Claw of the Conciliator, chapters 7 to 9
Emerging from the cave, Severian is attacked by Agia- who else?- and some hired assassins. He realised this deep down all along. Severian defeats the assassins and decides not to kill Agia when she is at his mercy. Moral growth or more folly? I hope for the first, though I'm sure we're far from done with Agia.
Severian and Jonas are captured and taken to Vodalus. Severian reminds Vodalus that years ago, he saved his life. He swears to serve Vodalus, ahead of any other oaths.
Severian and Jonas are captured and taken to Vodalus. Severian reminds Vodalus that years ago, he saved his life. He swears to serve Vodalus, ahead of any other oaths.
Comments
Yes, not a huge surprise about Agia being behind the note.
A couple of things of note. One is that for someone with basically no combat training, Severian is very handy in a fight. He does a good job of fighting off the man-apes in the cave, takes care of several of Agia's thugs, and wipes out the hired men sent to take him to Vodalus. Yes, Terminus Est helps, but is he really that good in a fight?
It was nice to see the downside of Severian's total recall, and first actual confirmation of a sexual relationship between him and Thecla.
Finally, the compact between Severian and Vodalus. When Severian asks if he'll be expected to betray the Torturers' guild again, Vodalus replies "No-one will ever know" (or words to that effect). So Severian isn't that interested in the vow for its own sake, but for the appearance of being a faithful member of the guild.
Once again, Severian proves himself fickle and self-centered. One might argue that he gave himself to Vodalus first, but then one would be quibbling.
Another observation about the worldbuilding. When Severian is lost in his memories, he mentions recalling being "leather-winged steed," but the rest of the paragraph makes little sense. I'm not sure if the destrier he rode to the cave actually had wings, or he's getting confused with the birds, or it's some reference to the Great Balrog Wing Controversy.
But also, what a provocative chapter implicitly comparing cowardice and moral choice... both might result in the same choice. Presumably Severian hopes he is developing morality, but fears he is just a coward.
And I suppose we are now to assume that he really did have sex with Thecla, providing that his account is actual memory rather than active imagination.
That was my assumption, but you know what they they say about assuming!
Oh, and something's clicked about Severian and his memories, and why he skirts over some things of importance, leaving gaps, not mentioning important things (eg: his relationship with Thecla) until much later on...he's not just remembering things as he writes them down, he's reliving them. Some things he would rather not relive.
If there's something he was ashamed of at the time, he's just as ashamed at the time of writing his memoirs as he was at the time of the experience. So some things- even thinking of the Guild of Torturers fondly, for example- is something he felt at the time rather than something he feels objectively in his "now" when the memoirs are written.
I think this explains some of the distance and gaps. As for his emotional immaturity (for he is incredibly shallow), part of that might be the way he interacts with memory, but the bulk of it down to his upbringing- were the torturers really going to successfully bring up a well-adjusted individual? Normal levels of human empathy aren't remotely desirable in the profession,
And Severian doesn't recognise these feelings. He experiences them, but views them as weakness, and doesn't recognise them or know what to do with them.
Yes, totally agree. It is more (I think) a form of active recapitulation than memory in the ordinary sense. As happened just before he was seized by Vodalus's men, he can easily become lost in the reliving and then find it hard to reorient back in the real world. To that extent, you could probably see it as a hazardous thing to do, rather like Ged in Wizard of Earthsea becoming trapped in the hawk form and needing Ogion to recognise him and call him back to himself again.
Noted that Agia yet lives, and will presumably be back. Jonas has a steel hand.
And what do you make of Abaia and Erebus, aquatic leviathans so large they could not leave the oceans lest their bodies collapse?
LEXICON
Athame: A narrow-bladed ceremonial dagger, used in Wiccan rituals.
Cultellarii (Title of chapter VIII) p.257
Cultellarii: Irregular soldiers whose principle weapon is a dagger or short sword.
Baluchither: Extinct megafaunal ancestor of the rhinoceros. Named after Baluchistan.