(urth) Father Inire as Dionysus

[Jerry Friedman]

> From: David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>

.> On 10/22/2011 12:37 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
>>  Here's the thing for me- We have the mystery of Dr. Talos' 
> knowledge. It is
>> 
>>  a mystery because it is not explained and I think we are supposed to figure
>> 
>>  it out. We have competing theories: 1. he is a keen eavesdropper and 2. He
>> 
>>  is really a version of the mysterious Father Inire.

Seems to me some of it is explained straightforwardly (as I thought I posted earlier today, but I don't see the post).  Famulimus says Baldanders "hoards up past lore" (SotL, Ch. XXXIII), as we might have expected given his medical knowledge.  There's no obvious reason to keep any of it from his faithful doctor, servant, dogsbody (foxbody?), and playwright.

Only some of it, though.

>>  If this was the real world, I think #1 is the better explanation. It is 
> plain
>> 
>>  and simple and thus better via Occam's principle. But this is a work of 
> fantastical
>> 
>>  fiction and for me, the fantastical #2 solution to a mystery is simply more 
> fun.

For some of it, I just see no mystery.
 
> Here's a theory that is neither pedestrian nor fantastical, but based on the 
> story and what we know of its characters. Talos has the task of scraping up cash 
> for Baldanders. He writes and directs plays and is therefore incredibly 
> literate. He probably reads extremely fast, being unnatural and unusually 
> intelligent. He knows his audience. He travels and listens.

That too.
 
> What sort of information does this leave out? Perhaps some military-type 
> information, certain arcane technologies, battle tactics. But certainly all 
> religion, philosophy, history, etc.
> 
> To me, the bigger key is the Book itself. The bit about Carina does seem 
> circular in origin, since there doesn't seem to be any reason for anyone 
> outside the story to know Catherine without knowing Severian is her son. Why 
> would anyone know that?
> 
> Well, certain people know---certain people at the House Absolute. And these 
> people deal in rare books.
> 
> Does anyone think it unlikely that Ultan lends Talos books by the hundreds?

Well, Talos doesn't have a Nessus address (that we know of).  But he has some sources of ancient information, quite likely books.

Indeed, though, the question of why Carina's narration in /E. &. G./ matches a scene in UotNS is mysterious, like other echoes between the play and future events.  It may mean Dr. T. has some uncanny source of knowledge.  There's plenty of time travel in the books to provide one possible explanation without the need (or possibility?) of any commitment to who the time traveler is.  Another possibility is that Dr. Talos doesn't know anything; instead the woman in UotNS knows about the play, or somebody else does and sets up the scene.  Another is unconscious prescience, like Severian's dream of the puppet fight.  As Talos himself tells us, stories in the future can inspire those in the past.  I'm not seeing other possibilities at the moment, but maybe some people will (or have).

Jerry Friedman