URTH |
From: "Mark Millman" <Mark_Millman@hmco.com> Subject: Re: (urth) Agia: Thief? Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 14:14:39 On 16 October 1998 at 5:00 PM GMT, Robert Borski wrote: > Re Agia as the Claw's thief. I've already > stated I find this difficult to accept, and > wonder what mantis or other proponents > of the Agia-as-thief theory make of the > following scene in SWORD. Sev wants > the Claw back from the cacogens, and > Barbatus asks, "If it is yours, where did > you get it?" Sev lays his Agia theory on > him, but Barbatus seems almost incensed > by this. "All this is speculation. You did not > see this jewel upon the altar, nor did you > feel the woman's hand when she gave it to > you, if in fact she did. _Where did you get > it?_" (p. 271, and these are Wolfe's italics, > not mine.) > > Baldander's answer to the same question > --'I got it from the drawer in a table'--also > does not seem to satisfy Barbatus, and > not much later Famulimus says to Sev, as > they're walking to their timeship, "Though > you did not now pass our test..." > > It seems to me that passing "the test" > somehow involves correctly answering > the question, "Where did you get it?" What > think you? I'm not convinced that the literal question "Where did you get it?" is really at issue for Famulimus and Bar- batus here. I think it's the only way that they can ask the real question without giving away the answer; if Severian knows the answer, then the phrasing won't throw him off, but if he doesn't have a clue (as he, in fact, proves he hasn't), then he'll try to answer it as it stands. Any physical answer--"Agia planted it", "it was in the drawer", even "well, it just appeared there one day"--is going to be incorrect. The correct answer is something like, "It's a part of me." But as Severian doesn't yet recognize this, he can't pass the test. Remember also that the Pelerines search Agia be- cause she looks guilty to them, and don't bother with Severian because he appears plainly to be an innocent. There's more to it than just appearances, too; if I recall correctly, mention is made of the chief Pelerine's (is she a Mother Superior?) ability to see the truth regardless of circumstance. > Re: EMPIRES OF FOLIAGE AND > FLOWERS. I have a copy of the > non-deluxe edition I'll let go for $175.00. > It is a nice book, but perhaps too much > so--I'm afraid to handle it, fearing finger- > prints or drool may soil it. Drool, Robert? If you love the book that much, I'm surprised that you're willing to let it go at all. > Robert Borski Mark Millman *More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/