Malrubius — Urth Net

Robert Borski16 Oct 1998, 20:42original as archived

Malrubius

When Severian's cabin aboard the Quasar is broken into by Idas and plundered, Sev has only one big worry: "Whatever he had sought, I had possessed only one treasure: the letter Master Malrubius had given me, identifying me as the legitimate Autarch of Urth." (URTH, p.42) Malrubius, being dead of course, he means the aquastared version of Malrubius, as Idas later confirms ("Your letter, the one that the aquastars of Urth gave you for the Hierogrammate...") But hold on a second here. How is it that an aquastar, and of Malrubius no less, has this much cachet with a grand Pooh Bah of Briah? Aren't aquastars true to the memories held of them? And if they are, why would the Hierogrammate find a letter from Malrubius--a dead Master of the Torturers--more compelling and legitimate than one from, say, Father Inire? Or does the Hierodule animating machine put a little of itself into each aquastar--kind of a secret sharer, co-intelligence (in which case a letter from Triskele would have as much value as one from Malrubius)? I have my theories, of course; but rather than be laughed off this list once more time, I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts first. Oh yeah. While I'm talking about aquastars, Miles is one. Robert Borski

Alex David Groce17 Oct 1998, 12:53original as archived

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Perhaps, since they reflect Severian's ideas of the person, it's a circular proof--because Severian feels that Malrubius would certify him as autarch, that seals his autarch-hood--after all, the autarch is the "self-ruler". Perhaps only someone who's used the phallus and gained the memories can conceive of an aquastor (especially a mentor such as Mal.) as viewing him as the proper autarch?

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On Oct 16, 8:42pm, Robert Borski wrote: Subject: (urth) Malrubius When Severian's cabin aboard the Quasar is broken into by Idas and plundered, Sev has only one big worry: "Whatever he had sought, I had possessed only one treasure: the letter Master Malrubius had given me, identifying me as the legitimate Autarch of Urth." (URTH, p.42) Malrubius, being dead of course, he means the aquastared version of Malrubius, as Idas later confirms ("Your letter, the one that the aquastars of Urth gave you for the Hierogrammate...") But hold on a second here. How is it that an aquastar, and of Malrubius no less, has this much cachet with a grand Pooh Bah of Briah? Aren't aquastars true to the memories held of them? And if they are, why would the Hierogrammate find a letter from Malrubius--a dead Master of the Torturers--more compelling and legitimate than one from, say, Father Inire? Or does the Hierodule animating machine put a little of itself into each aquastar--kind of a secret sharer, co-intelligence (in which case a letter from Triskele would have as much value as one from Malrubius)? I have my theories, of course; but rather than be laughed off this list once more time, I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts first. Oh yeah. While I'm talking about aquastars, Miles is one. Robert Borski