Phosphorescent Cloak

After sunset on Irumclaw, Flandry leaves the Naval base and walks downhill to Old Town:

"Flandry sauntered in elegance."
-Poul Anderson, A Circus Of Hells IN Anderson, Young Flandry (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 193-365 AT Chapter Two, p. 203.

A paragraph describes his elegance:

comets gleaming on shoulders;
rakishly tilted bonnet;
glittergold dress tunic;
snowy trousers;
handmade beefleather boots;
fluttering cloak glowing in phosphorescent patterns.

(Perfect for an sf con costume parade.)

"It made good cover for the fact that he was not out for pleasure."
-op. cit., p. 204.

Why not out for pleasure? He is on his own time, is not acting under orders and is a fun-loving guy but he also acts on initiative and always has longer term aims in view. On this occasion, the longer term aim seems to be to enrich himself by accepting a clandestine job from a local boss. Does this explain why Flandry is so well placed later in his career? Partly but as always there is more to it even than that. If, with Flandry's help, the local boss becomes richer, then he will pressure to the Empire to continue defending this Betelgeusean frontier and therefore not to abandon Irumclaw.

Flandry is unique in his ability to serve himself and the cause of civilization by criminal activity which he is clever enough to keep from the attention of his superiors. Lord Hauksberg had said:

"'You are shameless! Will go far indeed, if no one shoots you first.'"
-Ensign Flandry IN Young Flandry, Chapter Eighteen, p. 187.

And Max Abrams had said:

"''...once you hit your stride, Lord help the opposition!'"
-op. cit., p. 192.