(urth) spatial temporal rules of astral travel

[Gerry Quinn]

From: "Lee Berman" <severiansola at hotmail.com>
>
>>Gerry Quinn: If the Ascians are attacking the Commonwealth, defence 
>>against them is
>>hardly a pointless war.
>
> Aw Gerry, I can't believe you said that. Next you will tell me that the 
> USA and UK were
> in grave danger of being invaded by Afghanistan and Iraq? ;= ). (When I 
> say "pointless"
> I mean from the perspective of the people fighting the war, not those 
> actually in control
> of things.)
>
> I do not think Gene wolfe is so naive about war.
>
> Consider the words of the Old Autarch in discussing the history of the war 
> with
> Severian:
>
>>He paused.  "Both could be ours.  Both armies, not just the one to the 
>>south....Would you
>>advise me to take both?".....
>
>>"you were right when you called them the slaves of Erebus.  They think 
>>themselves the allies
>>of those who wait in the deep.  In truth, Erebus and his allies would give 
>>them to me if I
>>would give our south to them.  Give you and all the rest".
>
> Add this to some cryptic words from Master Ash and we can be quite clear 
> that Erebus is just
> playing a war game with his millions. We may interpret his desire for 
> control of the south, of
> "YOU and all the rest" to mean he hopes to control Severian and the coming 
> of the New Sun.

Fine - but the fact that the Ascians are the proxies of Erebus's monster 
faction doesn't mean that the Commonwealth can just lie down and let them 
walk over them.  They still have to fight (there may be an alternative on 
offer but it is unacceptable).


> Next consider the words of Father Inire's letter. He is spying for the 
> Ascians and supporting
> the pro-Ascian, anti-Commonwealth actions of Vodalus and his group. 
> Consider Maxellindis'
> Uncle's story of the women's voices and a deeper voice beneath the water 
> and the giant ship
> with huge, pale (antarctic) warriors sailing down the Gyoll. Abaia and 
> Erebus are already within
> The Commonwealth. Like them, Father Inire is playing games with the war. 
> Everything about the war
> is a sham. It is all about control and manipulation of one particular 
> person, that being Severian.

There's no evidence that Inire is spying for the Ascians.  He does (with the 
Autarchs' permission) allow a heavily infiltrated and probably harmless 
revolutionary group to persist - such things ae not unknown.

We already know there are agents of the sea monsters present in the 
Commonwealth.  That doesn't mean they own it.

My impression is that Abaia and Erebus are at odds.  The Commonwealth must 
do what it must to survive.  This includes war.

- Gerry Quinn