Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2003 20:19:28 -0700
From: Michael Andre-Driussi 
Subject: Re: (urth) stealing apu punchau

Brandon Mason wrote:
>I have always just thought that Gene Wolfe didn't
>originally intend for the Severian that we know
>(Severian 2) to be the Conciliator and Apu-Punchau.
>He might have intended these roles to be the first
>Severian, or someone else entirely.  But then when
>Urth of the New Sun came along I think he changed his mind.

Because I have a hard time envisioning the Claw as either a dumb object or
as a mere "focus" for Severian's current/latent power, I tend to think
(insist) that the Claw is the (hologramic, fragmentary; blood magic)
presence of the "first Severian" that Severian is referring to in the
passage: that is, the first Severian who, I believe we are told, did =not=
possess the Claw.

In this manner, by granting/denying miraculous powers at various junctures
(revive this dead, fail to revive that one; cast a light now; etc.), the
first Severian becomes, in part, author of the Severian we see.  Or
semi-puppetmaster.

=mantis=


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