"...frosty-brilliant Sky River." (XX, p. 182)
We learn more names of days and months:
"...Starsday, the eighteenth of Ausha...," (XVIII, p. 159)
"...Dragonsday, the seventeenth of Uhab..." (XXI, p. 189)
Previously, we had Kingsday in the month of Dou. See here.
Josserek reflects that he is "...no hereditarian savant." (XII, p. 118)
We would say "genetic scientist" but it is good to see ideas expressed differently.
For a journey, Josserek and Donya pack food including "...bannock..." (XVI, p. 145)
On board ship, Josserek dons "...sailor's duck." (XX, p. 177)
The narrative skips ahead as Captain Josserek Derrain coordinates a military campaign by Rogaviki, Killimarichains and Arvennathans. "Derrain" is not a surname but a tribe to which Admiral Ronnach also belongs. However, we were told earlier that the tribal system is almost redundant and there is no special bond between Josserek and Ronnach.
Finally, for now, Chapter XVIII presents a haunting description of the ruined towers of Unknown Roong (New York?) at the foot of the glacier. The Rogaviki mine the towers for metal and, without this to trade, would surely revert to barbarism.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Are these months and days of the week taken from the Rahidian calendar?
I think you have only a paperback copy of THE WINTER OF THE WORLD? If so, the small size means many details may be easy to overlook. The maps in my hardback copy are much easier to examine. They show Roong as being placed directly north of the Jugular River (our Mississippi). As far as I can make out, Roong is located at Chicago. That too would be a massive source of metals for whoever controlled the site.
Yes, without Roong, the Rogaviki would revert to simple barbarism. Because a quasi nomadic life based on bison hunting simply would not enable them to gain the wealth needed for more advanced technology. A factor which a future enemy of the Rogaviki should keep in mind!
Another way of breaking the Rogaviki would be to kill enough of the bison herds on which they had become genetically hard wired to become dependent on.
And I like that "hereditarian savant"! A neat, futuristic equivalent of "geneticist."
Sean
Sean,
Yes, Rahidian calendar.
Yes, paperback.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Thanks. I thought so!
Sean
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