Trevelyan sees Joachim and other Nomads run toward the spaceboat. (Trevelyan's pov.)
All but Trevelyan and Joachim climb the ladder into the boat.
The Alori arrive in pursuit.
Joachim sends Trevelyan up.
Joachim climbs backwards.
He recognizes Esperero climbing after him. (Joachim's pov.)
The pov has changed inappropriately in mid-narrative.
Esperero asks to shake hands, then, when Joachim has complied, retreats: a neat touch when we expect a trick. (The Alori had other resources but their gasses and insects were useless in the gale.)
When the boat ascends:
"Skyward, outward, starward - the words were a song within [Trevelyan]." (p. 181)
"The sky darkened around them and the stars came forth." (p. 184)
As the novel ends, these sentences signify the beginning of a new journey and, by extension, the beginning of many sf stories by Anderson and others.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
A rather weak ending, tho. I would have expected the Alori to have tried SOMETHING more decisive for preventing Trevelyan and the Peregrines from escaping. We see Aycharaych trying to use force, even on Chereion, to prevent Dominic Flandry from leaving.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
The Alori pursued the escaping spaceboat in other boats but were not as good astrogators as the Peregrines.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And those pursuers were probably willing to use force. I sit corrected!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
They do attempt to use force.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Good! That helps to make me think better of THE PEREGRINE. It would have been an artistic and technical flaw in the story to have the Alori feebly giving up.
Ad astra! Sean
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