Another interesting thing I’ve noticed while rereading “Claw of the Conciliator” comes while Severian and Jonas are prisoners in the Antechamber in the House Absolute.
-
Show this thread
-
Jonas says, “You’re a monster too, do you know that, friend Severian? A monster because you take for your profession what most people only do as a hobby.” Severian is a journeyman of the Order of the Seekers for Truth and Penitence, commonly called the Guild of Torturers.
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
Severian has as his profession the torture, interrogation and execution of prisoners under the law, and he is seen by almost everyone who meets him as monstrous.
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
But the Exultants on the House Absolute, as Severian sees in the memories of Thecla he received via the analeptic alzabo, would come and torture the prisoners in the Antechamber for fun, as a way to pass the time.
1 reply 0 retweets 1 likeShow this thread -
And the people in the Antechamber are not all criminals. Some are descendants, down through multiple generations, people merely accused of a crime who waited for an audience with the Autarch and his verdict till their dying day.
1 reply 0 retweets 1 likeShow this thread -
So who is really more of the monster? Is it Severian, who would give you 20 lashes if he was commanded to do so by authority? Or is it Thecla, who gave Increate knows how many lashes to people who are merely the descendants of those accused of minor crimes because she was bored?
2 replies 1 retweet 3 likesShow this thread -
Replying to @padrebrendon
Thecla by a large margin, but Severian is also bad. Also, I have trouble with Catechism clause 2266 , because I do not think that there is such a thing as legitimate public authority. ...or, at the very least, 90% of the authority is illegitimate.
1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
simple minded peasants: anger the church hierarchy by fornicating, stealing, etc. galaxy mind me: anger the church hierarchy by disagreeing that earthly powers are divinely ordered
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.