(urth) Father Inire

[Gerry Quinn]

From: Lee Berman 

> > Gerry Quinn: Ah, I hadn’t realised that.  I thought it was only known that 
> >he had been around a while, and served the Old Autarch. Where does it say he 
> >served all the Autarchs?

> The statement about Father Inire's term comes from Rudesind in the meeting at
> the House Absolute. Rudesind forgets the lines he was supposed to say, and 
> Severian asks him who had coached him. Rudesind says: 
> "Why, Father Inire...Who do you suppose?  Senile.  That's what they say. 
> Been vizier to I don't know how many autarchs since Ymar."

Fair enough – I had missed that.  Jeff makes a reasonable point about Rudesind (easy to imagine the old guy exaggerating Inire’s lifespan) but I think it’s probably correct.  It is not unlike Wolfe to say the true statement straight out in a way that invites the reader to disbelieve it if he wishes.  In any case, it’s clear that there’s no problem with a theory that makes Inire very ancient, even if ‘young Inire’ theories can find solace in Rudesind’s age.

> Without that bit of information I can see why it would be difficult to consider
> Father Inire stretching back to Typhon's time or what his role might have been
> during Typhon's rule. Thoughts about sorcerers and mandragoras also figure into
> that particular equation.      

Well, we are told he was vizier to Ymar, who apparently became Autarch after Typhon had himself mummified, and given that a few decades won’t have meant much to a guy that old, we can assume he was around during Typhon’s reign.  However, the most obvious hypothesis in this regard was that if he was on Urth, he was of the party involved in putting a black hole in the Sun, an action of which Typhon would have disapproved.  

We know Ymar went to Yesod; the most obvious hypothesis is that Inire helped him, and when he failed, he stayed on Urth helping Ymar’s successors, until such time as the New Sun would eventually come.  

Given that he is a cousin of the Hierodules, why would he be even on Urth unless he came to punish Typhon, or to set up the new order afterwards?  Given Typhon’s nature, we cannot reasonably suspect that Inire manipulated him into whatever actions resulted in the black hole.  So a theory placing Inire on Urth during Typhon’s time seemingly must assume that he was there for his own reasons, whether as hedge sorceror, member of Typhon’s court, or whatever.  If so, he can hardly have been there for the purpose of catching the New Sun.

If all he wanted was a long cushy life as vizier to the Autarchs, surely he would have done his best to prevent Severian bringing the New Sun.  Conversely, if he wanted the New Sun, why wait as vizier for centuries or more?  

It’s possible to invent all sorts of theories, and anything inexplicable can always be put down to mysterious time travel stuff.  But really, why not make our judgements based on what he does, which is help and protect the Autarchs, one of whom will bring the New Sun?  If he was left there by the Hierodules for exactly that purpose, both his longevity and his presence in Ymar’s court are explained.  

- Gerry Quinn













 
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