Gratillonius now lacks his throne, wives, military rank and God and has no sons! - although he is a tribune. He and his men, including Rufinus, return from killing an escaped lion to be told that the procurator's new agent is Nagon Demari, an old Ysan enemy, who will certainly tax oppressively. Gratillonius must rally his followers for yet another struggle and, when addressing them, proclaims himself still the King of Ys.
Afterwards, Runa says, "'Your will be done.'" (5, p. 204) - another Biblical reference. She is the first woman that he has been with since the Queens. The power of the Ysan Gods is gone.
I was struck by the similarity between the lion and Nagon Demari.
6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I'm missing something, how was Nagon Demari reminiscent of a lion? Demari strikes me as more like a jackal than a royal lion.
Ad astra! Sean
Jackal then. But we went straight from a predatory animal to a predatory human being.
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, but I did not understand what you meant. Nagon was more like a scavenging jackal.
Ad astra! Sean
OK.
Lions often drive other predators off their kills and eat the meat. And hyenas sometimes drive -lions- off their kills and eat them.
Bears rob wolves all the time.
Predators generally follow a "least effort" path of lowest resistence.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
True, but I was thinking more of the unrealistic metaphorical meanings we humans put on animals! (Smiles)
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment