The Claw

Lee Berman · 23 Dec 2011, 14:46 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:46:03 -0500
Subject: (urth) The Claw
Message-ID: <SNT123-W1AB1C199B6435C93B1F3FCFAB0 at phx.gbl>

>>Jeff Wilson: Except that it only seems to work when the White Fountain is above the 
>>horizion.

>Brian: Isn't there some sighting of the white fountain during the Apu-Punchau
>scene?  If Severian's blood in both his body and the claw creates a
>temporal anomaly that allows his powers, then perhaps the massive anomaly
>created when he and Apu-Punchau touch is somehow part of the
>whole...uh..."white fountain process".

Well, Severian does see the White Fountain as he breaks out of Apu Punchau's tomb.
Previous to that, Barbatus twice suggests to Severian that he will have access to
the White Fountain power only when its light first reaches Urth. I assume that to
mean the whole Urth, else his power would only work during a certain time of day.
The White Fountain/Claw's power is never fully reliable but I don't get the sense 
the problem is related to Urth's turning.

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