(urth) Close Reading: Torturer Chapter 1

[Daniel D Jones]

On Friday 08 September 2006 00:51, Jack Redelfs wrote:
> > I can't help but wonder why Severian was called in to assist with the
> >Revolutionary given his pre-existing relationship with Thecla, which even
>
> were it
>
>  >not intimate was certainly close enough to create a clear conflict of
>
> interest in
>
> >the client/torturer relationship
>
> The masters well knew about Severian's relationship with Thecla, in general
> if not in detail. I think they required him to torture Thecla to, shall we
> say "break him," or disillusion him of ever becoming close to a client
> again. I don't think they could of foreseen that he would have slipped her
> a kitchen knife, as indeed Severian seemed surprised himself. I think the
> masters trusted that in the end Severian's loyalty to the guild would win
> over whatever inner conflict he felt. He was indeed loyal to the guild – it
> was the only home or family he had ever known.

Or perhaps it was a test to SEE if his loyalty to the guild would hold.  If he 
got through this, he could be trusted with anything.  If not, then he 
obviously wasn't cut out for a life in the guild, and the guild found this 
out early rather than late.