Poul Anderson liked his action scenes. Chapter V, pp. 357-361, five full pages, describe how Flandry and the young woman who has come to his bedroom fight their way out of the palace and flee from the city into the steppe on stolen motorcycles. Knowing what is coming and glancing ahead, we read:
"Wind lulled in long grasses..." (VI, p. 362)
- after the successful escape, a peaceful scene when Flandry and his new ally will be able to converse and to make plans. I confess to preferring Chapter VI to Chapter V.
I will continue to reread and make remarks but it will have to be sporadic. (Table booked in the restaurant a quarter of an hour from now.)
6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I hope you and Mrs. Shackley enjoy your holiday in that rented chalet! Should I assume, in between reading and blogging, you will be doing things like hiking and biking (weather permitting)?
Well, I enjoy Chapter V of "A Message in Secret." We see Flandry dropping the mask of being a harmless, amiably clueless Bertie Woosterish twit and showing himself as he actually is: a lethally efficient and wily fighting man.
Ad astra! Sean
Paul: Enjoy the holiday!
Interesting titbit: my research indicates that Marcus Aurelius practiced Stoic meditation techniques nearly every evening.
Sean: Flandry was, and it was essential to what he did, but that wasn't his -main- talent.
His primary skill was penetrating deception and deceiving others.
Otherwise he'd have been a bodyguard or something of that nature.
Sean,
Some walking but mainly just taking it easy. We will return home to the build-up to Christmas, including eating out with different friends on two consecutive days, then an annual food and drinks get-together on Christmas Eve at someone else's house, then Christmas Day and probably the following day with Aileen and Yossi, daughter and granddaughter.
Paul.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: I have repeatedly read Marcus Aurelius' MEDITATIONS, so I knew he was a convinced Stoic, but not that he practiced Stoic methods of contemplation. It's a pity he had only bafflement about Christians, calling them "obstinate" in his book.
I agree with what you said about Flandry, there was far more to him than his fighting skills. I certainly appreciated how cleverly he deceived so many enemies of the Empire. If he had not become an Intelligence agent, I can see Flandry being a fleet officer and rising high.
I would spare a pang of sympathy for Sumu the Fat, the gang boss hoodwinked by Flandry in THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS. Yes, I know Flandry was in a tight spot and needed money in a hurry, but as gang bosses go Sumu wasn't such a bad guy.
Now I'm wondering if one of your time travelers stranded in Antonine Rome had some of the Flandry stories with him! (Smiles)
Paul: Understood. Have a good time, both during your holiday and at Christmas time.
I mentioned that stuff about physical activities because I'm trying not to be too inactive during this long convalescence of mine. Besides therapeutic exercises I try going for a long walk every day, weather permitting.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: no, but they've -all- read LEST DARKNESS FALL, by Sprague de Camp! (It's apparently a favorite with ancient history students.)
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Good! All SF fans should read LEST DARKNESS FALL. Plus Anderson's "The Man Who Came Early," a cautionary story warning readers it won't always be that easy to change the past.
I would argue that "Tiger By The Tail" and THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS could teach your time travelers useful lessons in how to outwit and outmaneuver their enemies.
Ad astra! Sean
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