From: Michael Andre-Driussi <mantis@sirius.com>
Subject: Re: (urth) Typhon and Pas
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 16:24:52 


Mitchell A. Bailey wrote:
>One curious contrast I noticed between the postoperative recuperating
>Typhon of Urth and the bicephalic simulation Pas of the Whorl.
>
>Typhon of Urth was rather reticent about his, er, condition when the
>Conciliator showed up. The monarch had retired to his work camp in the
>mountains where his monument was being carved while he recovered (that
>is, until Piaton should outlive his usefulness and be amputated like a
>tumour). The chiliarch threatened Sev with death if he should speak of
>anything he might see or hear, and ensured the troopers could not see
>the monarch when the curtain was drawn. I think we can guess what it is
>Typhon did not want spoken of, and it seems clear that he does not wish
>his subjects generally to see or know about his surgery or the means by
>which his intended rejuvenation was supposed to occur.
>
>He appeared readily enough to Sev in both _Sword_ and UNS, but those
>were special cases out of sight of his ordinary subjects.
>
>On the other hand, the Typhon who was simulated as Pas seemed to have no
>problem whatsoever with the people on the Whorl seeing his
>disfigurement, and in fact flaunted it as a sort of trademark.
>
>Other than to say that the Cargo of _Whorl_ were permanently removed
>from Urth and what is an acceptable appearance for a god might be
>unsuitable for a monarch, it seems to be a bit of a contradiction in
>attitudes. This could call into question the theory that Urth and Whorl
>occupy the same milieu after all.

I agree with everything but the last paragraph.

I took the situation as meaning that the "scanning" for the Whorl had
happened before the slave's head had been removed; thus sometime before
Severian met Typhon in Typhon's era; which is obvious and self-evident.

I would add to your notions that it would be more fitting for a god to have
two heads.  That is true and I agree.  Here's the addition: we know that
Typhon was seriously messing with the heads of all the people (and
embryoes) going onboard the Whorl, thus there is no "continuity" problem
for them; whereas on Urth, the palace guards are saying, hey, what's the
deal--bossman had only one head yesterday!

=mantis=



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