Witchcraft And Pathetic Fallacy

When the Nomad spaceship, the Peregrine, hits a trepidation vortex and is in danger of being torn apart, there is internal weather and ball lightning in the ship's park where Abbey Roberto tries to kill Ilaloa, blaming her for the danger and calling her a witch. He is right. Or, at least, Ilaloa's people have been responsible for the course taken by the Peregrine.

Sean, seeing red, defends Ilaloa:

"Sean stabbed [Roberto].
"The lightning ball exploded, thunder and fury and a rain of fire. Its glare was livid over the trembling, staggering walls."
-The Peregrine, Chapter XIII, p. 113.

The thunder, fury and livid glare of the lightning exactly correspond to Roberto's livid fury and Sean's answering anger. Poul Anderson follows Sean's stabbing of Roberto with exploding ball lightning as naturally as he follows it with a full stop to complete the sentence.