Date: Wed, 09 Jul 2003 10:45:03 -0500
From: James Jordan 
Subject: Re: (urth) Severian, memory, alzabo

At 12:05 PM 7/9/2003, you wrote:
>As a few people have said this, it may be worth pointing out that the 
>Autarchs do not use the alzebo drug to pass on their memories.  When the 
>Autarch has Severian kill him and eat his forebrain, he points out 
>specifically that the drug in the vial around his neck is not taken from 
>the alzebo, but is a rarer, better, and more powerful drug.
>
>--Don Palumbo

And Sev does not just get their memories, any more than he just got 
Thecla's. They come to life in him. This is part of how he passes the trial.
         I originally thought this was nod to Casher O'Neill in *On the 
Sand Planet* by C. Smith, who passes trials with the same benefit as gained 
in *On the Wind Planet,* but Wolfe told me Smith was not an influence on him.

Nutria


--