MDDM ch.69: Forgive me, for what I must...

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

 [676.13]

Not sure if this Daniel is just a pynchonian "wooden" 
indian or whether there is some historical basis for the
sort of behavior expressed by Daniel as he pushes
the stakes dipped in serpent venom into the bosom
of the earth, and asks forgiveness:

    Forgive me, for what I must now beg you to
    bear at my hands...

Be that as it may, but within the text, this image
contrasts with that of the crew digging deep post
holes and sinking five to seven foot 12 x 12
squared timbers into the earth heedless of anything
but the labor involved- the earth just something to
be exploited by their science, or "Weightless Obs" [681.22]