finally - a mechanism

maa32 · 03 Dec 2002, 14:22 · from urth-v0212.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: (urth) finally - a mechanism
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 07:22:55 -0700
Message-ID: <urth-v0212-2343 at digest.urth.net>
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Here is a mechanism that we may want to look at for time travel:

Remember that when Fava and Inclito's mother tell their stories, the narrat=
or=20
has the ability to enter their story.  In other words, he can alter events=20
that he hears about and use his "power" to enter the story.  He actually=20
appears in Inclito's mother's story as a figure from her past, while he=20
changes Fava's story.  I argue that his astral travel can be based off of=20
something that he hears about - and that one of Typhon's big concerns when =
he=20
scanned himself into mainframe was the conciliator, so that when Silk's spi=
rit=20
is reunited with his body from Pig at the very end of the flashback scenes =
of=20
return to the whorl, it brings with it Pas' preoccupation with the figure o=
f=20
the Conciliator - and it also programs him with Typhon's obsession to meet =
and=20
possibly influence the conciliator, sending Silk's spirit across time to fi=
nd=20
that man at his true birth - his baptism in the river.  If you want to argu=
e=20
that Severian was not dead at the exact first time that Silk appears, you h=
ave=20
to factor in the very significant drowning in Gyoll that must be taking pla=
ce=20
EXACTLY as Silk appears in that time - the true birth (or death) of the=20
Severian we know - and therefore the logical focal point for his=20
vivimancer-hood.

There are several other options: that when the vanished people made Horn=20
undergo the cleansing of the sewer, they were telling the cultural story of=20
Severian : a man cleansed the detritus from this sewer of Urth and allowed =
a=20
cleansing flush - which Silk could later use to travel to Urth and influenc=
e=20
the story of that cultural, mythological icon - there are whole sections in=20
the book about the formation of myth, etc.  SILK HAS THE POWER TO INFLUENCE=20
OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES - AND THIS IS WHY LONG SUN IS ACCURATE - AND THIS IS=20
WHY HE CAN SHOW UP AT AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR SEVERIAN IN THE PAST. He knows =
the=20
important features of the tale of the conciliator - either through mainfram=
e,=20
through the ceremony of cleansing the sewers, or perhaps Rigolio has been=20
imprinted with the task of killing the conciliator if he finds him.  I'll l=
ook=20
again.

Marc Aramini

--=20

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