A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Chapter 4

If one has followed the series in order, he/she will also know what an Echthros is. "IT" was a servant of the Echthroi (plural) in the first book. The first few paragraphs of Chapter 4 take us to what is called a Projection. This is explained as a possible future, in this case one that may occur if Charles Wallace is to fail. The barren landscape and the scabrous, blotchy creature remind us all of what may occur if the world were to partake in massive, global war.

In the next parts of the chapter, we meet Madoc, a 17-year-old prince from Gwynedd that had sailed with his brother to the New World. He is to be wed to Zyll, a native woman. In the talk that Madoc and Reschal (Zyll's father) have just before the wedding, we find that Madoc has chosen to forsake the gods of Gwynedd, whom he has served his whole life, and worship the gods of the Wind People (Zyll's tribe). I think the phrase, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," is no excuse for changing faith. But I am quite different from Madoc.

The very end of this chapter suggests a threat from a neighboring tribe. The warning sign is a drum signal that in usually only played when the wind blows from the south. On this occasion, the wind comes from the north. I'm not sure how I would have behaved in this situation. Madoc has lived with the Wind People for years and trusts them, but he hasn't ever witnessed the People Across the Lake. He has heard tell of their strange ways. In his place, I may have evacuated instead of staying put. Yet there is a wedding at stake, and the fact that it's Madoc's wedding makes it all the more dear to him.