Implications Of A Premise

Operation Chaos.

Poul Anderson packs logical implications of his premise onto the back of a postage stamp.

(i) "Dragons hate rain..." (I, p. 5) - understandably. When the enemy conjures endless rain, the dragon drivers must keep them in portable shelters from which steam rises and the reptile stench is rank.

(ii) Basilisks must be hooded except when used to petrify enemy troops. Their handlers are protected by aluminum suits and helmets. Human carbon transformed into silicon becomes radioactive so basilisk handlers must sometimes be treated with:

"St. John's Wort plucked from a graveyard in the dark of the moon." (p. 6)

(iii) Therefore, cremation has been made illegal.

(iv) Zombies are used to dig drainage ditches.

We are familiar with dragons etc. Now we have a better understanding of what it would be like to work with them.