(urth) Pike's ghost

[Gerry Quinn]

From: Lee Berman 
> larry miller: 
> > I dont think Inire was on Urth during Typhons time.  
> > He may have made visits to that time period via his mirrors but IMHO 
> > I dont believe he started taking part in Urths history until after 
> > Typhons downfall.  I wouldnt rule out though that he had a part in 
> > elevating Ymar (another lowly torturer) to the throne and establishing 
> > the line of Autarchs. Perhaps these were the purpose of the 
> > aforementioned visits?

I don’t recall us being told anything much about Inire’s history, one way or the other.  Clearly he has been influential for some considerable time when Severian ascends to the throne.  My *feel* for the matter, and it is only that, is that Inire has been around since about the time of the Old Autarch (who also went to Yesod) and maybe a bit before.  Previously to that, no Autarch since Ymar went to Yesod, IIRC.  It would make sense if Inire came along to help and advise around this time now that it looks like the New Sun is finally becoming a real possibility.
 

> Okay, so if I understand your view correctly, Inire's purpose on Urth is
> to groom and support autarchs, with the eventually ascension of the right
> one to New Sun status? I think this jibes with Borski's view and quite a 
> few others on this list (my own view differs).
That would be my view also, and I cannot think of any actions or statements by Inire that would tend to undermine it. 


>Gerry Quinn: 

> > In this case, the notion that Typhon would have wished or 
> > intended to live on as a pickled homunculus in a jar.  We actually know 
> > how he lived on.  And when he met Severian, he did not ask about the 
> > homunculus.

 
> Nice try, Gerry, but no. At least you are understanding that Typhon on Urth
> sat on a throne and was the subject of the pornographic painting. 

I think everyone on the list can clearly see how nonsensical that claim is.  Why do you keep posting this kind of stuff?


> But your
> attempt to play dumb here isn't working. I know you are smart. Smart enough
> to know that a body prepared in waiting to receive a host personality needn't
> remain as a fetus nor pickled in a jar once the upload has taken place. 

How so?  Severian spoke to the homunculus, and all it wanted was to die; it even tried to provoke Severian into killing it, IIRC.  It had no hope for any other sort of life.  What evidence have you for the above speculation?


> You 
> are just pretending to not get it. Why would Typhon ask Severian about the
> mandragora? Why would Severian be expected to know about that?  Anyway, isn't 
> Typhon more into telling Severian things than asking? Anyway, nice try.      

Admittedly, my point that about him not asking was weak.  Fortunately, it is unnecessary given the overwhelming lack of evidence for your case, and the reasonably solid arguments against it, such as above, and the profound absence of anything that would require such a convoluted explanation.

It’s not entirely unlikely, though, that Wolfe would have had Typhon say something if he had intended for some reason that the homunculus in a jar in a chamber belonging to ancient Autarchs was actually intended as a body for Typhon to be downloaded into.  Severian comes from the Citadel; Wolfe could have had Typhon say something along the lines of “I left some things behind there...” and added some other clue that would be recognisable by alert readers.

But that’s all irrelevant anyway.  As far as I can see your only ‘evidence’ for this latest ridiculous hypothesis is that the term Wolfe uses for the homunculus, a fairly standard term for such things insofar as such terms may be standard, can be transformed by a series of semantically empty puns into some connection with a mythological monster whose name Typhon bears.  That’s about the size of it, isn’t it? 

- Gerry Quinn




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