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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>What if
Ascia and the Ascians were a permutation of Ascolais that Gene
Wolfe</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>>meant as a
sort of homage to one of his inspirations?</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>eh.....I don't know. It seems a stretch since I
can't think of any other connection beyond the name. But I'm no one to
talk since I've always suspected Ascolais is connected to the term "akolasia"
meaning "licentiousness".<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>
</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But wait until you get to the story of Cugel. The
writing is soo subtly funny. And Severian is surely an homage to
the shirtless, sword wielding Cugel.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>J</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>