From: m.driussi@genie.geis.com
Subject: (urth) Hethor's mirrors
Date: Tue, 12 May 98 13:57:00 GMT

alga,

Right, Hethor's mirrors aluded to by Father Inire.  But since the
only mirrors we see (mainly the "transporter pad" of the Presence
Chamber: about which Domnia told Thecla as Severian tells Agia [I,
ch. 20]; into which Jonas steps [II, ch. 18]; and into which the
cat is thrown into ["The Cat"]) are part of a room sized installation
(eight full length mirrors, with "labyrinths" aka teratoid signs on
their backs; some sort of laser-like light source at the center of
the mirror octagon), and since Hethor does not seem to be carrying
as much as a knapsack, then Hethor's mirrors must somehow be, kit
and kaboodle, pocket sized.

About summoning mirror critters: it seems that Chinese "magic
mirrors" are mirrors that seem normal but they reflect/project a
specific image, e.g., you can look at your face, but catch the
sunlight and you project the written character for "fire" into the
shadows.  The mirror silvering is only partial.

Father Inire tells Domnia that the Fish will materialize if they
don't darken the lamp or adjust the mirrors.  Suggesting that there
is a physical action rather than a psychic action: one dials up the
critter code on the mirrors rather than thinking strong thoughts of
influence.  But maybe not--Inire also seems to suggest that the Fish
is one of the first shapes to materialize; so there might be limits
to what a novice can catch with the mirrors, and only a real
fisherman can haul in the wild and very big creatures as Hethor does.

So Hethor, staring into his pocket compact, draws forth a half dozen
flying mounts for Vodalus?  Yikes!

=mantis=

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