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<P><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">>I've always assumed he was hearkening back to the Greek word 'mysterion,' which generally refers to knowlege that is unknowable, but also means knowlege that is secret, for initiates only (the mystery religions would be one example of this usage). The mystery would therefore be the knowledge of how to torture a person ... probably in such a way that you didn't actually kill them, but sort of dangled them over the precipice of death, so to speak, until you got what you required. Matt Teel </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">___</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">Severian certainly uses the word "mystery" in that sense. Two examples:</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">"I'm beginning to think that by</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">practicing the mystery of our guild while you and I are travelling, I'll be able</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">to support us."</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">Let it be sufficient to say that I performed the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">prescribed operations on the cattle thief, which terminated in his execution; in</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">the future, when I describe my travels, you are to understand that I practiced</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">the mystery of our guild where it was profitable to do so, though I do not</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=4 FACE="Times New Roman">mention the specific occasions.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">However, I seem to recall that Severian mentions that his Guild had two secrets and that he would betray both over his narrative. One is certainly "We obey" but I don't think the other one is mentioned directly.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Having said that I can't find the citation here. I thought it was at the very start of Shadow...</FONT>
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