From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 10:16:59 +0100
Subject: (urth) Time: [Was: First Mail]




On 16/07/2002 21:42:32 Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:

>David A Baird wrote:
>
>> Only 97K - hmmm, I'd always envidaged it as being much later, of the
order
>> of several million. But then again, I was thinking of a natural demise
of
>> the sun although in this re-read I noticed that the Hierodules have
>> 'planted' a black hole in there to keep Urth at bay.
>
>The 97 Kyear figure is _very_ debateable, and I for one hold it to be
>completely implausible ... we're talking a sufficient amount of time
>so that the ruins of ancient human civilizations have been uplifted in
>the bodies of new mountains (which, of course, are then carved into the
>figures of Urth's vain rulers). That doesn't happen in less than multiple
>millions of years.

Yay!  Exactly!

The mines of Saltus and Severians walk down the cliff to Casdoe's house.

The evidence of the text does not appear to admit to any explanation
except that geological ages have passed since there were first
civilisations of Urth.

Matthew



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