"'There is no absolute inevitability... I suppose, even this late in the game, we could start afresh if we had the means - more importantly, the will.'"
-Poul Anderson, A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows IN Anderson, Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight Of Terra (Riverdale, NY, March 2012), pp. 339-606 AT III, p. 389.
Flandry to Miriam Abrams, later:
"'Hans Molitor did his damnedest to restore the old institutions, which is why I did my damnedest for him. But we were too late.'"
-A Stone In Heaven, VI, p. 75.
Something has changed. A tipping point has been passed. Like with us now? (Sf is painfully relevant.)
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
If Josip III had been a reasonably decent Emperor it might not have too late!
Charles II of Spain comes to mind. In many ways, thru no fault of his owe, he was a very flawed king. And also a decent well meaning man. What became the dominating idea of his childless reign was his absolute determination to leave his crown and Empire to his legitimate and chosen heir.
Not all last rulers of a line have to be bad!
Sean
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