From: m.driussi@genie.com
Subject: (urth) Sex and Severian
Date: Tue, 26 May 98 05:14:00 GMT

J. Schultz,

Why I guessed that Sev1 might have killed a prostitute.

(1) He would have been sent to the brothel even if Thecla wasn't in
the tower--he is of an age.  (And the thought experiment involves
stripping Sev2 down to the bare minimum: no Triskele, no Claw, no
Thecla, etc.)

(2) His companion explicitly warns him about using grips on the
prostitutes.  Red flag.

(3) He comes very close to becoming very violent with the prostitute.
This despite the "softening" effects of being in love with Thecla and
the direct warning from his "elder brother" of the guild.

(4) Sev2's carnal relations with women are usually marked by a degree
of violence.

That's pretty much it.  Just a guess.

You were trying to remember the name of the beast whose mouth is a
cave--the name is "Uroboros" (II, ch. 27).

=mantis=

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