Did Fraa Lodoghir really believe the Plurality of Worlds Messal was the "arse-end of the mathic world"?

Question

The Plurality of Worlds Messal turns out to be plenty influential in the Convox.

It's got six Edharians, who are the stars of the Convox, and one of whom is a Millenarian, its got the top Procian of the mathic world, it has

the most accomplished Incanter and Rhetor

of the Convox, and thus probably the entire mathic world, and of course, it has Fraa Zh'vaern, who is

unmasked as the alien Jules Verne Durand of Earth from an alternate universe.

(OK, that's enough spoiler-text for the question page snippet ... if you read on you agree you've already read Anathem).

That collection of top-notch avouts in a late-created Messal leads to a number of questions, but let's start with:

Why did Fraa Lodoghir tell Fraa Erasmas, before any meeting of the Messal (but after he was informed of it, and presumably, also of the attendees), that he considered it the "outer darkness - the arse-end of the mathic world"? Did he believe that, or was it a cover for his knowledge that incanting and rhetoring would be key to resolving the crisis facing Arbre, or something else?

Answer 1

Fraa Lodoghir is far too canny an operator to baldly tip his hand, but consider the overall plight of the avout relative to the Saecular Power. Consider also the deal Tulia springs on Erasmas at Eliger - she will join the Procians in the New Circle, to try to build protections for the Edharian faction at the hierarchical level.

Recall that she more than once points out to Ras that he's lousy at politics. Orolo also claims to be notoriously bad at politicking. Likewise, before we meet Lodoghir, we're told the upcoming Plenary is all theater.

Lodoghir is FAE of the Centenarian chapter of the Order of Saunt Proc at Muncoster, one of the hyper-influential "Big Three" concents, and also - critically - the one where the Parking Ramp Dinosaur occurred. Recall that as Ras explains matters, Procians began that experiment, while Halikaarnians ended it. Recall as well that it was that incident which triggered the Third Sack.

Convox, by definition, is called by the Saecular Power, and brings the avout there under their scrutiny.

Lodoghir takes an adversarial stance toward Ras in Plenary so that it looks, to the Powers That Be in attendance, as though Ras is getting a Mathic dressing down. The Saecular Power was provoked by the Visitation - Orolo or the Edharians at Ecba were not, in its view, authorized to make contact with the Geometers.

But Ras is a lousy actor. Safer for Lodoghir to take an adversarial stance and allow his reactions to be genuine.

Similarly, in the messal. The Saecular Power didn't trust Ignetha Foral to have alone-time with her pet Cosmologist-Metatheorician, Paphlagon. Emman Beldo, nominally her chauffeur and servitor, was doubtless her minder, and Saecular eyes on the messsal.

Lodoghir's dismissive remarks were said TO Erasmas, but they were said FOR the Powers That Be. In messal, he plays his self-assigned role of Sphenic gadfly - a.) It's his cover but b.) In Dialog, it's a CRITICALLY USEFUL role in developing an argument.

This is why, after events, he is solicitous of Erasmas and others of the Cold Mirror team. One, he's making sure they don't say anything honest but impolitic. But also, he's not actually the Sphenic beast he's pretended to be. But he only ADMITS to Procian/Halikaarnian cooperation after the fact. I feel it's been his modus operandi all along.

Answer 2

Spoilers which won't make much sense to readers who haven't read the rest of the book anyway...

There is no clear indication in the book either way. However, Lodoghir's behavior in the messal does not suggest cooperation, and one comment he makes suggests that the cooperation between Rhetors and Incanters postdated the messal:

"....What lies ahead - and how does Fraa Jad's fate reshape it for us? Or do we go on as if it had never occurred?"

"The practical consequence for me is continuing and ever more effective cooperation between the tendencies known to the vulgar as Rhetors and Incanters," Lodighir said. "Procians and Halikaarnians have worked together in the recent past, as you know, with results that have been profoundly startling to those few who are aware of them." He was staring directly into my eyes as he said this. I knew he was talking about the rerouting of worldtracks that, among other things, had placed Fraa Jad at the Daban Urnud at the same time as his death was recorded above Abre.

"Such as our unveiling of the spy Zh'vaern," I said, just to throw any surveillors off the scent.

"Yes," he said, with a tiny, negative shake of the head. "And this serves as a sign that such cooperation must and should continue."

The fact that Lodoghir indicates that the unveiling of Zh'vaern was not the result of cooperation between Rhetors and Incanters suggests that their cooperation formed following that unveiling - although, perhaps, kindled by the exchange that preceded Zh'vaern's unveiling by a day:

"So if it is true that the PAQD share the Adrakhonic Theorem and other such theorical concepts with us," said Fraa Lodoghir, "those might be nothing more than attractors in the feedback system we have been describing."

"Or nothing less," said Fraa Jad.

We all let that one resonate for a minute. Lodoghir and Jad were staring at each other across the table; we all thought something was about to happen.

A Procian and a Halikaarnian were about to agree with each other.