Gate of Horn, Book of Silk
Page 30
• Morning at Jahlee’s farmhouse (297). Still ill, Incanto tries his experiment but it goes awry, warping Incanto, Rigoglio, Jahlee, Hide, Mora, Sfido, Eco, and Oreb (in dwarfish-man form) to Urth rather than Green (VI, chap. 21, 312–21). Rigoglio recognizes his old neighborhood in Nessus, but it is changed by many centuries of time. He goes inside his old house only to be stabbed by an omophagist (316). They bind the omophagist, bandage Rigoglio, and then walk upriver. Hide tells Incanto he looks more like Horn in this place. They meet a MAN FANTASTICALLY DRESSED who leads them to the cemetery gate (chap. 22, 324–25). They meet Badour the guard of the cemetery gate (331–32), and he takes the group around to the barbican (335–36). The lochage there writes a note for them, permission to go to the Bear Tower, where Rigoglio will be treated and they will be housed. The omophagist will be payment, and he will be put into the lion pit (337). If Rigoglio dies he will be buried as a bear keeper. He dies (chap. 23, 339). Badour and Jahlee have sex, but she bites him and he beats her for that (VI, chap. 24, 357). Incanto throws his astral sword to the omophagist in the lion pit, but it melts in the other man’s hands (VII, chap. 9, 190).
• When they return to Blue, Rigoglio still lives but he is mindless, spiritless, a drooling husk.
[ . . . ]
• Day 48 A day or two later, Incanto has recovered from his illness and writes in the evening about the experiment (chap. 20, 298).
• Day 49 Incanto writes about the warp to Urth (chap. 22, 322–25). Then Incanto and Hide leave what turns out to have been an abandoned farmhouse (322; 326) and travel a short day’s ride. Hide makes a shelter of sticks (326).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*)
• Incanto and Hide reach a marsh (330) so large that Hide’s previous trip across took two days (341).
• That night (330), 30 leagues from the abandoned farm (343) yet still within Blanko territory (326), Incanto writes about Badour, the guard of the cemetery (331–32; 335–37).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) Incanto and Hide ride through scrub-covered hills (chap. 24, 356). Warp to Green with Jahlee, Incanto, Oreb, and Hide. They find the walled village Qarya (358). Incanto asks to see Sinew. They see prisoners Auk and Chenille (chap. 25, 377), who had attacked Qarya under threat that their inhumi masters would kill their five adopted children. They ride horses to see lander (375). They find Horn’s ring and Incanto gives it to Sinew (VII, ch. 1, 24).
• Day (*) A day Jahlee is gone.
• Day (*) Second day Jahlee is gone. She comes back at night for a brief visit (375) which Incanto writes about immediately after. Hide is sleeping at the time, and he dreams he is back on Green (379).
• Day (*) This morning, the next day (379). Jahlee visits in the evening. After she flies away, two Neighbors visit at the campfire (381).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) Nearly a week later (384). Incanto and Hide riding in snow overtake a woman riding a mule. Together they stop near sunset at an inn. The woman is Jahlee.
Timeline 6. To Dorp and then to New Viron
[ . . . ] signifies a break in the timeline
(*) signifies unnumbered days
• Day 1 Horn, Hide, Jahlee, and Oreb encounter nine bandits on the road (VII, chap. 1, 14) and prevail against them in combat. Horn has a new bale of paper (13).
• Day 2 They hoped to reach the coast this day, but do not (20). Once they reach the coast, Hide says they will be at least a week north of New Viron. Hide has a dream involving Mora and Fava (21).
• Day 3 Riding downhill all day, they meet four merchants on the road, including Ziek and Nat (28). The four plead with Horn to judge their argument. He has them swear they will follow his words. They agree. He orders them to travel separately, starting with Nat who will go ahead first. Nat refuses. Horn orders the others to arrest him, and they do so. Horn intends to release him the next morning.
• Day 4 Horn releases Nat, who races ahead to Dorp, from which he sends troopers to arrest Horn and group (VII, chap. 3, 54). The troopers and their prisoners are at an inn. Dinner and bath (55).
• Day 5 It is snowing hard when Oreb returns, bringing Horn a black ring (56). Jahlee shares bed with Horn and they warp to a slender tower on Green (58).
• Day 6 At the snowbound inn, Horn’s guards tell him about the weird dreams they had (62–64), and he tells them about warp. The innkeeper and his wife are both “sick” from Jahlee feeding (67). Jahlee becomes stuck in Green, her body on Blue locked in a coma-like sleep.
• Day 7 They arrive at Dorp and are under house arrest in three different houses (chap. 5, 92). Horn meets Vadsig, servant girl. He has a dream of being with Mora and Fava in jungle on Green (94–95).
• Day 8 It is Molpsday and they say his trial will be on Sphigxday (98). Horn finds where Jahlee is held and writes a letter in her name for Oreb to place in her window.
• Day 9 Tarsday. Horn goes out after midnight (98), comes back before dawn. In the morning, Aanvagen and Beroep ask Horn to interpret their weird dreams (101–103). Cijfer, while coming to visit Horn, sees Babbie on street (105). Horn convinces Beroep to take him to Cijfer’s after dark (chap. 7, 141). There he tries experiment to wake Jahlee, but fails.
• Day 10
• Hieraxday. Horn returns to Beroep’s place at dawn and writes about the night’s adventure (143). Vadsig brings word from Hide (144).
• At night Horn is taken to Hamer’s house for a preliminary hearing. He has been in Dorp for 8 days (according to Horn, presumably counting from meeting the merchants) or 6 days (by Beroep’s count, presumably counting from the inn) (148). [Note: if B is counting from Day 7 then three days must be inserted between Day 7 and Day 8.] After being beaten unconscious (chap. 7, 150; chap. 9, 185), Horn searches for Jahlee from Hamer’s sellaria (chap. 9, 183). He warps to Green, to the mid-cliff tower again (185), and finds Jahlee is being worshiped. They are met by a Neighbor who talks them into going back to Blue (191). During Horn’s preliminary hearing, Jahlee awakens in Dorp and escapes the house (chap. 7, 153).
• At Beroep’s place, Horn talks with a possessed Vadsig (chap. 9, 177), then he goes out, wakes jeweler, sells some jewelry (raising money to buy guns to enable rebellion), and goes to the tavern (VII, chap. 7, 153). Hide goes to Strik’s house, is beaten, then goes to tavern (chap. 9, 182).
• In tavern Horn sees a ghostly vision of Auk, then talks to the tavern owner and son (chap. 7, 153). Jahlee comes in, drunk. Hoof comes in. Hide comes in. The Neighbors make themselves known to Horn (chap. 9, 185).
• Day 11 Thelxday? Wijzer and Wapen ready others for rebellion (chap. 11, 221).
• Day 12 Phaesday? Wijzer and Wapen ready others for rebellion (221).
• Day 13
• Sphigxday, day of the trial (chap. 5, 98). Horn in a waiting cell sees Babbie and Oreb (chap. 11, 222). He is marched to the courtroom in chains (chap. 9, 192). There is poltergeist activity in the courtroom, presumably due to Mucor (chap. 11, 225). A Neighbor named Windcloud testifies as witness (230). Nat tries to withdraw his accusation (233).
• Horn warps a group (probably all the people in the courtroom, but at least Horn, Jahlee, Hamer, and Wijzer) directly to the Broken Court at the Citadel of the Autarch on Urth (chap. 13, 261). Horn, Jahlee, and Hamer are put into different cells of the Matachin tower. Severian visits Horn with paper, pen, and ink. Horn proposes they visit Hamer (263). They go to Jahlee’s cell and meet Merryn (266). They talk of going to see Severian’s dog (267).
• Hamer is scared and wants to dismiss the charges against Horn, but Jahlee and Horn order him to convict Horn, in order to start the uprising (VII, chap. 13, 275).
• They return to Blue. Hamer convicts.
• Babbie enters the courtroom, chases Hamer (chap, 11, 228). The uprising begins.
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) The rebellion of Dorp, wherein the judges are overthrown by 100 men with guns (221) and many more with knives and clubs (222). There are plans to supply food but the r
ebellion does not last long enough (222).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) Horn now living in Hamer’s house, given to him by the town (chap. 9, 177). He writes about talking to a possessed Vadsig on Day 10. Then he goes to court.
• Day (*) Oreb returns from trip to Lizard, where he delivered a note to Nettle (chap. 9, 184).
• Day (*) Next day Horn is writing about immediate conversation with Oreb, which ends when Oreb goes out to get a written reply from Nettle (185). Horn writes about his search for Jahlee on Green (187).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) Days since Horn last wrote (191). Oreb not yet returned (192). They plan to sail next day. He writes about the trial.
• Day (*) At night Horn and group put out in ship to sail to New Viron (chap. 11, 221).
• Day (*) Sailing to New Viron (221). Oreb on ship, no mention of reply from Nettle (227).
• Day (*) Horn writing about sailing to New Viron (221) and about his trial in Dorp.
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) Detained by contrary winds within sight of New Viron (VII, chap. 13, 259).
• Day (*) Make port at New Viron in morning (259).
• Day (*) In tent on beach with Jahlee (260). Winter nearly over. When it began, Horn was in Gaon fighting the Man of Han (261).
• Day (*) Hoof visits tent again, goes to Lizard.
• Day (*) Horn spends morning waiting at Gyrfalcon’s (264).
• Day (*) Horn goes to Marrow’s former house, then to Capsicum (267).
• Day (*) “When I wrote yesterday evening” (276).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) At first light Horn sets out from New Viron for Mucor’s Rock, with Jahlee, Hide, and Vadsig (VII, chap. 15, 305). In the evening he writes about it.
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) At Mucor’s Rock, Horn gives Marble her new eye (306–307).
• Day (*) Horn talks with Marble alone, explaining the source of the eye.
• Day (*)
• Marble, who is going to the Long Sun Whorl, joins group on sailboat and sails away (VII, chap. 15, 309).
• Horn awakens from dream set on the Red Sun Whorl (312).
• Horn arrives at Lizard with Marble and Jahlee (313). He finds Jahlee feeding on Nettle and he kills Jahlee. He writes about it and quits writing.
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) (Written by Hoof.) Horn and Hoof go to New Viron (VII, chap. 17, 337). Horn walks through town, talking to people. Horn and Hoof sleep on their boat but Horn is troubled in night (339).
• Day (*) Horn and Hoof stay at Calf’s. Horn dreams of Scylla (339).
• Day (*) Horn stays up late (searching town and taverns for an inhumu).
• Day (*) Horn stays up late.
• Day (*) Horn stays up late. Meeting with Gyrfalcon (340–43). Horn gives him the corn seeds from the Long Sun Whorl.
• Day (*) They find the inhumu Juganu and take him out in boat for warping to Urth (343) where they hire the riverboat Samru before warping back to Blue (348).
• Day (*)
• Three or four hours after daylight, they warp to Urth, back onto the Samru (353). It is night, not long before dawn, a half-day upriver from the delta (354). Shortly after sunrise they warp back to Blue and deal with some pirates closing in. When the pirates shoot Hoof, Horn uses the azoth to kill a few pirates and cut the bow off their vessel (358). Horn bandages Hoof, makes potato soup (359).
• When it is nearly dark Juganu flies back to feed off the pirates (358). They warp to Urth, onto the Samru that is now in the delta (363). They meet Great Scylla (365).
• They warp back to Blue, where it is night (366). Hoof talks with Scylla in Oreb and learns a lot.
• Day (*) Three days sailing to New Viron (VII, chap. 19, 383).
• Day (*) From Capsicum’s house at 2 P.M., Horn, Hoof, Juganu, and Oreb/Scylla warp to Urth. They arrive in the uppermost level of the Matachin Tower (387). They send Juganu to summon the torturers’ apprentice (389). The boy comes up alone. Hoof is surprised that this boy is younger than his own sixteen years. On Urth this time Horn looks like Silk (388). Horn asks the apprentice to take them to Cilinia’s grave (390). He does and they open her casket, allowing her restless ghost to find peace (391–92). Then the apprentice takes them to see his dog, but first they search for Juganu. They find him in a cell with Tigridia (395). They leave him there, go downstairs to visit the dog. Back at Tigridia’s cell they fight with Juganu who does not want to return. They force him and warp back to Blue (397).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) (Written by Daisy.) The wedding of Vadsig and Hide, and the attack of 1000 inhumi (VII, chap. 20, 398–401) on first warm day of summer (402). Afterward Patera Remora talks to Silkhorn and releases the spirit of Horn (401–408).
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) Several days later, Silk, Nettle, Seawrack, Marble, and Oreb set sail for Pajarocu, bound for the Long Sun Whorl.
[ . . . ]
• Day (*) Daisy writes the latter part of the Afterword in the second year of Blazingstar’s caldéship. The Long Sun Whorl seems to be leaving the star system.
Tongue “one of Horn’s brothers” (VII, list). In the early, struggling years of New Viron, Calf, Tongue, and Tallow wanted help from Horn (VII, chap. 2, 40).
Anatomy: a muscle on the floor of the mouth. The main organ of taste, it is also important for speech.
Commentary: because of his family’s naming convention, his name is obviously a reference to beef tongue.
Tor “a rocky peak on Lizard Island” (V, list).
Commentary: a reference to Gene Wolfe’s publisher.
Torda “Inclito’s chambermaid” (VI, list), mentioned in his letter to Incanto (VI, prologue). Probably the “sullen chambermaid” (VI, chap. 6, 109).
She claims to be from Novella Citta (VI, chap. 9, 136). She is a distant relation of Inclito’s: “Madame’s brother’s son was married to her mother . . . he got killed in a war, and she married somebody else, and that [was when Torda was born]” (VI, chap. 5, 94). That is, Salica’s nephew was married to Torda’s mother.
Incanto says she is the spy in the house (VI, chap. 9, 135). She is the one having sex with Inclito, not Onorifica, but ever since the relationship soured she has been a spy. It turns out this accusation by Incanto is just a ploy to get Mora to confess to being the spy (138).
Incanto tells Torda that her sullenness and sulking would never win Inclito, no more than demanding that he marry her had made him marry her. And that if she is cheerful and smiling instead, asking for nothing, Inclito would certainly give her a great deal, and might even give her what she wanted (VI, chap. 10, 164).
Esperanto: torsional; twisted or turned.
Spanish: “a female thrush” or “dapple-gray.”
Swedish: the razor-billed auk.
torturer’s apprentice sixteen-year-old Hoof is surprised to find the boy considerably younger than himself (VII, chap. 19, 389).
The period between the warp when they talk about seeing the boy’s dog (VII, chap. 13, 267) and the visit when they do see the dog (VII, chap. 19, 396) is at least 30 days. In The Book of the New Sun this period seems to be only about a week. For details on this and other points of variance, see APPENDIX 3.
Toter “Strik’s son” (V, list; V, chap. 6, 168).
Dutch: rotating.
towns Apsis, Beled, Blanko, Gaon, Grandecitta, Grotestad, Han, Heleno, Mura, New Viron, Novella Citta, Olmo, Pajarocu, Poliso, Qarya, Skany, Soldo, Three Rivers, Trivigaunte, Urbasecundus, Viron, and Wichote.
Trial in Dorp wherein Silkhorn warps Judge Hamer to Urth. This episode is fragmented.
1. Silkhorn in cell sees Babbie and Oreb (VII, chap. 11, 222).
2. Silkhorn is marched to the courtroom (VII, chap. 9, 192).
3. There is poltergeist activity in the courtroom (VII, chap. 11, 225).
4. Windcloud the Neighbor is called as witness (VII, chap. 11, 230).
5. Nat tries to
withdraw his accusation (VII, chap. 11, 233).
6. They warp directly to the Broken Court on Urth (VII, chap. 13, 261). Silkhorn, Jahlee, and Hamer are put into different cells of the Matachin. Severian visits with paper, pen, and ink. Silkhorn proposes they visit Hamer (263). They go to Jahlee’s cell and meet Merryn (266). They talk of going to see Severian’s dog (267).