Tuesday 27 June 2023

Finishing Roma Mater

Roma Mater.

Our first sight of Gratillonius:

"At noon upon that Birthday of Mithras, the sun blazed low in an ice-clear heaven. As Gratillonius looked south, he saw its brilliance splinter into rainbow shards amidst his eyelashes." (I, 1, p. 13)

- and our last sight of him in this volume:

"His next Watch would begin on the Birthday of Mithras." (XXVI, 3, p. 438)

The Speaker for Taranis:

"'We think the Gods have worked Their will and are at peace with Ys.'" (p. 437)

I don't think so.

A new description of the Milky Way:

"...the River of Tiamat flowed across heaven..." (XXVII, p. 439)

There is a ritual in which fishing boats convey the souls of the dead from Ys to the isle of Sena. When the boats are launched:

"The wind and the sea murmured." (p. 440)

When the souls leave the boats:

"The sea and the wind sighed." (p. 441)

The fishermen, in their role as Ferriers of the Dead, hear voices:

"-'I was Dahilis.'" (ibid.)

The novel ends on this note of fantasy.

2 comments:

S.M. Stirling said...

Northern Europe is really -Northern-. Without the Gulf Stream, that part of the world wouldn't be habitable at all, except for a few hunter-gatherers or reindeer herders.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!

Paul! I agree, there was no real peace between the gods of Ys and Gratillonius, only a wary truce as the "gods" pondered how best to bring to heel the defiant King.

Mr. Stirling: In that scenario fishers might have sailed there from warmer climes.

Ad astra! Sean