From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 10:34:52 +0000
Subject: Re: (urth) Space Vampires from the Green Planet!




On 26/03/2002 17:01:56 Michael Andre-Driussi wrote:

>As for Typhon loading an ark to repopulate Urth. No.  This function is
>being carried out, either by design or by accident, by the Ship Tzadkiel.
>>From the play by Talos; from the plan for the sailors in the Hall of
>Justice (iirc it was: if the sailors win, they can stop the New Sun, if
>they lose they can populate Ushas); from the way that guards bring news
of
>ships dropping off people at the time of the deluge (echoing the play):
it
>seems like Tzadkiel drops off Adam&Eve packets onto Urth in lean times,
>just as Tzadkiel seems to snatch people up in other times (all that trade
>in slaves).

And in support: such a move would be contrary to Typhon's ambition to
(re-)conquor his stellar empire.  He doesn't care about Urth, the
backwater, any more than as a springboard from which to re-enter the
bigger game out amongst the stars.


But that does leave me pondering the old question "why did he do it?"
Typhon's conversations with Severian first when awoken on his couch and
later (in Severian's experience) as Severian is traveling the history of
Urth definitely suggest a man right up there at the cutting edge of the
tyranting business. Long tern strategems or back-up plans don't really
seem to be Typhon's style.

Matthew



--