(urth) Pike's ghost

[David Stockhoff]

On 11/30/2011 8:12 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
> On 11/30/2011 4:51 PM, Larry Miller wrote:
>>> gotcha.
>> On 11/30/11, Gerry Quinn<gerry at bindweed.com>   wrote:
>>> He talks about his predecessors, and uses the magic Autarch words to get in.
>
>> David Stockhoff: Not quite. It's here:
>> "Yet it was impossible that I should occupy a suite other than that
>> anciently set aside for the autarchs...."
>> Thus the suite is "that anciently set aside for the autarchs.">
>
>
> Yes. If we read carefully, the text more precisely supports larry:  that Severian
>
> has the memories of all the old autarchs evidenced by his knowledge of ancient
>
> autarch words.  That Severian finds nothing familiar in the suites set aide for
>
> the autarchs suggests that no previous autarch ever used the suite.

Hmm. I think they are unfamiliar, for the most part, because they are 
dull and therefore forgotten. Severian as much as says so. The 
homonculus stands out because it is the "most interesting."
>
>
>
> Thus, larry's conclusion that the contents of the suite, including the mandragora,
>
> may date back to Typhon's era, is supported. You could argue that Severian just
>
> happens to remember the words for the suite but just happens to forget the contents.
>
> But the only purpose of such a toothless assertion would be a desperate attempt to
>
> win a losing battle.

The words for the suite would be universal for all autarchal suites, 
wouldn't they? I am not sure what battle you mean. But I agree that the 
suite has not been much used since the first autarchs. The decor and 
furnishings are plainly space-age and have "Typhonic era" written all 
over them.