The Fate Of Niall

"They dared not open their hearts to each other about it. Thus nobody knew how widely and deeply the cold current ran." (Poul and Karen Anderson, The Dog And The Wolf (London, 1989), p. 341)

If nobody knew it, then how can we be told about it? Maybe they realized afterwards? Maybe. However, this passage is narrated neither by nor from the point of view of anyone who was present. The omniscient narrator addresses the reader.

The preceding page had described actions by Niall and conversation between Uail and Cathual but not from the point of view of any of these three. We are told that Cathual "...winced..." and "...seemed unable to speak his meaning..." but this could have been observed by a third party. (p. 340) We do not perceive the conversation from Cathual's perspective.

The narrator informs us of Cathual that:

"He was not alone in his forebodings." (p. 340)

- then briefly summarizes months of bad omens to Scoti, including old wives and druids.

Earlier in the novel, a conversation between Gratillonius and his prospective son-in-law, Cadoc, seems to be recounted as if seen from outside by the omniscient narrator. However, one paragraph when "...they took each other's measure...," shifts between their points of view:

"Cadoc saw a burly man, plainly clad..." (p. 183)

"Gratillonius noticed features also darkened by the sun..." (p. 183)

The Andersons control point of view well and occasional shifts of viewpoint within a single passage are rare.