From: m.driussi@genie.com
Subject: (urth) More Perils of Agia
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 98 20:17:00 GMT

FWIW, an' that ain't much, my version of Agia (and I really do like
her a lot) has her fully knowing about the Claw.  She plants it on
Severian.  Once they get out of the tent, she becomes giddy with the
knowledge that she has pulled off this opportunistic jewel heist that
outshines the Pink Panther.  Severian asks her why she smiles, she
rattles off some interesting excuse--the truth is, life looks good
all of a sudden.  New house in a new town, plenty of food, no more
petty theft and murder . . . a new life for the twins.

She's thinking something like, "We'll just bump off this foppish
armiger Severian as per the plan to get the sword and then live the
good life we deserve."  But then over the next few chapters a few
things change--Agia realizes that one Claw in the hand is worth
countless Terminus Ests in the Sanguinary Field (the twins should
just cut and run with the fortune that they have rather than risk it
all on a comparatively paltry prize); and that Severian isn't an
armiger but a torturer (which could involve post-mortem scrutiny from
the archon of Nessus or the autarch at best, and/or the death of Agilus
at worst).  I think she wants to drop the original ploy, either by
getting Severian to flee, or (since she can't contact Agilus
beforehand) by warning off Agilus at the last minute.

Having failed that and losing "her" Claw, Agia uses Hethor and his
mirror to pursue a sort of anti-Conciliator path of conquest and
domination.  She succeeds at what Vodalus is only sort of playing at;
she has the drive, the ambition, the determination, the huevos.

Interesting tidbit: the three sacred Japanese (Imperial?) artifacts
are the Mirror, the Sword, and the Jewel.

Of course Herr Dr. Freud has something to say about this--but then,
wasn't he the one who said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
(i.e., when =I'm= puffing on it)? <g>

Re: rumors of a new larva in my nest.  Yes, it is true.  Sleep
deprivation is not a pretty thing!  But then again, let us count my
blessings--she's on a milk diet right now.  It will be three months
before she graduates to eat my brains, or whatever remnants have been
left by her sister.

=mantis=

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/