This scene reminds me of Moby Dick, where Ishmael has to sleep next to Queequeg at the inn. Looking back at Moby Dick, I feel sure Wolfe is referring to Melville here. Melville makes reference several times to a counterpane in Chs. 3 and 4, and Severian writes that before going to bed, "I took of my cloak and spread it on the worn counterpane."<br>
<br>I think the bit about striking off is a bit of picaresque humor in the vane of, say, Moby Dick, but it is a mystery to me what Baldanders means about "Never," unless they have something to do with the spooky dreams he reports having had.<br>
<br>OT: Has anyone ever read John Myers Myers's <i>Silverlock</i>? Recommend it?<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 6:00 PM, Son of Witz <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sonofwitz@butcherbaker.org">sonofwitz@butcherbaker.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div style=""><div>I had the same thought about striking off heads, then checked the book. Severian interprets Baldanders this way.</div>
<div>but as Paul points out Severian is often pretty off base. I think Wolfe does this as misdirection. we get a sort of decent 'explanation' for one of the four statements, but if he's referring to his headsman role, "You--strike off." would end with a question mark. no?</div>
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