In this subsection, there are no familiar characters unless they are hiding under different names. Comanche attack a farm house but then withdraw. In the ensuing silence, the big old grandfather clock sounds loud and is compared to "...a hammer nailing down a coffin lid." (p. 277) That reminded me of the grandfather clock in XIII which "...had seemed to tick as loud as doom." (p. 272)
I had meant to note this when posting about XIII but then forgot. Time is important in Poul Anderson's works:
time travel
time dilation
history
longevity
immortality
A ticking clock measures time, marks the passage of time and reminds us of time. The second grandfather clock reminded me of the first and now we approach midnight. Good night.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I like having a few clocks, but they don't have to be fancy, battery powered or powered via electric cord will do!
And I'm reminded of what Anderson wrote in "Delenda Est," that the first practical mechanical clocks were invented by Christian monks, to help regulate the hours for prayer. And accurate time keeping was crucial for basic scientific work.
Ad astra! Sean
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