(urth) Merger

[Andrew Mason]

Gerry Quinn wrote:

> It's definitely Malrubius's aquastor, in Chapter 31 of Citadel:
> "If you fail, your manhood will be taken from you, so that you  cannot
> bequeath the Phoenix Throne to your descendants. Your predecessor also
> accepted the challenge."

Ah, OK, then. I guess I was just reading 'so that' as 'with the result that'.

I still don't think it needs to be read as 'We must prevent you
starting a dynasty, since a dynasty founded by someone who failed the
test would be a bad thing'. Rather it can mean ''In taking the test
you risk being unmanned, and so losing the ability to found a dynasty,
as obviously you would want to' - so on that reading it is indeed part
of the test, a test of the Autarch's commitment.

Later we are told (by Tzadkiel, actually, not Apheta as I thought)
that it would have been a bad thing for 'Appian' to have a child, as
it would have kept Severian from the throne; but that's specific to
his case.

As to the point that an autarch can have a child before he takes the
test, perhaps he is told that that would disqualify him, as lack of
children is part of the penalty.

>