<div>Dan'l:</div>
<div>> I think this is unfair to one of GW's most powerful<br>> moments. "I took off my boots and threw them into<br>> the water, so as not to walk shod upon sacred ground."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Oh, it certainly was unfair, I just have a penchant for </div>
<div>irreverence. It's a great scene, and it moved me </div>
<div>immensely the first time I read it, but I guess it's true what </div>
<div>they say: familiarity breeds contempt.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>> Have you read _Urth of the New Sun_? It defines rather<br>> clearly where the power actually came from.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It's been years. The power comes from the White Fountain, I </div>
<div>seem to recall, but I cannot recall whether it is specific to the </div>
<div>Conciliator or not. I'm stil curious about the "Sev-as-aquastor"</div>
<div>angle.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>> who, if anyone, besides me finds BotNS more satisfying without the<br>> fifth volume?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I partly agree with you. It was an excellent book, taken on it's own</div>
<div>merits, but, although I always felt that Severian was the Conciliator</div>
<div>somehow, I found his on-screen turn as the Conciliator to be quite </div>
<div>underwhelming. I just expected more. He carreer as Conciliator </div>
<div>lasted for, 1 day, was it? </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Still, I really enjoyed the Hierogrammates, the explication of </div>
<div>Apu-Punchau and the re-enactment of Dr. Talos's play. To sum,</div>
<div>I'd be willing to trade _Urth_ for an extra Latro book, but it's</div>
<div>still Wolfe in top form.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>