(urth) Pike's Ghost

[António Marques]

Larry Miller wrote:
> Am I the only one that thinks that the mandragora and the Prime
> Calcula are one and the same?

No, it's been floated around more than once.

> I know some believe it is a reference to the Mainframe AI but is
> there any mention of a prime Calculator anywhere?  And why would
> Echidna mention this when asked about Pas possessing bodies?  And
> theres mention of the Citadel in the same sentence.

I think the problem is that nobody knows what to do with either the
reference to a 'Prime Calcula' (whatever that might be, is it the 
Kaaba's stone?) or the Mandragora. It looks as if cutting them out of 
the story loses us nothing. Which we know can't be the case. But having 
the 'Prime Calcula' be the Mandragora and the Mandragora be something 
related to Typhon or Severian opens which perspectives?