there's a knocking in my brain...

I've spent the day today working on everything except the novel, but I'm finding that Abraham and Darius - one of the slaves who worked for him in the pottery - are taking up headspace. Rattling around and knocking and demanding to be heard.
Right now I am struggling to hear their words, but I can see them very clearly.

It is early morning. The mountain is covered in mist, reaching about halfway down, with just occasional glimpses of the top peeking through.

The weather has been warm for the past few days, but today the mist has brought a crisp coldness and a promise that winter is not far away.

Abraham's house is uphill from the pottery, with a view of the Company's garden below and Table Mountain and Lion's Head to the right and behind him.

silver tree. It is the only tree that grows naturally in the City Bowl. It is a member of the protea family

the house is not as grand as this, but this is what the garden looks like

The house is on the outskirts of the town. There are silver trees  in the garden, and Abraham has planted some oaks for shade.

The silver trees look their best in this weather - leaves shimmering in the soft light.

The spring, with its clean, sweet water, emerges just below the house into a natural pool

Abraham and his men have built a leiwater channel which feeds water to the pottery when the sluice is lifted. The rest of the water is channelled down through the Company's Garden and into the Heerengracht.

I think that the houses where the slaves lived and where the pottery is made look more like these. This is the Genadendal mission station that was established in 1738.