As Muddlin' Through approaches Mirkheim, the planet is not white with frozen atmosphere but gleaming in metal:
"Mountains and chasms made rough shadows. Regions of dark iron sketched a troll's face." (p. 120)
Human babies are genetically programmed to respond to human faces. Only a very few random dots or markings suffice to suggest two eyes above a mouth. There is a man in the Moon and it is appropriate that a troll should guard the wealth of Mirkheim. This single reference to a face on Mirkheim is fully appropriate. We find such details in Poul Anderson's texts when we search for them and they affect us subliminally on a casual reading.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Even more appropriate, if possible, would have been Anderson using the metaphor of a dragon guarding its hoard!
Ad astra! Sean
And kittens and puppies manage to trigger the same reflex in humans; ditto with dogs and children.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I believe that is true!
Merry Christmas! Sean
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