(urth) Dr. Talos

[Bruce Hayles]

Baldanders created Dr. Talos to be everything he is not. 'Baldanders wisely
made me all that he is not, so that I might counterweight his deficiencies.
I am not fond of money, for example. That's an excellent thing for the
patient, in a personal physician. And I am loyal to my friends, because he
is first of them.' (pg 181 in Sword & Citadel) Baldanders is a scientist and
a creator; perhaps Dr. Talos is an artist and a destroyer. Dr. Talos puts on
plays but always interrupts their performance; he creates Jolenta, but in
the end destroys her. When he kills flowers, I see that as idle destruction.
I think it unlikely that Dr. Talos is now the "master" of Baldaders.
Baldanders needs the beatings to wake him up--otherwise he would sleep too
long. Baldanders created the physician to maintain his growth and keep
himself in check: he expected that his doctor would have to order him
around.

On 9/6/06, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 9/6/06, b sharp <bsharporflat at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > A cane-sword seems like a unique enough item to merit some sort of
> > connection but I don't see it either.  Talos acquires his gold headed
> > cane as a "dropsie" after one of Baldanders' scary rampages during
> > the play.  A nervous exultant in the audience?  Hard to believe it is
> > Vodalus.
>
> No, I don't think it's hard at all -- we know that Vodalus's people have
> been watching Severian and the krew; we know that Vodalus visits
> the city occasionally. As a spot check, we can look when we get to
> the appropriate part of Book II and see if there's any mention of
> Vodalus's swordcane, but I'll bet there isn't.
>
> > Also, Talos loves whacking the heads off flowers with his cane.
> > What's up with that?
>
> Channeling Seinfeld, B? 8*)
>
> We know that flowers in general are significant in the Book, and that
> roses in particular signify the Conciliator. And Talos works for (& was
> created by) someone who opposes the return of the Conciliator/New
> Sun. H'mmm.
>
> > And what's up with him in general?  A homunculus?  Name from a
> > mythical bronze man?  Hot dry skin.  No sex, sleep or food needed?
>
> "Very little" food or sleep; it's certainly possible that this is a code
> for
> "none," but then we have to ask what his energy source is. He clearly
> doesn't burn fossil fuels! But "hot dry skin" implies to me that perhaps
> he does use some heat-producing power plant.  A mininuke perhaps?
>
> > He seems to understand Urth to Ushas better than anyone else.
>
> Including (interestingly enough)  Baldanders. He has surpassed
> his maker in some significant ways; this might itself be something of
> a "theme" in tBotNS, given the history of the Hiero-foos. But when
> he deliberately evokes Frankenstein, I'm forcefully reminded of the
> most chilling line in Shelley's book: "You are my creator, but I am
> your master. Obey!"
>
> --
> Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
> -----
> http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
> http://www.danehyoakes.com
> I've got a piece of braaaaain lodge in me heeead!!!
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