The text begins with a quotation: Job iv, 12-16.
Chapter 1, on pp. 75-76, occupies less than one page of text and is scriptural in tone, beginning:
"On the third day he arose, and ascended again to the light." (p. 75)
The viewpoint character, Jaan, reflects:
"To be man is to be radiance." (ibid.)
It is or at least it can be but we are to learn that Jaan's "...resurrection..." (p. 76) is a deception.
The chapter ends:
"Above them paled Dido, the morning star." (p. 76)
This is the first textual indication that the novel is set not only in Poul Anderson's Technic History but also, more specifically, in the Virgilian System in Sector Alpha Crucis. Jaan must be on Aeneas where Dido is the morning star. And, since, according to Jaan, the morning star is:
"...the planet of the First Chosen..." (p. 75)
- those First Chosen are the tripartite Didonians. We know, if we are reading the Technic History consecutively, that the Didonians practise oneness. Now Jaan's inner voice, Caruith, speaks of mankind being:
"...received into Oneness..." (p. 76)
In Chapter 2, beginning on p. 76, an opening reference to Windhome and the introduction of a viewpoint character with the surname, Frederiksen, confirm that the action is on Aeneas.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
In my copy of THE DAY OF THEIR RETURN, underneath what I assumed was
the AV's translation of Job 4.12-16, I copied the NAB's version of the same text. I wanted to compare how the AV rendered that text from Job with a modern Catholic version.
I am not satisfied with how too many modern Biblical translations handles the text of the Scriptures. Too often they flatten out into colorlessness what the original Hebrew and Greek texts says. For an example of what I mean compare how 3/1 Kings 14.10 was rendered in the AV/Douai-Challoner versions with modern translations.
Ad astra! Sean
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