Moving Walkways

The novel opens with a disturbing action sequence. No spoilers here. The setting is the commute to work. Citizens are transported across an enormous plaza via a moving walkway. The morning commute becomes our first view of the world of Harmonia. It provides clues about occupations, the population, and a significant social disturbance that takes place. This scene is informative in other ways, too. One senses that this society lacks crowding, foreshadowing what lies ahead. It is sunny, hot, and dry. The walkway is moving rapidly and its surface is a kind of grippy material like Velcro. People are wearing footwear to cling to the walkway. The surrounding plaza is occupied by a few people, several of whom walk their dogs and pigs. The pigs wear umbrellas for shade. I'm picturing pigs as a mainstream pet option, but I'm not providing much of a rationale. Why pigs? They don't require much upkeep, can be loving, and have adaptable diets. That is good enough. (Thom Holmes)

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