the Wind of st. helena

[Seymour Landnau]

The Venus transit past and their observations a success, the lads and their
hosts, and everyone around, seem refreshed, almost more civilized, perhaps
enlightened? Trying to put a finger on it, Dixon call it a turning of Soul.
But this change of heart eventually fades, and the astronomers are off to
St. Helena where they meet Maskelyne, who has had his own, permanent,
darkening of the soul.

While ostensibly on the island to gather obs on Sirius, the plumbline on
Maskelyne's gear has been corrupted and he cannot gather what he needs. He
cannot leave for another year to get the proper obs on the island's
zenithstar, and anyway the Royal Academy refuses he recall him, although,
cursing the isle, Maskelyne's partner Waddington leaves the moment the
transit is over. Even Mask's uncle Clive cannot retrieve him from the Isle.
The conscious clocks are swapped, and the clocks swap stories, not knowing
they are clocks but only that they are ticking beings.

Giant robed beings probe the island, another planet, the ocean crashing
everywhere, fog against the day, the Wind brutal and pure. The Wind of
truth no doubt, which over time has caused Maskelyne much insight and
torment. He has developed the idea that the island is a conscious being.
Unfortunately he does not know how to process these data, these new senses
and perceptions the Wind has brought him, and rather than rejoicing he
becomes paranoid and views the beautiful Isle Being a malevolent Creature
assembled in secret by the Company. He entertains some notion of the island
being the original Eden, with a serpent in the volcano, planted by ETs,
who, given his negative bent, being disturbed, are none-too-pleasant
indeed. All of which, to the disturbed, will end eventually in disease,
madness, oblivion.
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