"A vulch wheeled into view, wings across heaven." (p. 422)
Compare Hawks.
We are told that Colin is Hugh McCormac's oldest son and therefore will be the next Firstman. He will not - but the consecutive reader does not know that yet.
Colin saw crowds of ordinary citizens beat Snelund's political police to death. It happens.
"Trees grew about, not only the low iron-hard native sorts but imported oak, cedar, and rasmin. The wind carried their fragrances." (p. 423)
I could look it up but am recovering from a busy day so can someone remind me where rasmin comes from?
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Anderson was fond of mentioning flying raptors on many planets. Besides the Aenean vulch we see mention of the hawks of Terra and the fangryf of Merseia.
Rasmin was a tree imported from the planet Llynathawr.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
A thought I had was to be a bit surprised that Colin McCormac was raised with the expectation that he would not have a military career, because he was the heir to the Firstmanship of Ilion. That was certainly not the case with British peerages! I noted how many times the heirs to even the wealthiest, most influential or prestigious peerages served in the armed forces. And with many, this was not nominal or merely for a few years. Rather, it was seriously meant and often involved service in units and locations at the SHARP end, taking their chances with real danger.
Yes, a Firstman of Ilion would need to KNOW the people he would lead, and they him. And that necessarily meant living and working among them. Still, I was a bit surprised Colin was expected not to do military service.
Ad astra! Sean
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