All the destruction done by the company was rimed in the same blue-black gloss as the previous hillside figures. The hills that were being mined was once also with figures.

“They are no more than memories now — and memories that are rapidly being forgotten.”

S. realizes the third truth: “Vévoda’s company has stolen the symbols, too.”

He also wonders how long can the hills close to the village remain intact.

The governor’s strategy, as S. states, is to start tearing open and erasing memories furthest away. The Old Villagers will protest no matter what, but New Villagers will tolerate as a reasonable trade for modernity and wealth. By the time destruction is near the villages, the New villagers will have forgotten the existence and value of the symbols and the Old villagers will be gone by then.

In the footnote, FXC points out that Straka has explored the concept of “rapidly being forgotten” in his work, Lopevi. Arguing that even societies can be undone with astonishing speed by man and nature. And also cultural identity is not any more durable than individual identity.

In the margins, Jen and Eric talk about getting Straka’s work, Lopevi. Jen bringing up that she had to order it from a rare book place online.