Kukulkan Zachary takes Diana, Axor and Targovi to the island of Zacharia in a flying:
"...first class passenger cruiser..." (p. 365)
- because only this is big enough:
"...to carry the Wodenite in comfort..." (ibid.)
They stand in an observation lounge with a completely transparent floor. Would you find that comfortable? It reminds me that Wonder Woman used to fly an invisible plane. However, in this cruiser, metal ribs cross the otherwise unseen floor and there are both fore and aft bulkheads.
During their night flight:
the sky is deep violet-blue above and berylline near the ocean;
a few stars are visible;
the Daedalian sun-ring surrounds the Phosphoric Ocean making distant rain and the sea below the ring gleam;
that sea gleam shades to turquoise, then to black which however swirls and sparks with green life;
Zacharia shows rivers, lakes, mists, mountains, valleys and light from dwellings and from other travellers by air or water.
We try to summarize a descriptive passage accurately and wind up writing something almost as long as it. For another attempt at the same passage, see also:
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Really large beings like the Wodenites wouldn't have much choice but to resign themselves to making use of travel facilities designed for smaller races as best they could. But I can imagine some Wodenites being wealthy enough to have spaceships built designed for their species
The Crystal Moon, which we see in Chapter I of HUNTERS OF THE SKY CAVE. also has transparent walls and floors. I don't know if I would find such things comfortable, but they would be intriguing.
I like the idea of Daedalus having a sun-ring! Mention was made somewhere in THE GAME OF EMPIRE that Terra itself might have had a sun-ring, if the planet was a little smaller or larger.
Ad astra! Sean
You'd get used to a transparent floor... after a while.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, however fascinating the transparent walls and floors of the Crystal Moon would be, it would take a while for me to get used to the optical illusion of seeming to stand on nothing.
Some parts of the Moon would not be transparent, for reasons of privacy, such as toilet facilities designed for both Merseians and non-Merseians.
Ad astra! Sean
Public urination and defecation were common in Western culture until historically quite recently.
Flush toilets came in during the 19th century and didn't become common until the 20th.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Ha! I knew past generations were less than discreet and hygienic about such matters.
As late as 1966 my house had very early 20th century toilet facilities (including the classic claw footed tub), maybe even late 19th century. It was only in that year that they were finally modernized.
Ad astra! Sean
The shape of tubs is irrelevant -- what matters is that people have access to hot water and soap. -That- produced massive decreases in disease fatality, as did getting enough clothes to launder them.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, of course. It was probably only after 1910 that more and more people started getting serious about washing up and having enough clothes that multiple changes were possible. Clothes would be taken to laundromats, and then increasingly to in home washers and dryers.
I was going by childhood memories of the antique bathroom my house used to have, supplemented by photographs: dark wood paneled walls, claw footed tub, wood framed sink, etc. It must have dated to at least the 1920's.
Ad astra! Sean
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