(urth) Sleeping Baldanders

[Matthew Groves]

This scene reminds me of Moby Dick, where Ishmael has to sleep next to
Queequeg at the inn.  Looking back at Moby Dick, I feel sure Wolfe is
referring to Melville here.  Melville makes reference several times to a
counterpane in Chs. 3 and 4, and Severian writes that before going to bed,
"I took of my cloak and spread it on the worn counterpane."

I think the bit about striking off is a bit of picaresque humor in the vane
of, say, Moby Dick, but it is a mystery to me what Baldanders means about
"Never," unless they have something to do with the spooky dreams he reports
having had.

OT: Has anyone ever read John Myers Myers's *Silverlock*?  Recommend it?

On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 6:00 PM, Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>wrote:

> I had the same thought about striking off heads, then checked the book.
> Severian interprets Baldanders this way.
> but as Paul points out Severian is often pretty off base.  I think Wolfe
> does this as misdirection. we get a sort of decent 'explanation' for one of
> the four statements, but if he's referring to his headsman role,
> "You--strike off." would end with a question mark. no?
>
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