Marble on Urth

Mo Holkar · 02 Jun 2011, 08:14 · from 2011-June.txt.gz

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From: lists at ukg.co.uk (Mo Holkar)
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:14:15 +0100
Subject: (urth) Marble on Urth
In-Reply-To: <4DE6B587.8060700 at gmail.com>
References: <BANLkTinXcJr6aK+XjMj4v8WwjDzWhm8EtA at mail.gmail.com>
	<4DE57004.5080703 at gmail.com>
	<006401cc2090$e0468840$d8cd4a0c@rclackey>
	<4DE6B587.8060700 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <183166.20392.qm at smtp817.mail.ird.yahoo.com>

At 22:56 01/06/2011, James wrote:

>>     "Enormous darkness high overhead, blotting the sun-drenched field,
>>the straggling line of servants in which she had stood, and the soldiers'
>>precise column. She had seen it descend from the sky, at first a fleck of
>>black that had seemed no bigger than a flake of soot; [...](CALDE, 285)
>
>
>
>What is "coming down" here is the line of servants and soldiers.
>Because they are on the Whorl, she can see the very long line descend
>from the skylands.

No, I don't think that can be right -- the "it" that descends from 
the sky is the "enormous darkness", the subject of the previous 
sentence (ie. a ship above them, which first appeared high up as a 
fleck of black but is now enormous), not the line.

A line of which she was herself an element couldn't appear to her 
like a fleck. Also, if talking of a line of chems of which she and 
the soldier are elements, they wouldn't say "it" was dirty.

best,

Mo

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