(Actually, I don't have much to say about these chapters, but the battle and run-up to it had a sense of reality to it; the writing was very good.)

Trying to take the hermit out of his dwelling, Severian finds that he evaporates, coming from only a possible future rather than the future. So much for prophecy again.

Getting back, Severian finds the Pelerine camp and lazeret destroyed, with only Foila there, dying. He promises to share the stories told. Severian then runs into a mercenary unit and takes part in an initiation challenge, which he wins or subverts. The next chapter will reveal which.

There's a lot for me to think about in these chapters, but I'll let others talk first.

https://tor.com/series/rereading-gene-wolfe/

Severian has reached the warzone, his planned destination. Starving, he robs a dead soldier for food- and only after he has eaten thinks to use the Claw to resurrect him. The two stagger northward to the front line base. The two are both treated - Severian too is hurt, presumably after the fight after the end of the last book.

There are also three aliens within, their spacecraft overhead. Baldanders has the jewel, Severian tries to claim it back, and Baldanders hurls it from a window claiming to despise its superstition. It flares with light - and a torch thrown from a window was the signal for the "army" to attack.

Severian wins free when the islanders attack the boat, along with the islander slave who served him dinner. They make love. Severian agrees to lead the islanders to attack the castle. Part of the reason is that they have the Claw of the Conciliator, sent to them while he was drugged.

The two encounter an abandoned ancient settlement with buildings of metal and giant statues.

Severian defends the household, but gets no help from them and he is forced to fight in the dark. It is a stalemate, and Severian agrees to let the alzabo leave, vowing not to hunt it nor remain to defend the household- a woman, a boy with the same name as him, and an old man.

Thoughts:

• The alzabo really is nightmare fuel. The minds held within it. Sure, just the memories of those eaten, for a little while, distorted through the beast's instincts..right?
• There's a revelation from Agia. Hethor was working for her, and the attacks on Severian by the salamander and the earlier notules were his doing. The sailors in the void know strange things.
• And in case we were waiting for it, we come to another Severian moral failing. I was impressed when he chose to defend the family, but he didn't stick to it, in almost a fit of pique at nobody giving him a light.

Severian goes to the local ruler's party. He meets a woman, Cyriaca. They have intimate relations. He's a bit shifty in conversation with her about Dorcas, but otherwise she doesn't seem to trouble him. And in what is not altogether a surprise, Severian learns Cyriaca is the one he is to dispatch. He chooses not to do his job, to no longer consider himself a torturer, and sneaks away. He returns to the poor home with the sick person, and out of sight of others, sneaks in and uses the Claw to heal.

Thoughts...

(*) Severian's tryst is pretty seedy bearing in mind Dorcas' condition, but at least it's not another Jolenta situation. Ah, Severian, you've set a low bar.

(*) But Severian's first action, on deciding he's no longer a torturer, is to heal.

(*) It's interesting that Severian feels he's let the torturers down rather than feeling what he does is defective.

(*) The conversation with Cyriaca is interesting- the rise and fall of AI assistants, and some thoughts about the end of the previous book- but not at particularly illuminating to me.

Some thoughts:

(*) Thrax is given an interesting description. It sounds like it's built into a hydroelectric dam.

(*) Severian's speech to Dorcas, justifying his profession, sounds more like he's trying to convince himself.

If I can forget some of his previous thoughts and actions, I feel I almost like Severian in these chapters. Based on the last time this happened, he's probably about to do something awful.

This was oddly hard to summarise, and I'm sure I've missed something important.

We take a break next week as we're at the end of book two. On the 14th August we'll be ready to discuss the first four chapters of book three.

Severian is then tempted by an undine, a giant who lives in the water, and hints are made of connections to Baldanders, He comes back when Dorcas calls him- Jolenta was bitten by a blood bat.

One thought really here: Dorcas. She's more alive than before, and acting as Severian's conscience. For example, without her, he'd have freely abandoned Jolenta.

Thecla's memories reveal a way out of the antechamber, as the nature of the prison as a former waiting area is revealed. The long-suspected truth about Jonas is also revealed, and he leaves Severian to repair himself.

Severian decides his next task is to recover Terminus Est.

They also catch a glimpse of Dorcas, Baldanders, Dr. Talos, and Jolenta.

Vodalus gives Severian the job of delivering a message to a servant in House Absolute, and Severian and Jonas head north on destriers provided. They are attacked by a flying shadow creature, the notule; Severian tricks the creature to attack and kill a nearby soldier instead.

Quick thoughts:

(*) I laughed out loud at the reveal that the destrier that Severian stole to go to the cave belonged to Vodalus.

(*) It's revealed in passing that one of the many things Severian is trying to accomplish is find Dorcas again. Something he mentioned to Jonas. So that's something.

There's a gap in the narrative after the ruckus passing through the wall, and Severian is separated from Dorcas and his other chance companions, but is still accompanied by Jonas. He is in the nearby town of Saltus, and employed by the town elders to practice his profession- he is ready to execute two people, one accused of being a servant of the bandit Vodalus. The bandit was sealed in his house, and is dragged from it by a mob after it was battered in for access. Severian catches a glimpse of Agia.

Severian searches for Agia at the town fair. He doesn't find her, but comes across a tent containing a green man- who Severian pays to speak to. The green man is from the future, and chained up. Severian talks to him, and believes he learns that the sun will become brighter in the future. Severian gives the green man the means to free himself.

Some thoughts:

() The Cathedral of the Pelerines. It was made of silk, and with the bottom lit soared into the sky, like a paper cone. And it sounds like this is by design.
() Severian seems remarkably unconcerned about losing Dorcas.
(*) The photosynthetic Green Man is nifty. I wonder why he travelled back in time. Anyway, that was the point where I started fully engaging with the book- the gap in the narrative, though I knew it was there, threw me.