Everard, posing as a Goth from the east, tries to quiz Heidhin as to where Wael-Edh/Veleda and he have come from. However, Heidhin automatically suspects Everard's line of questioning and, of course, natural phenomena obligingly parallel their uneasy conversation. When Heidhin argues instead of answering, a passing cloud shadow darkens his face and sharpens his stare, while his hand moves towards his sword and, at the same time:
"Wind bore a puff of smoke, a clang of iron." (p. 536)
Wind is ubiquitous. Smoke is perhaps unpleasant. Clanging iron is certainly threatening.
Heidhin divulges only that they:
"'...come of the Alvarings...'" (p. 537)
That is one clue but more must be found. Even Floris, the Specialist, does not recognize the name. Unlike Carl Farness who, in "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth," had travelled futureward by several stages from 300 to 372 to learn the origin of a myth, Everard and Floris must now travel pastward, seeing their quarries becoming younger, in order to learn what had started Veleda's mission. In true time travel paradox style, Floris' arrival at the moment of the turning point event will itself be the turning point event. Time is on our heels.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
There must have been many small, obscure tribes and clans which never left a known mark in the world.
Ad astra! Sean
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