How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Brother Francis visualized a Fallout as half-salamander, because, according to tradition, the thing was born in the Flame Deluge, and as half-incubus who despoiled virgins in their sleep, for, were not the monsters of the world still called "children of the Fallout"? That the demon was capable of inflicting all the woes which descended upon Job was recorded fact, if not an article of creed. (1.81)
Myths superimpose themselves onto history in Francis's worldview, and they blend together to become a singular whole. The myths superimposed here are those of the incubus, and the notion that salamanders are impervious to or born within fire. Salamanders, by the way, are totally not invulnerable to fire —that's what we call a misconception, folks.
Quote #2
"Ho, yes! Brother Francis didn't think of it. Somebody else thought of it. Brother Francis didn't think of the burlap hood and the hangman's rope; one of his chums did. So what happens? By tonight, the whole novitiate is buzzing with the sweet little story that Francis met the Beatus himself out there, and the Beatus escorted our boy over to where that stuff was and told him he'd find his vocation." (4.22)
Past events don't have to be ancient history to be distorted by myth and stories. Francis's account of meeting the wanderer gets all sorts of wonky just a couple of days after the event. It's basically like an old-fashioned game of telephone up in here.
Quote #3
There were great deserts where once life was, and in those places of the Earth where men still lived, all were sickened by the poisoned air, so that, while some escaped death, none was left untouched; and many died even in those lands where the weapons had not struck, because of the poisoned air. (6.10)
Again, we see the idea of a worldview being superimposed onto history. In this case, the Church's understanding of the Flame Deluge and the Simplification is told in a language very similar to a passage from the Bible.