Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 23:29:16 -0700
From: Dan Rabin 
Subject: (urth) Malrubius's ghost and Paeon's

Any explanation of the appearances of Malrubius to Severian should 
also account for the appearances of Paeon, the honey-steward who 
trained the Autarch when the latter was a servant in the House 
Absolute.

The old Autarch says in _Citadel_, ch. 25, that this Paeon-image 
appeared to him while Severian was with the false Thecla in the House 
Azure to tell him that Severian would be his successor:

"You remember everything, and so you must recall the night you came 
to my House Azure.  That night someone else came to me.  I was a 
servant once, in the House Absolute. . . . That is why they hate me. 
As they will hate you, for what you once were.  Paeon, who trained 
me, who was honey-steward fifty years gone by.  I knew what he was in 
truth, for I had met him before.  He told me you were the one . . . 
the next.  I did not think it would be quite so soon. . . ."

This seems to me to accord with the view that eidolons in the form of 
trusted mentors from an Autarch's youth are sent to counsel them.

   -- Dan Rabin

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