More Perils of Agia

A few digests back, Robert Borski propounded:

To which I asked:

I've assumed that she's going for the Claw in hopes of rescuing Agilus, of course. Either she believes it has some mystic power to free prisoners ("All the things he is supposed to have done himself") or else she hopes to use it to bribe any guard she can't seduce. But it occurs to me that your theory can still be salvaged. If Agia isn't trying to filch the Claw, then she must be after the keys. We know S. has the door keys; where else would he carry them but his sabretache? Agia doubtless assumes that he has the key to Agilus's chains as well. (I don't think he does -- Severian is only the executioner, not the jailer. However, Agia wouldn't make that distinction even if she weren't frantic.) raster at highfiber.com

I too have never doubted Agia's involvement, and it seems fairly clear (to me at least) that looking for the Claw is The Plausible Explanation for her digging in Severian's handy sabertache of holding...

FWIW, an' that ain't much, my version of Agia (and I really do like her a lot) has her fully knowing about the Claw. She plants it on Severian. Once they get out of the tent, she becomes giddy with the knowledge that she has pulled off this opportunistic jewel heist that outshines the Pink Panther. Severian asks her why she smiles, she rattles off some interesting excuse--the truth is, life looks good all of a sudden. New house in a new town, plenty of food, no more petty theft and murder . . . a new life for the twins. She's thinking something like, "We'll just bump off this foppish armiger Severian as per the plan to get the sword and then live the good life we deserve." But then over the next few chapters a few things change--Agia realizes that one Claw in the hand is worth countless Terminus Ests in the Sanguinary Field (the twins should just cut and run with the fortune that they have rather than risk it all on a comparatively paltry prize); and that Severian isn't an armiger but a torturer (which could involve post-mortem scrutiny from the archon of Nessus or the autarch at best, and/or the death of Agilus at worst). I think she wants to drop the original ploy, either by getting Severian to flee, or (since she can't contact Agilus beforehand) by warning off Agilus at the last minute. Having failed that and losing "her" Claw, Agia uses Hethor and his mirror to pursue a sort of anti-Conciliator path of conquest and domination. She succeeds at what Vodalus is only sort of playing at; she has the drive, the ambition, the determination, the huevos. Interesting tidbit: the three sacred Japanese (Imperial?) artifacts are the Mirror, the Sword, and the Jewel. Of course Herr Dr. Freud has something to say about this--but then, wasn't he the one who said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar (i.e., when =I'm= puffing on it)? <g> Re: rumors of a new larva in my nest. Yes, it is true. Sleep deprivation is not a pretty thing! But then again, let us count my blessings--she's on a milk diet right now. It will be three months before she graduates to eat my brains, or whatever remnants have been left by her sister. =mantis=