COL49 - Chap 2: Strip Botticelli, leprechaun's, etc.

[János Székely]

He's the portal to the new world Oedipa's about to enter, guarding the
hidden treasure therein.

Or the precursor of the Tristero System as a world-organizing principle.
Metzgerpost was an obscure real-life alternative and (erased possible)
competition for the Thurn und Taxis-dominated imperial postal service.

See this, e.g.
http://www.sammlerstube.net/aliashistorisches/83-die-metzgerpost-in-wuerttemberg.html