From: Alex David Groce <Alex_Groce@gs246.sp.cs.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: (whorl) This little Piggie had none
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:47:53 

The proposition: Typhon is originally from Blue/Green (is a Neighbor,
I suppose).

Pros:

(1) Gives a reason for his sending the Whorl to Blue/Green.

(2) Explains Mother/Scylla relationship (maybe).

(3) Fits the naming scheme: Typhon is a Greek monster thus must be an
offworld visitor.

Cons:

(1) The Typhon Severian meets seems to be a human tyrant with a head
grafted on his shoulder, rather than any kind of alien.

(2) The naming scheme doesn't have to be super-consistent.  Baldanders
gets to be a "monster" (sort of) by modifying himself; surely Typhon
can do the same?

(3) Scylla doesn't seem very alien when we see "the real Scylla"
either.  Note that she doesn't seem to actually be the sea-monster
Scylla, but to be her human ally (thus betraying her father, odd if he
is a Neighbor and they are allied with "Scylla" who is also the
Mother, as Robert seems to imply).

(4) The Whorl leaving at the end makes me think the Whorl may be more
of a colony seedship than a one-shot.  The place has non-frozen
residents not only for the reasons given in LS, but so they can
replenish themselves "the natural way" between stops, after losing
much of their populace.


--
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
--
Alex David Groce (agroce+@cs.cmu.edu)
Ph.D. Student, Carnegie Mellon University - Computer Science Department
8112 Wean Hall (412)-268-3066
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~agroce

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