From: "Robert Borski" <rborski@coredcs.com>
Subject: (urth) MIAs
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 17:35:59 

Don't believe this has been addressed yet, but in LEXICON URTHUS, the
following question is asked: "What were the names of the journeymen Master
Gurloes sent in search of the House Absolute and what ever became of them?

Here's who I believe they are and what happened to them.

In CLAW, present at the excruciation of Thecla's handmaiden are Master
Gurloes, and three assistants--Odo, Mennas and Eigil. Later, in CASTLE, we
learn these three are indeed journeymen, as we would expect, given the
masterfulness of their full-boot skinning. This leads me to believe they
may be senior journeymen, and given the importance of Thecla (the first
concubine Gurloes has ever had from the autarch's inner circle), it stands
to reason he may have sent his most experienced journeymen to the House
Absolute, which is not as we learn easy to find.

We never hear mention of Odo, Mennas and Eigil again, and they are not
present when Thecla is later placed in the revolutionary.

As for where they end up, when Roche and Severian are at the House Azure
for their night of pleasure, the "Chatelaine Thecla" warns Severian about
possibly hitting her when he raises his hand to the khaibit. Says she:
"There are people here to protect me...Three men."

Severian doubts her, but doesn't strike her; he taunts her to scream and
draw these three men, but she refuses.

Later, however, just before they make love, the naked Severian is told by
fake Thecla: "You must be clothed in favor, remember. Otherwise you will be
given over to the torturers." The phrase itself may be part of Thecla's
religious instruction, since just before this they're talking about the
theocenter; but it still seems a clue.

Could it be that, under impress of the Autarch,  Odo, Mennas and Eigil have
wound up at the House Azure as troubleshooters? Torturers do seem to have
the same sort of knowledge about nerve clusters that martial artists do.
And who better to roust out malcontents than members of the Order of
Seekers for Truth and Penitence, who are widely feared?

Robert Borski




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