Today was an afternoon trip to Blackpool and tomorrow will be an all day trip to London so blogging suffers but life continues.
"Of course, these days time went like the wind...." (p. 123)
Time and wind are two big themes in Poul Anderson's works. Here they are together in a single phrase that could have appeared in any fictional narrative about the lives of human beings.
A Rustumite lowland winter:
"French doors opened on a balcony. The panes were full of rain, wind hooted, lightning flared, thunder made drumfire which shuddered in the walls." (p. 121)
Dan Coffin receives a disturbing phone call:
"For several heartbeats he stood moveless. Chills chased along his spine and out to the ends of his nerves. Lightning glared, thunder exploded, rain dashed against the glass." (p. 125)
His reaction is physical and nature seems to agree with it but, when Coffin presents a problem to George Stein:
"Stein rode sunk in thought. Wind lulled, leaves whispered." (p. 133)
Nature quietens as if to aid Stein's thought!
13 comments:
My mother's parents spent their honeymoon in Blackpool -- albeit in 1918...
I was last in London about 9 years ago, and was struck by how many East Europeans were there. Probably the same will be said in the near future, albeit they'll be slightly more eastern.
One guy I ran into in Piccadilly Circus said, "You don't need to go anywhere else to study different kinds of people. Just stay here."
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: And I strongly suspect the UK and other countries, such as the US, will soon be getting Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russian aggression.
Paul: I had that same experience simply standing near the doors of St. Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican City State, watching so many DIFFERENT kinds of people coming and going.
Ad astra! Sean
My grandmother told me a story about how her husband (on limited duty due to his gas injuries) was drilling troops in a Lancashire town. He got quite emphatic, in military fashion, about their ineptitude.
A little old lady came up to him -- here my grandmother dropped into broad local dialect -- touched him on the sleeve and said in a chiding tone:
"Aye, thou'rt a bad booger, thou art."
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Ha! An amusing little anecdote about your grandfather. I'm reminded of the drill sergeant in Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS who, IIRC, made a point of NOT swearing, no matter how frustrating the trainees were, except for the gravest reasons!
Ad astra! Sean
Accommodation for Ukrainian refugees is being organized now.
Kaor, Paul!
A bit sooner than I expected. But not surprising, with over THREE MILLION refugees fleeing Ukraine. Tragic!
Ad astra! Sean
According to family legend, the first Stirling to leave Scotland did so in 1746 for reasons of health -- supporting the wrong King was extremely unhealthy.
Yes, I'd heard that over 100,000 households in Britain had volunteered to host Ukrainian refugees.
And Ukrainians are arriving at 600 per day and rising in Ireland.
Note that tens of thousands are leaving Russia, too -- predominantly young and well-educated; people who object to the war, men unwilling to be drafted to fight in it.
Not really relevant to this blog, but if I were the President I'd arrange for a free plane ticket and automatic green card for the Russians and Ukrainians both.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Ha! Backing the losing side in a civil war CAN be quite unhealthy!
I have no doubt most Ukrainian refugees would like to go back if Russia is defeated. But, the longer the war goes on and the more "settled" these exiled Ukrainians get in the UK, Eire, Italy, etc., the more unlikely that gets.
I only WISH that bungler "Josip" would do what you suggest, those Ukrainians and Russians would make for high quality immigrants. But I don't expect him to do that.
Ad astra! Sean
Mr Stirling,
Nothing is irrelevant to this blog.
Paul.
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