We always live in the present with a single past and several possible futures. Flandry and Kossara plan their futures:
when they are married, he will settle on Dennitza;
if there is war between Dennitza and Terra, then they can:
"'...best be messengers between Emperor and Gospodar.'" (p. 527);
if Dennitza does become independent, then it will still deserve Terran help and Flandry will still prefer to live on Dennitza - like Falkayn preferring a new start on Avalon.
We can imagine a sequel along these lines but it did not happen. Flandry will have no reason either to resign his commission or to leave Terra.
The past is littered with paths that we did not go down. Leaving my son-in-law on a Thursday, I said that I would see him on the following Tuesday but he died on the Friday.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I think Gospodar Bodin still expected or thought Flandry might settle on Dennitza. I recall his surprise said he was returning to Terra after Chereion was bombarded. Flandry's reply was to say "I have my own people."
Ad astra! Sean
Any individual is the product of many low probability accidents. Think of how your grandparents met, for instance -- mine involved a ship hitting an iceberg in 1912, who survived being gassed at Passchendaele in 1917, and the exact timing of a Zeppelin raid on London the year before -- which in turn depended on the precise conditions of the weather.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, any of a large number of events could have prevented our precious, all important selves from ever existing!
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment