After he has been provoked into fighting and killing Colconor, Gratillonius is swept along by events: bathed, poulticed, bandaged, enrobed, received by the Gods, consecrated, crowned, he must marry nine Queens, not having known any of this in advance!
"...every King was unique. How many had fought, won, reigned, fought, perished, how mang ghosts were in this wind off the sea of Ys? Long hills, stark headlands, glimpsed towers and gleams of water beyond, seemed remote to Gratillonius, not altogether real; he walked through a dream." (p. 122)
Hindsight confirms that sense of unreality. The Gods of Ys have, with elaborate deviousness - or duplicity - , contrived that Gratillonius will be their last King.
Meanwhile, what becomes of the mortal remains of the defeated King? A warship carries his ashes close to Sena where they are:
"...strewn, given to Belisama (Ishtar, Isis, Ashtoreth, Aphrodite, Venus, Nerthus...), the Star of the Sea." (p. 121)
- names and titles that resonate across Poul Anderson's fictional timelines. All one multiverse.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
One thing I remember was of how bemused Gratillonius felt at even having fought Colconor at all. The rational thing to have done was to armor himself in Roman hauteur and ignore Colconor's offensive and boorish behavior.
Ad astra! Sean
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