Thea/Vodalus -- who were they digging up?

cilluff1 at optonline.net · 11 Oct 2002, 14:05 · from urth-v0210.mbox · original

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From: "cilluff1 at optonline.net" <cilluff1 at optonline.net>
Subject: (urth) Thea/Vodalus -- who were they digging up?
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 10:05:13 -0400
Message-ID: <urth-v0210-1848 at digest.urth.net>
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Hello, all!  I have recently joined the list, although I have been reading=
=3D

the archives and am very impressed with the depth of many list-members'
analysis of Wolfe's works=3D2E  Anyway, by way of background, I have read
TBONS/UOTNS and recently finnished the first half of BOTLS -- I started
re-reading BOTNS again while I waited for Epiphany to arrive and, now that=
=3D

it has, am halfway through Shadow and Claw and can't put it down again=3D2E=
 =3D
=3D20

Anyway, two things have always puzzled me, and perhaps some listmembers ca=
=3D
n
shed some insight on them=3D2E

First, who were Vodalus and Thea (and Hildegrin) digging up when Severian
first meets them in the Necropolis?  It's a woman, and for some reason I
get the feeling that Thea has some interest in or relation to her, but
otherwise I can't figure it out=3D2E

Second, in Sword and Citadel, when Sev is in the lazaret being cared for b=
=3D
y
the Pelerines, he meets a slave who tells him a story about meeting
"Journeyman Palemon," and asks Severian to relay a question to Palemon if
ever he meets him again=3D2E  Severian, of course, does subsequently meet
Palemon again, but does not (as far as we know) ask Palemon the slave's
question=3D2E  Any thoughts as to why?  I cannot believe it simply slipped =
G=3D
W's
mind=3D2E  Is the absence of the question supposed to make us ponder what t=
h=3D
e
real answer is?

Anyway, I hope someone can share their insights with me, and I look forwar=
=3D
d
to reading everyone's thoughts on other topics as well=3D2E

Regards,
Joe (no nickname as of yet! : ) )

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