While he is on Diomedes, where van Rijn had been, Flandry remembers a visit to Talwin, where he had been before, during which he met both Tachwyr and Aycharaych. Future historical interconnections reach a crescendo. This is the only time that Tachwyr and Aycharaych cross paths. It is the second last time that we see Tachwyr and the very last occasion when we see him in conversation with Flandry.
This novel will climax with a big revelation about Aycharaych. That must be prepared for in a moment of semi-realization by Flandry:
"You're the only Chereionite I've ever met -' Flandry stopped.
"After a moment he proceeded: 'Are you the only Chereionite anybody has ever met?'" (p. 461)
When Flandry presses this question, Aycharaych responds:
"'You don't expect me to tell you.'" (p. 463)
It will also be important later, first, that very few beings know the coordinates of Chereion and, secondly, that, in most of them, that knowledge is unconscious, to be reactivated by a stimulus, so these facts are underlined here. Anything that is going to be important later has to have been mentioned earlier.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Iow, Anderson was an experienced PROFESSIONAL, skillfully planting hints, clues, indications for things that will be important later in the story. A bit like a mystery novel, in fact.
Ad astra! Sean
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