The Fat One

Again we read about Nicholas van Rijn from an alien perspective. He is described as "'...the fat one...'" (p. 386) (For full reference, see here.) It is reported that he has anticipated a contingency and has said that he will manage to cope with it. Already, through the agency of the escaped interpreter, van Rijn has persuaded a Diomedean military leader to mount a risky rescue operation. Van Rijn does not wind up ruling Diomedes only because he does not aim to. In fact, his influence is vastly wider than one single planet. The "fat one" who is "The Man Who Counts" is also the "Trader To The Stars."

How much luck is involved in van Rijn's success? Audentes Fortuna Iuvat. There must be League merchants who died on alien planets but Poul Anderson tells us about one who didn't.

And that is plenty of posts for one day.