> hair color for most of his disguised, ancient appearances. But I think two Inire appearances
>
> display red hair color. Cyriaca, like Catherine, is dark haired. Dark+red= chestnut, which is
>
> Agia and Agilus' hair color. (oh, and their bastardly father, aside from being Inire, is Cyriaca's
>
> mysterious, cosmically knowledegeable "uncle".)

Does Inire have no control over his own bastard children?

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