Quote:
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[Smith] stood beside the Sea of Windless Storm where the blue waves like snow-clad hills roll silently out of Unlight to the long strand, bearing the white ships that return from battles on the Dark Marches of which men know nothing. He saw a great ship cast high upon the land, and the waters fell back in foam without a sound. The eleven mariners were tall and terrible; their swords shone and their spears glinted and a piercing light was in their eyes. Suddenly they lifted up their voices in a song of triumph, and his heart was shaken with fear, and he fell upon his face, and they passed over him and went into the echoing hills.
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I read Smith again last night.
Anyway, upon rereading it I do think Smith lands in Faerie/Valinor. It's still very dreamy. Like Littlemanpoet, I think Faerie is very much like Valinor. It takes Smith a long time to get to the inner circle (reminded me of Lorien, where the Two Trees once stood, the center and essence of Fairyland.) Although, I don't think the king and queen are Manwe and Varda-- I think they are the king and queen of the Vanyar. I'm supposed to remember his name... Ingwe, Elwe-Elu Thingol, and there's a third. Is it Ingwe?
It struck me that this is a windless sea. IMO it can't be "our" Western sea that lies just beyond the Ered Luin. What struck me was that this sea lies on the OTHER side of Valinor/ Faerie; beyond Mandos? The far side of Valinor. The "Dark Marches" reminded me of the Void.
His soul can't handle the Elven Men/Eleven men-- is that because where Elves and Men meet is not the same as where Elves and the outer Darkness meet?