From: "Andy Robertson" 
Subject: Re: (urth) Unsheathing Long Swords
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 17:20:50 -0000

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Straight" 
>
> How does Severian quickly unsheath his sword when it's slung behind his
> back?  I'm imagining it being long enough that he can't simply reach back
> and pull it out (his arm not being long enough to get it all the way out
> of the sheath).

In the bit in COTC where he is captive and riding on the back of the
balachutherium he refers to the correct way of drawing the sword being to
"grip the quillions in one hand and the throat of he sheath in the other and
by opening the arms to left and right to draw the blade clear " - by which I
assume he would have had to unsling it first.



    hartshorn






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