A Silver Band And More Weather

The Merman's Children.

"On a calm night, stars filled the jet bowl above until it was well-nigh hidden, save for the silver band across it." (Book Four, I, p. 194)

"...the silver band..." is yet another description of the Milky Way which we seem to have missed before.

"...it was a sweet spring day. The common which they were crossing was vivid with new grass; in the distance, leaves made a green mist across the top of a woodlot. Against overarching blue, storks were returning, harbingers of summer, bearers of luck. The breeze was fresh, loud, full of damp odors. Hoofs thudded on drenched soil with almost unhearable softness." (V, p. 216)

Four senses: the breeze alone is felt, heard and smelled. We are beginning to notice birds as part of the pathetic fallacy. These storks harbing summer and bear luck. (I tried "harbing" as a verb but my laptop does not recognize it.)

"Rain sluiced from heaven, brawled across roofs, made rivers of streets. Lightning flared, thunder went on huge wheels, wind whooped." (p. 217)

A good time to be indoors and, sure enough, the following paragraph describes:

a stove heating the main room of a house;

candles lighting wainscot, hangings and carved furniture;

closed doors giving privacy.

As usual, weather punctuates dialogue. When Eyjan complains:

"Ingeborg watched her for a while that was silent except for the storm battering at shutters." (ibid.)

(Today has been a busy Easter Monday, combining a friend's birthday with a community activity and an evening outing. Reading time has been almost zero.)