Rax, in what might be his equivalent of an awed whisper:
"'So many, many stars...a hundred billion in this one lost lonely dust-mote of a galaxy...and we on the edge, remote in a spiral arm where they thin toward emptiness...what do we know, what can we master?'" (p. 217)
We can remember the Brian Aldiss title, Galaxies Like Grains Of Sand. See:
It is worthwhile to reread Rax's short speech, savoring the meaning of each word and phrase. He might reflect that there are worthier occupations than selling drugs and spying for Merseia.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I remember Rax, an esp. interesting non human character created by Anderson! And this bit from Chaper III was amusing: "A casual inquiry and answer crossed her recollection, yes, Rax was a dealer in drugs, legal or illegal, from...where was it? Nobody knew or cared. The planet had some or other unpronounceable name and orbited in distant parts. Presumably Rax had had to make a hurried departure for reasons of health, and had drifted about until it stranded at last on this tolerant shore. Such cases were tiresomely common."
Iow, most who knew Rax on Irumclaw thought it had gotten into trouble with the authorities on its planet and had to make a hasty depart for "reasons of health." One of the things to be expected of a vast interstellar community with a FTL drive would be criminals fleeing their home planets to escape punishment for their crimes. And for the most part the authorities would not find it worthwhile to try tracking them down over hundreds of light years. Except for the most egregious and outrageous offenses.
But I would imagine law enforcement on at least the most advanced planets of the Empire would keep in contact with each other, precisely in case any of those most egregious offenders came to the attention of the police on any of those worlds.
And I agree, there were far better things Rax could have done than trafficking in drugs and spying for Merseia!
Anderson used "it" for Rax. Presumably because "its" species did not have male and female sexes.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But will other intelligent species have authorities, crimes, criminals and punishment? Maybe all this is too anthropomorphic?
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Not at all! As Anderson made plain thru out the stories, and Fr. Axor said explicitly in THE GAME OF EMPIRE, all known oxygen breathing races were prone "...to sin, error, and death." And Aaron Snelund mentioned in THE REBEL WORLDS that one of the things done by the civil service was to keep crime in check. And the fact that a hydrogen breathing .Ymirite tried to murder Flandry in WE CLAIM THESE STAR after being blackmailed by Aycharaych shows this Fallen condition extends to non-oxygen breathing species. So, yes, I would different intelligent races to have their own forms of authorities, crimes, and punishments.
And Merseia is explicitly mentioned as having a planetary police force in ENSIGN FLANDRY. To say nothing of the organized crime seen in "Day of Burning."
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
To clarify: I would expect law enforcement agencies on many planets of the Empire, human or non-human, to be passing around circulars and advisories giving information about the MOST WANTED criminals who had escaped from their worlds. And their might even be times when Imperial and Meseian law enforcement bodies cooperate on matters of ordinary crime.
Ad astra! Sean
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