"'Would you like to see Terra under attack? Could happen.'
"'Mark!' Abruptly she was changed. Her fingers, closing on his wrist beneath the cloth, felt cold. 'It can't be that serious?'
"'Nuclear,' he said." (pp. 7-8)
It is always that serious, not that nuclear war as such is always imminent although it remains possible as long as nuclear weapons exist but civilization, always fragile, is particularly vulnerable on several fronts at present. In any case, personal tragedy is perennially possible in even the most comfortable of lives, including those of:
"'Lord Markus Kauksberg, Viscount of Ny Kalmar, Second Minister of Extra-Imperial Affairs, and Lady Hauksberg!'" (p. 8)
All fiction, including space opera, is about life and death.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Absolute agreement! Both about how fragile a civilization is and how much at risk we all are of suffering personal tragedy,no matter how well off we might be.
And was Lord Hauksberg's position as SECOND Minister for Extra Imperial-Affairs analogous to being an Assistant Secretary of State (US) or Assistant Foreign Secretary (UK)?
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
As Jeeves would say, "So I would be disposed to imagine, sir."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And I would agree with Jeeves!
Ad astra! Sean
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