<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Has this question been asked...</div><div><br></div><div>If Wolfe never intended to write UotNS, did he intend for his reader to deduce that Severian would go on to marry Valeria? If so, what "tells" were there that might lead one to believe that she, above all the other women from this story, would be the one?</div><div><br></div><div>...ryan</div><div><br></div><br><div><div>On Aug 18, 2010, at 11:54 PM, Lee Berman wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><blockquote type="cite"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">Antonio P. Marques- What's Severian's attraction to Valeria? He met her when<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">both were reasonably young.<br></blockquote><br><blockquote type="cite">The wife of Roman emperor Valentinianus was named<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Valeria Severa.<br></blockquote><br><blockquote type="cite">This I think is worth exploring<br></blockquote><br><br><br>They are still about the same age when they married I think. I am not interested<br>in parsing out exact timelines but I think those who do estimate Severian's journey<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>from graveyard to Autarchy lasted somewhat under two years. Or was it somewhat over...<br>I forget.<br><br>Severian doesn't mention Valeria much, if at all, after their first meeting, for<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>three books. Then, in Citadel of the Autarch he brings her up rather unexpectedly<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>in the first pages, describing her dark, curling hair and dark eyes and milk and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>pomegranate skin. "really more beautiful than anyone I've ever seen since--more<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>lovely even than Jolenta". Later he describes Valeria's face as one that "tears at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>his heart". So there is that.<br><br>Another face that Severian finds "tears at his heart" is the woman on the Path of Air.<br>She resembles the Holy Katharine maid who many think is Severian's mother. Make of that<br>what you will.<br><br>Further exploration of the Roman empress angle might be to check out Valeria's speaking<br>Latin phrases to Severian. She may not be the best linguist but she translates "dei"<br>to mean "New Sun". Severian has to be a bit pleased with that on more than one level.<br><br><br><br><br> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <br>_______________________________________________<br>Urth Mailing List<br>To post, write<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:urth@urth.net">urth@urth.net</a><br>Subscription/information:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.urth.net/">http://www.urth.net</a></span></blockquote></div><br></body></html>