I think the point of the first line isn't to say anything, be clever, or to give you an emotional reaction. It's to prompt questions that make you want to read further. Questions like:
* Why is it a cold day in spite of the fact that it's spring, and bright out?
* Why are the clocks striking thirteen? Did the earth's rotation become slower? Or did some bureaucrat change the system of time to match his whims?
In my mind, it alludes to the fact that this is a world that is ok with blatantly inconsistencies, but forces you to verify that allusion by reading further.
* Why is it a cold day in spite of the fact that it's spring, and bright out?
* Why are the clocks striking thirteen? Did the earth's rotation become slower? Or did some bureaucrat change the system of time to match his whims?
In my mind, it alludes to the fact that this is a world that is ok with blatantly inconsistencies, but forces you to verify that allusion by reading further.