In Stormgate country, snowpeaks and a mountain with a waterfall rise above steep valleys full of dark woods. A flying bugler sings at night.
At dawn, to the call of a trumpet, Lythran rises from his tower to lead his household to the mountain where the regional Khruath meets. En route, they will join other Stormgate families and, at the Khruath, there will be other choths. The family flies in formation above the mountains.
In flight, Eyath sings "...a traditional carol..." (p. 450) that Arinnian has translated into Anglic, including the line:
"'High is heaven and holy.'" (p. 452)
- which will end the novel. (XIX, p. 662)
This Khruath is not a regular assembly but has been convened because of the threat of war with Terra.
Thus ends Chapter I of XIX.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I noted that there does not seem to be any special BUILDINGS devoted for the use of Khruaths. Nothing like the US Capitol or the UK Houses of Parliament. This has some possible inconveniences, such as needing to convene for emergency sessions when the weather might be BAD. It would have been a nice touch if Anderson had shown us how and where kruaths met when the weather was too cold and wet to meet outdoors.
Sean
Sean,
The Ythrians are more at home in the elements than human beings but they would still be inconvenienced by heavy rain. Not having a building emphasizes that the Khruath is simply its members assembled, not a place to which they must go to conduct their business.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, I know. But if an emergency came along needing to be decided by a meeting of the khruath when the weather happened to be cold and rainy, where would they meet?
Humans find it more convenient to have official locations and buildings for their public business.
Sean
When the usual building for such meetings is damaged, humans make do with another building.
During WWI the Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa were badly damaged by a fire. They MPs met in rooms in the Natural History Museum. It is built in a similar neo-Gothic style.
Legend has it that the Senate met in a room marked "Prehistoric Fossils". ;)
Kaor, Jim!
Ha! IIRC, Canadian PMs often made sure the Senators chosen would be superannuated "fossils" who would give them little or no trouble. IOW, too apt a name for their meeting room!
Ad astra! Sean
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