(urth) The Tomb of the Unknown Severian

[Jeff Wilson]

Roy C. Lackey wrote:
> Peter S. wrote:
>> The green man is wandering through the corridors of time looking for a
>> situation where Sev is captive so that he can free him. He seems to save
>> him from Hethor's monster in the Antechamber, although he doesn't free
>> him then -- Thecla does that.  Could the green man have freed Sev1 here?
> 
> I don't think that the Green Man was involved in the Antechamber episode,
> but in any event it is far from certain that Sev1 ever even met the Green
> Man. Though the general outline of the life of Sev1 was the same as Sev2's
> between the time of the near drowning and becoming autarch, the details
> varied considerably. Sev1 didn't have the Claw, so everything associated
> with it, including the burning of the tent-cathedral and the Pelerines'
> flight from the city, didn't happen the same way for him. No Dorcas, no
> excuse for Jonas to intrude himself on the theater troupe, no blue-light
> special for the man-apes, etc. And the Green Man came from a sunny future --
> Ushas -- that Sev1 did not bring.
> 
> Any other candidates?

Given that Sev1 succeeded in becoming Autarch but failed in Yesod, a 
pro-New Sun agent may have arranged for a change in history to drown 
him, clearing the way for another candidate to become Autarch and win 
Yesod.  Then Juturna has a justifiable reason to save Sev2, hoping to 
restore the timeline and serve Abaia by preventing the New Sun.

This would mean that the Green Man may have been lurking about, hoping 
to kill or otherwise derail Sev2, rather than save him. His greeness is 
pond scum after all, making him likewise adapted to lurking camoflaged 
under yucky Gyoll water. This also explains his exceptional change of 
mood at being given a whetstone by Sev2; touching his hand, he is able 
to feel that presence extending through time into Ushas, affirming the 
arrival of the New Sun.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
< http://www.io.com/~jwilson >