Explicit Pathetic Fallacy II

A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows, XVII.

I have discussed this paragraph before (see Explicit Pathetic Fallacy) but let's take a closer look at it.

"A west wind skirled against the sun, whose blaze seemed paled in a pale heaven." (p. 551)

The wind comments, as ever. Sun and sky pale as Flandry, Kossara and Dennitza move further into the danger zone.

"Clouds were brighter; they scudded in flocks, blinding white..." (pp. 551-552)

But that is above. Down below:

"...their shadows sweeping chill across the world, off, on, off, on." (p. 552)

The world of men is shadowed and chilled.

"Winged animals wheeled and thinly cried." (ibid.)

Remember, Dennitza has no birds but winged theroids. These are not singing, as they have sometimes done in previous chapters, but crying thinly.

The trees, mostly imported Terran, are described as casting about, creaking and soughing Delphic utterances. Such utterances were at best ambiguous.

The wind rips off leaves, described as fire-tongues, which "...scrittle off over the pavement." (ibid.)

There are wandering rain puddles. In the pathetic fallacy, rain is nature weeping.

Finally:

"All nature was saying farewell." (ibid.)

Indeed.