The luxurious lunch continues:
servants collect the plates and serve sweetmeats, pastries and walnuts;
Yolande picks "...a confection of puff pastry and cream with fruit..." and says, "'Coffee, Bianca...'" (p. 337);
looking out, she knows that it will be chilly, misty and muddy with bare trees and smells of wet earth, rock and vegetation;
however, she decides to ride because she has missed fresh air, hills, water and exercise while in space;
she will miss supper but "'...'ll have somethin' sent up from the kitchens.'" (p. 338)
Scenes like this are repeated often enough that we get a strong sense of the Draka life-style as an established fact. Yolande's young nephew, Eric, thinks that the Yankees are "'...really, really bad...'" (p. 335) because they killed Yolande's friend. It would be impossible to argue with Eric. The Draka initiated hostilities - but they had every right to do so...
Bringing up children to think like this must be one of the worst crimes against humanity. Of course, this is fiction but how many real life scenarios does it mirror?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
The propagandizing and at least attempted indoctrination along paranoid/aggressively hostile lines of so many Russians during the Soviet period (and of the Chinese during the rule of Mao) comes to mind. But, these were ultimately failed attempts because the Soviets and Maoists were not as intelligent, subtle and patient as the Draka.
Sean
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