FLF: Quadrumvirate

Michael Straight · 30 Nov 2002, 07:06 · from urth-v0211.mbox · original

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From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: (urth) FLF: Quadrumvirate
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002 02:06:56 -0500 (EST)
Message-ID: <urth-v0211-2294 at digest.urth.net>
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Roy wrote:
> >There is a great deal of humor in FLF, as in CASTLEVIEW, but what is to =
be
> >made of the last line of the book? That line is particularly disconcerti=
ng,

> >    "The greatest event of the coming decade will be the quadrumvirate. =
Four
> >leaders, unknown today, shall unite to take political, financial, artist=
ic,
> >and judicial power. They shall create a revolution of thought. Many who =
are
> >now rulers shall be imprisoned or exiled. Many who are now powerless sha=
ll
> >rise to places of great authority. The rich shall be made poor, and the =
poor
> >rich. Old crimes, long concealed, shall be made public, and their
> >perpetrators given to the people as to a pride of lions. The four shall =
be
> >hated and idolized, but their rule will not end within the period specif=
ied
> >by my prediction. That is all I was told."

This sounds an awful lot like the Magnificat (or one of the other
prophetic poems in the same genre: Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.).  There's
definitely a sense in FLF that America (the world?) has gone wrong.  And
these four have the power to change things.

See also Serpentina's speech about why we do not really want or deserve
longevity, power, etc.   But how to fit that with her ultimate acceptance
of the power of the time machine and her throne as one of the
quadumvirate?  Will these four do any better than the rogues they replace?

And, mantis, I like the Midsummer Night's Dream connection!  Here's
another possible one for you list:  The Four Thrones of Narnia, occupied
by two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve who walk through a magical
door which does something weird to time and changes them from children to
adults and back again.

-Rostrum

--=20

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