-Poul Anderson, The Winter Of The World, XXI, p. 199.
What roared? The Rogaviki, aided by Killmaraichan engineers, have lured the entire Imperial army onto a frozen river, then dynamited the ice. It roared in the same way that it rains. For an amusing reflection on this grammatical use of the third person singular neuter pronoun, see Alice here. The answer to the Duck's question: what did the archbishop find when he found "it"? is that the archbishop found to go with Edgar Atheling to meet William and offer him the crown advisable.
In Anderson's novel, we expect a trick or a trap of some kind when, near the end of the narrative, the army charges out onto the ice. On the island ahead, Sidir sees not only men who do not look like Rogaviki but also wires running from where the men are to holes in the ice. Then we know what is going to happen even if we do not remember it from previous readings. Then:
"It roared."
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I liked Captain General Sidir far more than I did the Rogaviki! And was sorry he and his army were lured into a trap.
The strategic principle for a commander to follow is never to do what his enemy wants him to do. Marching on the winter frozen Jugular would seem a relatively quick, easy of moving south to Arvanneth. BUT, if the Killimaraichians were involved, that should have made Sidir wonder if that was what his enemies wanted him to do. So, what would have been the best thing for Sidir to do? About all I can think of would have been for him to have his army get off the frozen river and try marching south on the east bank of the Jugular. Slower and more difficult, I know.
Sean
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