(urth) Catherine

[Lee Berman]

>larry miller: Thats an interesting theory that Catherine may be the woman 
>dug up by Vodalus.  If she indeed inhabited the Atrium of Time as some suggest
>she could have easily have died after her appearances as St Katherine
>and been buried in the past.  Perhaps she was being led to her death
>on the Path of Air?  I also would love to hear your theory on this, no
>matter how fantastical.

Okay. A little preparatory spade work is necessary though. First, I'd say the 
Atrium of Time itself is not itself a time travel device. HOwever it is surrounded 
by towers which are. We have The Last House (Master Ash) as a model of static time 
travel structures. Severian has trouble finding it and Valeria's tower without following the 
proper path through a labyrinthine entranceway.  The lower levels of these time structures
open earlier in time. The upper levels open later in time. Valeria lives in the lower 
levels of her tower. She has an antique quality and thus she likely dwells in the past.
 
Catherine is apparently a Citadel dweller. The Path of Air is part of the House Absolute
(actually part of Father Inire's Secret House, but anyway...). What connections are there
from The Citadel to The House Absolute?
 
We are told Ultan's Library extends from The Citadel to House Absolute. It is below ground
level and Severian has to go down some stairs to get there.  We are told Rudesind's Art
Gallery extends from The Citadel to HOuse Absolute. It seems to be roughly at ground level. 
Perhaps there is another passageway connecting Citadel and House Absolute which starts at the 
top of one of the towers off the Atrium of Time. Hence "Path of Air." Since this pathway goes to 
the top of one of these towers, it exists in Severian's future. About 60 years in his future, 
I'd say.
 
Severian sees the appearances of his mother as Holy Katharine and the woman in the coffin when 
he is about age 20. But he sees the sobbing woman being escorted by soldiers on the day of the 
Flood, 60 years in his future, when Valeria is about 80. valeria is depicted as an embittered
old crone, as Autarchia living in the House Absolute. But she was born in the Citadel and was
a resident of an Atrium of Time tower.
 
I think this implies old Valeria knows about the Path of Air, knows who Catherine is and knows 
that she is escaping from a death sentence from 60 years in the past. She assigns her soldiers 
to escort her back to her fate of getting her head chopped off every year and/or being throttled 
by Allowin's Necklace allowing Vodalus and his followers to dig her up and eat her.