(urth) Father Inire Theory cont.

[Lee Berman]

Okay, have to answer that question. I see Erebus and Abaia as not so distinct as their
naming might indicate. The end of RttW suggests Scylla and Abaia are not so separate
either. They are (by design by Wolfe) difficult to delineate and understand.
 
As Antonio suggests, they work through agents. It must be considered that Father Inire
is merely one of those agents. He doesn't have to be everywhere or a shapeshifter if a
larger entity is breaking off pieces to serve as agents. He is just, ironically, the most 
visible face of them with regard to wielding political power. There are other jobs to do.
 
In our history, we can cast the evil vizier whispering into the king's ear, be it Rasputin, 
Adolph Eichman or Dick Cheney, as a demonic metaphor. But I think it is a SF-Fantasy 
(and horror?) author's stock-in-trade to take our historical, mythological and relgious 
metaphors and create "real" characters out of them. I think Gene Wolfe has done that.