The Best Introduction to the Mountains

matthew.malthouse · 01 Feb 2002, 15:48 · from urth-v0202.mbox · original

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From: matthew.malthouse at guardian.co.uk
Subject: Re: (urth) The Best Introduction to the Mountains
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 15:48:35 +0000
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On 01/02/2002 15:02:05 Michael Straight wrote:

>Ymar was "almost Just" which means he wasn't just.  Maybe this is not a
>backhanded compliment, and Wolfe's point is that no human ruler could be
>perfectly just.  But it also seems to indicate that Ymar and the other
>Autarchs were widely seen as unjust rulers.

Questions lead to questions lead to questions...

Was this quality which the Hierodules particularly chose to judge?

Was Severian to be judged on the same criteria as previous Autarch who subm=
itted
themselves to the process?

Would the Hierodules, Tzadkiel, Urth (or even Wolf) see "just" as we might?

As the epitome of Urth surely Severian was judged by far more than a single
quality: in fact the crux of the decision seemed to be those who would stank
with him and for him rather than any particular interior aspect at the mome=
nt he
stood in Tzadkiel's hall.

Matthew

--=20

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