"Summer heat lay on the settlement like a weight. Forest stood windless, listless beneath a leaden overcast. Thunder muttered afar." (p. 264)
Pathetic fallacy: windlessness means eventlessness but muttering thunder threatens something. Sure enough, when a Tahirian relates something that shakes Nansen:
"Thunder rolled closer." (p. 266)
The conversation is about reasons why civilized species cease starfaring. When two other characters broach this topic:
"'...society went more and more conservative for a variety of reasons. Although -'
"The wind shrilled. 'Yes?' prompted Nansen after several seconds.
"'I don't know,' he heard the trouble in her voice. 'Something else in the equations -...'" (p. 273)
The text is building up to something and the sound-effects of thunder and wind help. My problem is that, from what I remember, the big reveal, when it comes, will not make sense but let's read on with open minds.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I remember that "big event" or "discovery" that so troubled the Tahirians. The problem was that their hosts interpretation of that "discovery" did not satisfy the two scientists aboard 'Envoy' best qualified to study it.
Ad astra! Sean
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