In CHAPTER ONE, Iern fights a storm. See Man Versus Nature. Before that, he and his attendants had ridden back from a seasonal circuit of his family's lands:
autumnal forests;
long steep valley;
river road;
slanting sunlight;
shining cliffs;
glistening stream;
sweet, mild air;
an echoing horn;
thumping hooves;
vivid cloaks;
swirling dust "...like firelit smoke." (p. 10)
Details, when listed, are more numerous than expected. The storm held the stage on a previous reading. However, rereading aids appreciation of this autumn evening colorfully described in a single paragraph.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I'm reminded of how, in feudal or quasi feudal systems, one of the most important duties of the baron, bossman, magnate, whatever his title, was to judge cases at law, either at his demesne manor or by riding circuit, as we see here. And we see something very similar in "Time Lag."
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment