In a continuation of the previous story, the gold mine is changing everything about life in the park. There are none of the usual scenes of the community from the aunties and their current quilt to some congregation or other and their service to the belly-dancing class all at the Roadhouse. The community no longer gathers at the Roadhouse because it is overrun with mine workers.
One by one, the constants of Niniltna are falling - even the aunties. They no longer make the quilts which might symbolize the continuity of a way of life. Auntie Vi has sold her B & B to the mine for them to use as transient housing. Another of them is making cheap versions of the native costume to sell for souvenirs, another is serving fast food to the miners. To underscore the passing of life as we have known it for a whole bunch of stories, Old Sam dies; his passing is very like that of Ekaterina way back books and books ago - quietly, privately, without any fuss.
On the other side, Johnny and Vanessa have their first jobs working at the mine. Other younger members of the community are working because jobs are available because others have gone to work at the mine. Unfortunately, some of them are working as prostitutes and bootleggers.
Industrial espionage has come to the park and is the force behind the murders.
And, by the way, as far as I can tell the title has nothing whatsoever to do with the story. Perhaps I have read too many of these in too short a time, so it is a good thing that we have almost caught up with the current publishing year. Of course, besides that - school starts next week and there goes my reading time for the entire academic year! My latest Amazon order consisted of my textbooks for the coming term.
No comments:
Post a Comment