Apheta's tongue

[Noalei]

I've always wondered, what exactly is Apheta's tongue like? I realize it's meant to not actually be a tongue, more like simply an elongation of tissue. In addition, is there any significance to her not having a true tongue other than maybe adding credit to the fact that she speaks with silence? Finally, what is the significance of Severian saying "look" at the sky and Apheta saying "look" at her tongue and pointing?

[Noalei]

I don't mean to double post, but does anyone have any opinions on this? I've always wondered about it. I hope no one thinks this is just a joke post or something.

[bsharporflat]

I don't mean to double post, but does anyone have any opinions on this? I've always wondered about it. I hope no one thinks this is just a joke post or something.

Well, I'll give it a shot. I've read a number of Wolfe interviews and this is a topic he has actually deigned to discuss a bit. He said that he just liked the idea of being able to speak by using silence as a cool idea. But also that it somewhat reflected a philosophical point he thought relevant. So, I'd guess the missing tongue is just a vehicle for this idea. The look to the sky is to view a moment of creation I think. By calling attention to the missing tongue, perhaps Wolfe is saying that some cosmic creations might be accomplished not through the active use of cosmic force but rather by the cancellation of certain forces.

I'll go out a bit further on a limb here, I guess. The white fountain was created as a way to cancel out the black hole within the sun of Urth. Is this the illustrated principle? I can go further.....

I think there is a suggestion that a black hole is a portal from our universe to a lower one so energy leaks out. So, the opposite, a white fountain is a portal to our universe from a higher one and energy leaks in. (I shouldn't say "our" but rather "Severian's" since I don't think he is from our universe). So, perhaps the black hole and the white fountain were created by cancelling out some small portion of boundary between universes. Severian's universe, Briah, is in between a higher universe (named Yesod) and a lower universe (named Abaddon).

We know that angelic beings can be found in Yesod. I suspect some of the more hellish creatures Severian encounters (or hears about) come from Abaddon.