From: Matthew Malthouse <matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) Questions re Lexicon Urthus
Date: Thu, 09 Jul 1998 03:45:29 +0100

adam louis stephanides wrote:

> 2) The entry for Valeria states that "she becomes regent during the
> decades of [Severian's] absence."  I don't think this is correct.
> In _Urth_, ch. IV, p. 27 (hardcover), Severian says: "'I was the
> Autarch--the ruler--of the Commonwealth; now I'm the surrogate of Urth,
> and its ambassador.'"  Later, there's this dialogue: "'Then you still
> claim you're really the Autarch?'  'I was,' I told him." (ch. XVI, p. 115)
> These passages indicate clearly that when Severian left Urth, he ceased to
> be the Autarch.  That being the case, Valeria could not have been
> Severian's regent.  Furthermore, Eata refers to Valeria as being Autarch
> before she marries Dux Caesidius. (ch. XLVI, p. 328)

Um, my memory supplies the titbit that Valeria had reigned as Autarch
_without_ her predecessors' memories and thus without the very important
knowledge of the Second House.  Also Valeria reigns because Severian has been
so long absent that his return is no longer looked for, indeed a memorial is
raised to his memory. Veleria is not regent but ruler.

Matthew

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