See Diomedean Geography II.
Thursday Landing:
built at the intersection of the equator and the eastern shore of the Centralian continent;
blocky interconnected ferrocrete buildings protecting their internal terrestroid environments from devastating rain and wind;
a vitryl-domed park illuminated by lamps imitating Solar light;
among cultivated fields, tall, narrow native dwellings with many balconies, designed to yield to the intense weather;
boats and entire floating communities in the harbor;
flying Diomedeans above;
at this time of year, neither true day nor true night;
"...purple and black twilight...bloodily glimmering ocean." (p. 432)
Flandry reminds himself that this place is OK for Diomedeans. Nevertheless, its apparent unreality reminds him of the shadowy nature of his current mission. He is soon to learn that the arch-deceiver, Aycharaych, is at the back of it all.
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I have wondered if Aycharaych made a mistake, showing himself so openly in Thursday Landing. I think he could have so handled matters that he would not be seen by any pro Imperial human or Diomedean. Any investigator who came to Diomedes who knew about Chereion would have realized at once from any description or image taken of Aycharaych who he was and that he was up to no good!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Like Everard recognizing the Exaltationists from their description in Tyre.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly! Don't give your enemies a free ride. Make it hard and difficult for them to discover useful information. And make the INTERPRETATION of any such information uncertain and ambiguous.
Ad astra! Sean
Aycharaych was probably pressed for time, and doing things "quick and dirty" and gambling that none of the few people who knew about his species would recognize the clues. He's the only one of his kind the Meresians have, after all -- he must be very thinly stretched.
This point is clear from rereading the novel. He had to go to Diomedes in person so he put a security restriction on everyone who saw him. He did not conceal his name or planet of origin because he knew that he would in any case be recognized from his description by anyone who knew about Chereion. He knew by his telepathy that no one on Diomedes did know about Chereion and also that he would be gone before they could speak to anyone else.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
You both made good points: Aycharaych was pressed for time and took deliberately calculated risks. And had to hope any investigators who knew about him would not soon come to Diomedes.
Ad Astra! Sean
There's an old military saying that's apposite for Aycharaych's choices there:
"Few military operations have failed because too much force was used, but many have failed because they were delayed by taking time to muster more force."
In this case, he had to balance the time lost against the extra security of taking more precautions.
"Much must be risked in war", as Denthor of Gondor says.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Very true and apt! Fortunately for the Empire, here the gamble Aycharaych took failed.
Ad astra! Sean
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