Tuesday 2 February 2016

The View From Colletta Hall

SM Stirling, Conquistador (New York, 2004), pp. 84-85.

Behind Giovanni Colletta's desk is a portrait of his father flanked by tall glass doors through which Giovanni sees:

a broad, balustraded terrace where malachite and crimson hummingbirds hover around gold, white and purple blossoms tumbling from man-high stone vases. From the balustrade, he can see:

gardens with trees, lawns, pools, fountains and terraced flowers;
the red-roofed town;
Settler farms;
plum, almond and apricot trees, green now, in June, but pink and white in spring;
vineyards;
breeze-blown golden grain with green windbreaks;
tall corn, soon to be harvested;
cattle and sheep in pastures with oak trees;
dark soil behind tractors followed by gulls;
the Santa Clara valley stretching to San Francisco Bay;
behind the Hall, redwood groves on low mountains.

Sounds:

vehicle engines;
wind in trees;
an ax chopping wood;
speech;
song;
hummingbird wings.

Scents:

the flowers on the terrace;
in spring, the fruit trees.

A proud sight but the ambitious Colletta is not content.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And, near the end of CONQUISTADOR, we see one of the allies of the Collettas expressing regret he had not been content with what the Commonwealth had given him.

Sean